The First Sunday in Epiphany/Ordinary 1 – Year C
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Hymn StF 20 “Be still for the presence of the Lord”
- Be still for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One is here;
come bow before him now
with reverence and fear:
in him no sin is found –
we stand on holy ground.
Be still, for the presence of the Lord,
the Holy One is here. - Be still for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around;
he burns with holy fire,
with splendour he is crowned:
how awesome is the sight –
our radiant King of light!
Be still, for the glory of the Lord
is shining all around. - Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place;
he comes to cleanse and heal,
to minister his grace;
no work too hard for him –
in faith receive from him.
Be still, for the power of the Lord
is moving in this place.David J Evans (b. 1957)
Prayer of approach
We gather today, expecting to meet with God.
Holy Spirit, come.
We might hear God’s voice in thunder and majesty.
Holy Spirit, come.
We might see God’s power, in flames of fire.
Holy Spirit, come.
We might see God’s presence in visions and signs.
Holy Spirit, come.
We might see a glimpse of God’s glory.
Holy Spirit, come. Come among us today.
Amen.
Prayer of confession and declaration of forgiveness
Loving God,
we confess that we are not living in the freedom
that you offer to those who have been baptised:
that we are sometimes overwhelmed by guilt and envy;
that we are consumed by anger and greed;
that we are inhibited by anxiety and fear;
that we are sometimes passive or resentful or unforgiving.
God of justice,
hear our prayer for mercy,
grant us forgiveness
and give us your peace. Amen.
Collect of the Day
Eternal Father,
at the Baptism of Jesus
you revealed him to be your Son
and anointed him with the Holy Spirit.
Keep all who are born of water and the Spirit
faithful to their calling as your people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading Luke 3.15-17,21-22
(In the wilderness John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.) 15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John 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. 17His 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.’
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and 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.’
Hymn StF 233 When Jesus came to Jordan
- When Jesus came to Jordan
to be baptised by John,
he did not come for pardon,
but as his Father’s Son,
He came to share repentance
with all who mourn their sins,
to speak the vital sentence
with which good news begins. - He came to share temptation,
our utmost woe and loss,
for us and our salvation
to die upon the cross.
So when the Dove descended
on him, the Son of Man,
the hidden years had ended,
the age of grace began. - Come, Holy Spirit, aid us
to keep the vows we make;
this very day invade us.
and every bondage break.
Come, give our lives direction,
the gift we covet most:
to share the resurrection
that leads to Pentecost.Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Address
We only get baptised once, but we are often asked as we worship to express our commitment to God . And this was what Jesus was doing when he went to be baptized by John in the Jordan river.
But if we to understand the significance of Jesus baptism we have to go back to the very beginning. The first acts of baptism were performed by Jews as part of the process of cleansing that was required of anyone who wished to belong to the Jewish faith. Baptism was a washing away of polluting sin that was thought to cover people who weren’t Jews
John the Baptist’s big new idea was to claim that the Jews themselves were as thickly covered in sin as anyone else. Before John the Jews had believed that as members of a chosen people, sons and daughters of Abraham they didn’t need to be baptized because they were chosen people. John however claimed that the Jews needed to recognize that their sin was shutting them out from God. John said they needed to repent-start again and be baptized just like people who were trying to become Jews
For many Jews the whole idea of being baptized must have seemed like a humiliation but many other people recognized the truth of what John was saying, and they swallowed their pride and were baptized and joined his national movement of repentance and search for God.
It is at this point that according to the gospels Jesus steps into the picture. Jesus presents himself to John to be baptized. For centuries people have asked the question: Why did Jesus allow himself to be baptized by John if as Christians we believe Jesus himself wasn’t cut off from God. The answer seems to be that Jesus wished to identify himself with those people who were taking the radical option of turning towards God. By being baptized Jesus was saying to those people who were conscious of their failings and who were searching for God I am with you.
Today it is hard to imagine how radical in, religious and political ways the Baptist movement was. To the religious and political authorities John was a dangerous man who could stir up the crowds and who threatened their interests. When Jesus was baptized he was identifying himself right at the very beginning of his ministry as a radical – a dangerous threat to the authorities
One of the tragedies today is that today baptism is associated less with joining and identifying with a radical movement and is more thought of being about becoming part of an organization. So much so that when Christians do even slightly radical things it comes as a shock to people. Some time ago I was talking to a church minister called Geoff who had been on a march in support of the workers from a local factory campaigning against closure of their factory in London. The church group complete with banner had been sandwiched between a group of workers and their families and a militant left wing political group. My friend said that as they were walking one of the politicians came up to him and started to talk to Geoff about the Christian faith. This man told my friend that he was completely amazed to find church people on such a demonstration. In his experience the Church was good at talking but not so good at doing. Suddenly this man saw the Church in an entirely new light, and it made him think.
As we think about Jesus’s baptism perhaps we need to ask ourselves whether our baptism leads us to be recognize ourselves, and be recognized by others, as being part of a radical movement or whether we have let our faith become wishy washy, losing its cutting edge and ceasing to be a challenge to anyone including perhaps ourselves?
A couple of questions to think about
- At his baptism Jesus was identifying himself as a radical. In what way if any do you think that we, Jesus’s followers should be radical too?
- Sometimes people accuse the church as being a “holy huddle” – shutting out people who live more complex and less straightforward lives. How can we reach out to people who are on the edge of society and show that like Jesus we are with them?
A Song to reflect upon
“Holy Water” by We the Kingdom
God, I’m on my knees again
God, I’m begging please again
I need you
Oh, I need you
Walking down these desert roads
Water for my thirsty soul
I need you
Oh, I need you
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
Like Holy water on my skin
Dead man walking, slave to sin
I wanna know about being born again
I need you
Oh, God, I need you
So, take me to the riverside
Take me under, baptize
I need you
Oh, God I need you
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
Like holy water on my skin
(On my skin)
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change
I don’t wanna abuse your grace
God, I need it every day
It’s the only thing that ever really makes me wanna change
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips (yes, it is)
Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
It’s like holy water
Your forgiveness
Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
Like the sound of a symphony on my ears
It’s like holy water on my skin
It’s like holy water on my skin
It’s like holy water
Songwriters: Andrew Bergthold, Scott Mctyeire Cash, Edward Martin Cash, Edmond Martin Jr Cash, Franni Rae. For non-commercial use only.
An Affirmation of Faith
We believe in God the Father,
who made the world.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his Son,
who redeemed humankind.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who gives life to the people of God.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We are God’s people,
chosen and marked by love.
We rejoice to share in God’s family name,
and delight to be created for glory.
We are baptised by water and the Spirit,
and released into the fullness of life.
All that we have, and all that we are,
we offer in humble thanks to the God of our salvation.
Thanks be to God.
Prayers of Intercession
Please make any special biddings for prayer….
Silence
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
Loving God,
we pray for your church:
for all those baptized into the household of faith.
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
We pray for the worldwide church:
for the poor, the hungry, those caught up in conflict;
for the powerless, persecuted, exploited or oppressed;
for . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
We pray for the church in this society:
for the unity that witnesses to the love of Christ;
for a deeper concern to meet human needs;
for . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
We pray for this congregation:
for a wise and loving nurture of the young in faith;
for those who are ill, sorrowful or anxious;
for . . .
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
We pray for ourselves:
that we may remain faithful to the baptismal promises;
that we may hold fast to your promises to us.
Come, Holy Spirit, come to your people;
comfort us, encourage us: fire us with your love.
In the name of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Brother and our Saviour. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
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 for ever. Amen.
Hymn StF 673 Will you come and follow me
- Will You Come And Follow Me
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Go Where You Don’t Know
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Let My Love Be Shown,
Will You Let My Name Be Known,
Will You Let My Life Be Grown
In You And You In Me? - Will You Leave Yourself Behind
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Care For Cruel And Kind
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Risk The Hostile Stare
Should Your Life Attract Or Scare?
Will You Let Me Answer Prayer
In You And You In Me? - Will You Let The Blinded See
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Set The Prisoners Free
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Kiss The Leper Clean,
And Do Such As This Unseen,
And Admit To What I Mean
In You And You In Me? - Will You Love The ‘You’ You Hide
If I But Call Your Name?
Will You Quell The Fear Inside
And Never Be The Same?
Will You Use The Faith You’ve Found
To Reshape The World Around,
Through My Sight And Touch And Sound
In You And You In Me? - Lord, Your Summons Echoes True
When You But Call My Name.
Let Me Turn And Follow You
And Never Be The Same.
In Your Company I’ll Go
Where Your Love And Footsteps Show.
Thus I’ll Move And Live And Grow
In You And You In Me.
John Bell and Graham Maule
Blessing
The blessing of God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always. Amen.
