This Wednesday our Lenten journey begins with these words: “Remember, you are dust and to the dust you shall return.” It is a sober reminder of the fleeting nature of life and a challenge to engage the things that matter most. This Sunday will take us to the wilderness and the temptations of Jesus
Sermon Texts
People of my generation likely think of Charlton Heston descending Mt. Sinai as Moses in the movie The Ten Commandments. His hair and beard had turned white. His face shone brightly. What were the biblical writers trying to communicate about Moses? And God? And then Jesus?
We often hear it at weddings: “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous….” But this instruction was not just for marriage. It was intended for all of us. And there is great power in it.
The theme for Christian unity this year comes from Christians in the Middle East: “We saw his star in the East, and we came to worship him.” It is a message of hope and joy, something we need desperately today.
The wedding at Cana of Galilee was more than a wedding. It was a prophetic moment. Jesus was telling the people that their dry as dust experience of religion could be more. It could be life giving. It could be nourishing. It could be made alive with living water.
As our name Baptist suggests, baptism is a big deal for us. Early Baptists were accused of child abuse because they would not allow the church to baptize their infant children. There’s a reason for this.