Beloved
Scripture: And just as he
was coming up out of the water; he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit
descending like a dove on him. And a
voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well
pleased.” Mark 1:10-11
Baptism of the Lord Sunday is
one of my favorites. It usually occurs
the second Sunday of January right after Christmas and Epiphany: just when we are ready to get our lives back
to “normal” after the holiday season.
At my church, we have a
ritual where the ministers walk around the aisles sprinkling the worshipers
with branches purchased at a local florist.
As we do so, we invite them to “remember your baptism and be glad”. The choir and congregation sing “Shall We
Gather at the River…the beautiful, the beautiful river; gather with the saints
at the river that flows by the throne of God.”
Needless to say, it is a very
powerful experience and many people have reported the strange sensation they
feel when the drops of water touch their skin.
Of course, we know that there is nothing inherently magical about the
water itself except maybe it’s like “the Spirit descending like a dove” and
drawing us into the mystical presence of God.
I can tell you that it means
a great deal to me as a pastor to look the eyes of my parishioners and invite
them to hear the voice of God saying, “You are my son/my daughter, the
Beloved. I am well pleased with you.”
In these days when so many
are tempted to be displeased and displeasing, it is a great joy to hear God’s
good pleasure with us. It is the most
holy affirmation of all – “You are my Beloved!”
What better proof do we need that to track our steps with the One on his
way to Jerusalem and the Cross?
Prayer: Generous God,
thank you for claiming us as your very own.
‘Yes, we’ll gather at the river, the beautiful, beautiful river; gather
with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of God.’
The Reverend Dr. Cathy Gilliard
No comments:
Post a Comment