WE GATHER IN GOD’S PRESENCE:

Lighting the Candle (John 12:46,47):

Jesus said: ⁴⁶ I have come as light into the world,

so that everyone who believes in me

should not remain in the darkness. 

⁴⁷ I do not judge anyone who hears my words

and does not keep them,

for I came not to judge the world,

but to save the world. –

Let us be mindful of each other as we engage in worship at home.

Greeting:

The Lord be with you AND ALSO WITH YOU

We Focus on God    PSALM 29

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
    worship the Lord in holy splendour.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
    and strips the forest bare;
    and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.
¹¹ May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!

We Sing: TIS 52 LET US SING TO THE GOD OF SALVATION 4vv

Prayer

Holy and Gracious LORD

we gather as your people at home,

one community of people;

a community who recall that we are a baptized people

within whom you already present yourself

even as we present ourselves to you.

We acclaim repeatedly, Alleluia, Alleluia! Alleluia!

as we offer you our focus and this time,

praising you for your breaking into our world

and our lives in Jesus Christ,

tearing apart all that which creates barriers

between yourself and your beloved creation and people;

especially sin and its feared consequence, death!

You offer instead the Way of your kingdom,

a path which leads through death into life,

the path Jesus trod,

the Way baptism takes us…

therefore we pray as our Lord taught us to pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen

WE LISTEN FOR A WORD FROM GOD

Prayer for Illumination (Mark 4)

GRACIOUS GOD,

AS YOUR WORD IS SOWN AMONGST US,

GRANT IT FINDS THE FERTILE SOIL IN OUR HEARTS

THAT WE MIGHT BEAR MUCH FRUIT

TO THE GLORY OF YOUR KINGDOM… AMEN

Scripture

GENESIS 1.1-5

1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, ² the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. ³ Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

ACTS19.1-7

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. ² He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ ³ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ ⁴ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— ⁷ altogether there were about twelve of them.

In this is the Word of the Lord   WE HEAR AND REJOICE, O LORD

MARK 1.4-11

⁴ John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And 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. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ He 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. ⁸ I have baptized you withwater; 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. ¹⁰ And 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. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

This is the Gospel of our Lord  PRAISE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST

Prayer of Confession[1]

Timeless God,

you cast Light into sin’s dark places

and call us your Beloved.

Forgive us:

    When we still linger in the shadows;

    when we treat others in hurtful ways;

    when we speak ill of your friends.

As he knelt in the waters of Jordan,

you proclaimed Jesus as your Child,

pointing to him as the way to you.

Forgive us:

    When we put ourselves ahead of Him;

    when we think He is no longer needed;

    when we fail to see Him in the broken of our world.   

Baptized and blessed in your living waters,

you would have us be your servants in our time.

Forgive us:

When we fail to welcome the stranger;

When we refuse to forgive as we should;

When we believe we are too good

to kneel down and tie the shoes

of the lost, the least, the last, the little.

Silent Prayers may be offered

Assurance of Pardon

 Touched by the waters of life, fed at the feast of

 grace and hope, embraced in the warmth of God’s

 love and hopes – this is good news for all of us!

Blessed by baptism’s tears,

Called to servanthood by the beloved,

Filled with the peace of the spirit,

We are indeed God’s people – redeemed, restored,

Refreshed to serve.  Thanks be to god!  Amen.

Passing the Peace.. as we raise our hands in blessing to those unseen…
The peace of the Risen Lord be with you all  AND ALSO WITH YOU.

We Sing:  TIS #305, LET EARTH AND HEAVEN COMBINE

Contemporary Word

BAPTISM OF JESUS

The texts of the early church’s stories concerning baptism

are relatively straightforward.

These of course are mainly found in the book of Acts…

The main process followed this sequence:

People heard the Good News of reconciliation offered by God

through Jesus Christ,

who is now to be acknowledged as Saviour and Lord…

responded with a resounding ‘yes!’ to that invitation

and were baptised on the spot,

as Jesus instructed, in the name of the Father,

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19)

and blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit…

It was this graced gift of God’s self

which distinguished Jesus’ baptism from that of John…

as John himself testified, as reported by Mark:

⁸ I have baptized you withwater;

but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

and repeated in different situations to clarify the true mission Of Jesus,

reconciliation with God, and God’s self-giving to us as Holy Spirit.

Recall the Acts reading:

² He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ ³ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ 

Paul provided the solution, saying:

 ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 

We are informed that:

⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul had laid his hands on them,

the Holy Spirit came upon them…

Any variations to this confession of Jesus as Saviour and Lord,

followed by baptism only served to emphasise

what was the accepted route to baptism…

which was never understood as the end of a process,

a goal in itself to be achieved…

instead, baptism signifies the beginning of a new life

to be spent serving the Lord…

This expanded significance was evidently explained later,

after their baptism…

and we have samples of this in the writings of Paul and Peter…

Do you not know that all of us

Who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,  

So that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,

We too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)     And: 

For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

As many of you as were baptised into Christ

have clothed yourselves with Christ…

all of you are one in Christ Jesus.   (Galatians 3:26-28)

and the Apostle Peter:

and baptism now saves you, not as removal of dirt from the body,

but as an appeal to God for a good conscience,

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God,

with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.                                              (1 Peter 3:21, 22)                                   

The Uniting Church states its understanding of the sacrament of baptism as follows:[2]

The Uniting Church acknowledges

that Christ has commanded his Church to proclaim the Gospel

both in words and in the two visible acts

of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Christ himself acts in and through everything that the Church does

in obedience to his commandment:

it is Christ who by the gift of the Spirit confers the forgiveness,

the fellowship, the new life and the freedom

which the proclamation and actions promise;

and it is Christ who awakens, purifies and advances in people

the faith and hope in which alone such benefits can be accepted.

The Uniting Church acknowledges

that Christ incorporates people into his body by Baptism.

In this way Christ enables them to participate in his own baptism,

which was accomplished once on behalf of all in his death and burial,

and which was made available to all when, risen and ascended,

he poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Baptism into Christ’s body initiates people

into Christ’s life and mission in the world,

so that they are united

in one fellowship of love, service, suffering and joy,

in one family of the Father of all in heaven and earth,

and in the power of the one Spirit.

The Uniting Church will baptize those who confess the Christian faith,

and children who are presented for baptism

and for whose instruction and nourishment in the faith

the Church takes responsibility.

Note the focus on ‘baptism into Christ’, or into ‘Christ’s body’ …

designated as the ‘Holy Catholic

(as in universal, not merely Roman), Church

we do not baptise into the Uniting Church!

The Certificate of Baptism lists the participating churches

who recognise the Baptism of the person named on the certificate

as a Christian Baptism…

Membership of the Uniting Church

is open to all who are baptized into the Holy Catholic Church

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.[3]

The Baptism of Jesus is mentioned in each of the four Gospels,

and Acts and Romans…

Compared with the fact

that only 2 gospels mention Jesus birth at all;

Furthermore,

we know very little of Jesus’ childhood;

if we depended on Mark’s gospel only

for our information about Jesus prior to his baptism,

we would know nothing at all.

Where he was in the years since he was born in Bethlehem,

we only know he spent some time in Egypt (Luke). 

Other than his dedication in the temple, (again Luke)

just after his birth, we have only one story

and it’s not in Mark’s account.

The gospels don’t seem interested in those years. 

If all we had was Mark’s account, the shortest of the four,

you could think that God, on the day of Jesus’ baptism, 

had “adopted” a child!

(Which of course might well be an important reason

Matthew and Luke added the birth narratives,

And John speaks of

the Word being in the beginning,

and has Jesus repeat

‘he who has seen me, has seen the Father’… )

The December 2018 issue of National Geographic

devoted its key article to the question:

“The Real Jesus:

what archaeology reveals about his life.

The author Kristin Romey, states:

I marvel at the many archaeological discoveries made in Jerusalem

and elsewhere over the years that lend credibility

to the scriptures and traditions surrounding the death of Jesus…

but she acknowledges the sparsity of detail

concerning Jesus’ early decades.

For Mark, Jesus just appears out of the wilderness

and asks to be baptized. 

Mark tells us no “back-story” at all; no pre-quell!  

Since the gospels were written by and for

the early church,

it seems that his baptism was more important than his actual birth!

The call to repentance

was an important factor in this passage.

When we think of repentance

we normally think of remorse;

of “feeling badly” about something we have done. 

At this time of year we think of new year’s resolutions –

a change in behaviour!

However, repentance has more to do

with change of behaviour than merely feeling badly. 

Repentance is not just about feeling badly,

it is about resolving to go in a new direction. 

While the church has long believed

that Jesus had no sin

of which he needed forgiveness,

perhaps this baptism is a turning point in his life,

in which he identifies with the rest of humanity

and turns from 30 years of obscurity

to a life of very public preaching,

teaching and showing people

a very close-up and personal view of God.

A key component of this story is the phrase,

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit…

It fascinates me that the focus of church

has been on the water,

and the mode of baptism… ignoring Holy Spirit…

Since baptism is so important in the Christian church we need to pause,

close to the beginning of the church year

and take a serious look at the role of baptism

in the Christian community.

    The one essential to full membership

in the Church,

including the Uniting Church, is baptism –

young or older if you are seeking

to become a member you must be baptized.

      In our church we usually baptize infants,

who are brought by parents who are practising Christians

as a way of proclaiming their faith

and committing to the way of Jesus

as they raise their children.

In the Baptist and e.g.  Churches of Christ churches most people are baptized by immersion as adults, or teenagers following a profession of faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour.

      In the Orthodox churches infants are baptized by immersion.

On YouTube one can see several different methods of infant baptism by immersion –

it was quite interesting to see how it’s done.

In one the baby was totally naked;

in another a number of babies were baptized by a number of priests

in a very large font

and all the babies had nappies on.  

I moved from baptising by immersion

upon a confession of faith,

To accepting the baptism of infants …

because…

baptizing infants is a powerful way

to show the grace of God. 

  It is not the only way but consider…

before an infant can say anything, 

   promise anything,

do anything to deserve it,

God comes to her or him

    in the waters of baptism

and makes the child a disciple of Jesus, 

     a member of the church,

and promises her/him abundant life.

Nevertheless, regardless of the mode,

baptism points to the truth that we receive 

           the gift of the Holy Spirit,

that is, God’s gift of God’s self…

and that God claims and names us. 

We receive a new identity as children of God and disciples of Christ. 

 We are marked with the sign of the cross, 

            and even though life continues right along,

we are forever changed. 

  Living into that change,

well — that takes a lifetime 

    and is a process rather than a destination.

Because of baptism we are Christian…

Some preachers argue…

I think a more accurate reflection would be

Because Christ baptises with the Holy Spirit,

we are Christian..

Never does your status before God

depend on how you feel, 

  having a certain experience,

being free of doubt,

what you accomplish, 

   your success and position in life. 

    We are Christian because God surprised us

in baptism… some argue, in Christ’s baptism…

     Coming in water God washed us

and grafted us into Christ. 

      Our identity for all of our days is set! 

       We are children of God, a servant people,

the communion of saints. 

A people who believe

that when the heavens open

in the beginning of Mark, 

     God is doing something new, 

      by splitting the heavens,

God is going back to Genesis, to creation 

       when the earth was separated

into day and night, form and void, 

 and laying claim to Jesus within that new thing.

When the heavens were torn asunder,

it points to the curtain being torn asunder

from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus death! (Mark 15:38)

And by virtue of our dying and rising in baptism

          we too experience a new thing,

the creation of our baptismal identity

     as a beloved child of God

called to walk wet in this world.

Wow! All of that happened to us in our baptism.

Our Bible begins in a world of water. 

The first chapter of Genesis refers to the water

that was there at the beginning;

it is not mentioned as being created;

water was just there. 

While the creation stories of Genesis are not intended to function as

“eye witness” accounts,

Genesis acknowledges from the very beginning

the necessity of water, for all of life.

     Human life begins surrounded by water. 

Each one of us, before we were born,

lived in a world of water,

amniotic fluid to be exact, but often called “water” –

I read that the fluid begins to form early

in pregnancy.

The proper amount is essential

to the health of the unborn baby

and obstetricians monitor that

as one of the aspects of good pre-natal care.

Yet, like all mammals,

once we are born and begin to breathe,

we cannot survive under water!

We need to breathe… take in breath as air

and divine breath, Spirit…

which after all, is the same word as ‘breath’…

Mark not only points us back to creation

Important obviously…

But looks forward to the new creation…

Gift of Spirit, torn heavens,

torn curtain… the same image,

the sacred Holy of Holies

is now part of the ordinary…

the ordinary is now part of the most sacred…

God is Immanuel, God with us!

the descended Spirit on Christ

becomes the descended Spirit on humanity

any barrier between the Holy One and humanity

is split asunder, shredded, rent apart…

In Christ’s Baptism,

To which our baptism points

And through which we join with Christ in his death

To gain resurrection…

God the Father was well pleased to give us 

 the full benefits of His Son Jesus Christ,

the forgiveness of sins,

setting us on a new path…

  the gift of the Holy Spirit,

and new life now and

   in the Resurrection from the dead. 

In Baptism, 

God has spoken a Word of promise to us

to receive strength and comfort,

or to receive a heart of gratitude and praise…

     that we can trust throughout our life,

even in the midst of:

      sorrows, sufferings, losses, weaknesses, guilt, and death. 

      Though all the world be against you and me,

though our situation seem hopeless,

        though betrayed, abandoned, mocked, assailed, and persecuted,

         though depressed and thinking terribly of yourself..

always remember God’s true Word spoken at your baptism, 

I am well pleased with you, 

Though incredibly successful,

Every goal attained, every dream fulfilled,

Assets galore,

surrounded by supportive family and friends…

in any situation at all,

in Baptism God speaks a Word of promise to us

to receive strength and comfort,

or to receive a heart of gratitude and praise…

          always remember God’s true Word spoken at your baptism,       

I am well pleased with you, 

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

We Sing: #281 “WHEN GOD ALMIGHTY CAME TO BE ONE OF US”

We Bring Our offering to God

setting aside our gifts to support the local and wider work of the church

and bless our gifts in an act of praise…

We Share Our Community Life 

Prayers of the People[4]

Glorious God, at Jesus’ baptism, your sustaining Spirit brooded over him, providing sustenance and strength.

So brood over us today as we offer our prayers for the church and world saying, Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for your church:

may your word spark our lives with truth and joy

as we serve one another to the glory of your name.

Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for all leaders and people around the globe:

may your justice provoke us to shape a peaceful world

where all work for the common good.

Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for the well-being of your creation:

may your goodness startle us to the horror of our exploitation and abuse. Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for all who suffer grief or sickness of any kind:

may your tender presence abide with us and hasten our healing. Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for all who lack the essentials of life:

may your righteousness raise us up to walk together

with respect and dignity for all.

Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

We pray for those who have died,

that your steadfast love may shelter them

in the peace of your eternal light.

Sustaining Spirit, stir us with your power.

O God, you have made us, formed us, and called us by name,

and you have redeemed us in Christ.

Receive our prayers this day,

for your life-giving Spirit is powerful to save.

Lord hear us LORD HEAR OUR PRAYER

AMEN

WE GO OUT TO SERVE GOD

We Sing: TIS 598 Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Sending Out  

Go as a baptised people

witnessing to the tearing apart

of all that people imagine

stands between God and themselves;

offering instead the promise of God

to all who identify with Jesus,

you are my beloved child

with whom I am well pleased!

Blessing[5]

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who stood with sinners on the river bank,

uphold you. AMEN.

May the love of God,

who calls us beloved children,

bless you. AMEN.

May the power of the Holy Spirit,

who descended upon Jesus as a dove,

give you peace. AMEN

---

[1] Tom Schuman accessed via https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/?p=1261 01/01/2020

[2] BASIS OF UNION 1992 EDITION, ARTICLES 6 & 7

[3] op. cit. ARTICLE 12

[4] Bracken Long, Kimberly (EDITOR)  2012 FEASTING ON THE WORD, Worship Companion pp46,7  Westminster John Knox: Louisville

[5] Bracken Long, Kimberly (EDITOR)  2012 FEASTING ON THE WORD, Worship Companion p.48  Westminster John Knox: Louisville