Services

A Celebration of Baptism

Cheddington 20 July 2008

HYMN

We have a gospel to proclaim

ALL AGE PRESENTATION

Welcome those baptised in last 5 years
Oldest and newest baptised people

Can anyone remember?

Baptism

Beginning of Journey with God for rest of lives

First step in response to God’s love

Joyful moment – serious promises – declaring our faith

Welcomes into body of Church

Reading - Paul and Silas in prison – Acts 16 (Michael Miles)

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved

Spirit

How many people did Jesus baptise?

Reading: Jesus was baptised by John– Matthew 3 (Amelia Cuell)

Jesus will baptise with Holy Spirit

Light

Close eyes - scary

Light and darkness - judgement

Reading – John 12 (James Calver)

Jesus is light of the world – light banishes darkness, illuminates, shines out

Paschal candle

HYMN

Lord the light of your love is shining

Oil

Sacred anointing oil – Exodus

Healing – Good Samaritan. Service of healing and wholeness. Book of James

Reading: Luke 10 (Sarah Miles)

Oils blessed by bishops

Cross reminds us that Christ died for us

Water

What does water signify? Creation.

Wash – sins away

Reading: Romans 6 (Kristina Calver)

Drown – dead to sin – alive in Christ

PRAYER OVER THE WATER

Praise God who made heaven and earth,
All who keeps his promise for ever.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All It is right to give thanks and praise.

We thank you, almighty God, for the gift of water
to sustain, refresh and cleanse all life.
Over water the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.
Through water you led the children of Israel
from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.
In water your Son Jesus received the baptism of John
and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ,
to lead us from the death of sin to newness of 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.
Now sanctify this water that, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
we may be cleansed from sin.
Renewed in your image, we may walk by the light of faith
and continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Lord;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be all honour and glory, now and for ever.
All Amen.

PROFESSION OF FAITH

Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess the faith of the Church.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
All I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
All I believe 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, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
All 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.

SPRINKLING WITH WATER

HYMN

Take my life and let it be

PRAYERS Lin

NOTICES

HYMN

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry OR

Amazing Grace OR

Love divine all loves excelling

BLESSING

God poured out his promised Holy Spirit in tongues of flame
on the day of Pentecost.
You have been baptized with the Spirit and with fire.
May that same Holy Spirit send you out to tell his story,
and give you a voice to glorify God before all people.
And the blessing …

READINGS

BAPTISM
Acts 16
²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹ They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

SPIRIT
Matthew 3
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

LIGHT
John 12
⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, "Those who believe in me do not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ When they look at me, they see the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷ "As for those who hear my words but do not keep them, I do not judge them. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

WATER
Romans 6
^2b We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

OIL
Luke 10
³⁰ Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'