This is one of those odd times in the church calendar year. Last week Jesus was an infant, lying in a manger with three sages from the east paying him homage, having been born two weeks before. Today Jesus is around 30 years old and being baptized by John the Baptist. Well, that's an acceleration of one's life that is quite extraordinary and shocking. I have always wanted to know more about that middle time in Jesus' life, before he stepped up to the plate, so to speak. But alas, we are not granted that information and today we are given for our thoughts and consideration: baptism.

This morning we celebrate Epiphany and the baptism of Shelby, Barbara Hay’s granddaughter. And though I don’t want to make it all about Shelby or Barbara or any of Barbara’s family who we are honored to welcome this morning, it’s hard not to. For the Christmas season, which proclaims the presence of God among us in flesh celebrates the birth of Jesus. And the birth of a grandchild or any baby is an opportunity to recognize new life, new possibilities, the reality of hope and transformation wiggling and cooing in the middle of our lives. For as we know, the birth of a child changes our lives forever!

We've traveled quite a distance these last six weeks -- from the beginning of Advent when the incarnation was not a clear figment of our imagination, to now the manger-full of squirming, all too human baby-Jesus....What must it be like, I've often wondered, for God to see out through the eyes that she had created, to smell the very rose to which she had given not just color but scent? This is what we mean by Incarnation, and it's God's flesh-taking arrival that we prepared ourselves for during Advent, and celebrate from Christmas Eve throughout the entire 12 days of Christmas.

There is an interesting phenomenon that goes on this time of year: people do not know what to say, particularly to a priest, in regard to a holiday greeting. Before I was ordained, I always found it interesting to observe who had trouble deciding what to say: Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Some folks are real clear, stick their hand out and say Merry Christmas, others are as clear with Happy Holidays, and then there is the vast middle ground where people start with Happy Holidays, now see my collar and get to Merry Christmas. It is kind of like a HapMer Holmas.