Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Baptism of the Lord

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43
Gospel Reading: Matthew 3:13-17

The liturgical color for the day is: White

A silhouette is just an outline, it is a side view, it is a sketch of who one is.  We are to see in the Baptism of the Lord our own silhouette.  We are to see that we are the Body of Christ.  By the Spirit of God, we are his Body.  We are to see that us, now, in our flesh and our bone and our brokenness—us, we, now we are the ones.

We are the ones for whom the heavens open and the Spirit descends.  We are the ones who are to hear that wonderful voice proclaiming the words, “Beloved.”  “In whom I am well pleased.”

We are silhouettes of Christ.  We are that being who is touched by the grace of God.  We are the receivers and the vessels who are the “Beloved” and “In whom” God is pleased to dwell.  That swoosh of the Holy Spirit is upon us and with us.

We are silhouettes of Christ.

We are the ones who are not to take over this world by might, but are to be the incarnate reality of the Mighty One who attends to bruised reeds and dimly burning wicks.  Those people and things that the world discounts, oh, of those things we make an account.  They count.  We can be counted on. 

We are part of this surge and movement towards God (that is what John’s baptism was all about).  We are part of the surge and movement that knows a reality deeper than that which is consciously known.  We are part of the surge and movement which is cosmic, spiritual, holy, God-with-us.

This is our moment of identity as Silhouettes of Christ.  We identify ourselves with John and with those who came to him.  We are turning our lives around…we are turning towards God’s intention for love and justice and joy in the world.  We are the ones who are not in fear of being out there on the edge but are moving forward in faith of wherever God will carry us.

We are silhouettes of Christ.  Our fears are shadows.  We do not dwell in the shadow we live as silhouettes.  We are the beloved.  We are the ones on whom the Spirit descends.  We are loved.  We are those bruised reeds attending to those dimly burning wicks—never alone but with the swoosh of the descended Spirit on our backs.

We do not dwell in the shadow; we live as silhouettes of Christ.

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter / Stated Clerk