Pronouncing God

Pastor Phil Kniss preaches on "Baptism of our Lord" Sunday at Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Virginia. He emphasizes that throughout scripture God "pronounces" what is. In the Genesis creation narrative, God pronounced things into existence. In Psalm 29, God's voice speaks and the earth trembles. In Jesus' baptism, God pronounced a blessing on Jesus, naming him as his "beloved Son" in whom he was "well pleased." All of us need to hear God's voice pronouncing that same blessing on us. We are God's children and we are loved. Being clear about that--about our identity before God--is the single most important thing as a grounding for our ethics. We know who we are (God's beloved children), so we then know what to do (live in a way that honors the One who made us and loves us).