Water has been in the news a lot recently, at least in the forms of snow and ice.  Winter storms and snow literally stopped traffic in many parts of the country.  And as much as we try to forge through to get to work or school, sometimes we have to stop and respect what the water around us is doing.  Water is part of the drama of our life. It brings life, but not enough or too much can bring destruction. Let us focus on the life giving power of clean, fresh water.

There are two very different ways to think about baptism. The first approach recognizes the time of baptism as a saving moment in which the person being baptized accepts the love and forgiveness of God. The person then considers herself "saved." She may grow in the faith through the years, but nothing which she will experience a…