The Baptism of Our Lord
January 9, 2022
WELCOME
We extend the hand of fellowship to all who worship here this morning. May all present grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in love and desire to serve Him. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. The fellowship of this morning continues with a Coffee Hour following worship. Do join us and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER With Eyes Wide Open
Our Lord began his public ministry by being baptized by John in the Jordan River. His identity as the Servant was confirmed by the descent of the Spirit and the voice of the Father: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you, I am well pleased (Luke 3:22).” On this day and during the Season of Epiphany, our eyes are open to see Jesus as the Promised Messiah and to know his grace and love at work in our lives by the power of our baptism.
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
Lord, God, it is through our lives that your love touches others. Stir us by your Spirit to serve all people with willing hearts and bring them the message of your love. We ask this in the Name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ THE ORDER of CELEBRATING +
With One Voice
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
CHIMES
WELCOME
PRELUDE Let All Things Now Living — Arr. Cindy Berry
601 ALL WHO BELIEVE AND ARE BAPTIZED
(The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.)
Pastor In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation Amen.
Pastor God is light, in him there is no darkness at all.
Congregation If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Pastor Let us then confess our sins to God our Father, for where darkness is deepest, God’s light appears.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
Congregation Most merciful God, you dwell in light unapproachable. Unprotected, we perish in your presence. For our hearts are darkened, our minds beclouded; we have loved darkness rather than light.
Pastor Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the Light no darkness can overcome.
Congregation For his sake we beg forgiveness.
Pastor For his sake God hears your prayer. In Christ Jesus our Lord we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Congregation We have seen the Lord’s glory; we have heard the Lord’s voice.
Pastor Walk, then, as children of light, your sins are forgiven in the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
PASSING of PEACE
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the words: “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response: “And also with you.”]
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
PRAYER of THE DAY
Congregation Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, you proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized into Christ faithful in their calling to be your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[Near the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon, God promises to bring them home. They need no longer be afraid, because the One who formed, created, and called them by name now redeems them from all their enemies. God declares them precious and honored, and God loves them.]
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 43:1–7
1But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2When 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.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
[In this chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes that as you are baptized with a baptism like Christ’s, so also are you united with him in his death and resurrection that you “might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6 :4). For all who are baptized into Christ Jesus receive his anointing of the Holy Spirit and are named by the Father as beloved and well-pleasing sons and daughters.]
EPISTLE Romans 6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
SPECIAL MUSIC Come , Holy Spirit, Love Divine — By H. Percy Smith
Tatsiana Asheichyk (Piano)
[Today’s gospel reading opens with questions about the identity of the Messiah. John the Baptist insists that he is not the Messiah; instead he points ahead to one who is coming. And whether the voice of God was heard by all or only by Jesus, God settles the matter: Jesus is God’s beloved Son.]
HOLY GOSPEL Luke 3:15–22
Pastor The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.
Congregation Glory to You, O Lord.
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Pastor This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Congregation Praise to You, O Christ.
590 BAPTIZED INTO YOUR NAME MOST HOLY
SERMON Water + Word = Wonderful Washing — Pr. Josh Text: Luke 3:15-22 (Listen to the audio recording)
THE SECOND ARTICLE
Redemption
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord,
who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,
that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness,
just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
OFFERING IS BROUGHT FORWARD
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Congregation Gracious God, we bring before you a portion of what you first gave us and with these gifts our very lives. Teach us patience and hope as we care for all those in need until the coming of your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
+ SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT +
PREFACE LSB 160
Pastor The Lord be with you.
Congregation And also with you.
Pastor Lift up your hearts.
Congregation We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Congregation It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING LSB 161
Pastor Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Congregation Amen.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
Pastor Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pastor As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Congregation Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Pastor O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
LORD’S PRAYER
Congregation 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
PAX DOMINI LSB 163
Pastor The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation Amen.
767 JESUS, REMEMBER ME
Text and tune: © 1981 Ateliers et Presses de Taizé, Taizé Community, France, admin. GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
DISTRIBUTION
(The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:)
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
395 O MORNING STAR, HOW FAIR AND BRIGHT
5 O let the harps break forth in sound! |
6 What joy to know, when life is past, |
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110004628
Tune: Public domain
DISMISSAL
Pastor The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart + in peace.
Congregation Amen.
PRAYER of THANKSGIVING
Congregation We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING
LSB 166
Pastor The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace and may you be a blessing to others!
Congregation Amen.
HYMN TO DEPART LSB 394
Text and tune: Public domain
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.
STUDY OPPORTUNITIES at Grace: The Tuesday morning Women’s Study will resume Tuesday, January 11th at 10:00 am in the Fireside Room. Ashland/Phoenix Small Group study meets bi-monthly at 2:00 pm on the first and third Wednesdays. Next NewMen’s Coffee Study is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 12th, beginning at 8:30 am. Set these times aside now for a good discussion and fellowship.
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