A call to worship:
Jesus said, ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened.’ So let us come to him now with the weariness of our return to everyday life, and the burdens of the year ahead. Let us put them and ourselves into his strong arms, so that he can lower us into the waters and raise us, cleansed and refreshed.
Amen.
A gathering prayer:
God, our loving parent, you encouraged Jesus at his baptism, saying you were well pleased when he presented himself along with the community for baptism in the Jordan. May you be pleased with us as we present ourselves here today.
Amen.
Spirit of the living God StF 395
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me,
mould me, fill me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Bible Readings
Psalm 29
A psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;
worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King for ever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Luke 3:15-17
Reflection:
Today we are going to reflect on Psalm 29 as we journey through this year. We are twelve days into 2025, and Psalm 29 encourages us to raise up in a song of praise, through the storms of life. The writer of this Psalm uses descriptive language to illustrate the power of the storms. I wonder whether there is a more terrifying description of a storm in the Bible. The Psalmist describes the crashes and the trembles in this Psalm through the vivid imagery in the words. The storms may rage, the destruction may increase, but God has not lost control of his world.
In verse 10 he reminds us he is ‘above the flood and has taken his seat as King for ever’.
In life we often experience difficult times, and it was back in November 2024 I heard the very sad news of one of my best friend’s fathers who died, and the memories of both us spending time together with his father brought tears of sadness to my eyes. Hebrews 11 v 13 says ‘Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world’.
Within hours of hearing this news I heard of the preacher Tony Campolo who also died, and I recall him visiting our Church in Northern Ireland where he opened his sermon with a bold statement, ‘I have calculated how much your cars are worth in the church car park, and you have said that you cannot afford a youth worker and an assistant minister’. He went on to say that if you all sold your new cars and got second hand cars the Church would be able to further their mission to the community. This was over thirty years ago, and it reminded of a verse in Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 6 v 21, ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’. Tony Campolo studied John Wesley, the father of Methodism, in a class on “Christian classics.” He said he was moved by the Wesleyan revival with its “social consciousness, attacking slavery, championing the rights of women, ending child labour laws.” The Late Tony Campolo said: “The Wesleyan vision was warm-hearted evangelism with an incredible social vision, trying to see the world as he saw it, changed me greatly.”
As we travel through our journey in this world, we can support each other in the difficulties and storms in our lives. With God, we can help those around us and can praise God in the midst of a storm. I close with a song that reminds us that God gives us the ‘strength to face the day’.
Praise is rising, eyes are turning to You, we turn to You
Hope is stirring, hearts are yearning for You, we long for You
Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day
In Your Presence all our fears are washed away, washed away
Hosanna, hosanna
You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises
Hosanna, hosanna
Come have Your way among us
We welcome You here, Lord Jesus
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising) by Paul Baloche.
A prayer of adoration
Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we adore you. Parent (Father) God, you care for us, tend to our wounds and swaddle us with love:
we adore you.
Lord Jesus Christ, you were born for us, lived for us, suffered for us, died for us, raised for us:
we adore you.
Holy Spirit, you were poured out upon us at baptism and beyond, poured out for our blessing and our faith:
we adore you.
Epiphany God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we adore you.
Amen.
Assurance of forgiveness
Almighty, Eternal God, we have walked journeys we should not have walked; done things we should not have done; said words that should not have been spoken. We have ignored the gifts of your Spirit, seeking to quench it rather than be cleansed by it. We have been as silent as a dark night when we should have been like a crackling fire bringing comfort, warmth and reassurance. Almighty and Eternal God, forgive us, we pray, and kindle your flame within us.
Amen.
A prayer of praise
Praise the Lord’s glorious name. Praise the Lord for glory and power. Praise the Lord for his voice heard above the storms of life. Praise the Lord for strength in our weakness. Praise the Lord who blesses us with peace. Praise the Lord whose Spirit is poured out for us. Praise the Lord whose Spirit is kindled within our hearts. Praise the Lord whose love everlasting is forever our comfort. Praise the Lord who’s very being has transformed us. Praise the Lord who walks each step of life with us. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord!
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
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 for ever.
Amen.
I heard the voice of Jesus say StF 248
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, lay down
thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in Him my Star, my Sun;
and in that Light of life I’ll walk,
till trav’ling days are done.
A sending out prayer:
King Jesus, may you be enthroned in our lives,
and may we seek to live according to your will,
as members of your kingdom, this week and always.
Amen.
