January 9, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. | First Sunday after the Epiphany | The Baptism of our Lord

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church | Williamsburg VA

The Word of God

Opening Hymn     Christ, when for us you were baptized     

1    Christ, when for us you were baptized, God’s Spirit on you came,

       as peaceful as a dove and yet as urgent as a flame.

2    God called you his beloved Son, called you his servant true,

           sent you his kingdom to proclaim, his holy will to do.

     3    Straightway and steadfast until death you then obeyed his call

           freely as Son of Man to serve and give your life for all.

     4    Baptize us with your Spirit, Lord, your cross on us be signed,

          that likewise in God’s service we may perfect freedom find.

Opening Acclamation

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen. 

The Collect for Purity (together)

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid:  Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Song of Praise    

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.  We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.  Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.  For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

The Collect of the Day

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.  Let us pray.

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The 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 Savior.  I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.  Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, 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.”  The Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Psalm 29   (in unison)

Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, * ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due 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 a powerful voice; * the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; * the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire; 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. And in the temple of the Lord * all are crying, “Glory!”  The Lord sits enthroned above the 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.

The 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. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

The Gospel Acclamation:      Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The Gospel     Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.  Glory to you, Lord Christ. 

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 Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ. 

The Sermon                                                                                                       The Rev. Cathy Boyd

Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?  I do.

Do you believe in God the Father?  I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?  I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

I will, with God’s help.  (Repeat after each question below)

Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

Prayer Leader: 

As we celebrate the baptism of Christ, let us offer prayers to God who proclaims us beloved children.

By the baptism of the Son of God in the river Jordan.  Lord, have mercy.

For Susan, our bishop, and Cathy and Lisa, our priests, for all who minister in Christ, and for all the holy people of God.  Lord, have mercy.

For all who seek Christ, and for the conversion of the whole human race.  Lord, have mercy.

For mercy, peace, and justice throughout the world.  Lord, have mercy.

For all those in danger and need: the sick and the suffering, the hungry and the oppressed, and those in prison.  Lord, have mercy.

For our deliverance from all affliction, strife, and need.  Lord, have mercy.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as Christ loves us.  We pray for Sue and Scott, Ray, Tom and Vicki, Jan, for St. Vincent’s School, Haiti, and for an end to the pandemic. We pray for the dying and those who have died, and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.  Lord, have mercy.  

Please add your own intentions, silently or aloud.

Remembering our most glorious and blessed Virgin Mary, blessed Martin, and all the saints, let us offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ. To you, O Lord.

Celebrant:   Holy One of Israel, who breathed across the waters of creation, accept the prayers we offer on this joyful feast, lead us by your Spirit through water and blood, and quench our thirst at the table of your Son; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.  

Absolution

The Peace & Announcements

The peace of the Lord be always with you.  And also with you.

The Holy Communion

Opening Hymn     Let there be peace on earth

The Offering of Gifts     The Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host:  praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving     Eucharistic Prayer A

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.  We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.  It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven,  who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.  He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world. On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”  After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”  Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:  

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom. All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him and in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours Almighty Father now and forever. AMEN.

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.  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 for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Alleluia.  Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia.

Communion Hymn     Be not afraid

     1  You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.

     You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
     You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.    

You shall see the face of God and live.          

Refrain    Be not afraid.  I go before you always. Come, follow me, and I will give you rest.

     2  If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown.

If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow’r of hell and death is at your side,
know that I am with you through it all.  Refrain

     3  Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.

     Blest are you that weep and mourn, for one day you shall laugh.

     And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me,

     Blessed, blessed are you!  Refrain

The Post-Communion Prayer

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Blessing

The Closing Hymn     Songs of thankfulness and praise     

     1   Songs of thankfulness and praise, Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise,

         manifested by the star to the sages from afar;

         branch of royal David’s stem in thy birth at Bethlehem;

         anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest.

     2   Manifest at Jordan’s stream, Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;

         and at Cana, wedding-guest, in thy Godhead manifest;

         manifest in power divine, changing water into wine;

         anthems be to thee addressed, God in man made manifest.

The Dismissal

     Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.  Thanks be to God.