Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
Call to Worship
Come to the waters, beloved—
where Spirit moved over at creation,
where Jesus was immersed in justice,
where God leaned close to us.
We splash in the river of God’s joy.
Come to the waters, beloved—
where God’s voice thunders,
where God whispers kindness.
We watch as Jesus steps
Into them muddy mess of our lives.
Come to the waters, beloved—
where the Spirit gifts us so
we can stand side by side
with the broken and forgotten.
We come because we are indeed
God’s beloved children.
Prayer of the Day
In the beginning,
you whispered for light
to glow in the chaos,
in the blessing,
you spoke justice into
all the places of hopelessness,
into the deep water
of our lives, God of Imagination,
you sang grace.
as he stepped into the Jordan
you called Jesus your beloved,
filling him with hope
frightened people needed,
sustaining him with courage
to walk the dusty road to death,
resting your life on his shoulders
like the gentle touch of a dove.
as we gather to remember
those waters which touched us
with your grace, love, life,
we pray you will continue
to pour the Spirit’s peace
and passion into our lives.
God in Community, Holy in One,
silence those whispers which
tell us that we are not enough,
cleanse us of our dusty worries,
send us out as servants of the Beloved—
carrying the good news,
setting people free,
shining your light
into the corners of the world,
even as we pray as we have been taught
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We cannot be reminded enough that God claims us as beloved children even before we are perfect people. As we remember our baptisms, let us confess those foolish choices which keep us from jumping feet first into that river of grace, where God meets us in the waters of life.
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
We know we prefer to stand on the shore, gentle God, scared to run barefoot into the waters of faith. We take small sips of the living water of grace you offer but go on binges with the mixed drinks of anger and fear. We have trouble seeing some neighbors, much less strangers, as your beloved and believe our privilege means all are as comfortable as we are.
As we draw near to the waters of baptism, God of grace, have mercy on us. Whenever we forget who we are, send us to serve the vulnerable. Whenever we forget what we are, challenge us to be more gracious and just. Whenever we forget whose we are, wash us again in that forgiveness deeper than our shallow lives, and fill us with new life in Christ. Amen.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Grace
This is our good news, friends. The Spirit descends upon us, the heavens open, and God speaks – not with judgment, punishment, or condemnation, but with joy, grace, hope, love.
We are God’s beloved children – forgiven, claimed, named, baptized. Thanks be to God. Amen!
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
As a river carries life to land, take our gifts and carry them into the world, God of waters. There, may they set people free, open closed eyes and clenched fists, proclaim faith instead of fear, share peace instead of platitudes. This we pray in the name of the Beloved. Amen.
Affirmation
God is the creator of wind
which stirs us to compassion
and the mover of wind
which carries God’s cries for justice
into every corner of creation.
Jesus is the Beloved
who stepped out of Glory
into the water of baptism,
who muddied his feet
walking the dusty road to death,
who was raised to make us new.
The Spirit still comes,
resting upon us like a dove,
transforming our ordinary lives
into gifts of peace and reconciliation,
sending us into a broken world
to bring healing and hope.
God in Community, Holy in One,
you are our faith, our hope,
our life, our love.
This we believe. Amen.
The Sacrament of Communion
Invitation to the Table
You do not need to be worthy
to be fed at this Table,
only hungry.
you do not need to be perfect
to drink from the cup of grace,
only thirsty.
for here at this Table,
heaven opens
the Spirit descends to bless
the bread and the cup
and all who are here,
and Jesus meets us
with open arms,
just as he met us
in the waters of baptism.
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May you be showered with grace.
May the Creator of water be with you.
Come, dare to step into the waters of life.
Like little children, we laugh with joy
as we run into the waters of baptism.
Let us sing songs of wonder at this Table.
May the waters teach us songs of thanksgiving.
You soaked that desert called chaos,
God of wonder and work,
with waters of life and grace
droplets of rain cupped in flowers,
rivers which teemed with fish,
oceans where dolphins whistled
and whales leaped to touch the sky.
Your Spirit moved upon all these waters,
your spoken Word caused mountains to tremble,
your love longed to hold us forever.
Though created in your image,
we chose lives dehydrated from grace,
we thought we could grow planted
deep in the barren soil of temptation.
You continued to send prophets to us,
men and women who showed us the way,
but we continued to stand on the shore
watching living water flow by.
When hope seemed in short supply,
when just seemed all but lost,
you sent your Child to us,
to lead us to the waters of baptism.
So, with the dove and open skies
with dunkers, immersers, and sprinklers,
we sing your praises:
Holy are you, God of living waters.
All creation drinks from your grace
and offers thanksgiving to you.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who stepped
into the waters of the Jordan.
Hosanna in the highest!
Glory could have stayed on the shore
but stepped into the waters muddied
from the dirt of our foolish lives.
Grace could have watched from a distance,
but dove headfirst to pull us out
of the deep end of our mistakes.
Love could have turned around
and headed back home,
but allowed the riptide of fear
to pull it under the surface of hate.
Jesus could have been left
in the arctic like waters of death,
but Love jumped in, breathing
resurrection into his lungs,
as the heavens opened
and all creation rejoiced.
As we remember the life, death, and resurrection,
as we renew those promises of our baptism
we speak of that faith which is such a mystery:
Jesus died, stepping into the cold waters of death.
Jesus was raised, the heavens opening,
a voice whispering, ‘my Beloved.’
Jesus will come, calling us to rest
in the waters of life which never evaporate.
Just like moving over creation’s waters,
may the Spirit move over the Table,
transforming the ordinary into sacred,
calling everyday people God’s beloved.
As we eat of this bread,
may we hear the voices
of the marginalized,
of the forgotten,
of the lonely and grieving.
As we drink from the cup,
may the dove of peace rest on us,
so we will work for justice,
so we will challenge cruelty,
so we will stand up to bullies.
And when all time ends
and the waters of life carry us to you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
we will join with our siblings
singing your praises forever. Amen.
Sending
The heavens have opened
and we have heard God’s voice.
Let us go to speak up for all
whom the world ignores.
We have stood in the waters of baptism
gathered into the welcoming arms of Jesus.
Let us go to embrace everyone who finds
the doors of hope, justice, life
slammed in their faces.
We have felt the touch of the Spirit
resting upon us like a gentle dove.
Let us go to be light in the shadows
cast by the privileged and powerful,
and bring peace to the broken places.
© 2026 Thom M. Shuman
Venmo: @Thom-Shuman
Sunday, January 04, 2026
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