• Genesis 1:1-5. Darkness, chaos, waters, and then the Word that brings order to them all; the emergence of light from the midst of darkness. The Hebrew reads "Day 1."
• Psalm 29   Floods, tornadoes, lightning strikes, devastation, and God reigning in the midst of it all — images of the awesome and dangerous power of God. A better refrain might be "[God's] chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is God's path on the wings of the storm" (UMH 73).
• Acts 19:1-7. This story is a reminder of the power and extent of the ministry of John the Baptizer — reaching all the way from Judea to the western shores of Asia Minor (Turkey) by the mid-first century (probably some 25-30 years after his execution). John had taught people to live differently in light of the coming Kingdom; Jesus would give them the power of life. It is probably no accident that Luke tells us the number of these believers was about 12, for Ephesus became the seat of apostolic ministry for and from western Asia Minor for decades to come.
• Mark 1:4-11. While John's baptismal ministry seems to unite folks from Judea and all Jerusalem in confession and repentance, his baptism of Jesus "splits the heavens" (think lightning). The announcement of the voice from the heavens (think thunder) answers the hope for the arrival of one chosen by God to pour out the Holy Spirit.

- In all three lessons, the Holy Spirit is the agent of creation: form and light , new life, and new capacities for ministry.  Willimon

- Here we see the Trinity in action: The son receiving the blessing, the Father expressing his love for his son and the H.S. descending like a dove.

- John's baptism was no a conversion but a reversion

-we like to think that baptism was something that Christians invented, but in reality, it is an ancient Jewish practice of ritual immersion. Ritual immersion was required for all kinds of things, after child birth, after contact with a dead person, after certain diseases, and so on. Immersion in a ritual bath, or a mikvah, was required. It still is and many Jewish brides will to this day go to the mikvah before a wedding.  John the Baptist's used the mikvah--a ritual familiar to his Jewish contemporaries--as a method of calling for repentance. Here was a bath that was used for ritual purity and he was using it for spiritual purity.

-We may not hear a verbal voice; we may not see the Spirit descending like a dove; but I believe God still utters the affirmation, "This is my beloved child with whom I am well-pleased."

-Baptism is not a bath, but a funeral bier. If it was a bath, you would need it again and again.  But since it is a death and new life, it is a once for all picture of the transformation that has taken place in our lives. Anders

-"I am not good enough to be baptized."  Well, I've got news for you.  You will never be good enough to be baptized.  Baptism is not about your goodness; it's about God's Grace Anders

-tearing (not opening!) of the heavens,

-One of the odd things about the Church Calendar is that the baby Jesus grows up very fast after his birth on December 25.  This is his first adult decision, and his first adult appearance in public: presenting himself to John for the baptism of repentance.  Angela V. Askew

-Enthusiasm literally means, "In the spirit" .

- Transcending: not going beyond but seeing beyond. Chopra

- Baptism has marked entry into the Christian Church, which is why all our medieval churches have the font at the back of the Church near the door, symbolizing entry. All who are baptized in whatever Church are full members of any Christian Church throughout the world..

-A "wash-n-wear event."

-The risk is, that after accepting and acknowledging the God within, the Holy Spirit, God might ask us, just as he asked Jesus, to step out into some new form of ministry. And then what would we do?

-We Christen (we name ships) We baptize babies.

-Epiphany means manifestation and who Jesus is is made manifest or made known at His baptism
- Let us turn our eyes back to our own baptisms, be we adults or infants at the time, and recognize that it was God’s act, not ours or the church’s,      Reverend Dr. Gregory S. Neal

-Baptism is a pivotal event in the life of a believer. It is an outward declaration of our dependence on grace, on God and the church

-Baptism had to do with reversing the direction of one's life

- Baptism Is a Divine ordinance not a human creation

- Years of repentance are necessary in order to blot out a sin in the eyes of men, but only one tear of repentance suffices with God   A French Proverb.

-Virginia Mollenkott  "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more." "and there is nothing you could ever do to make God love you less."
- Baptism  is an inauguration, a new beginning.

- Baptism is death to my time.

- Baptism is an event followed by a process   

- Baptism is a journey that includes all other journeys

- Baptism is a post operative sacrament .

- The twelve apostles were never baptized

- God is aware of us before we are aware of Him

- Grab onto that which already has hold of you

-What's the difference between John the Baptist and Winny the Pooh? Both have same middle name.

-Some plunge right into the water....others take their time.

-A woman was walking along the street one night and came upon a man parked outside of her apartment building walking around under the streetlight and gazing intently at the ground. She inquired as to what he was doing and he replied that he was looking for his car keys. She offered her help and started looking. After about 15 minutes of intense searching she asked, “Are you sure you dropped them over here?” “No, I dropped them near my car”, he replied. “Well, why are we looking over here”? she responded, barely able to hide her sarcasm. “Well, because we’d never find them over there. There’s no light over there!” (The dominant image of Epiphany is light)