Baptism of the Lord - A

Texts:  Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17

Call to Worship
L:    When we are reluctant to dip
       our toes into faith's river,
P:    Jesus comes, to teach us how to swim.
L:    When we are hesitant to cup our hands
       to drink from the fountain of grace,
P:    Jesus comes,  to reach in and splash
        our faces with God's joy.
L:    When we are unwilling to be the pipeline of hope,
P:    Jesus comes, to turn on the faucets
       God has installed in our hearts.

Prayer of the Day
When we clasp the past
tight to our fading memories,
you come, Glory of Creation:
to strip us bare
of all pride and pretense,
with your future;
to slip the latch
on the fears and worries
which keep us bound
from following you;
to stand with us
when death and sin
try to bully us.
And we cry, 'Glory!'

When our faith flickers
in the shadows of chaos,
you come, Servant of sinners:
to be the grace-crier
through the streets of our hearts;
to teach eager students
the songs of peace and hope;
to open our eyes
heavy-lidded by indifference.
And we cry, 'Glory!'

When we are dubious
about being disciples,
you come, Baptism's Spirit:
to journey with peace-walkers
through the world's violent streets;
to strengthen us
when we are bent by doubt;
to anoint us with rivers
of grace, hope, and reconciliation.
And we cry, 'Glory!'

God in Community, Holy in One,
we cry 'Glory!' to you,
even as we pray as we have been taught,
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
The psalmist tells us that the One whose
voice can knock trees to the ground listens
to our hesitant prayers which speak of our
sin, of how we have hurt others, as well
as God.  Join me, as we pray to the One
who will bless us with peace and forgiveness.

Unison Prayer of Confession
  You would have all people hear of your
grace, Servant God, but we hinder your
efforts by hoarding your Word for ourselves.
You would have hope flow through our
neighborhoods, but we thwart your plans
by damming it up in our hearts.  You would
have us skip into your kingdom, but we
frustrate your future by clinging so tightly
to those grudges we have carried for so long.
   Have mercy on us, Shaker of our wildernesses,
and unlock the shuttered doors of our hearts.
Remind us that at our baptism you touch
us with the waters of life, promise to be
with us always, and call us your beloved,
even as you sang your joy to Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, at the waters of the
Jordan.

Silence is kept
 
Assurance of Pardon
L:    You know the good news God has
       proclaimed to you: we are called to
       let go of the past, and to walk, hand
       in hand with the Spirit, into the
       kingdom.
P:    God forgives us, accepts us, and
       sends us forth to do good, and to
       testify about the One who baptizes
       us in the water and the Spirit.
        Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:    People of the living waters:
       the Lord be with you!
P:    And also with you!
L:    Beloved of the Lord,
       lift your hearts to God.
P:    We lift our grace-washed hearts
       to the One who pours hope into us.
L:    Children of the Spirit, offer your
       thanksgiving and praises to God.
P:    We sing 'Glory' to the God
       who baptizes us with water
      and the Spirit.

You immersed chaos
in the waters of creation,
God of new beginnings.
You stretched the sky
to fill it with shimmering stars,
and taught the planets
to prance like deer.
The mountains skipped with delight,
dancing round and round with the rivers.
You took us by the hand
to play in Eden's joy,
but we broke free
to go running after
sin and death.
You asked the prophets
to bear witness to all you did,
are doing, and will do,
but we were averse
to listening to their advice.
So you sent Jesus,
letting go of your glory,
to come to us
with your hope and redemption.

So, with those who have wandered
  through every wilderness,
and those who have waded
    in the waters of life,
we praise you that, in our baptism,
we are made one with those
of every place and time
forever singing of your grace:
   
P:    Holy, holy, holy, God who blesses people with peace.
       Creation skips like a child, coming to praise you.
       Hosanna in the highest!

        Blessed sit he One who comes to fulfill all righteousness.
        Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, hurler of the heavens,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
your Beloved, our Servant and Lord.
When the evil one
bullied us with fear,
he came to stand with us
filling us with hope.
When we huddled in the shadows
of despair and doubt,
he came to be the Light
showing the path to faith.
When death was convinced
it had won the final battle,
you gave him the go-ahead
to leave the grave,
to lead us back home.

In the baptism of his suffering and death,
in his journey through the waters of resurrection,
we are united with him,
even as we speak of that mystery we call faith,

P:    Christ died, choosing to establish justice;
       Christ rose, healing all who are oppressed by death;
       Christ will return, taking us by the hand and keeping  us for you.

Pour out your Spirit of grace
upon the gifts of the bread and the cup
and on those who gather to eat and drink
with the Risen Lord.
When we have been fed by your life,
and refreshed by your hope,
may we go forth
to bear witness to your presence
in our lives and in our world.
With your Spirit upon us,
send us out:
to speak of your peace,
so that all violence might end;
to bring healing
to all tyrannized by terror;
to work for justice
in all the brokenness of our times;
to welcome all
with the inclusive love
you have shown to us.

And when we gather at the banquet
you have catered with your joy and love,
we will join hands with all
gathered around the Table of grace and peace,
singing 'Glory! Glory! Glory!' to you,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

(c) 2010  Thom M. Shuman