Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11    

The lectionary always presents three scriptures; we usually read one every Sunday. Today, I decided to include all three: Old Testament, Acts and the Gospel. I did it because the three scriptures have at least two things in common: one, they are about beginnings. Genesis narrates the beginning of the Universe. Acts talks about the baptism of some disciples, and baptism is the beginning, the initiation into the body of Christ. The Gospel according to Mark is also about baptism, the baptism of Jesus and with this he marks the beginning of His ministry.

The second thing they have in common is the presence of The Holy Spirit. In Genesis, when the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, the Holy Spirit moved over the waters. In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit was baptizing and coming over the new disciples, as in Pentecost. The Gospel of Mark says that the Holy Spirit was over Jesus confirming he was the son of God. And here we are reading these scriptures at the beginning of a new year ready to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Seems to me that God through these scriptures wants to remind us this Sunday that the foundation of every beginning in our life and the life of the church must be the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, because only with the help and presence of the Holy Spirit, God can transform nothing into something, formless into structure, and darkness into light, as He did in the beginning of creation. In the book of Genesis God is foundational, He is before all, above all, and beyond all. God is also foundational in the baptism of every believer. In the Book of Acts, we read that right after this group of disciples received the water of baptism, the Holy Spirit came over them and as the Holy Spirit did in Pentecost, they spoke other languages. God used these languages for people to hear and understand the message of Jesus. Luke, the writer of Acts does not tell us what they were saying, however, without any doubt, people heard these disciples declaring the wonders of God, as in Pentecost.

God is also foundational in Mark’s relate of Jesus’ baptism. Jesus begun His ministry with the Holy Spirit and with God’s approval. Therefore, it is important that now that we are at the beginning of a new year, we could recognize how important it is to begin with God as our foundation.  

Ten days ago, we ended 2020 dreaming with a new beginning, praying for 2021 to be better. And just in the first week of 2021, our country exploded into chaos. There is a saying, “a bad beginning, makes a bad ending.” For a long time, I believed this saying was true, but now that I know that God is in control of our lives, I do not think this saying is necessarily truth. Genesis 1 is a proof that even when things are bad at the beginning, if God is our foundation, if the Holy Spirit moves over our lives, God can make everything anew.

That is how God works and creates. For Him chaos can be raw material. In the beginning, He took something that was “without form and void” and miraculously created the universe we live in. He took what seemed like nothing, and with the power of his divine word, He transformed it into an incredible something.

That is also what God can do through Jesus Christ, in us and through us for our country. He can take this social and political chaos and transform us in a better union.  Remember Jesus has transformed us already into his children. We are sinners transformed into saints; we were lost, and he found us. We were nothing, he took us and made us something. What we must do is allow him to work in us, we must let Him use us to transform this chaos around us into a nation of peace and unity.

When the disciples in Ephesus received the Holy Spirit, they begun speaking other languages and they were understood. They were not just babbling in foreign tongues; they were communicating. The Spirit lifted them to a new level of awareness. This is important for us to take in consideration. Why? because the same Spirit that Genesis 1 tells us was hovering like a bird over the formless void and darkness of the deep is with us today. The same voice God spoke to bring light out of the darkness is speaking to us and with His help we can transform this darkness into a new morning.

The Spirit is here ready to release us to go forward, ready to inspire us to become what we were created to be: His messengers, His voice, His people. However, people must hear us declaring the wonders of God and nothing else. To declare His wonders means to reveal His character, to proclaim what He has done and what He is willing to do for His people and His creation. As the disciples in Ephesus and Jerusalem, we must speak “other language,” a language that now has been set aside by many, a language that is foreign at this moment: the language of love and unity, the language of reconciliation and harmony.

Our message must be clear: we follow, serve, and worship a God of Peace. And His voice must be heard loud and clear thru us. The people who participated  in the events we saw on TV this week, will either be encouraged or discouraged to continue acting the way they did. Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” We must proclaim God’s desire and God’s purpose; that is how He will accomplish His desire and achieve His purpose for this land.     

As His people, we must do what Jesus did: please the Father. Mark 1:11 says, “And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

As citizens of this nation, we have a challenge before us these coming days, that is please God during this time of chaos. Chaos is the opportunity God uses to show His power. Genesis is one example; from that chaos, we have this beautiful universe. Jesus’ death caused chaos in His disciples; from that chaos, we have resurrection. Christmas, the season we just celebrated was also chaos. This beautiful life changing events happened during a culturally chaotic time. Jesus was born amid chaos, social, political, and personal. An angel appeared to a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph and told her she was going to be pregnant. Personal chaos.

Mary told the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” To please God amid this time of chaos, we must remember who we are. We are servants of God and is about His kingdom and His will to be done and His purpose be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.

Let us trust that with God’s help this chaos is only a birth pain of a new and stronger society, that God will recreate our political and social system.                                                       I want to invite you to end today’ service by joining me in the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.  

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love.  

For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.