It's Tuesday. You've gotten up early, had a cup of Starbuck's, and read the Express on your Metro trip to work. You had a laugh reading the humor column. It's a gorgeous day outside. You get to the office, and begin your day. Everything is going so well, then-BAM!-something happens that throws a kink in the system. Maybe it's something you forgot to do yesterday, and now you're sweating to get it done. Maybe you get the "blue screen of death" and lose the work you've been doing for the last hour. Or worse...maybe your boss tells you that it's your last day and that you should pack your things.

So today, in this liturgical season of Epiphany, we encounter Jesus as an adult, about to make a radical change in his life.  In the church world, "epiphany" means a manifestation of God in man.  We saw this last week when the Magi recognized Jesus as the Christ child.  This week we see it in the baptism of Jesus.  However, this episode begins with another kind of epiphany:  Jesus' sudden realization that he must go to Judea to be baptized by John.  Somehow Jesus knew that this strange, locust- and wild honey-eating man was the key to finding his purpose in life.

Happy Three Kings Day.   It is a bit ironic that I am up here speaking - my parents were always very disappointed that I did not go to the seminary after college. Maybe this will soften that disappointment....But, I may have made a mistake in agreeing to do this.  I find the days between Christmas and now to be the toughest time of the year emotionally.  This is a period of great reflection - something that produces great angst and turmoil within me. 

1^st Kings 19:9-18; Ephesians 4:17-32; John 6:15-27; Psalms 68, 72