Happy octave of New Year to you. I greet you from my study in Chuckatuck and this past week was a decent week for our Church. We didn’t have any substantial hiccups with heat and air conditioning – as opposed to Christmas Eve and the heat going out. We made preparation to study the books of Ruth and Esther during Epiphany and had a good study and lunch this past week. We begin the year with an eye to the possible and the places where God has called us to minister with and in our community.
In worship, on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, we were reminded in our collect that John the Baptist identified Jesus as who he was and participated in the re-creation of relationship between God and humanity. The baptism was not needed for Jesus, rather Jesus’ baptism was for us. Our Psalmist sang a song to remind all people to give God the honor due God and to reiterate the power wielded by God in and through creation. However, God doesn’t wield power to oppress but to strengthen his people. The Epistle reading from Acts reminds us that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another. Simply that God will be related and apparent to those who are connected to God. The gospel account was Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan. During this baptism, God declares Jesus as God’s beloved, and by extension all humanity as beloved.
Our sermon was largely based the reading from Hebrew Scripture in the Prophet Isaiah. We heard the passage often referred to as the First Servant Story. In this passage, we are reminded that we, as servants of God, are sent forth to bring God’s justice to the world. Not the justice we believe is right, but God’s true justice. In doing this, we are able to make real change and a real difference in the lives of others. Where are you called to remember your belovedness today?
I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: Isaiah 42:1-10; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
Video of worship: https://youtu.be/nnCNOoNHYmI
Video of sermon: https://youtu.be/Y0JxHSTuD8A
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