Lectionary Readings
Isaiah 43:1–7
Do not fear, I am with you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Psalm 29
Glorify the name of the Lord, who reigns over the waters.
Acts 8:14–17
People previously baptized in Jesus’ name receive the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:15–17, 21–22
John baptizes Jesus; the Spirit descends; God says: You are my Son.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Holy Triune God, author of community,
come baptize us.
Remind us what it means
to belong to one another.
God who tears the heavens, come baptize us.
Reveal to us your power
that ushers in new realms.
God who calls us beloved, come baptize us.
Declare to us your great delight
and hold us in your pleasure.
God of vulnerability, come baptize us.
Welcome us into the paradox
of strength that comes from weakness.
Together, let us remember this day.
In the Creator’s love we are held,
into Christ’s body we are baptized,
and by the Spirit’s power, we are claimed.
All glory to God. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God of baptism,
you emptied yourself of privilege
to free us from supremacy.
You were submerged in the depths
so that we would not be alone in them.
You were lifted from the waters
so that all might be lifted up. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving for Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the faith, hope, and love you give to us
through the blessing of our baptism—
claiming us as your beloved children,
calling us to the path of discipleship,
revealing to us the light of your glory.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
help us to follow you with faith,
to trust in you with hope,
and to serve you with love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
Ever ready with cleansing love,
God invites our confession,
offering mercy and strength
so that we may start anew.
In the waters of baptism, O God,
you have cleansed us and claimed us.
Forgive us for refusing your grace
and rejecting your name.
We have followed our own paths,
and they have led us far from you.
Help us to live into our baptisms,
to trust that all we need is in you,
for you have marked us as your own,
loving us without limit.
Wash us with your love again,
that with clean hearts
we may go in the way of Jesus.
Lifting water from the font:
The love of God flows ceaselessly.
The mercy of God never ends.
This is good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Saving God, source of our calling,
your Word is full of power and glory.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
so that we may receive your grace
and live as your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
Listen for the Word of God,
shaking the wilderness.
Psalm 29:8
After the readings:
Powerful and full of majesty
is the voice of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29:4
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
And in the temple of the Lord,
the people of God say: Glory! Amen.
Psalm 29:9
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
God’s sovereign love is a mystery
beyond the reach of the human mind.
Human thought ascribes to God
superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness.
But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ
by showing power in the form of a servant,
wisdom in the folly of the cross,
and goodness in receiving
sinful men and women.
The power of God’s love in Christ
to transform the world
discloses that the Redeemer
is the Lord and Creator
who made all things
to serve the purpose of God’s love.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.15
Prayers of Intercession
Joining our hearts and minds in prayer,
let us call on the name of the Lord,
saying: O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the church . . .
Make us a people of your Word and Spirit
so that we may live as true disciples
of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the world . . .
Gather up all the lost and forsaken
from the troubled places of the earth;
redeem and restore their lives.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for this community . . .
Help us, like John, to point to Christ,
preparing the way for your holy realm
of righteousness and justice.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Support those who are suffering.
Let them know they are precious to you.
Call them by name and hold them close.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
Mighty God, strengthen your people
so that we may live in the world
as those you have chosen and called;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
There is only one Lord and God,
from whom all things come
and for whom we live.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 8:4–6
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
We praise and thank you, Lord God,
for the majesty of your work,
the wisdom of your word,
and the generosity of your grace.
Let the gifts of our lives bear witness
to your goodness and mercy,
your faithfulness and justice,
and your steadfast love for all. Amen.
Psalm 111
Great Thanksgiving
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, O Lord our God:
You are our creator and redeemer.
Through the water you deliver us
and claim us as your beloved, your own.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
At his baptism by John in the Jordan,
you poured out your Holy Spirit upon Jesus
and revealed him to be your beloved Son.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation
(e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reshape our lives by your living Word
and renew our hearts by your Holy Spirit
so that we may follow you more faithfully.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
We give you thanks and praise, O God,
that you have fed us with your mercy
and poured out your Spirit in this place.
Continue to nourish and fill us each day,
that we may live as your beloved people;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the blessing of the Lord our God,
the grace of Jesus Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and forever. Alleluia!
Luke 4:18–19
In the name of Jesus,
bring good news to the poor. Amen.
Luke 4:18
The Baptism
The Benedictional of St. AEthelwold
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
-
Shall We Gather at the River (OG) HANSON PLACE GTG 375
-
Men of Faith, Rise Up and Sing (A) SMITH GTG 319
-
Take Me to the Water (G) TAKE ME TO THE WATER GTG 480
-
Oceans (G) WHERE FEET MAY FAIL VT 456
WORD
-
Do Not Be Afraid (OG) ISAIAH 43 GTG 76
-
Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice (G) ABERYSTWYTH GTG 163, PH 409
-
Down Galilee’s Slow Roadways (G) WEST MAIN GTG 164
-
Spirit of the Living God (A) LIVING GOD GTG 288
-
Your Love Is Washing Over Me (OAG) I WON’T BE FRIGHTENED ANYMORE VT 166
EUCHARIST
-
Wash, O God, Your Sons and Daughters (AG) BEACH SPRING GTG 490
-
You Have Put On Christ (AG) BAPTIZED IN CHRIST GTG 491
-
Thee We Adore, O Hidden Savior, Thee (G) ADORO TE DEVOTE GTG 495, PH 519
-
Señor, Tú me llamas / O Lord, You Have Called Me (O) PUEYRREDON SSS 603
SENDING
-
We Know That Christ Is Raised (AG) ENGELBERG GTG 485, PH 495
-
How Firm a Foundation (OG) FOUNDATION GTG 463, PH 361
-
Baptized in Water (AG) BUNESSAN GTG 482, PH 492
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 29
Metrical
-
The God of Heaven [GLORY]; GTG 259, PH 180
-
Ascribe to God Both Strength and Power [CMD]; SGP 45
Responsorial
-
Hijos de Dios / Angels on High; PAS 29B
-
Your Voice, O Lord; PAS 29D
-
The Voice of God Is Upon the Waters [DEUS TUORUM MILITUM]; HTP1 105
Organ Music
-
“Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam,” BWV 684, J. S. Bach, IMSLP.org (MA)
-
“Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam,” BuxWV 180, Dietrich Buxtehude, IMSLP.org (M)
-
“Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam,” P61, Johann Pachelbel, IMSLP.org (M)
-
“BUNESSAN,” Morning Has Broken, Kristina Langlois, MSM (M)
Piano Music
-
“Baptized in Water,” BUNESSAN, Gather at the River, Jason Krug, LOR (M)
-
“Down to the River / Shall We Gather at the River,” DOWN TO THE RIVER / HANSON PLACE, Spirituals We Love, Pepper Choplin, LOR (M)
-
“There Shall Be Showers of Blessing,” SHOWERS OF BLESSING, Hymns for a Raney Sunday, Joel Raney, Lillenas Publishing (MA)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
-
“Be Not Afraid,” Taylor Davis, CGA, SATB, pno, opt str qrt (M)
-
“I Will Make All Things New,” Mary McDonald, LOR, SATB, keybd, opt orch (M)
-
“To the Jordan Jesus Came,” Paul Nicholson, GIA, SAB, pno, opt fl, vln (ME)
-
“As Jesus Walked into the Stream,” Susan Borwick, MSM, 2 pt, keybd, opt inst, vc (E)
-
“Spirit Song,” Tom Fetke, HOPE, SATB, keybd (E)
Art
-
Isaiah 43:1–2, Timothy R. Botts, 2016 (EYE)
-
The Baptism, from The Benedictional of St Æthelwold, illuminated manuscript, 963–84 (VCS)
-
Plaque with the Baptism of Jesus, South Netherlandish, 1150–75 (MET)
-
Baptismal Basin, Mexican, 1800 (MET)
-
Baptism of Christ, Simeon Ardjishetsi (Simeon of Arces), 1305 (VCS)
-
Christ’s Baptism, Ǧähǧäh Giyorgis Gospel Book, Ethiopia, 1400–1499 (Index of Medieval Art, Princeton)
