Koonung Heights Uniting Church
Service of Worship at Home
Baptism of Jesus – 7 January 2024 – 10am
You may like to light a candle during your time of worship.
Feel free to text the Peace to other members of the congregation.
During the service we will share Communion so you might like to have the elements ready.
Introit: “Bless the Lord, my soul” (TiS 706)
Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life.
Candle Lighting:
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven.
Today is the first Sunday in 2024,
and as we gather we light the Christ Candle.
In doing this, we acknowledge the light of Christ,
which shines and brings light to our path,
guiding us throughout this year.
Acknowledgement of Country:
As we gather in this place,
I give thanks for the Wurundjeri WoiWurrung
People of the Kulin nations.
I acknowledge the commitment
their ancestors made, across the generations,
to nurturing this Land.
Together, may we walk into the future,
recognising the sacred footsteps that
continue to lead us to the promise of Heaven.
Call to Worship:
There are some days when I need the reminder
that I belong to God.
Do you ever feel that way?
Yes. We do.
The world can be a harsh place;
we often need that reminder.
Well then, let us care for one another.
Let us speak the truth we each need to hear.
Church, you belong to God.
You are God’s beloved.
Friend, you belong to God.
You are God’s beloved.
Let us worship the God who knows our names.
Let us worship the God who calls us beloved.
We Sing: “Stand up and bless the Lord” – (TiS 449)
Stand up and bless the Lord, you people of his choice;
stand up and bless the Lord your God with heart, and soul, and voice.
Though high above all praise, above all blessing high,
who would not fear his holy name, and praise and magnify?
God is our strength and song, and his salvation ours;
then be his love in Christ proclaimed with all our ransomed powers.
Stand up and bless the Lord, the Lord your God adore;
stand up and bless his glorious name, henceforth for evermore.
Call to Prayer:
One of our scripture passages for today tells the story of Jesus being baptized.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that the sky opened up and the voice of God was heard saying,
“You are my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22).
Friends, I don’t think that’s the only time God has said words like that.
If I understand the promise of scripture, then I believe God delights in you.
God created you.
God loves you with the same passion that we hear expressed in today’s scripture.
So trusting that good news, trusting that we are beloved, let us go to God in prayer.
For we know that the one who listens, listens with love.
What greater gift exists than that?
Prayer of Praise and Confession:
Creating God,
as your Spirit moves over the lands and waters of this place,
we wonder at the glory of all you have made.
All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small …
for these we offer you our wonder and praise.
For the glory of light and warmth;
for the twinkling majesty of the heavens,
for the wonderful reflected light of the moon
we offer our thanks.
Loving God,
from the very beginning,
you breathed life into us and called us good.
However, somewhere along the way
we replaced “good” with “not enough.”
Somewhere along the way
we turned the volume up on that phrase
and began to doubt our own self-worth.
Forgive us, for this is not what you have taught us.
For when the world tells us we are not enough,
you call us beloved.
Show us how to return to that truth.
Show us how to let go of our weariness and rest in that good news.
Amen.
Words of Assurance:
Family of faith,
God’s grace and understanding is deeper and wider
than we could possibly imagine.
So say these words of grace with me:
Our story begins with belovedness.
Even when we lose our way,
even if we stumble and fall,
God never stops breaking through the clouds to claim us.
We are known. We are forgiven. We are beloved.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Bible Reading: Matthew 2:1-12
– The Visit of the Magi
1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah,
for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
A Time for All:
As we have been following Luke’s Christmas narrative, we haven’t encountered the wise men as yet, so we have diverted to Matthew’s gospel for their story. The wise men are part of the Christmas story we tell, yet what we know about them is a little blurry. For example, we talk of three wise men, yet we are never told they are men, rather they are magi or seers or astrologers. We talk of three, but we are never told their number, this has been assumed because of the three gifts. This first Sunday of the New Year, I wonder if this story is a way into looking at the old (what has been) and the new (what is to come).
In this narrative we see the old – the visit to empires of the past; the rulers of humanity, bolstered by traditional forms of power and prestige – and we see the future: a child born in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the everyday realities of human life, yet God incarnate. We also see what came before, a power ruled by fear and greed, one that could not accept challenge, that must quash dissent or change, and we see a future in Jesus that would be marked by love, by relationship and by the power that comes only through God. We see the story of a journey, one where these wise ones travel to see this new king, a baby born to a noble line, but a family of no particular importance, in a place with only rumours of past prophecies. We see the story of hope that this child was bringing with him a new life, a change to what had gone before.
This first Sunday of the year we look forward with hope that things will change – that wars will end, that those starving will be fed, that those on the margins will find their place – but along with hope we may have fears. So what are our hopes and fears for 2024, for ourselves, for our churches, for our world? The coming of the Messiah did not immediately end all worldly problems, they carried on, but through Jesus new hope was given, new love was given. A new way now exists and it is not one that ignores reality, but rather one that recognises that we are the sum of our parts. That life and faith are journeys that we must travel through and learn from in order to grow and go forward.
Let us pray:
Loving God,
As we move into 2024 give us your hope. Like the magi who made the journey all those years ago, may we journey in hope into the future even when we cannot clearly see it. May we again discover you in the faces of those we encounter along the way.
Amen.
We Sing: “We Three Seers” – (TAC 91)
We three seers of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to your perfect light.
Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again,
king for ever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a deity nigh,
prayer and praising, all are raising, worshipping God Most Hight:
O star of wonder …
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom:
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold him arise, King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, alleluia! Earth to heaven replies:
O star of wonder …
Bible Reading: Luke 2:39-40
– The Return to Nazareth
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was upon him.
Bible Reading: Luke 3:21-23a
– The Baptism of Jesus
21 Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 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.” 23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work.
Refection:
Over Advent and Christmas we have been looking at the question, How Does A Weary World Rejoice? We began this series by acknowledging our own weariness, and that of the world. We have discovered that even when we are weary, we are still able to rejoice. We have been reminded that joy can be found when we connect with one another, when we allow ourselves to be amazed, when we hold on to hope, when we practice hospitality, and when we immerse ourselves in ritual. Today we conclude this series by focussing on our belovedness – by knowing that ultimately our joy comes from the fact that we belong to God and that God delights in us.
The two readings we have just heard are short, just a few verses each, and yet they invite us to trust in the fact that we are beloved, and to hold this truth close as shown by God’s actions and words. The passage from Luke 2 sees Mary and Joseph travelling back to Nazareth, following Jesus presentation in the temple. God has placed Jesus in this family who will love and care for him, nurture and teach him. The passage from Luke 3 happens many years later and speaks of Jesus’ baptism before he begins his ministry. In this seemingly ordinary act, the extraordinary happens and we hear God’s voice and see the embodiment of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. So much for such a few verses … let’s look briefly at each.
Following on from Jesus’ presentation in the temple, Luke tells us that the family return to Nazareth. We don’t know if this happens immediately, but it’s fair to say that Luke has left out some of the story. Luke’s gospel doesn’t introduce us to the wise men, or see the family fleeing as refugees to Egypt, but does tell us that Jesus grows up in Nazareth and is cared for by his parents. The fact that Mary and Joseph don’t make this trip until they have done ‘everything required by the law of the Lord’ (Luke 2:39) shows that their care of him is not just physical. Their faith matters and they lead by example from the time Jesus is born. Jesus is much like other children in many ways, and as he grows physically, he also develops mentally and spiritually. We know that all these are necessary for the proper growth and development of children. Luke tells us that the favour of God is with Jesus. We could also say that the grace of God is with Jesus, who is placed with parents who love him and nurture him in all the ways he needs as he is prepared for the task ahead. Like other children, Jesus is beloved of God.
In the same way that Jesus is given a family to love and nurture him, God also gives us those who love and nurture us. Whether these are biological family, close friends, or those who form part of our community, their love and care is a gift and it shelters us in the times of difficulty. It is in connecting with others that we are reminded that we are God’s beloved, as we feel his care of us through others.
The story of Jesus’ baptism, as told in Luke’s gospel, is shared in a couple of verses and is brief and vague. In Luke’s telling the details are downplayed. John the Baptist is not explicitly named as his baptizer, but this is not to create doubt about who baptised Jesus, but rather to focus on Jesus. We have seen the stories of John and Jesus intersect and here, we witness the fulfilment of what was prophesied in Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:67-80).
In this text, Jesus is baptised as one of many, among “all the people”. (Luke 3:21). Following his baptism, Jesus prays. During this prayer an iconic scene unfolds with the heavens opening, the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove, and a voice booming from heaven. As Jesus prays, God is listening intently to Jesus’ words, and affirms Jesus’ ministry: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved: with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
As we hear these words spoken to Jesus, we can internalise them as though they are also spoken to us – that we are, indeed, God’s beloved. With these words in mind, Henri Nouwen writes “It is certainly not easy to hear that voice in a world filled with voices that shout: ‘You are no good, you are ugly; you are worthless; you are despicable, you are nobody – unless you can demonstrate the opposite.’ These negative voices are so loud and so persistent that it is easy to believe them. That’s the great trap. It is the trap of self-rejection.” This is a trap that we all need to be freed from. We need to escape this trap so that we can experience the freedom and joy that comes when we trust the One to whom we belong.
If we are going to trust our belovedness, how might we do this? Maybe we could see our own baptism as an affirmation from God. Whenever we have a baptism service, we are invited to remember our own baptism and give thanks for that. For our own baptism, whether recent or many years ago, reminds us that we, too, are God’s handiwork, created in Jesus Christ. We are created, called, and commissioned at our own baptism into that which God has set before us, and this should fuel our joy as children of God.
How would it be if we could really receive the declaration of love affirmed by God in our baptism as it was declared at Jesus baptism, and what might it mean? Lauren Wright Pittman, in her image of Jesus’ baptism, shows Jesus in that moment when he is below the surface of the water. She explains that “this is what trusting your belovedness feels like – muscles and bones relieved of gravity’s burden, serenity, weightlessness, oneness with creation, and the warmth of God’s love permeating every cell of your body and every corner of your soul.”
Good things can come when we can internalise the blessedness of being beloved. In his book, Life of the Beloved, Jesuit Priest Henri Nouwen states: “I must tell you that claiming your own blessedness always leads to a deep desire to bless others … it is remarkable how easy it is to bless others, to speak good things to and about them, to call forth their beauty and truth, when you yourself are in touch with your own blessedness. The blessed one always blesses.”
Some versions of Luke 3:22 read, “In you, I find happiness and delight.” Let us remember that we are also the source of God’s joy. When we trust our belovedness, we are able to live fully and give fully – we are compelled to treat all creation with tenderness and care. When we trust our belovedness we have endless reasons to rejoice. It is the bravest thing we can do.
Trust your belovedness.
Let it be a protest, an act of resistance, a song of celebration.
Trust your belovedness in a world that is rarely satisfied.
Wear it like a badge of honour.
Speak it as confidently as your last name.
Tattoo it to your heart.
When outside forces chip away at your sense of self,
when life asks you to hand over the keys, remember the water.
Remember creation.
Remember how it was good, so very good.
Let that truth hum through your veins.
Sing it so loud that it drowns out the weariness of the world,
for the bravest thing we can ever do
is trust that we belong here.
Amen.
We Sing: “In water we grow” – (TiS 494)
In water we grow,
secure in the womb,
and speechlessly know
love’s safety and room.
Baptizing and blessing we publish for good
the freeing, caressing safe keeping of God.
In water we wash: the dirt of each day,
it’s trouble and rush are carried away.
In Christ re-created by love’s cleansing art,
self-will and self-hatred dissolve and depart.
In water we dwell, for by its deep flow
through bloodstream and cell, we live, think, and grow.
Praise God, love outflowing, whose well of new birth
baptises our knowing, and waters the earth.
Prayer for Others (prepared by Peta Lowe):
When you hear the words: “Hear us”,
you are invited to respond: “Hear our prayer“.
Dear God, we thank you for this New Year, 2024, and all its possibilities and hopes.
We pray that this New Year will bring peace, in Gaza and in Ukraine, and in other places where there is war.
We pray that 2024 will bring meaningful and effective Climate Action, here and across the world.
We pray that this New Year will see progress towards a more equitable sharing of the world’s resources.
We pray that in 2024, steps will be made towards justice for First Peoples.
God of peace, restoration and justice, hear us. Hear our prayer.
We pray for people who are entering 2024 with their homes and businesses destroyed, by floods, fires or extreme weather events, and those who are helping them in their recovery.
We pray for people facing this New Year in ill health, or burdened by worry for loved ones, and for all the health care workers who will provide treatment and support.
We pray for people starting 2024 in debt, or financial difficulty, that they will find the right assistance.
We pray for all people facing new beginnings this year, at school, work or family life.
God of compassion, healing and growth, hear us. Hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, in 2024 we pray for your Church worldwide.
We pray for the Uniting Church, and in particular the Act2 Project of our Assembly, and the Faithful Futures Project of our Synod.
We pray for Rev. Heather, our Minister, as she prepares for her additional role of Chair of Yarra Yarra Presbytery in 2024.
We pray for our congregation here at Koonung Heights, especially those who carry responsibilities and serve our community, and those facing special challenges as we enter the New Year.
God of faithfulness, wisdom and patience, hear us. Hear our prayer.
Dear God, we pray for ourselves and our loved ones.
Help us to carry the Christmas gifts of peace, hope, joy and love into the New Year.
Grow our sense of wonder and thankfulness as we move through 2024.
Thank you that you are always with us and for us, unchanging and dependable.
Loving, caring God, guide us into this New Year, we pray, Amen.
Communion:
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
It is right that we give you thanks and praise at all times and in all places
for you have created and sustained us.
We praise you that through your eternal Word you brought the universe into being
and you made each one of us in your own image.
You have given us this earth to care for and delight in.
You love us and have bound yourself to us.
Above all thank you for Jesus, the living Word, born as one of us, living our common life
and walking the path to death, yet through his actions reconciling us to you
and to one another.
Therefore we gladly join our voices to the song of the Church on earth and in heaven, singing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of love and light,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
On the night of Jesus betrayal and arrest, as he shared a meal with his friends,
Jesus took bread; gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his followers, saying:
“Share this bread among you; this is my body which will be broken for justice.
Do this to remember me.”
When supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Share this wine among you; this is my blood which will be shed for liberation.
Do this to remember me.”
Invocation
Creating, Redeeming, Sustaining God,
let your Spirit come upon your people gathered here and in their homes.
Spirit of compassion, bless us and this bread and wine.
May this meal be food and drink for our journey –
renewing, sustaining and making us whole.
When we eat and drink may we experience again
the presence of the risen Jesus in our midst.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name;
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.
Amen.
Distribution
The bread we take is a sharing in the body of Christ.
The wine we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
The bread of life – the cup of hope.
May this meal nourish and refresh you, strengthen and renew you,
may it remind you that you are loved. Amen.
(Eat and drink)
Prayer
God of love, we give you thanks for satisfying us with this meal.
Send us from here to reveal your love in the world.
Inspire us to use our words to point others to the Word.
Inspire in us the resolve and the courage, the compassion and passion
to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you.
Amen.
We Sing: “Sent forth by God’s blessing” – (TiS 531)
Sent forth by God’s blessing, our true faith confessing,
the people of God from God’s table take leave.
The supper is ended: may now be extended
the fruits of God’s service in all who believe.
The seed of God’s teaching, our hungry souls reaching,
shall blossom in action for all humankind.
God’s grace shall incite us, God’s love shall unite us
to work for the kingdom, God’s purpose to find.
With praise and thanksgiving to God ever-living
the tasks of our everyday life we will face,
our faith ever sharing, in love ever caring,
embracing as neighbours all those of each race.
One feast that has fed us, one light that has led us,
unite us as one in the life that we share.
Then may all the living, with praise and thanksgiving,
give honour to Christ and his name that we bear.
Blessing:
Family of faith,
as you leave this place,
you go into a weary world –
so speak tenderly
to yourself and to others.
Do the good that is yours to do.
Choose connection.
Hold onto hope.
And remember
that Christ took on flesh for you.
You are God’s beloved.
So go rejoicing.
The world needs it.
And the blessing of God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
the One who Mother’s us all,
be with you always.
Amen.
Thanks to all those who have assisted in preparation for this liturgy with encouragement, prayers and conversation. I have also utilised the following resources: A Sanctified Art (How does a weary world rejoice?, Fig Tree Worship and Ministry Matters.
The Poem The Bravest Thing We Can Do written by Rev. Sarah (Are) Speed.
The book Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri J M Nouwen. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992).