10Jan2021 Sermon ”Repentance-Renewal” SLMANN

2021-01-10

This week our focus is "Baptism of Jesus" Sunday - and as I prepare, I am struck by the call for repentance issued by John the Baptist to the world.John the Baptist, to whom Jesus came for Baptism, to fulfill the call for righteousness.The baptism during which the Spirit of God arrives...as a dove...and descends into Jesus, in the beginning of Jesus ministry, and a call to all to repent and follow righteousness. And I am struck by Paul's arrival at Ephesus (described in our reading from...

This week our focus is "Baptism of Jesus" Sunday - and as I prepare, I am struck by the call for repentance issued by John the Baptist to the world.
John the Baptist, to whom Jesus came for Baptism, to fulfill the call for righteousness.
The baptism during which the Spirit of God arrives...as a dove...and descends into Jesus, in the beginning of Jesus ministry, and a call to all to repent and follow righteousness.

And I am struck by Paul's arrival at Ephesus (described in our reading from Acts), a visit in which he discovers that the Christians there "had never heard of the Holy Spirit". What a wonderful opportunity Paul had here - to explain that the repentance of John's baptism was a beginning, and then they were baptized in the name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit came upon them.

And we look at our current situation in the US. How do we move forward with new hope, and light. How do we DISCERN the truth and let go of toxicity.

Powerful stuff.. We need the power of the Spirit in all our lives.

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