**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from
Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced
to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction to the Day
Today’s festival rejoices in God’s blessings. We recall and celebrate
our adoption as God’s children, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promised
company of almighty God when we “pass through the waters... the rivers...
fire.” On this day the heavens open again for this assembly, and we receive the
gift of God’s Beloved, Jesus, in bread and wine.
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who creates us, redeems us, and calls us by name.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
and your beloved children.
We have turned our faces away from your glory
when it did not appear as we expected.
We have rejected your word
when it made us confront ourselves.
We have failed to show hospitality
to those you called us to welcome.
Accept our repentance for the things we have done
and the things we have left undone.
For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Forgive us and lead us, that we may bathe
in the glory of your Son born among us,
and reflect your love for all creation.
Amen.
Rejoice in this good news:
In ☩ Christ Jesus, your sins are forgiven. You
are descendants of the Most High, adopted into the household of Christ, and
inheritors of eternal life. Live as freed and forgiven children of God.
Amen.
Gathering Song – The Lorica by Steve Bell
Greeting
The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Canticle of Praise
– Glory to God
Prayer of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you anointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy Spirit and
revealed him as your beloved Son. Keep all who are born of water and the Spirit
faithful in your service, that we may rejoice to be called children of God,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Readings
A reading from the book of Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall
not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, “Give them
up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord
the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the
God of glory thunders,
the
Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord
is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the
Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip
like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of
fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the
Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord
causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the
Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give
strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
A reading from the Book of Acts 8:14-17
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to
them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands
on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation – Alleluia
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Glory to you, O Lord.
As the people were filled with
expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether
he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you
with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to
untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to
gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable
fire.”
Now when all the people were baptized,
and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice
came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable to you, I Lord. Amen.
"Epiphany" is a word that means "to appear" or "to make known."
The First Sunday after the Epiphany is always the Baptism of Our Lord – a time when the voice from heaven "makes it known" that Jesus is "my son, the Beloved."
Baptism
is naming and identifying someone as “beloved.”
Baptism
reminds us that we discover who we are in relation to whose we are, God’s
beloved children. We belong to God’s family, and baptism is a tangible sign of
that.
Baptism
is primarily God’s work.
Baptism
is wholly God’s work that we may have confidence that no matter how often we
fall short or fail, nothing that we do, or fail to do, can remove the identity
that God conveys as a gift.
Our
relationship with God is the one relationship in life we can’t screw up
precisely because we did not establish it.
And
it is in God, not the church, that we are baptized.
In
today’s world, has Baptism lost its meaning and purpose?
One
answer is that when the gospel writers tell The Jesus Story, Baptism is
crucial.
Everything
starts at the river where Jesus entered the waters and placed himself in the
arms of his cousin John.
“And
the heavens were opened. And the Spirit descended upon him as a dove. And a
Voice came from heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well
pleased.”
Despite
the beauties and sentiment of the birth narratives, in truth, the ministry and
teachings and trials and triumphs and almost all that make us remember Jesus
took place after his baptism.
It
was at the moment of Baptism that Jesus was claimed and called.
Jesus’
baptism is a means of understanding our own baptism.
For
some people, baptism is “just joining the Jesus club.”
Everyone
knows what it means to join a club such as the Scouts, Air Cadets, or Kiwanis.
We have all joined clubs and every club has its rules and regulations. Baptism
is joining the “Jesus club” and we now have to follow the “Jesus rules”.
For
others, baptism is like “hell insurance”, although I’ve been taught this isn’t actually
the case. I remember when Elly was born and I went to my priest to talk baptism
and she told me emphatically, “you know baptism isn’t a ‘get out of hell free’
card, right?”
Baptism
is a key part of the Christian faith, but the Bible really says little about it
other than Jesus was baptized, and that apostles were told to do it too. Most
of our traditions, however, have a lot to say.
Here
are some of the questions asked and answered in the Small Catechism of the
Lutheran Church.
What
is baptism? Baptism is not simply plain water. Instead, it is water used
according to God’s command and connected with God’s word.
What
then is this word of God? Where Jesus says in Matthew 28, “Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
What
gifts or benefits does baptism grant? It brings about forgiveness of sin,
redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who
believe it, as the words and promise of God declare.
What
are these words and promise of God? Where Jesus says in Mark 16, “The one who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will
be condemned.”
How
can water do such great things? Clearly the water does not do it, but the word
of God, which is with and alongside the water, and faith, which trusts this word
of God in the water.
For
without the word of God, the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with
the word of God, it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a “bath
of the new birth in the Holy Spirit”, as Paul says to Titus in chapter 3.
“Through
the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out
on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified
by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
So,
in the sacrament of baptism, the triune God delivers us from the forces of
evil, puts our sinful self to death, gives us new birth, adopts us as children,
and makes us members of the body of Christ.
That
is a lot to take in, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to studying
the theology and ritual behind baptism.
It
is why, for some, infant baptism is unimportant. They want to let the child
grow up until they are old enough to make a decision for themselves.
Which
brings up an interesting question – is there such thing as a second baptism?
There
are many people I have met who were baptized as a baby into one denomination or
another. But then they didn’t go to church, or had a falling out at the church,
or simply found a different church or denomination that connected more with
them than the one in which they were baptized.
I
am no exception to this story. I was baptized Roman Catholic but left that denomination
a long time ago. When I found my faith again, I had a discussion about a “rebaptism”
into the Anglican Church.
But
whether we are baptized as a baby or a child or a young adult, we are baptized into
God, not into a church or a denomination.
That
is why we have things like renewal of baptism, or redeclaration of faith, or,
in my case, Confirmation, which is the route I took to reaffirm my faith in God
and in Jesus.
Another
situation I have come across with regards to “second baptism” is for those who
are transgender and want to be rebaptized in their new name and identity.
Theologically,
that person is still a baptized child of God, thus there is no need for a
second baptism.
Ritually,
what is being discussed and trialed (in the Anglican church anyway), is liturgies
around renaming ceremonies and other blessings. The goal being that a person can
have a special reaffirmation of faith as they are now, as opposed to who they
were before.
I
am going off on tangents here but what I want to say is that with our baptism,
we are fully and wholly children of God, with all the gifts and benefits that
come with it.
And
each week we reaffirm our baptism with either the Apostles’ or Nicene creed.
We
also do so during baptisms when we join the baptism candidates, parents, and
sponsors during the profession of faith.
So
today, on this the day of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to
profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the
church.
Answer
this question – do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the
powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you
from God?
Response:
I renounce them.
And
in thanksgiving, please respond to the following statements with “Blessed be God
now and forever”.
Holy
God, mighty Lord, gracious Father: We give you thanks, for in the beginning
your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth. By the gift
of water, you nourish and sustain us and all living things.
Response:
Blessed by God now and forever.
By
the waters of the flood, you condemned the wicked and saved those whom you had
chosen, Noah and his family. You led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire
through the sea, out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land.
Response:
Blessed by God now and forever.
In
the waters of the Jordan, your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the
Spirit. By the baptism of his own death and resurrection your beloved Son has
set us free from the bandage to sin and death and has opened the way to the joy
and freedom of everlasting life. He made water as sign of the kingdom and of cleansing
and rebirth. In obedience to his command, we make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy
Spirit.
Response:
Blessed by God now and forever.
For
some people, baptism has lost its importance. Baptism has become just
sprinkling of water on a baby’s head. Baptism is often considered hell
insurance and protects you from the fiery wrath of God. Baptism is joining the
Jesus Club with all its rules and regulations.
But
what happened in Jesus’ baptism? The Spirit of God came upon Jesus. He was
declared to be the Son of God in whom God delighted. He was called to be the Suffering
Servant who carried the whole sins of the world.
In
our baptism, similar things happen to us as happened to Jesus when he was
baptized:
The
Spirit of God comes into us and remains in us.
We
are declared to be a child of God.
We
hear that God is well pleased with us.
And
so, on this Baptism of Our Lord Sunday, remember your Baptism and live into
your calling.
Let
us pray.
Lord,
pour out your Holy Spirit, so that those who are here baptized may be given new
life. Wash away the sin of all those who are cleansed by this water and bring
them forth as inheritors of your glorious kingdom.
To
you be given praise and honour and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – Crashing Waters at Creation (ELW #455, tune #494)
Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we
say the Nicene Creed:
We
believe in one God,
the
Father, the Almighty,
maker
of heaven and earth,
of
all that is, seen and unseen.
We
believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the
only Son of God,
eternally
begotten of the Father,
God
from God, Light from Light,
true
God from true God,
begotten,
not made,
of
one Being with the Father;
through
him all things were made.
For
us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the
virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the
living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who
proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who
with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who
has spoken through the prophets.
We
believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We
acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We
look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
The Spirit of the Lord is poured out upon us in abundance; so we are
bold to pray for the church, the world, and all that God has made.
Silence
By the Holy Spirit, you gather your church and send it out in mission to
share the good news of Jesus. Inspire your faithful people to be fervent in
prayer and service, that all people know they are precious in God’s sight.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
You reveal your love and power through water and the Spirit. Guard
rivers, seas, and all bodies of water from destruction and pollution. Secure
access to clean water for all, and protect the land from drought and flood.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
Establish among the nations the blessings of peace. Raise up leaders who
will protect vulnerable people in their care. Strengthen advocates who risk
reputation or retaliation for the sake of mercy and justice.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
You protect us through the fires and troubled waters of this life.
Assure us that we will not be cut off from you by illness or despair, anxiety
or pain, confusion or weakness. Comfort all who are in need.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
We are joined in baptism to Christ and to one another. Bless those who
are newly baptized and those who are preparing for baptism. Help us to be
faithful in fellowship, worship, evangelism, service, and justice-seeking.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or pray in silence.
You created each of your saints for your glory. We give thanks for those
you have called by name into your eternal embrace. Comfort us in grief and
release us from fear.
God of grace
Hear our prayer.
Since we have such great hope in your promises, O God, we lift these and
all of our prayers to you in confidence and faith; through Jesus Christ our
Saviour.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Hymn
of Thanksgiving – Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized
(ELW #304)
**Although
not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would
encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off
or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the
church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking
place.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our
way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken
us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy
Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our
daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time
of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the
power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
God, who leads you in pathways of
righteousness, who rejoices over you, and who calls you by name, ☩
bless your going out and your coming in, today and forever.
Amen.
Sending Song – Go, My Children,
with My Blessing (ELW #543)
Dismissal
Go with Christ into a weary world. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God.
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