What Does it Mean? Mark 1:4-11 Today on the first Sunday after Epiphany we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. It is common to have baptisms during the church services on this day. It is also a time for all of us to think about our own baptisms and what it means for us. Most of us can not remembers the actual service in which we were baptized. Most of us were too small to remember. We may have only been six months to a year old. Some of us may have pictures of our baptism, and have heard stories of our baptism told by our parents and other close relatives and friends. But even if we do not have those things we can remember that we have been baptized and what that means to our life. When Martin Luther when he was in the depths of despair, would touch his forehead where the sign of the cross had been made at his baptism and say, "I am baptized". Remembrance of his baptism recalled for Luther God's determined authority over his life which provided comfort in distress. Perhaps today that is what we need to do...touch our foreheads where the sign of the cross has been made and remember that we have been baptized, and that means that we are God's children and we do not exist alone, but are a member of a family, which extends all over the world, and crosses the barriers between race, culture, gender, and all kinds of other differences that tend to keep people apart. * Baptism is something we remember but we are always growing into.  I am remeinded of a story told by John Westerhoff about lving into the meaning of our baptism: Our baptism provides us with a picture of who we really are and a picture of the world as God intends it to be. Throughout our lives we are to strive to live into that baptism. Herb Brokering, a Lutheran pastor friend, tells of visiting a Lutheran church near the Mexican border. When he arrived he was told that Israel (his parents were Mexican) was to be baptized. Crossing the border to find a present for Israel, he fell in love with a pair of sandals. But they were for an adult, and Israel was an infant. He tried to explain his problem to the saleswoman, but she said it didn't matter, Israel could grow into them. Israel slept through the ceremony but his parents seemed to understand; baptism was a pilgrimage. A few months later he returned to learn that Lisa, Israel's cousin, was to be baptized. Back across the border he went in search of another present. This time he fell in love with a pair of booties only to learn they were for a two-month-old and Lisa was ten months old. He once again tried to explain the situation to the saleswoman, but she said that it wouldn't matter, for Lisa could hang them on the wall to remind her of her baptism. At last he really understood baptism; it was living between booties and sandals, between remembering and growing into, and all of us are on a pilgrimage with Lisa and Israel.   ( From John H. Westerhoff III Building God's People, Seabury Press, N.Y. 1983 p. 37-38 (Living Into Our Baptism)   The meaning of our baptism is always a growing experience.  It is like being on a pilgrimage and learning more and more of it's implications as we go along through the years For example, when we recognize that we are a child of God and that we are part of a family of God, we can find that our family is not just the group of people we call the Church but part of the human family. It can mean that we are united with perfect strangers. So much of our life in the world we gather mostly around common interests. We are fragmented into caucus groups, pressure groups, special interest groups, clubs, fraternities, subcultures. It is simply amazing when I go online with my computer--there are literally 100s and 1000s of groups that you can join and speak to one another in these groups through the computer -- everything from commenting on the news to beer making. There are local groups, North American groups, world wide groups all gathered around a particular interest or concern. However, when we consider ourselves as children of God our unity with others is not a unity that comes from common interests. We are followers of Christ  and as he was God's son we recognize through our baptism that we are God's sons or daughters. Christ's love was universal and overcame many the barriers that have kept people apart. I believe that he was the breaker of tribal boundaries, of prejudices and stereotypes, even religious boundaries. As John Selby Spong points out in his book Jesus for the Non Religious, (HarperSanFrancisco, 2007, p. 277-290)  the Cross was a portrait of the universal Love of God. We are united in Christ and with humanity in a way that overcomes all barriers. We  learn that we are united with others in the very depth of our inner being, no matter if we are like one another, or whether we even like one another. Our unity is in realizing that we are part of the same Ground of Being with all others.  In the baptismal service itself we find that we should as baptized people recognize the unity of all human beings and live accordingly...worthy of our baptismal calling. We say in our Service of Baptism: Let us now pray for these persons who are to receive the sacrament of new birth Leader: Deliver them, 0 Lord, from the way of sin and death. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Leader: Open their hearts to your grace and truth. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Leader: Fill them with your holy and life-giving Spirit. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Leader: Teach them to love others in the power of the Spirit. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Leader: Send them into the world in witness to your love. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Leader: Bring them to the fullness of your peace and glory. People: Lord, hear our prayer. * There is an ancient Hebrew story that comes from about 120 AD. A learned Rabbi asked a group of fellow Rabbis ," Gentlemen, what do you think is the greatest verse in the Bible?" After a pause , Akiva arose : "There is only one answer to this question. The greatest single verse in the whole of the Torah is: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". It is only love that makes life on this earth possible. There was a murmur of approval. After a few moments of silence, a second scholar spoke up: "Akiva, it is very easy to love your friend or your neighbour - someone who is like you in their way of living. The Bible has a greater verse: "You shall love the stranger" in other words you must like those who are not like you. You must like the stranger as yourself." Finally a third scholar arose: "My friends, the greatest verse in the Bible is.." and he paused a moment, and slowly said, "This is the generations of Adam" The other scholars stared at him in astonishment. How could this apparently trivial sentence be so great? The scholar saw their surprise and puzzlement. "Don't you see what these words tell us?" he responded. "They tell us that all the world of men, women, and children, every single human being on earth, what ever shade of color, whatever their nationalities, whatever their culture, wherever, all came from the same parents. We are all family. Therefore we human beings must act toward each other as a part of their own family." (Snapshots - Glimpses of God in ordinary life, by Clifford Elliott) You are visitor number UK Online Casinos This free counter  is supplied by Visible Counter   Connect with Deacon Sils Homelical resource   Also for more sermon and lectionary resources connect to SERMON AND SERMON LECTIONARY RESOURCES Check Out my daughter's web site CARLY'S STRENGTH THE GODDESS WITHIN MUSIC PROJECT Each year, thousands of women and children become homeless as a result of domestic violence.  "The Goddess Within" music project is designed to empower those whose lives have been affected by domestic abuse and to raise awareness of this issue. "The Goddess Within" compilation album will showcase artists and their songs, written for or relating to those escaping the cycle of violence.  The C.D. will be distributed throughout North America and proceeds from the sale of the C.D. will be donated to women's shelters. More information on the CD is available at ARTISTS FOR CHANGE My daughter Carly is featured on the album with her song The Mask.  The art for cover for the CD album is the creation of another daughter, Mary Anne Molcan. Another site to access is Ending Domestic Abuse * Mary Anne is a very talented artist.  She has a new web site called Faerie Artist where she displays her Art.   You can access her site at: Faerie Artist   Megan's Blog You can check out some of Megan's recipes and meal planning on her Blog  Food and Whine, Adventures in making food for my toughest critics, my family.