A talk on St. John’s-tide by Rev. Bridgette Siepker on Sunday 13 July

by John-Peter Gernaat

Rev Bridgette Siepker considered the relevance of St John’s-tide in our time. It is a festival that does not exist in this form in most Christian churches. She brought into focus a number of ideas that will live for those who listened to the talk as we move through this time, and it is repeated for us each year.

Two thoughts that I shall work with are, firstly, the words of John: “He must increase, and I must decrease”. I recognise within myself two parts. The part that is selfish and wishes to satisfy itself, often to the exclusion of others, and the part that reaches up to my higher self that is still largely held in the spiritual world. This second part of my nature is connected with the Christ, and yet it is uniquely me. Because of the connection to Christ I would wish this part of my nature to increase while my egoistical self, where Christ is excluded, should decrease.

Secondly, is the baptism with fire that John attributes to Christ. Bridgette connected this with the fire that purifies. A simple realisation that a plant needs the heat of the sun for a full season in order to bear fruit, reveals how fire can purify and refine, without destroying the essential nature of what goes into the fire. Our baptism by fire may seem hard to bear; it is not intended to destroy us, but rather to reveal what is our essential nature so that this may go forward into further experiences.