Holy Communion
The Baptism of Christ
Music is played as we gather together.
Welcome
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Some words of welcome and introduction are given by Revd Gary.
If you have a candle available, feel free to light it as a sign of God’s presence among us.
Gathering Hymn
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark, how the heavenly anthems drowns all music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing of him Who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
Crown Him the Virgin’s Son, the God incarnate born,
whose arm those crimson trophies won which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic Rose, as of that Rose the Stem;
The Root whence flows ever flows, The Babe of Bethlehem.
Crown him the Lord of years, the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime:
All hail, Redeemer, hail! for thou hast died for me; thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.
Confession & Absolution
Let us bring before God those things which we have done wrong.
Silence is kept
For turning away and ignoring your will for our lives: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
For failing to share our resources fairly in the world: Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
For not sharing our faith through fear and doubt: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect
Heavenly Father, at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son: May we recognize him as our Lord and know ourselves to be your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
First Reading: Acts 19.1-7
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed
through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They
answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied; altogether there were about twelve of them.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Gradual Hymn
O love, how deep, how broad, how high! It fills the heart with ecstasy,
that God, the Son of God, should take our mortal form for mortals’ sake. He sent no angel to our race of higher or of lower place,
but wore the robe of human frame himself, and to this lost world came. For us he was baptized, and bore his holy fast, and hungered sore. For us temptations sharp he knew; for us the tempter overthrew.
To him whose boundless love has won salvation for us through his Son, to God the Father, glory be both now and through eternity. Gospel Reading: Mark 1.4-11
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s
ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit.’In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Sermon
Revd Jacqueline Henson
Renewal of Baptism Vows
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:
Do you turn away from sin?
I turn away from sin.
Do you reject evil?
I reject evil.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ as Saviour.
Do you trust in him as Lord?
I trust in him as Lord.
Revd Gary sprinkles those present with holy water, saying: ‘Remember your baptism in Christ’.
Almighty God, we thank you for our fellowship in the household of faith with all who have been baptised into your name. Keep us faithful to our baptism, and so make us ready for that day when the whole creation shall be made perfect in your
Prayers of Intercession
This or another response is used:
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Then at the end:
Merciful Father
Accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen. The Peace
We are the body of Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Let us then pursue all that makes for peace and builds up our common life.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
We share the Peace using British Sign Language, please join in at home!
Offertory Hymn
When Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized by John, he did not come for pardon but as his Father’s Son. He came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins, to speak the vital sentence with which good news begins. He came to share temptation, our utmost woe and loss; for us and our salvation to die upon the cross.
So when the Dove descended on him, the Son of Man, the hidden years had ended, the age of grace began.
Come, Holy Spirit, aid us to keep the vows we make; this very day invade us, and every bondage break. Come, give our lives direction, the gift we covet most:
to share the resurrection that leads to Pentecost. The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.
And now we give you thanks because, by water and the Holy Spirit, you have made us a holy people in Jesus Christ our Lord; you renew that mystery in bread and wine to show forth your glory in all the world.
Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and singing:
Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Great is the mystery of faith:
Accept through him, our great high priest, this our sacrifice of thanks and praise, and as we eat and drink these holy gifts in the presence of your divine majesty, renew us by your Spirit, inspire us with your love and unite us in the body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him, and with him, and in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with all who stand before you in earth and heaven, we worship you, Father almighty, in songs of everlasting praise:
The Lord’s Prayer
We raise our hands and prayer together...
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. Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread. Agnus Dei
We remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Invitation to Communion
God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people.
Jesus Christ is holy, Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Communion
Revd Gary receives the bread and wine on behalf of all present.
We are invited to share our own favourite food as we give thanks to God for all his gifts.
Prayer of Spiritual Communion
Grant, O Lord, that as the hem of your garment, touched in faith, healed the woman who could not touch your body, so we, who cannot receive this bread and wine, may be healed by that same faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Notices
The Blessing
The peace of God, which passes all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit , be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Sending Hymn
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid; star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid. Cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining; low lies his head with the beasts of the stall; angels adore him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all. Say, shall we yield him, in costly devotion, odours of Edom, and offerings divine,
gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine? Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid; star of the east, the horizon adorning,
guide where our infant Redeemer is laid. The Dismissal
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
