To those in Orthodox Traditions: Merry Christmas!!
To those in Western traditions: Happy Epiphany!
And to all of us: it may only be Monday, but Sunday’s coming.
This Sunday, many of us in western traditions will be celebrating Baptism of the Lord–when all the readings are about water, choirs will sing River In Judea, and some more adventurous churches may even break out in song…”As I went down to the river to pray….”
Of course, this being Year C, the story of Jesus’ baptism is pretty sparse. Luke has done some cleaning up of the narrative until we’re left only with “and when Jesus also had been baptized…” (after “all the people”??)
Then again, we do get the soaring rhetoric of Isaiah. I just cannot resist that man’s golden pen. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…”
Maybe you’d like to take a twist on the baptism theme with “The voice of the Lord is over the waters….” Or perhaps you’d like to bring the Holy Spirit back to church on a day other than Pentecost.
Personally, I’ve been away (and LL has been on a mini-break), transitioning between two calls. This Sunday is my first in a new congregation–what better way to begin a new life together than with Baptism of the Lord Sunday? So I’ll be pondering new things and the call we receive (and have confirmed!) in our baptism. There may or may not be a reaffirmation of baptism–but if there is, I hope it has the excitement of Splash Mountain rather than the dreary winter drizzle.
What are you thinking this week? Will you be doing a reaffirmation of the baptismal covenant? If so, will you write new liturgy or use something from a denominational or other resource?
Imagine the confessions that could be written from that Isaiah reading. Or the call to worship from the psalm.
Leave your single droplets or fully formed rivers of ideas here, so we can create together!
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