Baptism

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water he saw the heavens torn apart, and the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven , "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well-pleased."  --Mark 1:9-11

Imagine God calling you "Child of God," "Deeply Loved One," "God's Pleasure."  What might that mean to you?
Here are our initial responses:
--Feels "like you did something right."
--We are precious.
--"Belonging"
--"Here for a reason."
--Treasure
--Each of us is a gift.
--Not just "something."
Amen.

Picture above: "Baptism  of Christ" by James Janknegt

Who is Jesus?

We began with the question:  Who is Jesus?  With contributions from everyone, we gathered an impressive list:
God's Son
Died for our sins
Messiah
Christ
Lord
Son
Son of Man (Human One)
Deliverer
Leader
Holy One
Savior
Emmanuel (God-is-with-us)
King of the Jews
Friend
Always present
Helps
The One who loves us all
Teacher
Rabbi
Mentor
Companion
Master
Miracle Worker
The One we follow on God's path
Listener
Companion
Healer
Shepherd
Lamb
carpenter

Our list includes titles, identities, qualities, and actions. Also reflected are our perceptions of who Jesus is to us, and for us.
--Which of the descriptions on the list do you find  most meaningful?
--Are there qualities that reflect important values in your life? (for example: friendship; helping; being present for others; companionship; listening; loving in all circumstances )

We took a walking tour in the church, finding as many images of Jesus as we could.  We identified more than twenty on our short excursion, taking time to recall the biblical stories related to many of them.  It took us through quite a bit of gospel territory.
We noted that the meaning of Jesus' name is, essentially, "God saves." Christ, his common title, means "anointed one."  The terms "Christ" and "Messiah" are held in common.  The name "Emmanuel (Immanuel)"  is from Matthew 1:23, the story of Jesus' birth, and hearkens back to  Isaiah 7:14.
Our ongoing discussion led to some a several excellent inquiries:
--Noting that Jesus was baptized around age 30, a number of people wondered what Jesus was doing for the previous 30 years.  Only Luke Chapter 2 gives us a glimpse of Jesus in the years between his infancy and the time of his baptism; we are given a story of Jesus at age 12 when he travels with his family to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.  Mark 6:3 has people in his hometown of Nazareth referring to him as "the carpenter"  when they are astonished at his teaching.
--A very interesting question was presented for our exploration and reflection: During those first thirty years, did Jesus know he was the Son of God?
--How long was Jesus' ministry?  At most, perhaps, three years.
--Weren't there references to Jesus in the Old Testament?  We spoke a bit about the prophets who seemed to point ahead to Jesus' coming.  Isaiah 7:14, mentioned earlier in connection with Matthew 1:23, would be such an example.
There was even more to our discussion!  That content will be reflected in future posts. Remember to read the resource sheet on Baptism for next week's class.

Images of Jesus from Around the World

Our Journeys and the Divine Story

We set out with a reading from Luke Chapter one that began like this: "In the sixth month  the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 
We immediately recognized the familiar narrative of Jesus' birth, attending to all the characters, noting  special details, sharing impressions.  Female and male class members identified with the shock young Mary must have experienced and what it would mean for her life.  We followed the narrative onward to the stable in Bethlehem, savoring the details.
The group of eight then headed upstairs to the sanctuary.  Along the way we recalled that Jesus, when he was little more than a week old, was taken by his parents to the house of worship for dedication.  It was in the house of God that his name was spoken aloud.  Moving to the front of our own sanctuary, we gathered around the baptismal font.  Six of us had been baptized in this very place!  I had transcribed those dates so we could share them.  Everyone's name was spoken aloud.The two of us whose baptisms had been elsewhere shared the details we could recall.  We celebrated our common place in kingdom of God!
Placing our hands in the water, we shared what we knew about baptism and what we believe it means for our lives. We considered the imagery of water.  We realized, in a very special way, that Jesus' life is entwined with ours, from the very beginning.
Each of us has a story that continues to unfold; God is in the midst of each of those lives, and the one that we are sharing and living together.
Returning downstairs, we took some time for a brief written exercise from one of the UCC resources, considering these questions: What are some times when you have been aware of God's presence in your life?  What experiences, events, and people have helped you to know of God's presence?  How have your family, friends, or members of the church helped you in your faith journey?  What qualities or traits might someone else see in you that show your faith?  What qualities or traits do you hope that God will help you develop as your faith grows?  Even though faith journeys and experiences are unique, have you discovered ways your story connects  to the stories of others?    We shared some of our answers.
Finally, we took some time to list expectations we have for the shape of the Confirmation year.    They included:
--Get to know God better
--To take a journey with God
--To get confirmed
--To make decisions as a church member
--To learn more about God and people
--To learn more about us
The word confirm means to "make former or stronger." In Confirmation we take the promises that our parents, family, and community made to God at our baptism and claim them for ourselves.  We consider what it means to give ourselves to God and to seek the will of God for our lives; to profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior and dedicate ourselves to be his disciples.  We immerse ourselves in the in the life of a faith community that is born of the Holy Spirit and inspired by that Spirit.  We call upon the Spirit to guide us and move us.  Most of all, we open ourselves to receive fully the gracious love of God, given freely.
Whew!  That's plenty for one session!  You were great!
We gathered together in a circle for prayer at the conclusion, with each one of us offering a thanksgiving or petition.

Welcome to the Journey!

Welcome to "Journeying With Jesus," our Confirmation experience for 2012-13.  It is a delight to have each of you, each of us, "on the Way!" In the gospels, Jesus met each of his disciples where they were, and he loved them as they were.  In calling to each one, "Follow me," he beckoned them to a way of life together that would reveal God's presence and God's Reign of Love in the very midst of their lives.  At the time of his ascension, Jesus gave his followers the "great commission:"  "Make disciples."  Over the centuries, it has been the joy of the church to share the good news of God's love for all people and to nurture and shape discipleship among God's people everywhere.
Jesus meets each of us where we are, and loves us as we are.  Then he calls us to join with him: "Follow me."  It is the substance of this path that we will explore and celebrate together this year.
Jan Richardson's beautiful artwork, "The Best Supper," is an image that will adorn the front of your Confirmation books.  I hope that it will be a constant reminder of the place at the table, and the place in his heart, that Jesus has already set for you! May we also be reminded of the incredible richness that we experience in sharing this "kingdom table" with one another!