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.
Sermon Texts
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.
He was the “Word” that became flesh, John writes. The fullness of God came to abide in the man from Nazareth, Jesus. John knew. When they looked at Jesus, they saw the human face of God.
How should we respond to wonderful news? Sing, of course! And pray. That’s what Mary did. We now call her song The Magnificat. It is a song and a prayer.
The people responded to the message of John the Baptist. “What then should we do?” they asked the eccentric wilderness preacher. His response was simple: bear fruit. The same is true today.