It hardly seems possible that just a few weeks ago it was Advent. And now, Christmas is over, New Years is over, and we're already heading into the middle of January this week. We've all been very busy; some of us so busy, in fact, that the actual event of Christmas itself almost got away from us. Now, as we are settling back into our regular routines, it is good for all Christians to spend a little time with the question: "Where has my celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, brought me? Has my faith grown in any way? Do I understand anything more about my life as a Christian now than I did before Christmas? Does my church understand anything more about its purpose now than we did before Christmas?"

These are good questions to ask on this day, the Baptism of Our Lord. With his baptism, Jesus begins his public ministry to seek and save sinners, to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God on earth. With his baptism, Jesus engages the powers of sin, death, and the devil in mortal combat -- and we see that what empowers Jesus to begin at all is the power of the Holy Spirit. With his baptism, Jesus is named by God who says, "You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased."

What is your name? Do you realize that the same Holy Spirit was given to you when you were baptized as was given to Jesus? The very same. That same Holy Spirit is given to all who are called to love and serve God. It isn't given simply for personality enhancement, or to serve only our own needs, but for the good of all: to direct and empower your vocation, your mission, your ministry as a child and disciples of God.

What is your name? When you were baptized, hands were laid upon you as we thanked God for the gift of the Holy Spirit poured all over you. This, or a similar, prayer was prayed:

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give you thanks for freeing your sons and daughters from the power of sin, and for raising them up to a new life through this holy sacrament. Pour your Holy Spirit upon (your name): the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence.

Then, you were anointed by means of making the sign of the cross, perhaps with oil, upon your forehead, with the following proclamation:

(Your name), child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked with the cross of Christ, forever.

You also are named by God as God's beloved child. You now bear the name of Jesus as probably THE most important of your several names: Christian.

You, also, are empowered by the Holy Spirit -- the same Spirit that came upon Jesus -- empowered for three things: 1) for a living, personal relationship with God; 2) for an active place in God's family, the church; and, 3) for your calling, your vocation to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ in the living of your life. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus is the only true son of God; and that God has claimed you as an adopted son or daughter -- and as an adoptive mom, no one could convince me that I could love my children any more simply for having given birth to them. When a baby is placed in your arms, you can't help but fall in love with him/her, and that is just how God loves us. In your baptism, God adopted you with all the grace and gifts of God's Kingdom poured all over you, the promise to forgive you when you merely ask, to renew you, to blow on the embers of your faith with the Holy Spirit, the very breath of God, when your faith is struggling from hardship or neglect.

One of the greatest teachings of Martin Luther, and of Lutheranism, ever since, is "the priesthood of all believers," which simply means that in our baptism, each of us called to be a disciple, a minister, to try to do God's will in everything, to search after God's desire for our lives. Luther studied the New Testament and saw clearly that all Christians share this call to ministry. That some disciples are called to the specific ministry of Word and Sacrament does nothing to change the call of every Christian, each in his or her own place, to be a minister of Jesus. That God calls some to be pastors of congregations in no way diminishes God's calling you in your baptism to be a follower, disciple, learner, servant of Jesus in the congregation of God's people and in your daily life in the world.

How do we know when God is talking to us?

The Spirit speaks to us each day in God's written word, in the reading of Spirit speaks to us each Sunday in the our Bible at home and at church; in Bible study and in conversation with Christian friends and loved ones about our faith and matters of Christ's church.

The Spirit speaks to us each Sunday in the proclaimed Word, proclaimed from altar and pulpit, from Adult Forums to pre-school Sunday School.

The Spirit speaks to us each day in the living Word, Jesus himself, received most profoundly in the sacraments, sacraments with YOUR name on them.

We are baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection, born again for eternal life with God beginning the very moment we came out of that baptismal water, given new names as brothers and sisters of Jesus.

When you grew a bit older, many of you went through an educational and faith-building program called Confirmation, to prepare you to affirm your baptism by your own desire and in your own voice. No longer were you Christians because your parents were. Now, you are Christians because you have chosen to be followers and disciples of Jesus. At the time you "confirmed" or "affirmed" your baptism, you said the words (or similar ones) on p. -- please turn to that page now in your ELW.

You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:

to live among God's faithful people,
to hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper,
to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,
to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?

And you responded (congregation repeats):

I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.

Today is a great day to give ourselves a little discipleship check-up. On the day we see Jesus called, empowered, and sent by God in his baptism, it is good to consider our own baptism, to Affirmation again our Baptism, to life of this community of faith named Lutheran Church of the Cross.

Please close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and out, and let us pray: Merciful God, we thank you for these sisters and brothers, whom you have made your own by water and the Word in baptism. You have called them to yourself, enlightened them with the gifts of your Spirit, and nourished them in the community of faith. Uphold these, your beloved daughters and sons, in the gifts and promises of baptism, and unite the hearts of all whom you have brought to new birth. We ask this in the powerful, life-giving name of Jesus.

AMEN