The Celebration of the Gospel
January 8, 2017 —The Baptism of Jesus
“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
—Matthew 3.17
______We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE Adagio Camille Saint Saëns, arr: Albert Zabel
[As we listen to the music we
quiet our minds and bodies, listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: God of love, your grace flows about us like a mighty river.
All: It is gentle, and it is strong.
We are immersed in your presence.
You give us life, and we thank you.
We come to plunge into you, O God.
In the water of your womb, birth us once again to a new and holy life.
Alleluia!
* SONG Water, River, Spirit, Grace Black hymnal # 2253
__________We Attend to the Word__________
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of life we turn to you for life. God of love, we come to drink of your love. God of light, we open our hearts, that we may shine with your light. Bathe us in your Word; immerse us in your grace. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 42.1-9
[God calls a servant to bring forth justice. The prophet may have in mind that the servant is Israel, or a particular person, or a metaphorical image—but it also simply may be us.]
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit within you;
you are to bring forth justice to the nations.
Do not cry or lift up your voice,
or make it heard in the street;
Gently, so as not to break a bruised reed
or quench a faint candle,
faithfully bring forth true justice.
You will not grow faint or be crushed
until you have established justice in the earth;
and far lands wait for your teaching.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is whom I am;
I yield my glory to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
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GOSPEL Matthew 3.13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
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SERMON
SONG Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine Blue hymnal # 606 vv. 1, 2
__________Baptismal Renewal_______
Pastor: Beloved in Christ:
through the sacrament of baptism
God brings us into Christ’s holy church,
makes us part of the salvation of the world,
and gives us new birth through water and the Spirit.
So we come to the water—
Yes, everyone who thirsts! Come to the waters:
water of new birth, poured out and flowing freely
for all who will receive it;
water of justice rolling down,
water of righteousness like an everflowing stream;
a spring of water in us gushing up to eternal life;
the river of God for the healing of the world.
We come to this water
because our souls thirst for you, O God,
as in a dry and weary land.
All: We come to this water
to renew our baptism
in the death and resurrection of Christ.
Profession of Faith
As we behold the mystery of God’s grace,
I invite you to profess your faith,
and to confirm the baptismal covenant that binds us in Christ.
Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness?
We confess our need for the saving, life-giving grace of God!
Will you turn away from the powers of sin and death?
We renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
reject the evil powers of this world,
and repent of our sin!
Will you let the Spirit use you as prophets to the powers that be?
We accept the freedom and power God gives us
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves!
Will you proclaim the good news
and live as disciples of Jesus, Christ’s body on earth?
We confess Jesus Christ as our Savior,
put our whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as our Lord,
in union with the church which Christ has opened
to people of all ages, nations, and races!
Will you be living witnesses to the gospel,
individually and together, wherever you are, and in all that you do?
We will remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church
and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world.
Will you nurture one another in living the faith through the church?
With God’s help we will embody the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We will surround each other with faith, hope and love
that we all may grow in grace and faith
and learn to trust God and live in loving service in the world.
We will pray for each other and walk with one another
on our journey of discipleship together.
Thanksgiving over the Water
Almighty, gentle God, we give you thanks,
for in the beginning your Spirit brooded over the waters
and you brought forth Creation.
You brought us to freedom through the waters of the Red Sea.
You gave us new birth through baptism into Christ,
and gave us life that cannot die.
The river of God is full of water,
the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal, flowing from the heart of God.
We who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into his life,
born in the water of a womb;
we are baptized into his ministry, giving water to the thirsty,
washing the feet and sharing the tears of all who suffer;
and we are baptized into his death, so that just as Christ was raised by the glory of God,
we too might walk in newness of life.
Born of water and the Spirit,
may we enter into the Realm of God
as children of God,
born not of human will, but of God.
Pour out your Holy Spirit in this water
and bless us who receive it,
that claimed by your Word, nourished in your grace,
washed from all sin and borne by your Spirit,
we may live in freedom, trust and courage,
sharing in the eternal life of Christ.
Amen.
Baptismal Remembrance
Children of God, you are God’s Beloved,
in whom God is well pleased.
All praise to you, infinite and loving God, now and forever. Amen!
SONG When Jesus was Baptized Steve G-H
When Jesus was baptized John said to repent
and follow the Righteous One whom God had sent.
So wash us, dear God, and create us anew,
born fresh from your Word and living wholly in you.
When Jesus was baptized in waters that flow,
he sank in the Source of what Makes all things grow.
So, held in Creation, renewed and made one,
we swim in the life-giving grace of your Son.
When Jesus was baptized in light, like a dove
your Spirit came down and you filled him with love.
So give us your Spirit; let all that we do
be you living in us as we live in you.
When Jesus was baptized you spoke from above,
saying, “This my servant, my Child whom I love.”
So help us to hear you speak love when you call,
and as your Beloved share freely with all.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
PASSING THE PEACE
_____We Are Sent in Ministry to the World____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Blessed Assurance Phoebe Knapp, arr: Mark Hayes
* OFFERING SONG
Baptized in love, O God, and immersed in deepest grace,
in your Spirit we are one.
Yours are the gifts we give; yours are the lives we live,
bright shining as the morning sun.
* PRAYER
Gracious God, in gratitude for your gifts in us, we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Baptized in Water Black hymnal # 2248
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE Postlude in G Minor Lani Smith
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]