Remembering....New?!

"I have baptized you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  (Mark 1:8)

Conversations starting with "do you remember" can be interesting, fun, educational or dangerous - depending on if, or what, you remember and answer.  I have gone to one of my sisters to help with memories of growing up.  She is five years older so remembers somethings more clearly than I do.  At the same time I can also remember telling my mother-in-law what a pretty dress she was wearing.  Her response was "don't you remember this dress?"  To which I had to say "no."  Thankfully I was only in a little​ trouble - she had worn it, the year before, for her son's (and my) wedding.

The Gospel reading, this morning, starts us into the Gospel of Mark - the Gospel for this lectionary season.  The "new" year started the first Sunday in Advent (and last weekend on the calendar) but Mark doesn't start with the birth narrative like Matthew and Luke.  Mark is thought to be the oldest of the Gospels and starts with Jesus baptism and starting of His ministry.  This Sunday we are talking about Jesus baptism and "remembering" our own.  The promises we made, or were made for us, to be following where God is leading including into "new" things.  We can remember Jesus IS baptizing with the Holy Spirit - filling us, overflowing through us and strengthening us.

This is the start of a new year, a new month with many other changes (and challenges?) happening.  Do we remember we do have​ the Holy Spirit giving us strength?  Can we stop and remind ourselves?  God IS with us.  God KEEPS God's promises.