This morning's lesson from the Gospel deals with the baptism of Jesus. It is a good time for us to affirm the meaning of our own baptism. William P. Barker tells about a machinist with the Ford motor company in Detroit who had, over a period of years, "borrowed" various parts and tools from the company which he had not bothered to return.. While this practice was not condoned, it was more or less accepted by management, and nothing was done about it. The machinist, however, experienced a Christian conversion. He was baptized and became a devout believer. Even more importantly, he took his baptism seriously.

The very next morning, he arrived at work loaded down with tools and all the parts he had "taken" from the company during the years. He explained the situation to his foreman, and adde…