ORDER OF SERVICE – 9 JANUARY 2022

OF WATER AND FIRE

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP

God calls us by name

Come, let us worship God

God’s presence is with us

Come, let us worship our Creator

God takes away our fears

Come, come let us worship our Redeemer

To God belong the glory, power and might

We have come from the East, West, South and North

We come with open hearts

We come to listen for the voice of God

CANDLE LIGHTING

We light the Christ candle

Christ is the light of the world

TOUCHING BASE

PRAYER OF ADORATION AND SUPPLICATION

BIBLE READINGS

Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

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 baptised and when Jesus also had been baptised 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.”

Acts 8: 14-17

Now 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 baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTION

Questions for Breakout Rooms:

• What in the readings stood out for you?
• What is the significance of baptism to you?
• Do you have any baptismal stories you would like to share?

Drawing it all together

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

We pray for all who are bearing heavy burdens:

Those facing difficulties and problems to which they can see no solutions,

Wrestling with inner fears and wracked by anxiety for themselves or loved ones;

Troubled about money, health, work or relationships;

All who crave rest for their souls but cannot find it.

We pray for the influence of Your Holy Spirit in the troubled places of the world.

Fill us with Your passion for justice that we may strive to build bridges of reconciliation.

We pray for all who are happy and for whom things are going well,

That they may know the source of their blessing.

We pray for all who are distressed.

Comfort the sad, be present with the sick and make Your will known to them.

Strengthen those who are depressed by failure.

Our dear God,

We ask that you will help us to spread Your love to our friends and neighbours.

Let us think of one or two particular friends

And ask that God will be especially close to them.

We also remember those people who are not with us today, perhaps through illness or because they are on holiday.

Lord, thank You that You listen to our prayers – spoken and unspoken – in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

BLESSING

May the blessed presence of God fill our hearts with the assurances of God’s love.

May the gracious arms of Jesus Christ embrace us as part of the community of believers.

May the Holy Spirit baptise us afresh and lead us into newness of life.

And may we always live in trust, knowing that we are God’s always and forever.

Amen.