Sunday 8 January 2023 (’02) . THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD : A
- 1S42.1-4, 6-7 (Not ignoring v5, surely?)
- Read 42.1-25! The manyMoods&Turnings-of-Yahweh! Who would be HisSlave?
- ‘Servant” Name 5People in my local church whose deportment is like this?
- What criteria indicate that someone or something in my local church has been pointed to, either with approval or disapproval, by ‘TheHeavenlyVoice’?
- What sorts of rituals&disciplines&asceticisms would be called for, so as to bring about in a ‘Servant-of-Yahweh’ this combination of gentleness&f1dehty&healing?
- ‘OpenEyes, FreeCaptives”· For-whom, by-whom, is this happening in my local church?
2 THE PSALM • 28.1-4, 9-10
- Read 28(29)•1-11! Yahweh imagined or disguised as Semitic StormGod! But what is going on here, that Ba’al or Hadad wouldn’t be doing anyway?
- Are some of God’s, Yahweh’s or Jesus’ Titles&Rituals borrowed from TheOtherGods?
- Can I imagine a TempleRitual (dance etc) that may have accompanied this psalm?
3 AAlO 34-38
- Read 10:1-48!Surely an archetypal ‘example-story’ for all ‘missionaries’!
- ‘FearGod&DoWhatIsRight” Even outside ‘church structures’?
- ‘Cornelius!’ The ‘conversion’ of this pagan offtcer ‘certainly a good propaganda’
- How can he assert to TheEmperor’sMan, that ‘JesusChrist is Lord of all men’?
- If each child is ‘anointed with TheHolyBreath&Power’, why the religious crisis?
- Do we spend too much time talking-about-Jesus, but not doing-now what He did-then?
- MT3 13-17
- Read 3·1-25! TheBeginnings ofTheGreatWork! Jesus takes TheBaton from John!
- What are The10Disputes (hidden or overt) in my local church? Who are involved?
- What are the mam problematics around the contemporary practice of ‘Baptism’?
- ‘TheHeavensTheBreathTheDoveTheVoice” How did all this take place for me?
- Why is a general conferring of ‘AdultBaptism’being resisted in TheChurch?
- How fitting would it be, that ChristianParents baptise their own child?
- The presence&action of the BlessedOne, is it like this?
‘Gertie, listen!A’m nearly breathless wi’ this one’ This bates th’ whole bangjang I ever…’ ‘God, Cissie, has lover-boy poppt a.. ‘ ‘Wait til y’ hear! He really had us out on stalks this mornin’ ”Oh ” John th’ Baptist wouldn’t let OmDivineLord inta th’ water.”. th’ Sheridan, wasn’t it?’ ‘ t’ get baptised” ‘H’l on, now..’ ‘He pushed him back onta th’ bank, “Y’re too holy t’ be comm’ in here wi’ them other sinners’ What’d God be doin’, down here confessin’ wi’ prostitutes an’ godknows..”…’ ‘Oh..’ ‘So what did OurDivineLord do?’ ‘Well, I guess he coulda baptised hisself…’ ‘As my fella says when he. ‘ ‘Or he coulda assed someone else.. ‘ Th’ sinners?’ ‘Or one a’ them, what d’ ya call them?’ ‘Anyway, they fixed it up .’ ‘What?’ ‘..A’m not sure, someone’s child started. ‘ ‘Aw th’ usual here’s-me-granny” ‘I think they agreed, “You baptise me, then I’ll baptise you'” ‘ ‘As th’ fella in th’ soap ‘ ‘Th’ main thing is, he got baptised! I don’t care who did it, th’ butcher th’ baker! ‘Cos otherwise, what use ‘d our own baptisms be?’ ‘I don’t know, now ‘ ‘No, they were right to agree, for all our sakes’ Yes, that’s what he said, “If he hadn’t, would I a’ been up here, talkin’ t’ yous?” .’ ‘Well now, that’s definitely another kettla fish”‘
- RIDDLE ChristianBaptism! PiusFormality? InitatoryOrdeal? Imitation-of-Jesus?
Opportunity-for-a-Day’sCrack?
Refections and comments can be emailed to adbi@chokmah.ie