Baptism of the Lord (Year A, RCL)

Pastors face intense challenges—though not necessarily unique ones.

Do baptizer and baptized constitute a hierarchy? How was Jesus’ baptism fulfilling all righteousness?

Even Jesus is unable to escape the consequences of sin, becoming a victim of human violence.

Our baptismal covenant is a beginning, not an ending.

What kind of faith gets you through 25 years in a refugee camp?

The story of Jesus' baptism makes me think of gardens.

Jesus knows he’s part of a history, a people’s longing and dreams.

Can our baptism compel us to help mitigate the world’s disasters?

Each January the lectionary invites us to remember the invisible network of faith.

Do we assume the authority of the heavens?

Matthew 3:13–17

Many people are bound. Some don’t even know it. The difference between being free and being bound is at the center of our Gospel text this week.

I eschew the danger of the river, but I know that it is where God leads me.

Transformation for Betsy, her congregants, and others will likely occur through encounters with members of the Muslim community. As a leader, Betsy can cultivate these encounters.

Jesus descends into the baptismal waters as an opening act of messianic obedience. Obedience may not be the most glamorous of the Christian virtues, but it’s the one that I’d like to highlight in this Sunday’s account of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan.

I decided our family's Christmas would be simple and spirit-centered. Green to parenting, I defined spiritual as anything that allowed me a minute to reflect on what, beyond the laundry, mattered.