Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ‘Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.’ (Psalm 128:1)Hymn: Lord, the light of your love is shining…Genesis 14:17-20; Revelation 19:6-10The sun of righteousness has dawned with healing in his wings. Let us come to the light of Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Almighty God, whose Son revealed in signs and miracles the wonder of your saving presence: renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness sustain us by your mighty power; 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.John 2:1-11Please see the message from the minister.Let us pray:We pray for all in St Peter’s Church as we serve in this parish;We pray for our world, that peace will reign on Earth and all of its creatures will thrive;We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - may we all share the love of Christ;We pray for people who are sick or suffering, that they will know God’s healing presence; We remember the departed, that all who mourn will be comforted.Let us join in the words of the Lord’s prayer, whoever and wherever we are: 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, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: Jesus calls us o’er the tumult…Father of all, you have given us your Son to be the Saviour of the world. Welcome us as your children into your kingdom, to enjoy your presence forever. May the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
In the last week or so, we have found ourselves surrounded by New Year sales in the shops and online. Amidst the sale signs, it’s obvious that we live in an age of logos. Whether it’s clothes, shoes, kitchenware, technology or even paint, logos are plastered all over the items which are for sale. Exclusive trademarks intend to make a statement about what we are or who we should aspire to be. Adverts and social media saturate us with the importance of upgrading our image and sharpening our identity.In our Western culture the image we project is often defined by where we live, what we drive, the clothes we wear. Today’s church feast - the Baptism of Christ - challenges all of this posturing by reminding us loud and clear that our identity is as children of God and through baptism we enter into the body of Christ.For the Jewish people of the Old Testament, ceremonial washing in rivers and pools was commonplace. It was an expression of a desire to turn one’s back on a murky past and make a fresh beginning with God. John the Baptist used baptism as a way to strengthen the resolve of those who heard him preach. Ceremonial washing in the Jordan marked a return to the Lord and a day to remember. Nevertheless, John was at pains to point out that the best was yet to come as they would soon be baptised not just with water, but also with the Holy Spirit.The first glimpse we have of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel is as ‘one of the crowd’ at the river Jordan. The 30 years up to that point were preparations for this moment. Jesus had been living a private and obscure life in Nazareth whilst deepening his relationship with God. Baptism was to mark a significant turning point in his life. It was the start of his public ministry of service to God’s people. The baptism of Jesus marks God’s new way of relating to humanity through his son. As the heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon him, Jesus came to experience his true identity as God’s beloved son and glimpsed the life of ministry and service that lay ahead of him.As we reflect upon Jesus’ baptism we can also reflect upon our own baptism and what it means to us. Baptism is not a magic charm or a rite of passage, it is a sacrament; a means by which God acts within our world and touches our life with grace. Through baptism we carry the identity of Christ within us and begin a lifelong process of sanctification, of being made holy. It is a pilgrimage that has its ups and downs, but it is a pilgrimage that strengthens our resolve and understanding of what it truly means to be part of the body of Christ.Through our baptism, we are invited to continue the mission of Jesus. Our calling is to be Christ-like, to journey with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, to assume his values, his attitudes, and to adopt his manner when dealing with each other.This is a day to give thanks to God for the people who have shared their faith with us, who have walked with us and helped us to understand that we are precious in the eyes of God. At the same time, we should be asking ourselves whether we are living Christ-like lives, making a difference to others and to our community as a whole. Ask yourself this, does your life in Christ make a difference to those around you?The only logo we need, the logo that others will judge us by, is the one placed on our forehead at baptism, the sign of the cross, the symbol for the Logos - the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord. Today is the day to reflect upon your baptism, give thanks for it and make a NewYear’s resolution to grow more and more into the likeness of Christ.With every blessing,Christian
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.‘Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour..’(Psalm 29:1-2)Hymn: Come down, O Love Divine...Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7The Spirit of the Lord fills the world and knows our every word and deed. Let us then open ourselves to the Lord and confess our sins in penitence and faith:Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: 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.Mark 1:4-11Please see the Message from the Minister.Let us join in prayer, asking for the light of the Lord to be known to everyone:We pray for St Peter’s Church, that we may be starlight beams of his love in the world;We pray for our planet, that conflict will cease and all people will work together in peace;We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - that we may all share the love of Christ;We pray for people who are sick or suffering, that they will know God’s healing presence;We pray for the departed, remembering Norman Barnes and all who mourn.Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom in the prayer that Jesus taught Peter and all of us: 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, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: Breathe on me, breath of God...May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us and guide us on our way at every change and turn; and may the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ. Amen.
Lord, direct our thoughts, and teach us to pray. Lift up our hearts to worship you in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ‘May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. (Psalm 72:11,12 )Hymn: Brightest and best of the suns of the morning...Isaiah 60:1-6The sun of righteousness has dawned with healing in his wings. Let us come to the light of Christ, confessing our sins in penitence and faith: Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. We have not loved you with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.May the God of love bring us back to himself, forgive us our sins, and assure us of his eternal love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Prayer for the day: Creator of the heavens, who led the Magi by a star to worship the Christ-child: guide and sustain us, that we may find our journey’s end in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Matthew 2:1-12Please see the message from the minister.Let us pray:We pray for St Peter’s Church that this year will be a time of joy as we serve this parish;We pray for our world, that peace will reign on Earth and all of its creatures will thrive;We pray for our friends, families and neighbours - may we all share the love of Christ;We pray for people who are sick or suffering, that they will know God’s healing presence; We remember the departed, that all who mourn will be comforted.Let us join in the words of the Lord’s prayer, whoever and wherever we are: 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, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.Hymn: We three Kings of Orient are...Father of all, you have given us your Son to be the Saviour of the world. Welcome us as your children into your kingdom, to enjoy your presence forever. May the blessing of God Almighty who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit rest upon us and remain with us always.Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord, in the name of Christ.Amen.
