Liturgy
Gentle, yet powerful.
Lowly, yet almighty.
Shepherd, yet King.
In your gentleness, guide us.
In your power, strengthen us.
In your lowliness, strip from us our selfish pride
which only destroys us.
In your greatness, lift us up
that we might aspire to greater things.
As a shepherd, call us to be your servants.
As a King, call us to be your royal priesthood.
O God, who is our shepherd and our King;
O Christ, who was crucified and is now risen from the dead;
O Spirit, who comforts and empowers;
O great One in Three, Holy Trinity, this hour,
set us free to honor you. Amen.
Congregational Prayer
Let us pray this prayer together.
The response will be highlighted in yellow.
On this baptism day, we pray.
Thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water.
Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.
Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage
in Egypt into the land of promise.
We praise you, oh God, for the gift of water.
In it your Son Jesus,
received the baptism of John and was anointed
by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ,
to lead us, teach us, and die to save us
through his death and resurrection from the bondage of sin
into everlasting life.
We thank you, Father, for the water of baptism.
In it we are buried with Christ in his death.
By it we share in his resurrection.
Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his
fellowship those who come to him in faith,
to live as Christ taught,
and to be bearers of your grace for all.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honor and
glory, now and for ever.
Amen.
Reflection
What does resurrection mean to you personally? How does it change the way you live?
What does it look like to be resurrected from an individualistic American to a communal way of life following Christ?
What does resurrection look like with your vocation, calling and place in this world?
Benediction
God our Father, as followers of Jesus,
we accept our commission from you to invest our lives in others.
We will live out your kingdom here
with humility, wisdom and courage,
asking your Son to be our model of grace in the world.
Give us eyes to see
the path of service you desire and
ears to hear the cry of the world’s needs.
May you be our Lord, our light, and guardian
in the work you call us to do.
We leave here to serve
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.
[Photo by Denis Collette…!!! @ Flickr]