Mark 1:4-11; Acts 19:1-7
The season of Epiphany is supposed to help us become attuned to seeking God, Jesus in mew ways. To learn something new in order for the light bulb to turn on in our own heads and we see we come to the biblical story changed. Changed ourselves because we do change and grow, changed perspective because we hear something that catches our attention in a new way, changed because we can't deny that something is struggling within us to be answered.
Today we have two stories of baptism so I would like us to delve into our own baptismal story. The story where we have questions to ask of each denomination we come from. My own story of baptism has changed through the years. I was brought up knowing I was an American Baptist, according to my parents the only real kind of Baptist there is. We didn't have one of those churches in the small town I grew up in and my parents did not compromise on going to those other Baptist churches so we ended up at the First Congregationalist Church at the top of the hill from my dads dental office. Whenever we would visit my nana we would attend Winter Street Baptist where my Great Uncle preached or many old friends were.
Now after years of attending the Congregationalist church my mom decided to join, which meant us kids had to be baptized. I was 12 and in all of my twelve-year old wisdom I was defiant. I remember meeting with the minister and even at the baptism seething underneath saying to myself that no sprinkling was going to make a difference in my life, you see I really knew that Baptists get to decide when they accept God and are baptized and are fully immersed in the waters.
I would invite us to get to know our own baptismal story. Do you have a set of questions and answers that are written down? Does your denomination include the trinity in baptizing? What is the most important part of your service to you? Where do you have more questions than answers about why you do what you do? Where is God most present? What symbols are used that mean more about God, about Jesus, about our lives as Christians? Go and seek and find.
The season of Epiphany is supposed to help us become attuned to seeking God, Jesus in mew ways. To learn something new in order for the light bulb to turn on in our own heads and we see we come to the biblical story changed. Changed ourselves because we do change and grow, changed perspective because we hear something that catches our attention in a new way, changed because we can't deny that something is struggling within us to be answered.
Today we have two stories of baptism so I would like us to delve into our own baptismal story. The story where we have questions to ask of each denomination we come from. My own story of baptism has changed through the years. I was brought up knowing I was an American Baptist, according to my parents the only real kind of Baptist there is. We didn't have one of those churches in the small town I grew up in and my parents did not compromise on going to those other Baptist churches so we ended up at the First Congregationalist Church at the top of the hill from my dads dental office. Whenever we would visit my nana we would attend Winter Street Baptist where my Great Uncle preached or many old friends were.
Now after years of attending the Congregationalist church my mom decided to join, which meant us kids had to be baptized. I was 12 and in all of my twelve-year old wisdom I was defiant. I remember meeting with the minister and even at the baptism seething underneath saying to myself that no sprinkling was going to make a difference in my life, you see I really knew that Baptists get to decide when they accept God and are baptized and are fully immersed in the waters.
I would invite us to get to know our own baptismal story. Do you have a set of questions and answers that are written down? Does your denomination include the trinity in baptizing? What is the most important part of your service to you? Where do you have more questions than answers about why you do what you do? Where is God most present? What symbols are used that mean more about God, about Jesus, about our lives as Christians? Go and seek and find.
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