Prayers – The Baptism of the Lord Online January 9, 2022, 10:00 a.m.

 
Prayers – The Baptism of the Lord
St. Paul’s Parish, Charlottetown, PEI – Online
January 9, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
 
Welcome
 
The Gathering of the Community
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
And also with you.
 
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Your light springs up for the righteous
and all the peoples have seen your glory.
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, king of the nations,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
your name is proclaimed in all the world.
As the Sun of Righteousness dawns in our hearts
anoint our lips with the seal of your Spirit
that we may witness to your gospel
and sing your praise in all the earth.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.
 
Hymn 162: Sing of God Made Manifest

1	Sing of God made manifest in a child robust and blest, to whose home in Bethlehem where a star had guided them, magi came and gifts unbound, signs mysterious and profound: myrrh and frankincense and gold grave and God and King foretold.	3	Sing of God made manifest when Christ came as wedding guest and at Cana gave a sign, turning water into wine; further still was love revealed as he taught, forgave, and healed, bringing light and life to all who would listen to God's call.
2	Sing of God made manifest when at Jordan John confessed, "I should be baptized by you, but your bidding I will do." Then from heaven a double sign-- dove-like Spirit, voice divine-- hailed the true Anointed One: "This is my beloved Son."	4	Sing of God made manifest on the cloud-capped mountain's crest, where both voice and vision waned until Christ alone remained: glimpse of glory, pledge of grace, given as Jesus set his face towards the waiting cross and grave, sign of hope that God would save.

 
Canticle: Isaiah 43:1-7
¹ But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
³ For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
⁴ Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
⁵ Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you;
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
First Reading: Acts 8:14-17
A Reading From The Book Of Acts
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
 
Gospel Reading: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
 
Sermon
 
Hymn 645: Come Down, O Love Divine

1	Come down, O love divine, seek thou this soul of mine, and visit it with thine own ardour glowing; O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear, and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.	3	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.
2	O let it freely burn, till earthly passions turn to 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.	4	And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long, shall far outpass the power of human telling; for none can guess its grace, till they become the place wherein the Holy Spirit finds a dwelling.

 
The Prayers of the Community
Dear friends in Christ, our baptismal covenant calls us to compassion and mercy on behalf of those in need. We offer our prayers for the church and the world, saying, hear our prayer.
 
As the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you”; empower your Church, O God, to proclaim the Good News of love and acceptance shown by your son Jesus, for we were created for your glory, and formed and made in your image. May your presence be known, even in the midst of this pandemic. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
As a star rose high into the nighttime sky to draw the nations to the Christ-child; send your blessing, O God, on this nation, and every nation, and draw the whole world to your peace and truth. May we who are baptized open our hearts to your presence in surprising places and may we work together to end poverty and all the subsequent ills it creates in our world. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
As John the Baptist guided people to the edge of the wilderness and baptized Jesus in the River Jordan, we pray that you would guide our country and our leaders to the ways of justice and righteousness, that we may continue to work for truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people and work to end racial discrimination. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
As the Magi traveled from afar to bring gifts and celebrate the Savior’s birth; may we offer the gifts of pray for this community; for an end to the pandemic, that you will free us from this dangerous virus, strengthen those who labor for our health, and give us grace to strive for the common good. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
As Jesus climbed the mountaintop, and proclaimed blessings on the people of the world; we pray for those who are sick. We especially pray for those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital:
- …
And others we may name out loud or in our hearts…
-
God of love,
Hear our prayer.
 
We pray for those who have died, remembering especially…
-
that they may rejoice in the light of your incarnate Word. God of love.
Hear our prayer.
 
Lord God, you revealed your Son in the waters of the Jordan and anointed him with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim good news to all people. Sanctify us by the same Spirit, that we may proclaim the healing power of the gospel by acts of love in your name. Amen.
 
Confession and Absolution
Christ the light of the world has come
to dispel the darkness of our hearts.
Let us turn to the light and confess our sins.
 
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.
 
Almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
 
Announcements
 
Hymn 656: She Comes Sailing on the Wind (verses 1-4)

Refrain
	She comes sailing on the wind, her wings flashing in the sun, on a journey just begun, she flies on, and in the passage of her flight, her song rings out through the night, full of laughter, full of light, she flies on.
1	Silent waters rocking      on the morning of our birth, like an empty cradle waiting to be filled, and from the heart of God the Spirit moved upon the earth, like a mother breathing life into her child.	3	To a gentle girl in Galilee     a gentle breeze she came, a whisper softly calling in the dark, the promise of a child of peace whose reign would never end, Mary sang the Spirit song within her heart.
2	Many were the dreamers      whose eyes were given sight when the Spirit filled their dreams      with life and form, Deserts turned to gardens, broken hearts found new delight, and then down the ages still she flew on.      Refrain	4	Flying to the river, she waited circling high above the child now grown so full of grace. As he rose up from the water, she swept down from the sky, and she carried him away in her embrace.          Refrain

 
Collect
Let us pray,
Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit, keep your children, born of water and the Spirit, faithful to their calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Psalm 29
Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
 
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice, the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour.
The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
 
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
 
The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare. And in the temple of the Lord all are crying, "Glory!"
The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
 
The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore. The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as 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 for ever. Amen.
 
Announcements
 
Hymn 658: Filled With the Spirit’s Power

1	Filled with the Spirit's power,      with one accord the infant church confessed its risen Lord. O Holy Spirit, in the church today no less your power of fellowship display.	3	Widen our love, good Spirit, to embrace in your strong care people of every race. Like wind and fire with life among us move, till we are known as Christ's,      and Christians prove
2	Now with the mind of Christ set us on fire that unity may be our great desire. Give joy and peace;      give faith to hear your call, and readiness in each to work for all.

 
Blessing
May God, who in Christ gives us a spring of water welling up to eternal life, perfect in you the image of his glory; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
The Scattering
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.