Sermon Reflection | January 13, 2013

Read: Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:15-17; 21-22

Listen: "Drenched in Grace"

Dig a little deeper:

Here's some good stuff from Kate Huey that doesn't relate a lot to the sermon, but is always a gift to read. 

Here's that non-canonical story from the Gospel of Thomas about Jesus forming birds out of mud as a child, adapted into poem format, by Robert Pinsky.

Here's a poem by Jeffrey Donders that refers to Jesus receiving Grace while living in the mud and muck of life:

     The mud of human evil

          is very deep,

          it stinks forcefully,

          it is full of dangerous gases,
          and there was Jesus,
          in front of John,
          asking to be allowed
          to bend down in that mud.
          And John,
          no wonder,
          hesitated.
    But he, Jesus,
    he went down,
    and when he came up,
    the mud still streaming…
                HEAVEN OPENED,
          and a voice was heard…
          and a new Spirit
          a new life
          and a new heart
          were announced,
          glory, glory, alleluia.
    He was bathed in light…
          drowned in God’s voice…
          full of spirit;
              but what about the mud,
              was he going to forget it?
    … No
    because once he got the spirit,
    that Spirit drove him…
          to do his work
          in this world,
          to struggle with evil in us…
          in this world,
          in order to overcome it

Here are the photos that I passed around yesterday as I preached.  I think that if you listen to the sermon and scroll through the photos you will be able to see the connections.   

A probably site for the baptism of Jesus
(Source)

A stream in my hometown, where I used to play with my dog (referenced in sermon.)
This photo, thanks to a good friend from back home, Bonnie.  

This is what our feet look like while we're receiving God's Grace.
(Source) 

This is what life seems like sometimes.
But in reality, this IS life sometimes...
because this is the tsunami in Japan in 2011.
Even in the middle of this, we are still offered God's grace.
(Source)

This is us, wet and crabby.
Still offered grace...still God's beloved.
(Source)

This is us, receiving God's grace in community, with our hooves all muddy.
(Source)

Finally, here is beautiful Allison Krauss singing "Down to the River to Pray,"  which our small but mighty choir sang so beautifully yesterday morning.  

Okay, so what do you think?  How do you remember your baptism?  What does it mean to you now?  Is it hard for you to look at yourself in a mirror and say, "You are God's Beloved?"  Why is it important for us to remember that God loves us and is pleased with us?