The Collect

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 43.1-7

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. 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. 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. 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 am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 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 – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’

 Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, *ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; *worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
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 mighty in operation; *the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf *and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning; 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; *in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’
The Lord sits enthroned above the water 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.

Second Reading: Acts 8.14-17:

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.

Gospel reading: Luke 3.15-17,21-22

(In the wilderness John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.) 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 Church of Christ

Lord, as we are all united in baptism, we ask you to help us break down the barriers that keep us apart. As all things are made new in your son, renew your Church, we pray, that we may gather new strength for the mission  that you have charged us with of spreading the good news.

Lord, as you have called us, make us worthy of our calling: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, as your Holy Spirit moved upon the face of the waters, you brought light into the world.  Look now, we pray, on the hidden corners of our world and lighten the darkness of ignorance and error, that the world may be truly free. Breathe something of your wisdom and compassion into the souls of those who have authority over others, that they may exercise it wisely.

Lord, as you have called us, make us worthy of our calling: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Pour forth, O Lord, your love upon this land and its people as we try to follow the example of your Son in whom you were well-pleased. Daily renew in us the desire to serve you and our neighbour and help us to overcome all pettiness in our dealings with each other.

Lord, as you have called us, make us worthy of our calling: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶Those who suffer

Lord, look with pity we pray on those whose lives are bruised, whose hopes are quenched.  Help them to feel the reality of your wonderful promise that you will be a constant presence to us through fire and flood, and that we shall not be overwhelmed since you are with us always, even unto the end of the world.

Lord, as you have called us, make us worthy of our calling: in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The communion of saints

We commend to your love those who, washed in the water of baptism, were close to you in this life and are now one with you in the life eternal. May they rest in your love and the life of the Holy Spirit

Lord, as you have called us, make us worthy of our calling: in your mercy, hear our prayer

The illustration is whirlpool by: Val Pope via Seedresources.com

A reminder:

This year, the Feast of the Baptism of Christ falls on the Second Sunday of Epiphany. The readings of the Baptism of Christ are used.