Video Sermon on the Baptism of Jesus

Yesterday, through the wonders of technology, I was able to preach the sermon at one of my church homes in South Florida, even though I'm in my seminary apartment in Washington DC. And through the wonders of technology, you, too, can hear/see it on my YouTube channel; go here to see it.  To read it, go here.

My pastor asked me if I would read the weekly reflection that I wrote on the baptism of Jesus as the sermon for Sunday, and I was able to do a bit more with photos and the recording.  It's shorter than most of my video sermons, but I decided not try to expand.

I watched the worship service live, which I don't always do, and it was interesting to watch, as my pastor asked the congregation what had stood out to them.  I'm not sure they got exactly what I was trying to say, or maybe they couldn't believe it.  God loves us as we are?  Before we transform ourselves into the people God wants/calls us to be?  But they were intrigued by the idea.

My pastor said he was blown away by this part:  "God loves you the way you are right now, not the future you that will be better adjusted, thinner, more accomplished, more worthy. Some theologians would go further and say that God created you because the world needs the you that you are right now, in all the ways you are so original and the ways that you are imperfect."

Our imperfections could be our strengths!  I was listening, and I thought about where I first came across that idea, in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.  I've known this idea since 5th grade, and I still don't always believe it myself.

As we enter into the 4th year of this pandemic, another year of polarization on all levels, it seems ever more important to believe:  God loves us, right here, right now.  We are uniquely equipped to transform the world into something more like what God intends.