Sunday, January 08, 2012

Daily Lectionary: If God Were Portuguese

Baptism of the Lord
Morning Ps. 104, 150
Gen. 1:1—2:3
Eph. 1:3–14
John 1:29–34
Evening Ps. 29

Today's text explains why it is so conducive to one's spiritual well-being to surf at the close of day (Genesis 1:1b). (I specify the close of day, not only because sunset upon the water is such healing balm, but also because by then most of the bikinis are gone. Let's face it, fellas, a Christian man has no business whatsoever at the beach while the bikinis are out, unless he happens to be blind.)

Notice, too, that God, Who is Spirit, in designing a vehicle for the conveyance of His image, hit first upon fish and birds (Genesis 1:20-22), which bear in their movement a certain resemblance to the movement of the wind, as does He (John 3:8). What on earth persuaded Him He might be better represented by a lumpy, plodding, mudball like man? Maybe He just had too much time on His hands: another day remaining in the work week. So rather than leaving good alone and taking a two-day weekend, He over-engineered. Had God been Portuguese, this never would have happened, and we'd spend our days frolicking among the waves or upon the wind.

John says the one (God) who sent him to baptize with water told him Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). If you have been united with Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3-5) you may expect that God, who knows how to give good gifts to His kids, will cause you to be filled continually with His Holy Spirit if you ask (Luke 11:13, John 7:38). Our days should be characterized by the pouring forth of Life from us. When they are it is impossible to be disappointed (Romans 10:11).

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