Today is the first Sunday after Epiphany and it celebrates the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The feast day is a commemoration of Jesus’ baptism by his cousin John the Baptist in the Jordan River.  In Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches baptisms are held on this Holy Day.  Our little one was baptized on this day when she was less than three months old.  Today when I showed her this picture that seemed so long ago and yet just a mere moment passed in time, she said with excited recognition that she knew our Bishop, the man here who baptized her.  As I tied the white satin ribbons on her shoes in church today I thought back to that day and how her feet were so tiny she could not even wear her exquisite christening shoes.  Her gown covered them but I loved seeing her baby doll bare feet and toes.  Christ himself must have walked into that water in His bare feet.  The lyrics from today’s communion motet were taken from the Song of Solomon:

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm, for love is strong as death; many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.

I have always loved this scripture.  We are sealed and marked as Christ’s own in the book of life by water.