The apostle Paul encourages believers of the Corinthian church to remember "a body is a unit and has many parts....we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body." (1 Corinthians 12). For those of us who choose to follow the way of Jesus, it's easy to say we just want "Jesus" and would rather skip the "other stuff." The reality is that the way of Jesus also calls us to each other. One Baptism, One Body.

As we continue our "deep dive" (no pun intended) into the Great Commission from Matthew 28, we are reminded that Jesus commanded his closet followers to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Perhaps this was not only a command to immerse new believers in the literal waters of baptism as an outward symbol of faith, but also a greater invitation to be united with each other through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that is "in all and through all."

Even when we might forget about other parts of "the body," the Scriptures continually remind us: "There is One Lord, One faith, One baptism, and there is and one God of all, who is over all, through all, and in all." (Ephesians 4)