Today's Scriptures:

Isaiah 43. 1-7

Psalm 29

Acts 8. 14-17

Luke 3.15-17, 21-22

 

The Baptism of the Lord  

January 9, 2022  

As we gather, we recognize that we live, work and play in the traditional lands of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People.  We continue to commit ourselves to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building with our First Nations neighbours.  

 

Welcome.  

Call to Worship:  

We have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him. 

Matthew 2.2

O come, let us worship.  

 

Opening Hymn:

Part of the Family

Copyright protected. Unable to post lyrics. 

 

Gathering:

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

And also, with you.  

 

Almighty God,

to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden.

Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

 

Collect of the Day:

 

Eternal Father,

who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit;

keep your children, born of water and the Spirit, faithful to their calling;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen    

 

The Proclamation of the Word

 

1st Reading: Isaiah 43.1-7  

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.    

 

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  

 

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  

 

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders;

the Lord is upon the mighty waters.  

 

The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;

the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.  

 

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;  

 

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.  

 

The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;

the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.  

 

The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe

and strips the forests bare.

 

And in the temple of the Lord

all are crying, “Glory!”  

 

The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.  

 

The Lord shall give strength to his people;

the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.      

 

God of mystery and power,

open our eyes to the flame of your love, and open our ears to the thunder of your justice, that we may receive your gifts of blessing and peace, to the glory of your name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.    

 

2nd Reading:  Acts 8.14-17  

 

The word of the Lord.  

Thanks be to God.  

 

Gradual Hymn:

Spirit of the Living God

Copyright protected. Unable to post lyrics.   

 

The Reading of The Holy Gospel

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you. 

 

The Good News of Jesus according

To:  Luke 3.15-17, 21-22  

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

The Gospel of Christ,

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.    

 

Sermon:  The Venerable Brian Evans

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts

be ever acceptable to you, O Lord.  Amen.  

 

WORDS OF BECOMING

WORDS OF WELCOME

WORDS OF SALVATION

·        This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.

·        Part of the family.

·        Keep your children, born of water and Spirit, faithful to their calling.

·        Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

·        All who are baptised into the death of Jesus, your Son, may live in the power of the resurrection.

·        Breath on me, breath of God.

·        Accept all we offer you this day, and make us new in him

·        You make us one family in Christ your Son, One in sharing of his body and blood. One in the communion of his Spirit.

·        This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.  

 

You will recognize these words from The Greeting for worship this morning. 

What do these words mean when we personalize them?

‘Brian, you are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.’  

It would do us all good if we were to ponder those words for a moment.

Have we ever thought about this affirmation for yourself?  

I believe at each baptism these words are being proclaimed by the angels of God.

  ·         Part of the family.

At baptism we become part of a family.

The family of God inherits a new member to sit at the table. The table, to which we are invited to sit, is one filled with forgiveness, joy, faith, hope, and love.  

As a child, I recall the framed picture on the wall of the church, with small cut-out baby shoes identified with pink or blue trim, and the name of each child baptised.

As time passed in our first parish, we had “The Little Helpers” convenor who assiduously sent out cards each year to the children at their birthday, reminding them the church remembered them in prayer.  

Yes, at baptism we become part of a great family, the family of Christ.

 ·        Keep your children, born of water and Spirit, faithful to their calling.

These words come to us in the form of prayer.

In these words, we acknowledge, first what we believe. At baptism we are reborn of water and the Spirit—two of the greatest life-giving gifts the world can give.

For us as Christians, we have this gift.  It is ours to pass on to those others who are on the journey with us.   

 ·        Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the Living God.

"Spirit of the Living God" is a Christian hymn, by Daniel Iverson, that was inspired by a sermon on the Holy Spirit, during an evangelical crusade during the 1930s.

The lyrics call upon the Spirit of the Living God to "fall fresh on me."   Possibly, the first time I encountered this ‘chorus’ was when our parish received "Songs for a Gospel People" (SFGP), in the early 70’s.  

A number of us were so excited to have some “real Gospel” music. Little did we know:  some of these new hymns were over 40 years old already!  

In this hymn/chorus, we are calling on the Holy Spirit to give us particular gifts.

-         To melt me, mold me, fill me.

-         Then, to move among us, making us one in heart and mind, humble, caring, selfless sharing.  

When we sing these words, one does not help but feel the sense of the living water falling afresh on us.   

 ·        All who are baptised into the death of Jesus, your Son, may live in the power of the resurrection.  

What about this ‘power of the resurrection’?  

It’s a source of power that you can experience in your own life, every single day.  

Resurrection power is promised to every believer in Christ, and we receive it in the same way that Jesus gave it.

That is, by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, for the sake of our sins. We recognize it as the power of our salvation.  

At the same time, there are those in the church, sadly, who deny Christ’s resurrection—when this is the great gift we have, to witness to the world. 

 

 ·        Breath on me, breath of God.

Possibly, the best analogy for this breath (Greek: Pneuma / Hebrew: Ruach) comes to us in Genesis 1:2,

“And the Spirit of God moved/hovered/brooded over the face of the waters.”  

Life, breath, is one of the first acts of God in creation. Life-giving breath—Spirit—is the first gift given to us in our Christian faith.  

 

·        Accept all we offer you this day and make us new in him

We recognise these words from the “Prayer over the Gifts.”          

These words are more than what we bring forward to the altar each Sunday, in one of these plates—much more.          

In our offertory prayers, we are petitioning God to make us available for the mission of Jesus Christ. It is a prayer of self-offering of what we are, and what we posses.  

We ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the needs, and challenges, that confront humanity, and the mission of the Church.  

This offering plate is figuratively filled with our prayers, thoughts, words, actions, joys and, sufferings, in union with Jesus Christ, our Saviour.  

 

 ·        You make us one family in Christ your Son,          

One in sharing of his body and blood.          

One in the communion of his Spirit.  

We close our service today at the point in which we commenced; “part of the family”.

As community, we have broken bread together, we have shared in the sacred meal of our faith, which assists us to grow together in love.  

And we know this power,

in the witness of the Baptism of Our Lord,

can do more than we can ask or imagine.

Our baptism is like the "lighthouse" of our faith.

As the lighthouses saved lives, so our life is saved through our baptism.

Our baptism is like a metaphor for a lighthouse, and our task is to help those who are "navigating the coasts of life", to the place of Eternal Life. 

 

As a child growing up, one of our neighbouring towns had a lighthouse-shaped water tower.

Often that tower was a sign of "growing-close-to-a-place-of-safety" in a winter storm.

In the storms of faith, our Christian sisters and brothers are a place of safety.  

 

I conclude with this little gem I came across in preparation for today:   Matthew Henry was an English minister and Bible commentator, who lived from 1662-1714. His father’s name was Philip, and he wrote a baptismal statement that has been quoted often.   

The statement reads:

I take God to be my chief and highest good.

I take God the Son to be my prince and Savior.

I take God the Holy Spirit to be my sanctifier, teacher, guide, and comforter.

I take the Word of God to be my rule in all my actions, and the people of God to be my people under all conditions.

I do, hereby, dedicate and devote to the Lord: all that I am, all that I have and all I can do.

And this I do deliberately, freely, and forever. Amen.  

 

Thanks be to God.  Amen. 

 

The Apostles Creed:

 

Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say:  

I believe in God,  

Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen.   

 

Renewal of Our Baptismal Covenant  

 

Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel again God?

We renounce them.  

 

Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?

We renounce them.  

 

Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?

We renounce them.  

 

Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?

We do.  

 

Do you promise to obey him as your Lord?

We do.    

 

The Prayers of the People

Let us now pray for us to renew the sacrament of new birth.     

 

Deliver us, O Lord, from the way of sin and death.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

Open our hearts to your grace and truth.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

Fill us with your holy and life-giving Spirit.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

Teach us to love others in the power of the Spirit.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

Send us into the world in witness to your love.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

Bring us to the fullness of your peace and glory.

Lord, hear our prayer.  

 

 

Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, your Son,

may live in the power of his resurrection, and look for him to come again in glory;

who lives and reigns now and for ever.  Amen.          

 

Distance-Sharing of The Peace 

 

The Celebration of the Eucharist.  

 

Offertory Hymn:

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Public Domain  

 

Breathe on me, breath of God,        

fill me with life anew,

that I may love what thou dost love,

and do what thou wouldst do.  

 

Breathe on me, breath of God,

until my heart is pure;

until my will is one with thine

to do and to endure.  

 

Breathe on me, breath of God,

till I am wholly thine;

until this earthly part of me

glows with thy fire divine.  

 

Breathe on me, breath of God,

so shall I never die,

but live with thee the perfect life

of thine eternity.    

 

Prayer over the Gifts

 

God of life and freedom,

we celebrate the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, who makes all creation new.

Accept all we offer you this day and make us new in him,

who is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.     

 

Eucharistic Prayer #3    

 

The Lord be with you.                     

And also, with you.  

Lift up your hearts.                     

We lift them to the Lord.  

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.                     

It is right to give our thanks and praise.  

 

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth;

by water and the Holy Spirit, you have made us a holy people in Jesus Christ our Lord;

you renew that mystery in bread and wine and nourish us, to show forth your glory in all the world.

 

Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the holy people who have served you in every age, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.                     

 

Holy, holy, holy Lord,       

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.   

 

We give thanks to you, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation;

in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets;

and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son.

For in these last days, you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.

In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you.

In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.  

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread;

and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said,

 

“Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  

After supper he took the cup of wine;

and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said,

 

“Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”  

 

Therefore, Father, according to his command,

we remember his death,

we proclaim his resurrection,

we await his coming in glory;  

 

and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all;

presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.  

 

We pray you, Gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,

that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant.

 

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  

 

In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;  

by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.    

 

The Lord’s Prayer  

 

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  

Give us this day our daily bread;

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  

For thine is the kingdom, the power,

and the glory, for ever and ever.   Amen.

 

The Breaking of the Bread

 

We break the bread of life,

and that life is the light of the world.  

 

God here among us,

light in the midst of us,

bring us to light and life.  

 

The gifts of God for the People of God.  

Thanks be to God. 

 

The Administration of Communion  

 

Communion Musical Interlude:

 

As the Deer Pants

Copyright Protected.  Unable to post lyrics.  

 

Prayer After Communion

 

Gracious God, lover of all,

by this sacrament you make us one family in Christ your Son,

one in the sharing of his body and blood, one in the communion of his Spirit.

Help us to grow in love for one another and

come to the full maturity of the Body of Christ.

We ask this in his name.  Amen    

 

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine.

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus, forever and ever.  Amen.  

 

The Blessing

Announcements  

 

Closing Hymn:

This is the Day the Lord Has Made

Copyright Protected.  Unable to post lyrics.  

 

Dismissal  

 

Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.

 

Thanks be to God.  Alleluia!  

 

Song/Hymns words used by permission CCLI License #27505

 

The recording ends.