The baptism of Jesus was an important feast in the early church, more important than Christmas.  Like Epiphany, which was one of the three important feasts, it is a celebration of the true nature of the incarnation of God. It is a feast of light which illuminates God's nature.  Baptism celebrates our identity as being formed by the aim of God, being light and novelty to the world, and our role in living in the light - what God wishes us to be.

So this Sunday we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.  I suspect that for many Christians there is a puzzle about baptism.  There is something curious and almost antiquated about the act of baptism.  If you ask people why they want their children baptized they would be hard pressed to say why, other than, "That's the way we've always done it."  Those of us who attend church faithfully would be hard pressed to say what their baptism meant to them.  Do we do it for the grandparents?  Is it a cultural act? Is it a beginning to form our children in what is most basic to us - a sense of God who loves all of creation?