For the “Baptism of Jesus,” the first Sunday in the season after Epiphany, Rev. Cari preached with Crossroads’ new proposed vision statement, the Scripture text (Mark 1:4-11) and several stories in her hands. She was juggling!

The word for the day was “connect” so she began with a description of how important social connection is to (not just humans!) all mammals. She asked the congregation to describe feelings when deprived of their usual connections in April 202o.

She noted how we come close to very deep mystery in this story of Jesus’ baptism:  indeed, any time someone is baptized, there is the going down under the water, and then the raising up to new life in Christ. The voice from the heavens, “You are my beloved. My own. On you my favour rests” she described as for us all.

Finally she shared a story from her experience in the worship tent of the World Council of Churches’ 7th general assembly in 1983, and noted again how important “connecting across difference” is in our world today.