Baptism of the Lord - Morning - Christian Worship Tools

(This is celebrated on the Sunday following Epiphany.)

“THIS IS MY SON, THE BELOVED”

Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34

GREETING

We have come to the deep river, God,

that cleansing flow of your holy baptism,

where we first meet you in all your fullness.

Your Son enters to join there with us,

your Spirit appears as descending dove,

and you, Father, speak from heaven above.

Amazing and powerful, those waters,

with Son, Spirit, and heavenly Father,

all with one purpose – the adoption of us.

Now, if it pleases you, Triune God,

permit your new children to give thanks,

declaring to you our humble, forever love.

HYMN 193 “Jesus! the Name High over All”

PSALM 29:3-11

PRAYER

Creator of the Waters, both those that roar and those that whisper,

that tumble, crash, ripple and splash, speaking birth and love,

with living diamonds of light shouting from their surfaces;

from them you call us into those depths well over our heads,

but offer us safety by holding us in your Fathering arms.

Those waters were stormy and dangerous when in dived your Son.

At first John resisted baptizing Jesus, pure, holy, without sin;

but Jesus assured him it was just the right example to set.

So there in Jordan River, Jesus established the way to follow.

He recruited common water to work an uncommon change.

Then, a wondrous thing happened, we saw you as never before.

Heaven opened, as Jesus rose up from those amazing waters,

and your Spirit came down on him like descending dove.

And we heard your voice saying, “This is my beloved Son.”

In three ways we met you that day, yet all in total unity.

As if the waters were not enough awesome mystery for us, God,

you add more to the wonderment by coming to us as Three,

and then, as you love to do, you stir the waters even more.

You are holy, perfect, eternal, and totally different from us;

but in Jesus, you united with our imperfect, mortal flesh.

When we answer your call and follow Jesus’ lead into the waters,

we rise to find him abiding in us, and us abiding in Jesus;

and then through Jesus, we actually abide in you, Father.

The same Spirit that entered Jesus, comes and enters into us,

and we hear you saying, “This one too is a child of mine.”

Who knew we would find adoption in those baptismal waters?

Your Son knew, and it is why he led us into that holy flow.

And he knew your Holy Spirit would descend upon us too.

He also knew that we would die, to our old ways and old self,

and rise into an eternal life, in union with our Triune God.

Unity is what the waters hold, with you and your kingdom people.

As one drop by itself is tiny, insignificant and meaningless,

but when it is united with tossing ocean it becomes ocean,

The drop is in the ocean and the vast ocean is in that one drop,

with all its expanse and depths, all its mystery and power.

In baptism, Jesus took our one drop into the ocean of you, God.

Now our human mortality is swallowed up in your eternity.

Our sin is washed away in the waters of your loving grace.

So we are chin-deep in thankfulness, overflowing with praise,

and drenched forever in the blessed sanctification of Jesus. Amen.

GATHER WITH A CONGREGATION OF CHRISTIANS

TO CONTINUE THE WORSHIP OF GOD

ON THIS DAY OF JOYFUL RESURRECTION.