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Sunday10th January 2021 WORSHIP AT HOME: Mark 1.4-11 The Baptism of JesusWelcome to our act of Worship A Prayer of ApproachCome, let us honour the powerful glory of our Creator God.Let us worship God’s majesty in the splendour of holiness.Amen.Call to worship Lord, your glory and strength are all around us.Glory to the Lord.Lord, we come to worship you.Glory to the Lord.Your voice brought forth creation's splendour.Glory to the Lord.You speak to us in word and song, through the lives of your people.Glory to the Lord.Your voice brings challenge and rebuke.Glory to the Lord.You, Lord, give us strength in times of need.Glory to the Lord.You, Lord, give us peace.Glory to the Lord.HYMN T Down AmpneyCome down, O love divine, seek thou this soul of mine,and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear,and kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turnto dust and ashes in its heat consuming;And let thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,and lowliness become mine inner clothing;True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,shall far out pass the power of human telling;For none can guess its grace, till they become the placewhere-in the Holy Spirit finds a dwelling.HP281, MP89, RS294, STF372(Some of the hymn books widely used in the Wiltshire United Area)Prayers of Praise Creator God,Lord of heaven and earth,when we look about us at what you have made,what can we do but adore you?O God, we praise you for the darkness and the light,the restorative night and the brilliant day.We praise you for the seas and land,for all plants and creatures, and every living thing.We praise you for our fellow-human beings.Every one made in the image of you.When we look about us at what you have made,what can we do but adore you?O God, we praise you for your glory and power,strength to tear apart the heavens.We praise you for your creative gentleness,brooding over the waters, descending like a dove.We praise you for sharing our earthly existence,being born and baptised as a human like us.When we look about us at what you have made,what can we do but adore you?O God, we praise you for the gift of time,the spirals of learning, the rhythms of seasons.We praise you for your everlasting greatnessoutside and beyond time, infinite, forever.We praise you for redeeming our pain and bearing our sorrows,once, for all time, and throughout eternity.When we look about us at what you have made,what can we do but adore you?What can we do but adore you, Lord?Let us praise you now, and for ever and ever.Amen.Prayer of ConfessionGracious God, we come before you,realising that we are not perfect.We are sorry for the times when we fail to take care of your creation,when we use it for our own needs and not for all people.Lord, forgive us.We are sorry for the times when we have hung on to the past,trying to remain there rather than be led by you into new ways and a new relationship with you and our neighbours.Lord, forgive us.We are sorry for the times when we have turned our back on your ways of love and care,and have hurt those we love.Lord, forgive us.O God, when Jesus was baptized, you spoke of your love for him. You showed your love for us through Jesus’ death and resurrection. By the power of the cross, the darkness of our wrongdoing is banished by the light of your loving forgiveness.?Gracious God, may we know your forgiveness and your new life flowing through our whole lives.Thanks be to God. Amen.HYMN T DominicaBreathe on me, Breath of God,Fill me with life anew,That I may love what Thou dost love,And do what Thou wouldst do.Breathe on me, Breath of God,Until my heart is pure,Until with Thee I will one will,To do and to endure.Breathe on me, Breath of God,Till I am wholly Thine,Until this earthly part of meGlows with Thy fire divine.Breathe on me, Breath of God,So shall I never die,But live with Thee the perfect lifeOf Thine eternity.HP280, MP67, RS295, STF370Ministry of the Word of GodLectionary Bible readings for RCL Baptism of the Lord Year BGenesis 1.1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19.1-7;?Mark 1.4-114John the baptizer appeared?in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.?5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.?6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.?7He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.?8I have baptized you with?water; but he will baptize you with?the Holy Spirit.’9?In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.?10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.?11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved;?with you I am well pleased.’This is the Gospel of Christ. Praise to Christ our Lord. ReflectionEach week I have a night out(!) at Westbury Swimming Pool. Each week one question to the staff, “Is it warm?” The response is always positive though my body exclaims the precise opposite! A few lengths up and down and not only am I warm but also extremely breathless.There is a real sensation of breathlessness in Mark’s Gospel, straight away we are immersed into the ministry of John the Baptist, within a few lengths come across an adult Jesus being baptised at the Jordan. The whole passage actually centres on new beginnings. Mark describes the ways in which this new life is made real. People are offered the opportunity for a fresh start. The Greek word usually translated ‘repentance’ (v.4) carries the sense of ‘a change of mind’ or ‘a change of heart’. It relates far more to the promise of a new future than to mulling over the sins of the past. But this is only stage one of the new life into which God invites us.Towards the close of his earthly ministry, Jesus himself makes clear that baptism leads to a new way of life. When the brothers James and John ask to be seated next to Jesus in the life to come, Jesus points out that “the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized” (Mark 10:39). To be baptized in Jesus is to follow him. Following what Jesus said in Mark 10, in baptism we die, as Jesus did, but we are also raised to new life, as Jesus was (Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12, Titus 3:5). This great promise has sustained Christians throughout the centuries. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer was led to his death, he said to one of the prison guards, “For some this is the end, but for me it is the beginning.”?The baptism of Jesus is a moment of new beginning. Though there is nothing for Jesus to repent of (see Matthew 3.14), this is a new stage in his life too, as he moves away from the hidden years in Nazareth and begins his active ministry. At his baptism, God does something amazing. People of Jesus’ time tended to imagine a rigid, unbreakable barrier dividing earth and heaven, one that made it impossible for humanity to reach God. Now this barrier is torn apart (v.10) and God’s Spirit comes powering through, like a descending dove. The world is indeed changed and those who experience Jesus’ baptism in the Spirit will begin to discover what that means personally.We often speak of baptism as a “means of grace,” that is, one of the ways that God’s grace comes to us. Physically it might be nothing more than a small splash of water, but in whatever way baptism is initiated it marks the beginning of a whole new life. Part of that new life is the promise that we are not on our own. Let us not forget that the Holy Spirit which tore apart the heavens is with us (v10). So as we journey into the new beginning of 2021 which holds both opportunity and challenge may we be warmed by the belief that we are not on our own, even when we feel we are out of our depth, or the torrents of life trying to sweep us away! Prayer of Response: Lord, help us to be open to your promptingas we seek to discover what you would have us be and do.Remind as again and again that you have promised to be ourguide and companion on our journey.Help us to look forward with renewed commitment,and bless our thinking and speaking and doing.In your name.Amen.HYMN The Spirit lives to set us free,Walk, walk in the light.He binds us all in unity,Walk, walk in the light.Walk in the light,Walk in the light,Walk in the light,Walk in the light of the Lord.Jesus promised life to all,Walk, walk in the light.The dead were wakened by his call,Walk, walk in the light.He died in pain on Calvary,Walk, walk in the light.To save the lost like you and me,Walk, walk in the light.We know his death was not the end,Walk, walk in the light.He gave his Spirit to be our friend,Walk, walk in the light.The Spirit lives in you and me,Walk, walk in the light;His light will shine for all to see,Walk, walk in the light.HP, MP664, RS, STF397Our PrayersEternal God, it feels as if the whole world has changedand yet in you there is stability and the opportunity of a new beginning.So, we pray now for those whose lives are in turmoil,those whose lives have been turned upside down, those who feel lost.May they feel supported, find fresh hope,and use our prayers in Jesus’ name to strengthen them.We pray for those for whom the lockdown has come as a relief,for those who now feel safer,but we pray too for those who now feel desperate,alone and worried about their jobs, their finances, their mental health.May they feel supported, find fresh hope:Lord, use our prayers in Jesus’ name to strengthen them.We pray for children and young adults as their schooling is disrupted,we pray for those who enjoy learning from home,but pray too for those who will lose confidence,who miss their friends, who feel vulnerable.We remember their parentsand the parents of children with special needs,struggling to cope on their own.We pray for teachers, administrative staff,and all those who feel overwhelmed.May they feel supported, find fresh hope:Lord, use our prayers in Jesus’ name to strengthen them.We pray for the people of a divided Americaat this time of political and racial tension and transition,for outgoing President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden.We pray too for countries around the worldstruggling with ethnic violence and militancy.We remember the people of West Africaand in particular the people of Niger, villagers who live in fear,those who have been wounded in recent attacksand those who have been bereaved.May they feel supported, find fresh hope:Lord, use our prayers in Jesus’ name to strengthen them.We pray for those who have been injuredor lost their homes and loved ones in the severe weather,remembering particularly the people of Norway affected by landslides,and those in Australia battered by cyclones.We pray for those who work in the emergency services,those whose work is dangerous and traumatic.We pray for those in refugees campswith little protection from the weather,those who sleep rough,those who can't afford to heat their homes.May they feel supported, find fresh hope:Lord, use our prayers in Jesus’ name to strengthen them.We pray for one another, our families,our communities, our church fellowships.May we support those who are unwell or grieving.May we bring fresh hope to those who feel forgotten and are vulnerable,and may we – both practically and prayerfully – share our faithin your Son Jesus in whose name we entrust these prayers to you.Amen.The Lord’s PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come;thy will be done;on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation;but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom,the power and the glory,for ever and ever. Amen.HYMNT Cwm RhonddaGuide me, O Thou great JehovahPilgrim through this barren land;I am weak, but Thou art mighty,Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,Feed me till I want no more;Feed me till I want no more.Open now the crystal fountain,Whence the healing stream doth flow;Let the fire and cloudy pillarLead me all my journey through.Strong Deliv’rer, strong Deliv’rer,Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.When I tread the verge of Jordan,Bid my anxious fears subside;Death of death and hell’s Destruction,Land me safe on Canaan’s side.Songs of praises, songs of praises,I will ever give to Thee;I will ever give to Thee.HP437, MP201, RS345, STF465Blessing May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen. ................
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