Worship Outline and Sermon

Worship Outline: January 11, 2026 - Baptism of Our Lord (Service of the Word)

Introduction to the day

In the waters of the Jordan, Jesus is revealed as the beloved Son of God. Through this great epiphany, Jesus fulfills all righteousness and becomes the servant of God who will bring forth justice and be a light to the nations. In the waters of baptism we too are washed by the Word, anointed by the Spirit, and named God’s beloved children. Our baptismal mission is to proclaim good news to all who are oppressed or in need of God’s healing.

(*=stand, as able)

Time for Quiet Reflection and Prayer

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

*Opening Song Brightest and Best of the Stars (# 303)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9a4wp0bXQY

Singers will share stanzas 1 and 2. Congregation will join in for sts. 3-5:

What shall we give him, in costly devotion?

Shall we bring incense and off’ rings divine,

Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,

Myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,

Vainly with gifts would his favour secure;

Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Brightest and best of the stars of the morning,

Dawn on our darkness and lend us your aid.

Star of the east, the horizon adorning,

Guide where our infant redeemer is laid.

(Text: Reginald Heber, alt. Music: James P. Harding, adapt. Text and music: public domain.)

*Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

*Canticle of Praise For the Beauty of the Earth

(# 879 st. 1-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glg4GToQ5I

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies;

Refrain:

Christ, our God, to thee we raise

This our sacrifice of praise.

For the wonder of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale and tree and flow’r,

Sun and moon and stars of light:

Refrain:

(Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, alt. Music: Conrad Kocher. Text and music: public domain.)

*Prayer of the Day

O God our Father, at the baptism of Jesus you proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized into Christ faithful to their calling to be your daughters and sons, and empower us all with your Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

God’s servant is endowed with God’s spirit in order to bring justice to the nations. The servant will not exercise authority boisterously or with violence, nor will weariness ever prevent the fulfilling of the servant’s task. God’s old promises have been fulfilled; the servant’s new assignment is to bring light to the nations.

1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Hymn Spirit of Gentleness (# 396)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhYoW3VSBfc

Refrain:

Spirit, Spirit of gentleness,

Blow through the wilderness calling and free;

Spirit, Spirit of restlessness,

Stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,

Then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep;

And over the eons you called to each thing;

“Awake from your slumbers and rise on your wings.”

Refrain:

You swept through the desert, you stung with the sand,

And you goaded your people with a law and a land;

And when they were blinded with idols and lies,

Then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes.

Refrain:

You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill,

Then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still;

And down in the city your called once again,

When you blew through your people on the rush of the wind.

Refrain:

You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes.

From the bondage of sorrow all the captives dream dreams;

Our women see visions, our men clean their eyes.

With bold new decisions your people arise.

Refrain:

Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Peter crosses the sharp religious boundary separating Jews from Gentiles and proclaims the good news of God’s inclusive forgiveness in Jesus’ name to Cornelius, a Roman centurion. As a result of Peter’s preaching, Cornelius and his family become the first Gentiles to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

34 Peter began to speak to [Cornelius and his household]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

*Gospel Acclamation (said)

Alleluia. A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." Alleluia. (Matt. 3:17)

*Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.

Before Jesus begins his ministry, he is baptized by John, touched by the Spirit, and identified publicly as God’s child.

13 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

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

Sermon – Pastor Matthew

*Hymn of the Day Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

(# 310)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGZrzDvZ6TY

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 flesh made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan’s stream,

Prophet, priest, and king supreme;

And at Cana wedding guest

In thy Godhead manifest;

Manifest in pow’r divine,

Changing water into wine;

Anthems be to thee addressed,

God in flesh made manifest.

Manifest in making whole

Weakened body, fainting soul;

Manifest in valiant fight,

Quelling all the devil’s might;

Manifest in gracious will,

Ever bringing good from ill;

Anthems be to thee addressed,

God in flesh made manifest.

Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,

Present in thy holy word;

Grace to imitate thee now

And be pure, as pure art thou;

That we might become like thee

At thy great epiphany,

And may praise thee, ever blest,

God in flesh made manifest.

(Text: Christopher Wordsworth, alt. Music: Jakob Hintze; arr. Johann Sebastian Bach. Text and music: public domain.)

Offering

As the gifts are collected and brought forward, please join in singing:

Offertory Shall We Gather at the River (# 423, st. 1 and 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGokSaQCNXs

Shall we gather at the river,

Where bright angel feet have trod,

With its crystal tide forever

Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain:

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

The beautiful, the beautiful river;

Gather with the saints at the river

That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,

Washing up its silver spray,

We will walk and worship ever,

All the happy golden day.

Refrain:

(Text and music: Robert Lowery, public domain.)

Offering Prayer

God of majesty, use what we have gathered to feed us and others with the reign of God come near, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

*Prayers of Intercession

As God’s beloved children united in Christ, let us pray for the church, the whole human community, and the well-being of the earth, our home.

A brief silence.

Steadfast God, give courage to your servant church. Heal our divisions and unite us in mission. Uphold our leaders and all who proclaim hope in a broken world. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Restoring God, cleanse the life-giving waters of rivers, seas, and springs. Create in us an urgent desire to preserve the beauty and bounty of your good creation. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Righteous God, you guide the nations. Reconcile warring enemies and end cycles of violent retribution. Defend the rights of prisoners, detainees, and all who flee from persecution. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Accompanying God, sustain international aid workers and peacemakers. Be with Canadian Lutheran World Relief, its staff, and with its interim Executive Director, Bishop Michael Pryse. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Compassionate God, you care for all in distress. Provide safety and support for those seeking asylum or in need of shelter. Be near to the dying, and comfort all who are grieving or ill. Those we remember include … Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Loving God, we offer you our silent prayers ... Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Promising God, in baptism we die and rise with Christ. We give thanks for those who have gone before us, and we trust that we will join them in your everlasting peace. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

Confident that the Holy Spirit receives our prayers and answers us, we commend all for whom we pray to God’s loving-kindness made known to us in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Amen.

*Lord’s Prayer

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught 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, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

*Blessing

The triune God, glorious Mystery, holy Incarnate One, abiding Comforter, ☩ bless you with endless grace, peace, and joy.

Amen.

*Sending Song The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve (# 551)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp7Qp4RE98A

The Spirit sends us forth to serve;

We go in Jesus’ name

To bring glad tidings to the poor,

God’s favour to proclaim.

We go to comfort those who mourn

And set the burdened free;

Where hope is dim, to share a dream

And help the blind to see.

We go to be the hands of Christ,

To scatter joy like seed

And, all our days, to cherish life,

To do the loving deed.

Then let us go to serve in peace,

The gospel to proclaim.

God’s Spirit has empowered us;

We go in Jesus’ name.

(Text: Delores Dufner. © 1993, The Sisters of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN. Published by OCP. Reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net #A-714392. All rights reserved. Music: attr. Thomas Haweis, public domain.)

*Dismissal

Go in joy. Do justice. Love mercy.

Thanks be to God.

Sermon: January 11, 2026: Baptism of Our Lord

Text: Matthew 3:13

What a difference a week makes! Last Sunday, we joined with the wise men in worshipping the infant Jesus. This morning, we see him all grown up, being baptized by his cousin John. All this makes for a rather abrupt announcement that our celebration of the season of Christmas has come to a close. At the same time, today’s events continue the telling of who Jesus is for the world. The good news announced to the shepherds, and to the wise men, continues to ring out in this new year.

This revelation, this new epiphany, occurs after Jesus rises from the water. It begins with the spectacle of the heavens being opened, almost split apart. This by itself creates a mysterious, almost frightening, air. I imagine John not only being in awe, but also whispering in fear, ‘I told you Jesus didn’t need to be baptized. Either this means God is really pleased with me or is royally ticked off because of what I’ve done’.

Soon we have the answer. The Gospel of Matthew, unlike of Mark or of Luke, tells us that John and those by the Jordan all see and hear what happens next. They witness God’s Spirit alighting like a dove on Jesus. Then they hear a voice, a divine voice, declare, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’. One writer has described this whole scene as ‘eternity breaking into time’.

(Day 1) .

Because the bystanders experience this, it is though even all these centuries later we modern bystanders also are there. We receive the same revelation, the same epiphany. In Jesus, we see God’s Son, God made flesh, God come down. In this One, God will speak, act, and invite all of God’s children to live in community. In this One, Creator offers not judgment but love, not retribution but peace, not death but life.

This divine revelation is not quite like that which we experience at Christmas or Epiphany; Christmas and the visit of the magi are stories of Good News that we witness. At times they can seem special moments which we celebrate but then put away for another year. The Baptism of Christ assures us of the presence of God in Christ of in our lives, today and all days. We also are Creator’s beloved children. In Jesus’ Baptism, we receive the invitation to begin, or to continue, the journey with God during this new year, to listen, and to receive the blessings God’s Spirit offers.

Peter affirms in our 2nd reading that this covenant is more than an internal one between us and God. God’s Spirit calls us to be witnesses of Jesus, sharing our faith, our trust in the forgiveness and new life he offers; calling for justice, seeking reconciliation, building community based on love.

Last week, our church’s National Bishop, Larry Kochendorfer, spoke about the events unfolding in Venezuela being a situation where our internal call as Christians, our covenant with God, becomes the basis of our continuing external witness. Just as our first reading invites us to imagine Jesus being the one to achieve the age old promise to bring justice and peace to the nations, so ‘as God’s beloved’, Bishop Larry writes that we receive the call to share in Jesus’ ministry of compassion and justice.

In this instance, as in many others, Bishop Larry calls us to begin by joining in prayer. Listen to the words he offers: “God most mighty, God most merciful, you are our refuge and strength. We come before you with heavy hearts, lifting up the people of Venezuela following the U.S. military action on January 3. Bring calm where there is fear, clarity where there is confusion, and restraint where there is anger or despair. We pray for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela … Let the church be a living sign of your grace and a place of refuge, truth, accompaniment, and hope for all who suffer. Where systems oppress and voices are silenced, raise up pathways of accountability, reconciliation and peace. Guide us all in the way of building peace built on justice, equality, and recognition of every human life as sacred. We entrust Venezuela, its people and your church into your loving hands, trusting not in our own strength but in your steadfast love made known in Jesus Christ, who is our peace, and whose name we pray.”

Through our shared life in Our Saviour’s name, the vision statement of our congregation calls on us to offer similar responses in other situations, It begins by reminding us that we gather to receive the gifts of God. In the life of this community, God’s Spirit, God’s voice, speaks to us, refreshing and equipping us to go out to serve the world.

Looking at our many ministries, we can see some of our continuing collective responses to God’s promise and presence. We go out, for example, to offer compassion, working with food cupboards and soup kitchens. We go out to offer encouragement and dignity, supporting the wider work of Lutheran Community Care and Canadian Lutheran World Relief. So also, we welcome the stranger in our midst. This happens not only in worship and in fellowship, but also through our providing space and encouragement for English classes for refugees and the immigrant-based Sacred Heart congregation. Amidst of all this, we find courage and determination to speak out as individuals and as a wider church on issues of justice and human rights.

May God’s Spirit, help us a community of faith to continue to reveal the One baptized that day in the Jordan, who is our life, our peace, and our joy. Amen.

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