Today we hear Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism. The surrounding passages can help to contextualize the Gospel and reflect on its significance as the birth of Jesus’ public ministry. The beginning of ...

“The people were filled with expectation.” That is how Luke described the excitement around John the Baptist. When do we experience that sort of public emotion? Doesn’t it seem easier to unite around ...

Who are the members of a household? In my own household, the “members” are my wife and I, three sons, and a daughter. Families had many more children in those days, so it is quite reasonable to assume ...

People have said to me, “baptism is essential to salvation” others have said, “I do not believe baptism is essential to salvation.” There are many opinions on the subject of baptism but the important ...

The name given to the process or sacrament of welcoming a child into the church or faith community varies among denominations, which means you may be looking for a message for a baptism, dedication, ...

Why is Christian Science in our name? Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and we’ve always been transparent about that. The church publishes the ...

"Behold!" That's the traditional opening of today's reading from Isaiah. "Behold!" means that God wants us to look at something so carefully that we realize we may not quite capture all that it means.