The Things That Shape Us: Part Three - Baptism

06.26 [Sermon] The Things That Shape Us: Part Three - Baptism - As the story goes, Jesus enters the water and as he comes up the Spirit of God descends on him like a dove and a voice from heaven says, "This is my Son with whom I am well pleased." Reflecting on this story, early Christians began to make connections with another story involving Water, Spirit and Voice. The Creation Story in the book of Genesis tells us, there was watery chaos and over that watery chaos there was the Holy Spirit hovering or a great wind blowing, or perhaps one is a sort of metaphor for the other, and then a voice speaks, saying "Let there be.." and from the watery chaos comes the world. The Water. The Spirit. The Voice. So early Christians began to associate the event of baptism with new beginnings and, like Paul, understood that the Christian life is in fact New Creation - a glimpse into the future kingdom and the coming renewal of all things.