Baptism of the Lord Morning Prayer

456px-Baptism_-_Ethiopian_Biblical_Manuscript_U_Oregon_Museum_Shelf_Mark_10-844

Invitation to  Worship

Christ, the Beloved Son, in whom the

Abba is well-pleased: Come let us adore Him!

O Holy One,+ open my lips.

~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

 

This is God’s Beloved One, Alleluia!

~Let us listen to him, Alleluia! 

 

Morning Hymn for Baptism of the Lord

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed, Great David’s greater Son!

Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on Earth begun!

He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free,

To take away transgression, and rule in equity.

 

He comes to free from mis’ry  All those who suffer wrong;

To help the poor and needy, And bid the weak be strong;

To give them songs for sighing, Their darkness into light,

Whose lives, condemned and dying, Are precious in his sight.

 

He shall come down like showers Upon the fruitful Earth;

And love, joy, hope, like flowers, Spring in his path to birth;

Before him on the mountains Shall peace, the hearld, go;

And righteousness in fountains, From hills to valleys flow.

 

O’er every foe victorious, He on his throne shall rest,

From age to age more glorious, All blessing and all blest:

The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;

His name shall stand forever: That name to us is LOVE.

 

 

Psalmody

Antiphon 1

O Great Mystery of redemption!  The Creator of the heavens

bows his head to the Forerunner and is baptized, alleluia!

Psalm 45/46

The Holy One is for us both refuge and strength,

Our  Helper close at hand, whenever we’re in trouble:

So we can stand unshaken, when solid earth is cracked,

when volcanoes slide into the depths of the sea,

when its waters rage and foam

and mountains tremble in the swell.

 

Adonai Sabbaoth is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

 

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

With God dwelling there, it cannot be shaken;

God will help it at the dawning of each day.

Nations rage and empires fall,

God speaks, the earth melts and shrinks away.

 

Adonai Sabbaoth is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

 

 Come! Behold the wonders of Adonai

the amazing things God does across the Earth:

Stopping  wars all over the globe,

smashing and crushing all the weapons of war.

“Be silent and know that I am God,

supreme over your nations, supreme on Earth.

 

Adonai Sabbaoth is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

and to the BREATH of Love;

as always before,

so now and evermore, Amen.

O Great Mystery of redemption!  The Creator of the heavens

bows his head to the Forerunner and is baptized, alleluia!

 

Antiphon 2

When you appeared in the flesh, O Word of God,

you enlightened all people for ever.

Psalm 35/36b

Your love, Adonai, reaches to heaven;

your truth soars among the clouds.

Your justice towers like a mountain;

your integrity runs deeper than the sea.

 

You protect all creatures, all of life:

Adonai, how we prize your compassion!

In you, the people seek shelter,

safe in the warmth beneath your wings.

 

All feast at the abundance of your table,

slake their thirst in your refreshing streams,

for in you is the source of life

you give us light and we can see.

 

Continue your kindness toward all you have chosen

and your justice to all who are honest.

Keep the arrogant from trampling your little ones,

assaulting us with wicked hands and frozen hearts.

For those who do not love will collapse,

defeated, they will never rise.

 

Glory to the One and to the Word

and to the Breath of Love,

as always before, so now and evermore. Amen.

When you appeared in the flesh, O Word of God,

you enlightened all people for ever.

Antiphon 3

O Son of God, baptized by John in the river Jordan,

save us who sing to you: “Alleluia!”

Psalm 150

Praise God in the holy place,

praise in the mighty heavens.

Praise God’s powerful deeds

praise the surpassing greatness.

 

O praise with sound of trumpet,

praise with lute and harp.

Praise with timbrel and dance,

praise with strings and pipes.

 

O praise with resounding cymbals,

praise with clashing of cymbals.

Let everything that lives and that breathes

give praise to Adonai, Alleluia!

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

and to the BREATH of Love.

As always before

so now and evermore. Amen.

O Son of God, baptized by John in the river Jordan,

save us who sing to you: “Alleluia!”

 

 READING   Isaiah 42: 1-4

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased,

Upon whom I have put my spirit; this one shall bring forth justice to the nations,

Not crying out, not shouting, not making a voice heard in the street.

A bruised reed he will not break, and  a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until justice is established on Earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

 

Responsory

R.  Today in the Jordan, after the Lord was baptized, heaven opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove to alight on him, and the voice of the Abba was heard saying: *”This is my Son, my beloved, on whom my favor rests.”  V. The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove and there came a voice from heaven: *”This is my Son, my beloved, on whom my favor rests.” 

Canticle of Zachariah

Antiphon

The waters saw you O Lord, the waters saw you and trembled!

O Savior of humankind, glory to you!

Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,

Who visits this people to set us free

Raising for us a sign of salvation

In the house and family of David.

 

God promised throughout past ages

In words of holy prophets

To save us from our enemies,

And from the control of our oppressors.

 

Adonai favored our ancestors

And remembered the sacred covenant.

The pledge to Abraham and Sarah

Is now renewed for us;

 

That freed from the grip of our foes

We might worship without fear

And be both just and holy

For the rest of our days.

 

And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”

Will go ahead to prepare the way,

By teaching this people of salvation

Through forgiveness of their sins.

 

For the loving compassion of the Holy One

As the Rising Sun will shine upon us

To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow

To Guide our feet on the way of peace.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

And to the BREATH of Love!

As always before,

so now and evermore.  Amen

The waters saw you O Lord, the waters saw you and trembled!

O Savior of humankind, glory to you!

Litany of Intercession

Your baptism by John in the Jordan made all the waters of the world holy  and all creation sacred, ~may we reverence the holiness of all creation and use water with restraint and care.

 

Your baptism initiated your public life of preaching, healing, and teaching,

~may all who have been baptized continue your mission and ministry.

 

Your baptism revealed your special relationship with your Abba and Holy Spirit,

~may all people accept your offer of adoption and your sharing of divine life.

 

Prayer of Jesus

Our Father …

 

Closing Prayer & Blessing

O Holy One, Source, Guide and Goal of all that is, your voice from heaven revealed Jesus Christ as your beloved Son, the fulfillment of all you had promised.  May all those whom you have adopted through him, follow his path of service to humankind and work to build up your reign on Earth as it is in heaven where you live and reign forever and ever.  Amen.

 

May the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth + bless us and all of creation.  ~Amen 

 

Let us bless the world with peace.    ~And give thanks to God.