"Baptism" Tagged Sermons
Images of God
Images of God – Matthew 3:13-17 Today’s gospel reading, the Baptism of our Lord, leaves us with the image of our Trinitarian God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit united as one. The Holy Trinity is also depicted in the icon by Andrei Rublev above. The baptismal scene is an epiphany, a sudden realization, of the Trinity, Three-in-One: Jesus emerging from the waters of baptism, the spirit of God descending like a dove, and God’s voice speaking from heaven. There…
Look, here is water!
‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ (Acts: 8:36) Crazy baptisms happen in the Book of Acts. Unlikely people become part of the body of Christ. An Ethiopian Eunuch; Saul, a persecutor of Christians; Lydia, a business woman from Phillipi; a prison guard, in charge of imprisoned Christians. The author of the Book of Acts makes a point to gather people from all wakes of life into the family of Christ. Baptism is a powerful…
The Deep Waters of Baptism – Luke 3:7-18
The Deep Waters of Baptism – Luke 3:7-18 In baptism, we are forever connected to Christ. There is a mystery hidden in this truth, the mystery that we, as baptized beings, never go through life alone. Christ is with us, always. His shoulders are there for us to lean on, to reduce our pain, to multiply our joy. Christ carries our worries and gives us strength to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even when darkness seems…
Take Heart, Get Up, Jesus Is Calling You!
Take Heart, Get Up, Jesus Is Calling You! What happens in baptism? It is in the event of baptism that God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life is fulfilled! The element of water combines with God’s word; sin is washed away, forgiveness splashes over you, salvation is confirmed. The baptismal promises we, or our parents, make, are a helpful guide in our calling. We promise to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in…
Be Strong in Christ and Love Neighbors of other Faiths
Be Strong in Christ and Love Neighbors of other Faiths Based on the biblical call for unity and peace, we engage in relationships with people of other denominations. We enter into these relationships firmly grounded in our own faith identity. This gives us the necessary strength and confidence to be open-minded, curious and filled with good will towards the other. After all, this is not about conversion, but about making peace and building community! We start our conversations with what…
The ascended Jesus is very close to us.
The ascended Jesus is very close to us. God-in-Christ experiences life on earth as a human being, just like you and I do. And that is what enables us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as his disciples. We can follow Jesus’ way of being human as we would follow a compass, which leads us to a life of love, caring and generosity. And then, after death, we follow Christ into resurrected life, because in our mutual love, we are eternally…
Working Together
Working Together All to often do we hear stories of economic life which are based on unlimited greed and hostile take-overs and laissez-faire capitalism and wars of competition and powerful monopolies, limiting your and my ability to make a living, and concentrating all economic power in the hands of very few. – But this is not how God intends people to live and work together. The word economy comes from ‘oikonomia’, Greek for management of the household. A well managed…
Go And Make Disciples
Oftentimes, when we invite people to church, we are afraid of them saying no. We need to liberate ourselves from the power of ‘no’. A successful invitation is an invitation issued. If people accept or reject it, is not in the hand of the inviter, but the work of the Holy Spirit. Rev. Kristin Luana Baumann, sermon, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Port Angeles WA, 9/18/2016Gp And Make Disciples