I spent the day with members of my student peer minister leadership team in Ithaca. We walked a lot, prayed, reflected on church and the world, and as we walked along the gorge at Buttermilk Falls, contemplated Baptism. It is a timely topic for me (always) but especially this week as Grace prepares to welcome one of its newest members in a celebration of Baptism on Sunday. As we walked along the gorge we noted how little water there was--there weren't actually any falls at Buttermilk Falls today. But there was still water--trickling in some spots and pooling in others. It occured to me that this may be closer to the experience of water that folks would have had in Jesus' day.
Meanwhile, in our Gospel reading for this Sunday, we get the rebuke of Peter for not wanting to consider the possibilities that lay ahead for Jesus (death on a cross) and all sorts of juicy statements about setting minds on things divine versus things worldly and taking up a cross to follow Jesus. Plus, we will celebrate the feast of David Pendleton Oakerhater--our own patron saint who was baptized and ordained at Grace Church in the 19th century.
To say that there is lots to chew on would be an understatement.
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