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Several years ago I was invited to preach on this gospel passage from Matthew at the National Cathedral on the Sunday designated to honor the state of Hawaii. I struggled with the subject of Jesus’ baptism, partly because baptism is not an easy concept to explain, and this story seemed strange indeed. Why would Jesus insist on being baptized by John, and what could it mean that as John was baptizing him in the Jordan the voice of God spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased”?

I’ve been following the buzz surrounding Willow Creek Church’s newest “highly effective” way of doing church, an initiative called Reveal: Where are you? After a generation of numerical “success,” Willow Creek Church has apparently learned that attracting large numbers of people is not the same as forming faithful disciples of Jesus.