The Sunday following Epiphany on January 6, Lutherans observe the Baptism of our Lord. Having been baptized, Jesus then announces that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him. We hear on the following Sundays how Jesus lived out this calling of the Spirit: healing, teaching, and forgiving.
It is this same Spirit of God that enlivens us and enables us to be light for the world. In our baptism, a sponsor receives a burning candle and the words are proclaimed: “Let your light shine before others…” In dark times when a clear sign evades us, we can draw immense comfort from the promises made in our baptism. We can see light and be light only by the light of Christ working through us and through those around us. And when the light we seek eludes us, this is where the Body of Christ and prayer come in.
As individuals and community, we practice discernment: the art of seeing and recognizing the Spirit at work in our world. In prayer, we are opened to the light of Christ and its movement in our mind, hearts, and bodies.
This message is excerpted from “Arise, shine, this Epiphany” by Jennifer Baker-Trinity in the January 2018 Café online magazine. Today we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord.
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