Happy New Year! Yeah, okay, I said that on the first Sunday of Advent, but this time the calendar has turned over instead of the Lectionary year. We are back with a new installment of the show, and this week, we are working with the texts for Baptism of the Lord. Each of the Gospels has an account of this story, and this year, we are looking at Matthew’s version. The New Testament lesson from Acts includes Peter’s sermon to Cornelius and his household about the life, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Tucked into that sermon is a mention of Jesus’ baptism – maybe as a way to prepare the household for their own baptism. The Psalm is a series of vivid images of God’s power in nature, including God’s voice rolling out over the waters as Jesus heard it when he emerged from the river. And the Isaiah passage is about a servant that God calls in whom God’s spirit delights. We have some interesting ideas for each passage.

We also have some information from our show three years ago, Baptism of the Lord, Year A, 2017. We did not include the Psalm three years ago, so this year’s information is fresh! The other three passages have some intriguing ideas – we hope you’ll find something that will spark your creativity!

Matthew 3:13-17 – [01:58]

Matthew 3:13-17 worksheetDownload

We like to find ways to use MATH smart, and for this passage, we think a Venn Diagram is a good way to consider Jesus’ relationship to the people who have come to John for baptism. Yes, that is a PEOPLE smart element. Take a look at the worksheet for an example you could show your congregation – and that is an EYE smart element! I love how these ideas cross over one another. For BODY smart, think about your own baptism and cleansing the next time you are in the shower. We have a few ideas about doves for NATURE smart, and John’s confusion about Jesus coming to him for baptism got one of us nerds thinking about Star Wars for a PEOPLE smart illustration. It works!

* MATH smart – [04:23]* see the worksheet for a Venn diagram* BODY smart – [06:24]* NATURE smart – [07:58]* Doves are cooperative birds* Here is some more information about doves and pigeons* Balloon animal doves like this or this* PEOPLE smart – [11:15]