GATHERING
Prelude …………………………………………….....Mamie Bryan
Acolyte …………………………………………….Amber Pacheco
Pastoral Welcome ………..………………………….Shane Britt
*Call to Worship (Responsive)
L: Come, let us praise the Lord!
P: Let us shout our songs of thanksgiving to Almighty God!
L: For God has done wonderful things for us.
P: God’s love and blessings have been showered upon us.
L: Come, let us praise the Lord!
P: Let us sing songs of great joy to God. AMEN.
*Opening Hymn
“We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations”………Hymn # 569
Silent Prayer/Preparation (Unison)
Lord, we gather here this day in praise and thanksgiving for all the wonderful things you have done for us. Help us to be faithful disciples in all that we think, do and say, that your great love may be revealed and offer healing to all people. AMEN.
*Gloria Patri
Tithes and Offering
“Hymn Sing”…………………………………………Congregation
*Doxology
Prayers of the People
Scripture ………………………………….…….Matthew 3:1-17
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, 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 thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Proclamation of the Word ……………..…………..”Baptism”
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*Hymn of Commitment
“Softly and Tenderly”………………………….…..Hymn #348
*Benediction (Unison)
The pathway is open before us this day. It is a path of peace and hope, brought to others by God’s mighty love and wondrous blessings. We go in peace, bringing hope to all that meet us. We go, as blessed ones, to serve God all of our days. AMEN.
Postlude …..…………”Family of God”………………..Choir
