Claimed, gathered and sent

Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Why was I born? These are age-old questions that most of us have entertained at one time or another. Identity is something many of us may have struggled with. We may look for it in our work, in our position in our family, in how well we’ve done financially, how well others accept us. Who am I? Identity is an issue that comes out in today’s gospel reading as well.             John knew who Jesus was, didn’t he? Earlier in this chapter of Matthew’s gospel, John proclaimed the difference between his baptism and the one which was to come, which the messiah would bring. Then Jesus arrives on the scene to be baptized. In baptism, normally it was the greater who baptized the lesser. This is why John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized by him stating that rather Jesus should baptize him! John knew who he was and thought he knew who Jesus was, so why should John baptize Jesus?   ...

Well, I thought I had just the direction I needed for this Sunday's sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord...it even include alliteration, which I love, but not the above alliteration. It would have been titled, "Vision, Voice, Vocation." I had it all worked out. At Jesus' baptism, there was the vision of the Holy Spirit coming down like a dove, Jesus' heard the Father's voice , and Jesus was thereby commissioned for his vocation. Then I looked at the passage some more and tried to write this sermon and it just wouldn't work. Apparently God had something else in mind. So, now it's time for a new direction. As I've studied and prayed, I keep thinking of the theme to CSI (which I don't watch), the Who's song, "Who Are You?"   The other song I think of is Diana Ross' "Do You Know?" For Jesus and for us, it all comes down to baptismal identity--who we are and whose we are. Because of who we are through baptism, children...

This is today's passage from the ELCA Daily Bible Reading.   1/7/2011 Ephesians 3:14-21 (NRSV) Knowing the love of Christ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Thanks to Phil for this apt reminder as we reflect upon 2010. Thanks be to God. Phillip (But not Melanchthon): Friday and a thought from Dietrich Bonhoeffer : "'So at the end of this year we want to talk about every week, about every hour that has passed. We want to go to prayer with this word until..."

What do you think about this? Can "Church" Happen Online? : Jonathan Merritt

This is the message I preached yesterday at Grace Lutheran Church , my internship site. The text is Matthew 2:13-23. Didn’t yesterday’s dusting of snow make everything look so clean and white outside? It seemed picture perfect. We can hear, “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” in our heads. The time we’ve been waiting for has arrived. It’s finally Christmas! It’s so wonderful to be with family and friends. And if children are part of the mix, don’t you just love the joy and wonder they bring to this time of year? It’s so special. It seems like all is well with the world…at least for some of us.             Others dread this season—the memories stirred up of loved ones now gone, of broken relationships, of missed opportunities, the sheer loneliness of outliving your friends and family.   This can be a time of depression and sadness as well.             That which is a ti...

God shines light into the darkness. ELCA Daily Bible Reading