Baptism of Christ
Year C
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.
Additional Collect
Eternal Lord,
our beginning and our end:
bring us with the whole creation
to your glory, hidden through past ages
and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Isaiah 43.1-7
1Thus 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. 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 Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4Because 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. 5Do not fear, 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 them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away 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.’
Psalm 29
R May the Lord bless his people with peace.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. R
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; *
the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice. R
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf *
and Sirion like a young wild ox. R
7 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. R
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe
and strips the forests bare; *
in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’ R
9 The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
10 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. R
Second Reading
Acts 8.14-17
14When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia. Christ was revealed in flesh, proclaimed among the nations
and believed in throughout the world. Alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 3.15-17,21-22
(In the wilderness John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.) 15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16John 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. 17His 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.’
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22and 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.’
Post Communion
Lord of all time and eternity,
you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father
in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son:
by the power of your Spirit
complete the heavenly work of our rebirth
through the waters of the new creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Christ the Son of God perfect in you the image of his glory
and gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):
Isaiah 42.1-9 © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton
Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA
Collect (Baptism of Christ) © Oxford University Press: The Book of Common Worship of the Church of South India
Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops' Council 2000, 2002
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