Croeso! Bore da! Welcome to you all this third Sunday of Christmas Please do make yourself known to me if you are popping in or if I can help in any way.
+Yn enw'r Tad, a'r Mab, a'r Ysbryd Glan. Amen
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Our opening hymn is:
Heavenly Father,
we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and have failed to do
what we ought to have done.
We are sorry and truly repent.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ
who died for us, forgive us all that is past,
and lead us in his way
to walk as children of light. AMEN
May God our Father,
who by the Lord Jesus Christ
has reconciled the world to himself
and forgives the sins of all who truly repent,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
and grant us the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
The Collect for First Sunday of Epiphany Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant that we who are born again by water and the Spirit may rejoice to be called your 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
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,[b] and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
The Gospel of Christ according to St Mark
Glory to you. O Lord.
Mark 1:4-11 NRSV
4 John the baptizer appeared[a] in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 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. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 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. 8 I have baptized you with[b] water; but he will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit.” 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 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. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[d] with you I am well pleased.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily
When I was in the Holy Land many years ago on a pilgrimage we visited, as you might expect, the River Jordan and the supposed site of Our Lord's baptism. Many pilgrims clambered off the bus with the purpose of gathering a small bottle of this river water, to bring home for a family baptism or whatever. Also, you could purchase bottles of this water either in pristine, ornate bottles or grimy little bottles, that quite honesty could have come from anywhere. They certainly were expensive.
The water from the River Jordan didn't do much for me and I didn't regret at any time not filling my own bottle or buying one. I do know that for many it is important and of huge significance. Maybe you were baptised with water from the Jordan or perhaps your children or grandchildren? It was though interesting to see this river that felt so special and had long been apart of stories I had been told about or read in the Bible.
In our Gospel today we hear Mark's account of Jesus' baptism. We are informed it was following John's baptism about the repentance of sins. This word "repentance" means a change of mind, but has come to be associated in the New Testament, with a conversion, a turning to God. It is therefore an acknowledging. It is to John that Our Lord comes and then steps into the murky waters of the Jordan and is baptised.
John the Baptist had preached about repentance and the need to be baptised and the people we are told had come in possibly massive numbers to him. John had indeed carried out his task, his vocation and made many people aware of the coming of Christ in both judgement and also in salvation. Mark sets the scene briefly describing John, and in a way that people might have recognised where he had come from in the tradition of Moses. Mark doesn't then go into John's ethical preaching, but simply recognises that John's preaching, points ahead to Jesus. He also acknowledges Jesus' own baptism in the Holy Spirit and that Jesus' work is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Don't forget that this Gospel was written years after Jesus' death and Mark is writing with a fuller picture.
What do you remember about your own baptism? I am guessing not much as you were probably a babe in arms. You though, if baptised as an adult might well have very crisp, clear memories. Also what do recall about your childrens' or grandchildrens' baptisms? At a confirmation service a few years ago at St Nicholas, one of the candidates was also baptised and Bishop June had great delight absolutely soaking her and everyone else too! Do you remember from your baptism, how cold or warm the water felt? Did the bunch of Rosemary smell sweetly? I recall too at my own childrens' baptisms when they were about 12 week old babies, we had been allowed to use an old ivory, Victorian silk Christening gown from my Godmother's family; it looked gorgeous but with a wriggly, warm baby it was hugely slippery! I remember lots from the occasions, but the surrounding memories are often dimmished by memories our friend, Peter, the priest, juggling with the gown! This is often true for us and what we hear about our baptisms are the stories that surrounded it, the parties, the accidents, etc.
The baptism of Christ was obviously a significant event in the life of Our Lord - a great spiritual experience for Jesus, but when we read it we often bring with it our issues about was it a response to a call or could it have been confirmation of a vocational journey, or the showing the way ahead as understood by Jesus. It is here in Mark's Gospel, a story from one who tells us about Jesus through an understanding of faith. Mark knows Jesus is the Son Of God and knows also that He is filled with God's spirit.
For Our Lord the moment of his baptism was indeed special, private and intimate. It would have stayed with Him through his ministry and life and maybe helped Him in more challenging times.
Our baptisms were/are cherished times often for our families, that many of us, cannot recall, but then in Confirmation we can recall our making for ourselves those promises. I do not want to dwell on the similarities between our own baptisms and that of Our Lord’s or indeed the many differences. I would rather that we focus on Jesus, as He is about to follow through to his ministry. As we think upon this, do we need to focus on our commitment? Last week we celebrated the Covenant service which certain makes deep demands of us and now today as we recall Our Lord’s baptism, we too are again made to think about our Christian journey. Are we fulfilling what we believe God asks of us? Are we open to the continuing prompting from the Holy Spirit? Do we duck out when we are lost or confused or uncertain? Speaking recently to one lady from our Ministry Area, she told me I just give all to God and hope that my life reflects my faith in Christ. This is what we are about.
Prayers of intercession and the Lord's Prayer.
Everlasting God, we give thanks for this new day and as we gather here to focus on the Baptism of our Lord, let us remember our own Baptisms and our calling to be Christians. May we be filled with such joy as we believe in you that our hearts overflow with love for you and for all who we meet along our journey and help us to understand the mystery of the baptism of your Son. May we walk in your way, live our life for you and be mindful of your presence day by day.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Creator God, we remember all countries where there is war or conflict and pray that you will look mercifully upon the sufferings of the people involved.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Generous God, we pray today for our friends, our families and our Christian community, that united by our common baptism we may always welcome the newcomer, the stranger and all who are vulnerable.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Loving God we pray for those who face difficulties in their personal lives - the sick, the bereaved, those with problems in their families, in their neighbourhoods or in their workplace. Give them a patient faith in their troubles and the knowledge that you share their sufferings with them.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Mighty God, we pray for those whose earthly lives have ended. We remember those whose anniversary of their passing falls at this time and for the souls of all who have died recently. may they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen
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.
Our concluding hymn today is: Come Holy Ghost our hearts inspire
The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and ever more. AMEN
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Ewch mewn tangnefedd i garu a gwasanaethu'r Arglwydd.
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