January 7, 2024
Baptism of the Lord Sunday
10:00am
WELCOME
OPENING PRAYER
God of heaven and earth,
we gather in the name of Jesus
to hear your holy Word
and to be immersed in your Spirit.
Speak to us with grace and truth
and pour out your love upon us
so that this temple may resound
with joyful shouts of glory;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God;
The holy habitation of the Most High.
The Lord pours forth rivers from bare mountains, and fountains in valleys’ depths.
God opens rocks, and water gushes out.
On dry thirsty land God springs forth streams in the desert.
*HYMN No. 475 “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!
2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
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:
Now, remember your baptism as you go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that Christ has commanded you.
May God’s Spirit flow through us to bless the world.
And remember that God’s promise goes before you.
For thus says the Lord, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Thanks be to God! Amen.
SOLO “In the Bleak Midwinter” arr. Donald Moore
Kathryn Pepe, soloist
CHILDREN ADJOURN FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
UNISON PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Creator Spirit, who hovered over the waters at creation’s birth, who descended in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism, who was poured out under the signs of fire and wind at Pentecost: Come to us, open our hearts and minds, so that we may hear the Word of life and be renewed by your power, for you live and reign with God and Christ now and forevermore. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Mark 2:1-12
2 When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people[a] came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves, and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, stand up, take your mat, and go to your home.” 12 And he stood up and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Pause…
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!!
SERMON “Take up your pallet and walk”
“We have never seen anything like this!”
Oh, what an understatement! Get the picture. Capernaum, Jesus’ base of operations in his Galilean ministry, is situated on the northern shore of that famous sea. A crowd is crammed into the house, overflowing, out the door. Inside, Jesus is preaching to eager listeners, including scribes, who are trying to figure out who this disease-healing, demon-delivering teacher is.
And suddenly, four men show up with a paralyzed man on a mat. They want to get in the house, but no one will let them. Just imagine, people at the door, looking back, making eye contact with the man on the mat, his friends around him, and then turning back without budging. So when pushing and prodding don’t work, the friends get resourceful and scrappy.
We can only imagine the conversation as the first says, “Why don’t we climb up on the roof?”
The second responds, “Lot of good that will do, genius. Jesus is inside, not outside.”
To which the first replies, “Yeah, I know that, bro. Let’s just take the roof off.”
To which the third says, “You can’t remove a roof.”
And the first says, “Why not?”
They look at each other and finally the fourth says, “I don’t know a better option. We have to get our friend to Jesus. That’s the only way. So let’s do it.”
They climb up on the roof, a common place to sit or stand or lie down, to sleep on a cool night in a Palestinian home, almost like you might picture a deck. It’s sturdy enough to walk on. So, imagine you’re inside and you hear footsteps above as you’re listening to Jesus in front of you. All of a sudden, you hear an odd noise and dirt starts to fall on your head. First, it’s a little, then it’s a lot. And it’s not just falling on you, it’s falling on people all around you. Jesus himself is dodging it. Have you ever been distracted in preaching? This is more than a baby crying. This is the roof coming down on your head. You can only imagine the owner of the house screaming, “What are you guys doing to my roof?” We don’t know for sure whose house it was, I’m pretty sure that if it was Peter’s mother-in-law, she was about to have another headache she would need to be healed of. Suddenly the sun starts to peek through. By now, Jesus, despite his authoritative teaching, has lost the crowd’s attention. More dirt falls. More tiles are removed until a massive hole is formed.
Mark’s description in the original language suggests a major demolition job here. The text literally says they unroofed the roof. Once the hole is established, there’s a long pause. Everybody waits for what will happen next. And that’s when a mat, likely tied with ropes in its corners, is slowly lowered down. And on it, lies a paralyzed man, now nestled in front of Jesus’ feet. No one speaks a word inside or outside. Did you notice how Mark doesn’t record a single word spoken even by the friends? I can just imagine Jesus looking down at the man, then up at his friends. What expression do you imagine on their faces? Are they nervous, anxious, smiling? I can safely assume they were sweating as they catch their breath and wait to see what Jesus will do. And we don’t know exactly what Jesus saw on those friends’ faces, but we do know that whatever Jesus saw was the face of faith. And Jesus said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
What Jesus said is a bit odd when you think about it because the man didn’t even ask for that. This is what we know. We don’t have all the details. We don’t know for sure if anyone else said anything. We do know that it was a common belief in that day that physical suffering was attributable to personal sin. But we don’t know if this man’s paralysis was tied to specific sin in his life or if it was something he was born with. All we know is that Jesus makes a pronouncement that shocks the crowds. This man has sinned-according to the tradition, and Jesus has authority to forgive him, which leads the scribes to wonder in their hearts, “The penalty for blasphemy is death, and this teacher deserves it.”
And while the text doesn’t tell us they said anything out loud, Jesus saw that in their hearts they were questioning. So, he says, “Which is easier, to forgive sins or to heal paralysis?” And after he paused, he says, “I’ll show you that I have authority to forgive sins.” Then he turns to the paralytic and says, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
And picture it: to the amazement of the crowd crammed into that home, to the disgust of scribes sitting on the floor, and to the delight, the pure delight of four friends peering down through an unroofed roof, the man stood. He stood, immediately picked up his bed, and ran out of the room. The crowds moved for him this time.
Can you imagine those friends running down off the roof, jumping up and down with their friend, chest-bumping, shouting as they raced home with a demolished house in their wake? And that house was full of people, who now, for the first time, speak in the story saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Is this not an awesome story? Shouldn’t that be our story? How can we be caregivers of those who are physically or spiritually paralyzed? Can we be like those individuals who do the physical labor, or what we call today the “heavy lifting.” What these folks did was not easy, and it was not expected. Opening a roof is not on the regular to-do list. What they did was extraordinary. And everyone would have noticed. May we be caregivers in this day and time. May our actions lead to people knowing Jesus Christ!
Commentary and Liturgy from the Book of Common Worship (PCUSA), “Call to Worship” Website, Amy-Jill Levine, David Platt, The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary and Interpretation Commentary
*HYMN No. 505 “We Come as Guests Invited”
1 We come as guests invited
when Jesus bids us dine,
his friends on earth united
to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken;
the wine is freely poured
for us, in solemn token
of Christ our dying Lord.
2 We eat and drink, receiving
from Christ the grace we need,
and in our hearts believing
on him by faith we feed;
with wonder and thanksgiving
for love that knows no end,
we find in Jesus living
our ever-present friend.
3 One bread is ours for sharing,
one single fruitful vine,
our fellowship declaring
renewed in bread and wine:
renewed, sustained, and given
by token, sign, and word,
the pledge and seal of heaven,
the love of Christ our Lord.
THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION
Invitation
We have been baptized into Christ, engrafted into his royal family tree, made citizens of God’s kingdom. This is the royal banquet spread before us, set with the heavenly food of Christ who issues an invitation for all his subjects to come feast with him.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Creator God, we praise you
For you are continually making all things new
that the world might fulfill your good purpose.
Into the midst of our sin
you offer you love in Jesus Christ
who was baptized in the muddy waters of sin,
identifying with us in our human weakness,
yet without sin of his own
so he could raise us from our watery graves
into the Spirit’s breath of new life.
Out of his own body offered for us and our salvation,
Christ our Lord feeds us,
nurturing us in the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Therefore we praise you with all the hosts of heaven
who forever sing to the glory of your holy name,
praying with them for the world you so love
and offering ourselves in service to you on behalf of a hungry world. Make us good stewards of your creation, O Lord,
that generations to come might look upon your works of wonder and utter a breathless prayer of praise.
Pour your Spirit out upon the poor
that they might be filled with your abundance.
Send forth your wisdom upon those in positions of authority
that they might exercise their responsibilities with your justice and compassion. Set all those captives by sin free To delight in your love.
Now, O Lord, send forth your Holy Spirit upon us and all the faithful
who join you at this table,
that we might glimpse your glory among us
and rise up as one to give you thanks in all we do,
through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor and dominion are yours, almighty God,
now and forevermore. Amen.
We pray now as you taught your disciples, saying, “Our Father….”
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. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Words of Institution
Participatory Instructions
The good news is that our Lord comes to where we are to serve us with divinity. As you are served, continue to meditate upon how, in thanksgiving for all he has done for us, you might serve him with your life’s labor. You may wish to pray about the various opportunities for service printed in your bulletin. Come to the table and receive the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation.
Served at the Table – Two stations
Prayer after Communion
You are a good God who creates, gives birth, redeems, feeds, and encourages us to grow. Thank you for your many blessings to us. May those blessings now flow out to others in your name, we pray. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING OF TITHES & OFFERINGS
In thanksgiving for all God has done for us, let us present the offering of ourselves unto the Lord.
OFFERTORY
*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 DEDICATION
O Lord, we give you thanks with all we are for all you have done for us. In your divinity you have come to dwell with us in the muddy waters of humanity, and comingled your glory with our sin so that the ribbon of corrupting time is becoming a sparkling River of Life flowing through our days. Take all we are, Lord, and use it for your purpose.
Bless the gifts we give this day that the church might stand as shining witnesses to your glory, planted by your living water to bring healing to all peoples. Use us as you will to the praise of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
*HYMN No. 297 “In Christ Called to Baptize”
1 In Christ called to baptize, we witness to grace
and gather a people from each land and race.
In deep, flowing waters, we share in Christ’s death,
then, rising to new life, give thanks with each breath.
2 In Christ called to banquet, one table we share,
a haven of welcome, a circle of care.
Although we are many, we share in one bread.
One cup of thanksgiving proclaims Christ, our head.
3 In Christ called to witness, by grace we will preach
the life-giving gospel; God’s love we will teach.
By grace may our living give proof to our praise
in costly compassion reflecting Christ’s ways.
4 Unite us, anoint us, O Spirit of love,
for you are within us, around us, above.
Equip us for service with gifts you bestow.
In Christ is our calling. In Christ may we grow.
*BENEDICTION
Go forth into the world to live as those baptized into Christ’s mission. And may the eternal light of God keep you rock-solidly immersed in the river of life in the peace and power of Holy Spirit now and forevermore. Amen.
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