Dear Friends,
We welcome back the Rev. Linda Faith Chalk to lead us in worship this Sunday.
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s celebration. We are looking forward to worshiping together again!
This Sunday, January 8th we commemorate the Baptism of our Lord in the Jordan river by John the Baptist. The heavens open, and the Spirit of God descends like a dove and rests upon Jesus, and a voice from heaven openly declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”, a fulfillment of Psalm 2: 7. On this day, we not only recognize and celebrate the Lord’s baptism, but also our own. We celebrate God’s special and saving grace in our being baptized and sealed into Christ.
As believers, we have been called, forgiven and adopted into the family of God, His body, His church, His covenant community. In this, we all share one faith, one baptism, and one God, the Father of all (Ephesians 4: 4-6).
Order of Service
Prelude
Call to Worship
Hymn 115: “Hail to the Lord’s anointed”
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Declaration of Grace and the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive reading: Psalm 29
Gloria Patri
Isaiah 42: 1-9
Acts 10: 34-43
Hymn 400: “Spirit of the living God”
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 3: 13-17
Children’s Time
Sermon: “The Power of the Spoken Word”
Confession of Faith – The Apostles’ Creed
Hymn: “Hymn for the baptism of our Lord”
Offering and Offertory
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Hymn 350: “To God be the glory”
Benediction
Go now in peace
Postlude