“Beginnings: Be Loved, Beloved”

A Service of the Word for Baptism of Christ: the First Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 11, 2025: IN-PERSON and ONLINE at 10:30 a.m.
The Rev. Matthew Emery, lead minister, preaching
Acts 10:34–43 and Matthew 3:13-17

With the festival day of Epiphany now behind us, we fast-forward to the very beginnings of Jesus' adult ministry. All four of the Bible’s gospel accounts begin their story of Jesus as an adult with an encounter with his forerunner, John the Baptist—that "voice in the wilderness" that was calling people to change their hearts and lives because God's kingdom was near. We'll hear from Matthew this week of Jesus' undergoing the ritual of baptism that John was carrying out, and of the divine affirmation in that moment of Jesus' as God's chosen and beloved, with whom God was well-pleased. The preaching of the early Christian leader Peter, which we’ll hear a snippet of in the reading from Acts, affirms that as we in faith are joined to Jesus, that same embrace of God embraces us, too!

While Jesus' baptism was not exactly the same as our own Christian baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, this day nevertheless gives us a great opportunity to reflect upon and give thanks for our own baptisms—our incorporation into the body of Christ and our initiation into ministry in Christ's name. As a part of our worship service this week, we’ll have a Rite of Baptismal Remembrance, actively remembering and rejoicing in the floods of God’s grace washing over us!