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I
T E M S O F I N T E R E S T
Scripture
Readings for Sunday, January 11 (NIV):
Genesis
1:1-5. Darkness, chaos, waters, and then the Word that
brings order to them all; the emergence of light from the
midst of darkness. The Hebrew reads "Day 1."
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.
Acts
19:1-7. This story is a reminder of the power and extent
of the ministry of John the Baptizer — reaching all the
way from Judea to the western shores of Asia Minor (Turkey)
by the mid-first century (probably some 25-30 years after
his execution). John had taught people to live differently
in light of the coming Kingdom; Jesus would give them the
power of life. It is probably no accident that Luke tells us
the number of these believers was about 12, for Ephesus
became the seat of apostolic ministry for and from western
Asia Minor for decades to come. (Note: We pray for Turkey,
formerly known as Asia Minor, in today's Ecumenical Prayer
Cycle.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied.
Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
There were about twelve men in all.
Mark
1:4-11. While John's baptismal ministry seems to unite
folks from Judea and all Jerusalem in confession and
repentance, his baptism of Jesus "splits the
heavens" (think lightning). The announcement of the
voice from the heavens (think thunder) answers the hope for
the arrival of one chosen by God to pour out the Holy Spirit.
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Additional
reading - Psalm 29 (UMH 761). Floods, tornadoes,
lightning strikes, devastation, and God reigning in the
midst of it all — images of the awesome and dangerous
power of God. A better refrain might be "[God's]
chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is
God's path on the wings of the storm" (UMH 73).
Wonderful
Wednesdays will pick back up on Wednesday, January 7,
2009, dinner at 5:30 & Bible study at 6 pm. The Nursery will be open
and activities are provided for all ages.
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