Many people claim that they never hear about a loving, caring God in church. Paul’s letter to Titus reveals God’s motive for initiating our salvation—kindness and generous love.

Seen Jesus lately? Seriously, where would you go to look, if Jesus was the one you were looking for?

The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”

I hemmed and hawed, tossed and turned, stared into my coffee, kicked the same pebble down the sidewalk. What to do, which way to go, how to know. If only I had a crystal ball. If only God would just tell me what he wants. I think at the heart of most worry is hope—a wish to discover God’s will and by extension, be happy. I

A friend shared this story with me: “I had really goofed up. I had hurt my wife badly. She was angry at me, but mostly hurt. And I knew it. There was nothing I could do to undo what I had done.

Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Certainly he had nothing to repent, and he was already filled with the Spirit. So why did he bother? Perhaps it was for the same reason that doctors-in-training record their experiences as patients and lawyers in mock trials with law students serve as judge and jury.

As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus when God poured down the Holy Spirit, we ask that God bless us with the grace of forgiveness.

When Israel crossed the Red Sea, the angels were about to break forth in song, but the Holy One rebuked them, “My children are drowning, and you would sing?”