Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the First Sunday after Epiphany, when we celebrate the Baptism of Christ. This morning's Church Services are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.00 at St Thomas'. If you are unable to be with us in person, you will find resourses below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Come Down O Love Divine"
Today's Gospel
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22Baptism of Christ
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 baptise 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 baptise 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."
Reflection
A couple of weeks ago we looked at Luke 3:7-18 which includes the first part of today's gospel passage.
This is followed by Luke’s account of the Baptism of Christ. There is a logic in this because it puts the purpose of Jesus’ baptism into context. John had already made it unequivocally clear that he was not the Messiah and that he was only the herald for one who was more powerful.
John also stressed that his was a baptism of repentance, telling people they needed to change their ways and ask for mercy and forgiveness.
With that in mind, why, you may wonder, did Jesus need to be baptised? He was human and like us in every way, except that he was totally free from sin.
In Matthew’s account, [Matt. 1:13-17], Jesus tells John, “‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.”.
Jesus’ baptism was an act of dedication for His future ministry and recognition of both His human nature, and also His divinity as the Father’s son. It was confirmation from God of who Jesus was.
Luke specifically notes that Jesus prayed before the heavens opened. We have no way of knowing how aware Jesus was of His true nature before these events happened and what the extent of His ministry and mission would be. Up to this point, He appeared to be ordinary in every way. He hasn’t performed any miracles or preached – to all intents and purposes He was the same as everyone else.
Then the Holy Spirit came upon Him like a dove. Many people believe that this signifies the nature of His messiahship would be peaceful and He would not be the military leader that many had hoped for. Jesus was endowed with a ministry of purity, love, and compassion.
The climax of the event is the voice of God, confirming Jesus’ identity as God’s son, the Messiah, the one whom John had been pointing to all this time and the one prophesied by Isaiah [Isa:42:1].
In baptism Jesus was initiated into the family of God and claimed by God as His beloved child. In baptism Jesus accepted His ministry and future role.
Most importantly, for Jesus, baptism was a way to identify Himself with sinners, so that they might identify with Him in His life.
In our baptism too, we are initiated into the family of God as His children.
God is calling us into a deeper relationship with Him through Christ.
God is telling us how special we are and calling us to play our role in ministry with Him. For most of us that does not mean becoming ordained clergy, but it does require us to follow the example of our role model – Jesus Christ.
To love and help one another and speak out against unfairness and injustice wherever we come across it. To spread the Gospel of Jesus.
As John declared, Baptism is a call to move away from sin; but it’s also a movement towards something - A movement towards Jesus and holiness through prayer and spirituality. As you pray this week, ask God to show you what He wants you to do to live a better life in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul
Our Prayers
Loving Father,
We pray for your guidance,
to show us how to live our lives better,
and follow the example of your Son Jesus.
To fill us with the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit
to do your will, here on earth.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Hail to the Lord's Anointed"
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Second Sunday of Christmas. Our Church services this morning are cancelled due to the weather and road conditions. Stay safe and warm inside, and you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "See, Amid the Winter's Snow"
Today's Bible Reading
Ephesians 1:3-14Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Reflection
In many churches including our parish, we will be celebrating Epiphany or the coming of the three wise men. Epiphany is properly formally celebrated tomorrow, and I have, therefore chosen instead to reflect on the Epistle for the second Sunday after Christmas.
It was written to the early church in Ephesus in the first century when the good news of Jesus and the church was growing in the regions around Jerusalem. But it is just as relevant to us as it was to those early Christians.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is so full of hope and gratitude, that almost every sentence should fill us with a sense of joy and thankfulness for the significance of what God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit had promised to us.
When I read it, it seems very appropriate for the beginning of the new year – a time when many people look forward and make resolutions or promises about how we might live our lives a little differently. Be that cutting out bad habits or doing more good things.
Just as we might be planning to think about the year ahead and what we might promise ourselves – Paul outlines that God has a plan for us His children, and has had it since the beginning of time. Like our plans, it’s full of promises. But God’s plan does not just look ahead to next year, it’s for all eternity.
From the very beginning, “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will”, [v5].
Through God’s grace, God’s stance of giving, loving – He has freely blessed all of us who are willing to believe that He has chosen us and sent His only Son Jesus to save us and show us our destiny as part of God’s great plan.
When we take a moment to think about God’s plan, we may begin to get a feel for how awesome and mind-boggling that is.
Paul tells the church that all history has been a preparation for, planning and thinking for and administering for the goal of God - that the world will be brought together as one family in Christ.
At the beginning of his letter, Paul says, “God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”. Perhaps the phrase ‘heavenly places’, may conjure simplistic ideas of a place where God lives or where we go when we die. But I think it is far wider than that – God has created everything, seen and unseen – His universe and the cosmos is massive, far beyond what we can grasp.
But heavenly places can also be non-material or physical.
Heavenly places can be in our hearts and souls. When God made us, it was always in His plan to plant a seed within us - a Jesus seed; in the hope that it will grow and transform us as we accept and acknowledge all the Spiritual blessings He has given us through Christ.
As we think about taking down the Christmas lights and throwing away the wrappers from presents …. and as we think about our own plans for the year ahead – let’s take a while to reflect on the presents God has blessed us with in the plans and priorities He has for us.
Let’s also praise God, because of what he has done in Christ. Because God chose to get involved, He chose to make himself known, He showed us his ways and He declared his will by becoming human.
Through His grace, God took the initiative in blessing adopting us as his children.
We don’t have to ask God for those blessings. They are already ours, but we do have to take possession of what God has given through faith and trust in Jesus and giving God the praise he rightly deserves. Paul
Our Prayers
Most gracious Father,
We thank you that you chose to adopt us as your children.
Help us to see your hand at work in the world,
and to understand that spiritual blessings
are greater than health and wealth.
Thank you for the gospel and promise of salvation
given through your Son Jesus Christ.
May we have faith and believe in Him;
and be marked with the seal of your Holy Spirit.
Amen
Today's final hymn is "Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning"
Notices
Hope you are had a great break at Christmas and New Year. If you missed any of the services or events, there are lots of photos on our Parish and Sunday School Facebook pages for you to look at.
Our Sunday services next week are at the usual times of 9.15 am at St Agnes’ and 11 am at St Thomas’. The Tuesday morning service of Holy Communion is at St Thomas’ at 10 am, and Worship for all Generations is at 6.30 pm at St Agnes’ on Tuesday and Wednesday.
For all attending services at St Thomas’ Church, please wrap up warmly because the main heating system has failed. For smaller services we will worship in the Community Room as we do on Tuesday mornings, because that space is on a separate heating system.
Huge thanks to all of our wonderful Carol Singers and collectors – together we raised £134.53 for the Booth Centre for homeless people in Manchester.
On Monday the 6th January we have our “All-age Worship Singing” at 4.30 pm at St Thomas’, where we practice singing the hymns for the coming month. Everyone is welcome to join us, whatever your age or singing ability! Also, if you have any favourite hymns or worship songs that you would like to request, please let us know and we will try to include them in future services.
