Baptism of the Lord Lectionary Thoughts

It's Monday morning, and my agenda includes worship planning!

Here today I will focus on the coming Sunday, which is Baptism of the Lord.  Later this week I'll finally get onto the two-weeks out schedule that I'm aiming toward.

We are in Lectionary year C, which means we are reading Luke's account of the baptism of Jesus.  In my initial commentary research, I didn't find much that helped in my planning for this coming Sunday. 

What is helpful so far is Dr. Mark W. Stamm's Sacraments & Discipleship: Understanding Baptism and the Lord's Supper in a United Methodist Context.  As I'm working through the reading on the baptism of Jesus, I'm struck that it comes prior to his ministry.  Jesus begins his public ministry after his baptism.  Baptism for Christians then should be a beginning, not a box to check off and then we're done.  Baptism should mark our entry into the body of Christ and the work of the church that entails being part of the body of Christ.

Dr. Stamm puts it this way: "A biblical, Wesleyan view of baptism and the new birth sees it not as an insurance policy or spiritual talisman, but rather a gift of the Holy Spirit that unites us to the body of Christ and leads us into a new way of life." 

The sermon focus for Epiphany was the importance of paying attention to the work of the Holy Spirit and expecting inspiration.  The churches I am serving are in the process of discerning a new understanding of their ministry in their communities, and so this seemed the right emphasis.  The area we live in is in a season of growth.  The nearest city is growing rapidly and this is also affecting the other communities in the county, and so we need to take a fresh look at our demographics and economy. 

So now that we've emphasized the importance of paying attention to the Spirit, what does this mean for the Baptism of the Lord Sunday?  Perhaps we can use this text to remember our baptisms and talk about how we are connected to the larger body of Christ.  For small churches that struggle with the anxiety of an unknown future (i.e. will we close? does this mean death?) perhaps framing baptism as what connects us to all of Christianity will be a word of hope. 


Stamm, Mark W. 2001. Sacraments And Discipleship: Understanding Baptism and the Lord's Supper in a United Methodist Context. Nashville: Discipleship Resources. Page 53.

Yesterday I worked in the back garden. A few weeks ago I bought two grapevines to use as sermon illustrations. I planted one at the campus ministry building, near a trellis that didn't have anything growing on it. The students planted a Carolina jessamine on the other side, which grows faster and will cover the trellis with pretty yellow blossoms.

The second grapevine came home with me and has been standing in its plastic bag out in our front flower bed (which isn't very flower-y, but that's a project for another day). I dug a nice hole out by the back fence, where we had seven pine trees removed last year. The instructions on the vine said to fill the hole with water, wait for it to be absorbed, then fill in with some nice soil and then plant the vine. It would appear that the soil we have out back is of the clay variety - not very absorbent! Eventually I left it to sit over night.

Meanwhile I dug out three shrubs against the house that I didn't much like. These were up against the chimney. Originally I'd planned to put in an Italian cypress (tall and skinny) there but James doesn't want something that may have roots pushing against the foundation. Plan B is to plant seeds there with a nice metal trellis (which will be purchased after the next payday). James gave me moonflower and morning glory seeds in my birthday gardening basket, and I think they will look nice there. Just have to figure out what to plant that will put a bit of color lower to the ground now.

Of course, as it is with my garden, one project leads to another. The grass has pushed the brick edging so that it has tipped toward the house rather than standing straight up. Working with the bricks isn't easy. They are scalloped cement things that interlock with one another, so if you take one out, the next has to come out and they have to be put back together just so. James came out and saw what I'd gotten stuck into and said that he will help with that part of the project. He was also impressed with my shrub removal - called me Mrs. Muscles!

This morning my devotional reading was all about healing. Jesus healing a girl who had died and healing a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. That particular passage has come to mind every time I pray in the last week or so. I really resonate with that passage. The agony of not finding healing, the stigma of being an outsider (she was not "clean" and so couldn't be part of the society), and the way she knows hope just by reaching out for his robe, not to spend time with Jesus, not to interrupt his work or speak to him, just to touch the hem of his robe. That hope and certainty is often my prayer. The other scripture readings came from the Psalms and talked about how God hears the cries of God's people and rescues them. I didn't realize that those verses in the Psalm were intertwined with passages about planting and establishing fruitful gardens. Gardening is a labor intensive process. It takes care, attention, hard work, and getting dirty. Perhaps that is a good way to imagine the Spirit at work in my life: caring, paying attention, working on my stubborn ways, digging out the weeds and nurturing the seedlings that will bear fruit.

And now it's time for me to go finish planting that grapevine. It's a good Friday.