January 11, 2026
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
WELCOME
PRAYER
Jesus, Beloved Son of God,
all that you ask of us, you first did yourself.
Help us to follow the way you first traveled:
to serve others and to let ourselves be served;
to love stranger and neighbor, enemy and friend.
When we struggle, remind us of our baptism,
the waters that slake the soul’s deepest thirst,
and unite our hearts as one,
so that we can carry out your work. Amen.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
In the waters of baptism,
God marks us as kindred in His name.
In the waters of baptism,
the heavens open up, and the Spirit pours out love.
In the waters of baptism,
God names us Beloved.
In the waters of baptism,
God claims us as His own.
*HYMN No. 10 “Sing Glory to the Name of God”
1 Sing glory to the name of God,
whose holy splendor shines abroad.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Enthroned above the crashing waves,
the God of grace and glory saves.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The name of God is full of might:
resounding thunder, flashing light.
Alleluia, alleluia!
The wilderness cannot contain
the echoes of the great refrain:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 The name of God is wild and free,
awhirl in holy mystery.
Alleluia, alleluia!
A secret wrapped in smoke and fire,
still chanted by the temple choir:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 May God forever be our peace;
may hymns of glory never cease:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let all the faithful people come;
sing praise to God, the Three-in-One:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL VOWS
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Lord and life-giving Spirit, who charged the waters with life when first the world began:
Make us dead to sin, but alive to you.
Saving Lord, who sheltered us with Noah in the ark upon the flood:
Drown our sin and raise us to new life.
Giver of freedom, who led your people out of slavery through the waters that did not overwhelm:
Drown our sin and raise us to new life.
O God, our provider, who gives thirsty people water from a rock:
Make us dead to sin, but alive to you.
Holy Lord, who gives water to purify what is unclean:
Drown our sin and raise us to new life.
Brooding Spirit, who anointed Jesus with your power of life no death could conquer:
Make us dead to sin, but alive to you.
Risen Lord Jesus Christ, who poured yourself out as a drink offering on our behalf, filling us with your Spirit:
Make us dead to sin, but alive to you. Spirit of the Living God, who charges the waters of baptism with resurrection power so we might live as part of God’s New Creation:
Drown our sin and raise us to new life. Drench us once more in your life-giving Spirit, Almighty God, that we might be cleansed, sustained, and anointed with your power as we proclaim with boldness and live with joy the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be all honor and dominion and glory now and forevermore. Amen.
Through our baptism into Christ, we were redeemed from our slavery to the powers of sin and made citizens of God’s Commonwealth. Let us remember what God has done and is doing by renewing our baptismal vows, renouncing sin and professing faith in Christ Jesus.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that separate you from the love of God?
Accepting the Father’s love, I renounce all that makes me less than a child of God.
Do you renounce all powers in the world that defy God’s Way of Life for all?
In the name of Christ Jesus, I renounce them.
Will you resist the forces of sin that hold the world in captivity?
With the power of the Holy Spirit, I will resist them.
Trusting the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from evil to seek good?
By the grace of God, I do.
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world?
I believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.
Will you follow the Spirit of the living Lord and live in accord with God’s Way?
By God’s grace, I will walk in the Spirit Way.
Let us pray: Spirit of the Living God, hover once more over us as you did at creation, energizing us with your life, that as we remember our baptism in Christ, we may be an open conduit of your Holy Spirit flooding all of creation with blessings of your abundant, redeemed life. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus, the living water, to your glory we pray. Amen.
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Rev. 22:17)
People come forward to engage the water in the font as they will in prayer.
If there are stones in the water, they may take a memorial stone to remember their baptism, then step forward to be signed with the sign of the cross traced with water from the font on their foreheads.
“Remember your baptism and let God’s river of mercy flow through you in service to the world.”
Walking Music
After all, have been signed and blessed:
*PASSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Since we are reconciled to God in Christ through our Baptism, let us share the sign of peace with one another:
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Worshippers are invited to briefly “pass the peace” of Christ to those directly seated around them thus keeping our worship time “decent and in order” with a focus upon being part of God’s community.
ANTHEM
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
O God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that the words we are
about to hear will become the Word of God for us this day. Help us to
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 3:13-17
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Marked by My Love”
13-14 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”
15 But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.
16-17 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”
Last week I met a friend for lunch and an acquaintance stopped by our table to say hello. I recognized her immediately, asked about her mother who has been ill, and we conversed for a couple of minutes. I imagine she was expecting me to introduce her, but I did not. Why? Because I could not remember her name to save my life! I knew who she was, I remembered where she worked, and I recalled everything I knew about her – except her name. Surely that has never happened to you!
We cannot make it through life without an occasional uneasy moment, and this morning’s passage describes one for – of all people – John the Baptist. He had built a reputation as a man in control of every situation. The son of a priest, John was a fiery preacher who called on people to turn their lives in a new direction and be baptized, and the people in the nearby villages were trudging out to the Jordan River to have John cleanse them of their sins. He was baptizing one after another, and the line of people seemed endless. He dunked one under, brought him up, and then moved to the next. About the time he had a nice rhythm going, taking hold of one after another, he suddenly froze. Standing face-to-face with him was Jesus, his cousin.
It created a very awkward moment for John and he blurted out, “I need to be baptized by you.” Yet, Jesus urged John to proceed. Despite the ticklish situation, John did baptize Jesus. When Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened, he saw God’s Spirit descend on him, and he heard a voice say, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Not only was this an uncomfortable moment for John the Baptist, but it was embarrassing for the early church. If John the Baptist was performing a Jewish ritual that focused on cleansing one of sin, then why would Jesus need to be baptized?
We sense the unease in the early church when we compare the different gospels. According to Mark, the earliest gospel, John the Baptist appears to have no compunction about baptizing Jesus. Jesus makes the request; John complies and that is that. However, when we turn to the Gospel of Matthew, written a decade or two later than Mark, the hesitation of John the Baptist shows up in the story.
Then, if we turn to the Gospel of John, written 10 to 20 years later than Matthew, the gospel writer is so uncomfortable with the notion that Jesus would be baptized, that he glosses over the event and never states that Jesus was actually in the water. The gospel shifts the focus to God’s Spirit descending on him. And therein lies the key to our understanding of baptism. In the baptism of Jesus, the gospel writers did not discern God talking about sin, but rather love. “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” God is not the Austere Judge eager to send sinners to hell, but the Cosmic Lover who seeks to love the hell out of us. Baptism is a ritual of the church in which we declare that each of us is a son or daughter of God and there is nothing that can sever God’s love for us.
Henry Nouwen says that there is a voice deep within all of us that says, “You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter. I love you with an everlasting love…You belong to Me and I belong to you. Trust that you are the beloved. That is who you truly are.”
Do you honestly believe that about yourself?
All of us have voices rattling deep within us. The voices originate from our parents, former teachers, siblings, our culture and more. Some have a dark voice inside that asks, “Can’t you ever do anything right?” Some have a dismissive voice that says, “You’re not smart enough.” Some have a cruel voice that says, “You’ll never be a success.” “You’re not attractive.”
Today Shannon Kershner is a Presbyterian minister, but she remembers when she was fifteen and during adolescent turmoil. Her face was breaking out, her emotions were all over the place, and the mean kids at school were doing their best to destroy her self-image. Amid that soul-crushing struggle, her parents challenged her. She had been baptized as a baby, and now it was time to remember what it meant. Her mother said, ‘Every time you wash your face at night and rinse it with the water, I want you to say ‘I am God’s beloved. I am baptized.’ Do it three times every night before you go to sleep.’ So, she did. ‘I am God’s beloved. I am baptized.’ ‘I am God’s beloved. I am baptized.’”1 Everyone please repeat after me: “I am God’s beloved. I am baptized.”
At first, Shannon felt awkward, maybe even silly, repeating this mantra. It probably took more than a couple of weeks before it became a nighttime habit. But eventually, it became less awkward.
She says “the extra rinsing did not clear up her skin or ensure that her emotions were always stable. It did not prevent the voices of the mean ones from slipping into her mind occasionally. However, because of that tangible act of reaffirmation and remembrance, she had one beautiful moment at the end of each day when she remembered who she really is. She is God’s beloved. Hearing that voice of divine blessing each day gave her the courage to keep going and the trust that life would not always feel so difficult. And it changed her.”
What would happen to you if you reminded yourself each evening that you are God’s beloved? Would it rinse away some of the other voices that tell you otherwise?
Further, how would it alter the way you view others and the way you treat others? Baptism not only declares who we are; it is also a commission of whom God calls us to become.
When Jesus stepped out of the cool waters of the Jordan River, he stepped onto new ground. God anointed him, adopted him, and commissioned him. Commissioned him for what? Did Jesus fully grasp God’s plan for him? Doubtful. Jesus made a commitment at that moment to follow God, but I doubt he could envision precisely where the path would take him.
In the days ahead, the path God had in mind for Jesus would begin to emerge, but not so much the precise details as the broad outline; not so much the destination as the direction.
Would he be able to trust God’s guidance?
Would he possess the conviction to tackle the daily challenges?
The same is true for us. When we are baptized, God declares, “You are my beloved child.” But that’s not the extent of it. Our baptism is also a calling to a new way of living. We are to pattern our life after the life of Jesus – a life intent on loving others.
Are you open to adventure, or are you steadfastly committed only to what is familiar? How many times a week do you close the door on a new opportunity because it is unfamiliar territory?
Fear of the unknown holds us in check. Therapists are constantly frustrated by clients who refuse to change a destructive behavior for no other reason than it is the behavior to which they have become accustomed.
The therapist can envision a new world opening and a life of greater satisfaction, but the client continually recoils from challenges to live anew, moaning instead for outward circumstances to change, rather than taking the initiative embarking on a new path.
When you know with certainty that God loves you and wants the best for you; when you know that God does not seek to limit your life, but to broaden it; you will increasingly pursue the path of Jesus because it can bring so much satisfaction.
God’s desire is to love you. You are a beloved child of God. How would your life become richer and more beautiful if you took that message to heart and then loved God back?
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
A portion of “The Brief Statement of Faith”
We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal. Amen.
*HYMN No. 286 “Breath on me, Breath of God”
1 Breathe on me, Breath of God;
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
2 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
3 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
4 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Loving God, we give you thanks and praise for the story of Jesus’s baptism by John in the wilderness, for it reminds us of our own baptisms. Just as you claimed Jesus as your beloved, so also have we been claimed as your own children.
We remember before you all the children and adults who have been baptized in this congregation of your people, and for their parent(s) or sponsors. Help us remember as a congregation the promises we also have made to each of them – to nurture them in their lives of faith. And help us remember our own baptisms daily. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy one, our baptisms also remind us that the font is the true center of our cosmos. It is the place where we were called to live in covenant relationship with one another and with your good creation. Help us remember that declaration and promise. Empower us to live out of that love in all that we do, healing divisions, addressing enmity, reaching out to those we perceive as enemies. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all nations, we pray for all countries around the globe — for those who have been entrusted to exercise leadership on behalf of the common good. Help them discern the wise use of resources so they may faithfully meet the needs of all people in their care. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our Father…”
The Lord’s Prayer
Our 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. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
PASSING OF FELLOWSHIP PADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
TITHES & OFFERINGS
On the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we celebrate the great gift of Baptism and the life of promise therein. God has given us life and resources for it, so let us give in return.
OFFERTORY ANTHEM
*RESPONSE N0. 607 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all people here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.
*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
O God, in our baptisms we have been named and claimed as your covenant people, connected deeply with you, with one another, and with the earth. May these gifts be used as a witness to your love, peace and justice at work in the world, renewing the face of the earth. Amen.
*HYMN No. 265 “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 To him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown his head;
his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.
3 People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song,
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.
4 Blessings abound where’er he reigns:
the prisoners leap to loose their chains;
the weary find eternal rest,
and all who suffer want are blest.
5 Let every creature rise and bring
honors peculiar to our King;
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud Amen!
*BENEDICTION
Hear the voice of God that claimed you in baptism: you are precious and beloved in God’s sight. God has claimed our lives in baptism that we might die to sin and be raised to new life.
God’s Spirit empowers us now to follow Jesus into our world, so as you go, lift up the broken hearted and stand with the oppressed. Love God with your whole lives and love neighbors as yourselves. Amen.
*POSTLUDE