The excitement continues. Advent and Christmas may have come and gone, but Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord maintain the joy and the promise. The church has an opportunity to be gathered, reoriented, and put back together. At times, holidays can be hectic and draining. We suggest that these two weeks are an opportunity to be re-membered. As a community, we turn to one another and see the light of Christ among us. As individuals, we hear the voice that declares us children of God and feel that acceptance, knowing God is well-pleased with us. This Epiphany, you are invited to be “Re-membering the Body.”
They All Gather Together (January 5, 2025)
The color for Epiphany Sunday and Baptism of the Lord is white. White has been the liturgical color since Christmas. So, it might feel like a continuation, which isn’t a bad thing. Bask in the glow of Christmas and the promise of incarnation, God with us. The rest of the world has moved on from the holiday observance; maybe in the church, you can cling to it a little longer.
This is more than sentimentalism. This is an opportunity to begin to see the implication of the Christ presence among us. The Christ child, who grew “in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor,” says Luke’s Gospel (Lk. 2:52), becomes the light by which we walk each day and the way we find one another. We gather to the light; as a result, we grow closer to one another.
I Will Be With You (January 12, 2025)
So, if last week was about community, this week ought to be about the individual. Right? Well, no, not really. Again, yes, there is an individual component whenever we talk about baptism. A choice has been made, sometimes by an individual or a sponsor, that the ritual is desired. Just like those who waded into the river when John the Baptist was holding forth, a decision was made. An acceptance of the offer. Individuals matter; that has always been true and will always be true. But praise be to God, no individual is left to struggle on their own. No one needs to endure, to grow, to be transformed on their own.
Baptism is a partnership. At its core, there is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the person being baptized. Baptism is a promise, a promise of presence. Today would be a great opportunity to remember the baptism of those who gather week by week. If there are those to be baptized, saving it for this week would be a powerful reminder. And if there are not candidates for baptism, then we can remember together. We have a ritual to let everyone hear the promises made and the blessings conferred, “A Service of Reaffirmation,” (a reaffirmation of the covenant, we call it). It’s a way of saying again what we said or was said in our name at our baptism.
Originally published by Discipleship Ministries. Republished with permission by ResourceUMC.