Threshold Moments: From River's Water to Spirit's Fire
This week Luke's Gospel brings us to the banks of the Jordan River, where a world-changing transition is about to unfold.
In Today's Newsletter – From me to you + My new book + Sunday's Meditation + Reflections for the Week Ahead + Resources + Preview of Next Week + A baptism video you have to see.
My New Book – The Way of Grace: Gospel Stories for Lent
My new book, The Way of Grace: Gospel Stories for Lent is here! Written with my very good friend, Jim Stovall, The Way of Grace is a study for the seven weeks of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding Easter Sunday.
Suitable for individuals or groups, The Way of Grace includes 7 weekly meditations based on the life of Jesus from his wilderness temptation to his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. Weekly lessons are based on this year's lectionary scripture passages from Sunday, March 9 through Easter Sunday, April 20. The season of Lent is a special time – perfect for focusing on these important Biblical passages.
Amazon is offering The Way of Grace: Gospel Stories for Lent at a special price through the end of January – in paperback for $9.99, ebook for $6.99, and the audio book (regularly $9.99) is free with a trial subscription to Audible. Take a look and let me know what you think.
This Sunday's Meditation: The Baptism of Jesus
This week's meditation explores how grace moves us through significant transitions – from preparation to fulfillment, from private faith to public witness, from the refining fire of repentance to the empowering presence of the Spirit. As you read, consider your own threshold moments. Where is grace inviting you to step into something new?
From Water to Spirit: When Grace Changes Everything
January is the month of looking back on the old year and looking forward to the new. Named after Janus, the mythological god of beginnings, endings, transitions, and doorways, January days are for reflection and anticipation.
Of course in the northern hemisphere, we're deep into winter. Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" At this juncture even nature itself seems to be longing for something new to emerge. Our focus on Jesus offers us a new direction in the life of Jesus. This week's reading from Luke's Gospel brings us to the banks of the Jordan River, where a world-changing transition unfolds.
Remember John the Baptist's blunt call to repentance from our Advent readings? Those who asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" received specific guidance about sharing coats, dealing honestly, and being content with their wages. But John knew these external changes, though important, were just preparation.
John knew who they should get ready for as he announced to the crowds, "Someone greater is coming!"
Now, that moment has arrived when John's message of preparation gives way to the Messiah's promised presence.
Scripture Reading:
"The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'...
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, NIV)
Sacred Thresholds
Life's most profound moments often occur at thresholds – those liminal spaces where one reality gives way to another. At Jesus' baptism, we witness such a moment, where Jesus' private life yields to public ministry, where John's prophetic anticipation becomes divine fulfillment, and where heaven touches earth in unmistakable ways.
A Prophet's Farewell
Picture John standing in the Jordan River, his weathered frame bent in the act of baptizing the repentant. His entire life culminates in this moment. Born late to older parents, John embodied the fierce tradition of Old Testament prophets. His ministry of preparation was coming to its close – though he perhaps didn't fully grasp it yet.
The crowds wondered if John might be the Messiah, but his response reveals both humility and clarity about his role.
"I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come," he declares, knowing his ministry was powerful, but preparatory. Like dawn's first light preceding the fully-risen sun, John's work was to make hearts ready for a greater revelation.
The Moment Everything Changed
So when a baptized Jesus steps out of the Jordan, an extraordinary display of tangible spiritual signs happens. Heaven opens, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Divine voice expresses profound pleasure in His Son. The Father's affirmation marks the end of Jesus' personal years and inaugurates his public ministry. The private rhythms of Nazareth now will give way to the public rigors as Jesus proclaims the Good News to all who will hear it.
But this threshold moment carries even deeper significance. Here, the One who needs no repentance submits to a baptism of repentance. The Sinless One stands in solidarity with sinful humanity. The Son receives the Spirit's anointing in the midst of his creation.
Fire and Spirit
But there's more to come. John's prophecy about Jesus contains a striking contrast:
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
These two elements – fire and Spirit – speak to the complete work of God in human lives. Fire here represents judgment and purification – the burning away of what cannot endure. The Spirit represents life, power, and divine presence – the positive infilling that follows purification.
This fire-and-Spirit baptism reflects Jesus' transforming work. Grace isn't just about gentle acceptance; it's also about the fierce love that burns away what diminishes us. Grace isn't just forgiveness of the past; it's also empowerment for the future. In Jesus, both the refiner's fire and the breath of life come together.
When Private Faith Becomes Public Witness
Finally, Jesus' transition from private life to public ministry mirrors a pattern many believers experience.
There comes a time when private faith must find public expression – a time when personal devotion must translate into visible witness. When what we've received in solitude must be shared in community.
This transition isn't always as dramatic as Jesus' baptism. Often it happens gradually, as we learn to live our faith in increasingly public ways. Yet the same elements are present – heaven's affirmation, the Spirit's empowerment, and the willingness to move beyond our comfort to embrace God's Kingdom calling.
On Thursday, January 9, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, was eulogized during his state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Whether you supported Jimmy Carter or not, since his death commentators have been nearly unanimous in noting that President Carter's personal faith was at the heart of his public service.
On one occasion, President Carter said, “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something. I’m free to choose that something. … My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I can, whenever I can, for as long as I can.”
For Jimmy Carter, peanut farmer-turned-President from Plains, Georgia, his faith lived out in public service became a witness to the world. We are not Jimmy Carters, but just as he did, we can do what our faith compels us to do. Years ago Jim Wallis, the founder of Sojourners, said,"Faith is always personal, but never private." Good advice for followers of Jesus.
Standing in Grace's Flow
On the banks of the Jordan River that day, Jesus' obedience launched him into his public ministry. And as he emerged for its waters, the Jordan became more than just geographical location – it became a meeting place between heaven and earth, between the age of preparation and the age of fulfillment.
But while the baptism of the Lord is certainly a unique event, the elements present that day are still available to us today.
Today, we still stand in that flow of grace, where:
- The Spirit continues to descend on ordinary lives;
- God still speaks encouragement into searching hearts;
- Private faith finds expression in public ministry; and,
- What's old still gives way to what's new.
Living in the New Rhythm
John's declaration about Jesus reveals a fundamental truth about spiritual life: it involves both ending and beginning, both emptying and filling, both letting go and receiving new. So, there is a rhythm not only to the natural world, but also to God's grace as well.
The rhythm of grace often moves in these complementary ways:
- Some things must be refined and some must be renewed.
- Some things will end and while others begin.
- And as it should, personal faith will underpin public ministry.
Let us pray.
Father, as we stand in the flow of your grace, give us courage for the transitions you call us to make. May your Spirit both refine and empower us, making us ready for whatever threshold moments await. Amen.
Reflections for the Week Ahead:
Monday: Consider the transitional moments in your own faith journey. When has God called you from private faith to more public witness?
Tuesday: Reflect on the dual nature of grace in your life – how has God's love both challenged and comforted you?
Wednesday: Where do you sense the Spirit calling you to new beginnings? What might need to end to make way for the new?
Thursday: How does Jesus' willingness to identify with humanity in baptism speak to your own journey of faith?
Friday: Read the latest issue of The Rhythm of Grace and begin thinking about the scripture for the Sunday, January 12 – the miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11).
Saturday: Finish your preparation for gathering with your faith family for study and worship tomorrow. Whether you gather online or in person, thank God for the rhythm of this week.
Resources
Each week I recommend some resources for spiritual growth and practice. This week we have an abundance as we think about the pivotal act of baptism.
Reaffirm Your Baptism:
Many United Methodist Churches celebrate "Baptism of the Lord Sunday" on the first Sunday after Epiphany, which aligns perfectly with our meditation this week (January 12, 2025). This service often includes a "Reaffirmation of Baptismal Covenant" where congregants are invited to remember and reclaim their baptismal identity.
But you can create your own simple ritual if you can't attend a service of reaffirmation. For instance, each time you wash your hands this week, let the water flowing over them remind you of your baptism, which is "an outward symbol of an inward grace."
Listen to Music:
Listen to some music that takes you back to the banks of the Jordan River, or any river. Here's a memorable, simple hymn reminiscent of a gentler time.
- "Down to the River to Pray" (Traditional American). Find this song on your music app or in your personal collection. It's also featured in a music video by the group, Southern Raised here:
A Practice for Crossing Thresholds:
This week, practice awareness of transitions in your daily life:
- Notice physical thresholds you cross (doorways, bridges, boundaries):
- Pause briefly at each one;
- Consider what you're leaving behind and what you're moving toward; and,
- Remember your baptismal identity as you cross these everyday boundaries
Looking Ahead: When Grace Overflows
Next Sunday, we move from the waters of baptism to the wine of celebration as we witness Jesus' first public miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). This fascinating story brings together family dynamics, social obligations, and divine abundance in unexpected ways.
For Next Weekend
As you transition from baptismal waters this week to next week's wedding wine miracle, consider:
- How does grace show up in everyday celebrations?
- What role do human relationships play in divine timing?
- Where might God be turning water into wine in your own life?
Join us next week as we explore how the rhythm of grace moves from solemn moments of dedication to joyful celebrations of abundance, and how both are sacred parts of our faith journey.
Closing Notes
Share your threshold moments with our community in the comments below, or join the conversation on our Facebook page, The Rhythm of Grace. And, remember to subscribe to get each issue when it comes out, straight to your inbox!
As you cross thresholds this week, remember that you walk as God's child. Know this – whether you're ending something significant or beginning something new, the Spirit who descended at Jesus' baptism continues to guide and empower God's people today.
"For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body... and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
A Video You Must See
But before you go, you've got to see this baptism video –
See you next week! - Chuck
