Even though the weather messed up our church calendar schedule, this is the week we are  remembering the baptism of Jesus. Why does Jesus join in this communal act of repentance that is performed by John the Baptist? Luke’s account of this event is written in such a way as to reveal that Jesus is the New Adam launching a new humanity (who is not born of flesh but of Spirit and water). So we are baptized into Christ and therefore baptized into this new humanity in whom the Father is well pleased. The baptism of Christ shows us that God is not interested in mere religion but in human flourishing. God takes great delight in the mundane humanity of everyday life and blesses it. Religion often turns away from what God has declared as good, and in this process we become less than human and the things of earth grow strangely dim. The origin of Jesus' ministry being bathed in water is a powerful affirmation of the goodness of this world. Our study this week is called: Jesus’ Baptism, Human Flourishing and Corrupted Religion.