Baptism of Jesus C (January 9): Be loved, Be Loving

 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29, Acts 8:14-17, Luke 3:15-17, 21-22.

About the images:
Upper Left: A Microsoft free clip art with my Biblical text.
Upper Right: Aussie beaches make great locations for baptisms. This is the Sawtell beach near Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. For more information on this area visit www.sawtell.net

Middle Left: This image is of the upper reaches of the Jordan River near Tell Dan in the Holy Land. This is my image so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Middle Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which is down at the moment. 

Lower Left: This a free image from Heartlight site - see my link column at left. 

Lower Right: This is a free Microsoft Stock image with my text. 

Kid's Story:
Have each word of Isaiah 43:4 in a different brightly wrapped gift box. Hide the boxes around your worship space before the service starts. Ask the kids to find all the boxes during the kid's talk, unwrap them and sort the words into the verse. Talk about How our baptism is summed up in these words and is a gift from God to us.

Psalm 29
There is a great version of this Psalm by Bruce Prewer in his book, Australian Psalms, Open Book Publishers, 2000, ISBN 0859109127 (pictured at left). 

Film Clip: Dead Man Walking
(pictured at right) Show the scene where Sister Helen Prejean sings to Matthew just before his execution. She sings the St Louis Jesuit hymn Be Not Afraid based on the Isaiah reading. It is worth singing it together at the end of this film clip.

Discussion: In groups of three

1. Share a time (don't go into details unless you want to) when God felt close to you and a time when God did not feel close. What made the difference?

2. How can the Isaiah verses be a help to us?

3. How can our baptism be a help to us?

4. What is the challenge here for us?

Story: God Does Not Abandon Us

Found in Bible Illustrator for Windows 1.0d, Parsons Technology Inc., 1994, Index No 3518

Drama: Six Gift Receivers
Ordinary bloke (Joseph):
G’day! I’m just an ordinary bloke living an average life in an average country town. I’m a tradesman and I work hard. I’ve earned every penny I’ve ever made and I have a nice sort of family life. God has always been a part of my life – not in a big way, I suppose, but I have always believed God is there for me. I think I am ready to stick up for God if the occasion ever arose but I can’t really see anything like that happening to me.

Teenager (Mary)

Hi! You’ve caught me on the way home from Youth Group. It’s great fun even if Mum and Dad think we get a little over enthusiastic sometimes. Of course, I don’t always agree with my parents but I’m glad they have passed on their faith to me. I’m a full-on God follower. Standing here now in front of you all I know I’m quite prepared and ready to do anything God asks me to. Having said that though, I suppose I am a little nervous. What if God asks me to do something really huge with no guarantees … or something that may wreck my reputation.…. No, even then, I’m determined to do whatever God asks me to – no matter how scared or insecure I feel.

Man of Substance (Herod)
Hullo. No need to introduce myself. I know you all know who I am already. You know, being part of the establishment is no easy job, but someone has to do it. I may have to make difficult decisions from time to time but, of course, there are compensations. People from all over the world pass through my doors, I mix with the highest society, I know what’s going on in any place at any given time. I have people willing and able – at my beck and call day and night. Most of the time I really enjoy it all. Do I follow God? … Well, all I can say is you have to keep your eye on the goal and go for it. You’re better to keep stuff like that in its own personal space. Otherwise it just complicates issues and, in the long run, makes you weak and threatens your stability. Bottom line: don’t let anything stand in your way.

Busy family man (the owner of the home Mary and Joseph stayed in)
Well, the tourist season is in full swing. Talk about busy - I’ve been run of my feet. I’m working morning noon and night and if I’m not working, I driving the kids to tennis or swimming and if I’m not doing that I’m writing up the minutes to some meeting I got dobbed in for. They say if you want something done, then ask a busy man! Now and again I just put my foot down and say that’s enough, I’ve had it – tonight is time out and I take the wife out for a meal or take the kids down to the beach for an hour or so. I’d love to do that on a regular basis but I dunno where the time goes. Do I go to church!!!??? Well, of course, I’d love to go to church. God and church are very high on my list of priorities but, at the moment, there just isn’t enough room in my life.

Outcast (Shepherd)
Umm ….. I shouldn’t really be here. I’m a bit of an outsider. This place is a bit flash for me. Ann (insert your minister's name) asked me to speak but I feel quite uncomfortable up here because I know that most of you disapprove of me. It’s probably the circles I mix in. When you’re at the bottom of the barrel, you tend to hang out with others who are in similar situations. And most of them are good mates too. Loyal and stick with you through thick and thin. I know, my kids run wild – but what can I do. I’m never at home. If I‘d stayed at school a bit longer and got my VCE or something maybe things would be different. If I had a proper job we could live in a better neighbourhood and go to church on Sundays. I’d like to do that – go to church on Sunday’s like other people do, a chance to praise God and everything - but life doesn’t always work out the way you thought it would, does it?

Thinker (Magi)
I never make a hasty decision. It’s not part of the way I live or work. I like to think things through, read up on issues, ….. discuss things. You should see my library – it is absolutely terrific. And now that I’m on-line I find the internet particularly useful. It gives me new angles on things and encourages me to keep on searching. I haven’t found all the answers yet – it’s a long journey I’m on, but I have a few goals and I am enjoying the travelling. You see, I can’t just take people’s experiences at face value, I want to discover them for myself. What’s my goal? It’s a bit hard to put into just one sentence but, basically, I think I am searching for God.

By Rosemary Broadstock and Ann Scull (copyrighted but feel free to use it with acknowledgement)

Discussion: About the above drama

1. Of the six people, who are you most like?

2. Work out who each person is in the Christmas story.

3. Which of them accepted gifts and tasks from God?

4. Who did not?

Listening Song: Grace

By U2 on their album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (pictured at left).

Response Activity: Based on above Listening Song
Consider where you stand with God and where you are on your faith journey.
Maybe you have never been baptised and would like to?

Maybe you feel God's call to a particular ministry and would like it to be confirmed by the church?
Maybe you would like the chance to reaffirm your baptismal vows?
If any of these issues are important to you then speak to the worship leader or an elder after the service.

Response Activity:

Have your church font in a very prominent place for this service - if possible have the seating arranged around it. Near the end of the service, even after the benediction, invite people to file past the font, dip their finger in and mark the person following with the sign of the cross. Ask them to use the time, as they are being marked with the sign of the cross, to think about their own baptism and what it means to them or to remind themselves that they truly do belong to God and are one of his special children.

Meditation: The Empowering God

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 60 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Isaiah reading.

Also:

Drama: A Thing Or Two About Winnowing
Found in Mega Drama 5 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109194, page 56 . This drama is based on the gospel reading

Creative Ideas: John the Baptist: The Prophet from the wilderness

Found in Multi-Sensory Prophets by Mike Law, Scripture Union, 2007, ISBN 9781844272587, page 50 (pictured at left). This is based on the Luke reading.

Prayer/Action: Loneliness

Found  in Going Home Another Way by Neil Paynter, Wild Goose Publications, 2008,pages 110 and based on the Isaiah reading. 

Psalm 29: The Voice of God

Found in Australian Psalms by Bruce Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, 1979, page 20. This book is an oldie but a goodie.    

Christmas 2 ABC (January 2): Guiding Lights/Special Children

 

 

Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147:12-20, Ephesians 1:3-4, John 1:1-9, 10-18

A little note:   Christmas 2 is the same EVERY year.  Not sure why - possibly because it does not show up often,  

About the Images:

Upper Left: This is a free image from Heartlight. To visit their site, go to my links column on the left hand side of this page.
Upper Right: This is a free clipart image from Hermano Leon with my text. To find his clipart, go to my links column on the left hand side of this page.
Middle Left: This is a free image from Church Galleries.  See my link column at left. 

Middle Right: This image comes from another excellent free site: http://www.cruzblanca.org/hermanoleon/. I put the text on to the image.
Lower Left and Right: These are more free images from Heartlight.

Listening Song: Immanuel

By Michael Card and found on his CD, Joy in the Journey (pictured at left).

Listening Song: Dies Irae 
By Robert Prizeman on his album, Libera (pictured at right). This song uses some of the gospel words.

Kid's Talk: Reflecting the Light 
A great kid's story and associated puzzle and colouring-in pages based on John 1:6-9 can be found at http://www.sermons4kids.com/reflecting_the_light.htm

Kids' Story: Our Granny

By Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas, Omnibus Books, 1993, ISBN 1862913501 (pictured at left). This story develops the idea of family and therefore relates to how we are all children of God.

Drama: A Perfect Disgrace

Found in Cloth For the Cradle by the Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 1997, ISBN 1901557014, page 100 (pictured at right).

Drama: Don't You See Me

A lovely moving drama which goes well with the Ephesians reading. If you cannot find the music for the song or do not have a singer, I think that reading the words of the song would work quite well.  You can find this drama at http://www.dramatix.org/archive/Issues/dont_you_see_me.html
 

Film Clips: A Christmas Carol - The Musical

This Dickens story (pictured at left) runs parallel to the second half of the gospel reading as follows: John 1:10-11:Rejecting Jesus: Scrooge as he is at the beginning of the film. John 1: 12-13: Accepting Jesus: Scrooge as he is when, in the graveyard, he finally realises what it is all about. John 1: 14-18: Reflecting Jesus: Scrooge at the end of the film when he cannot help but spread good cheer, love and generosity.  I found all three clips at www.wingclips.com

Film Clip: The Cider House Rules

 Show the clip (around 13 minutes in) where Curley is told he is special. This goes very well with the part in the John reading and the Ephesians reading that tells us that we are God's special children.

Story: Not Unless You Take It

This story, based on the John reading, can be found at http://www.preachhim.org/UnClaimedGrace.htm under section 2B.

Story: Point to the Light

Found in The Youth Bible, Word Publishing, 1991, ISBN 0849909252, page 1058 (pictured at left). This story goes well with the gospel reading.

Quote: Madeleine L'Engle

It starts with "cribb'd, cabined and confined" and can be found in in Imaging the Word Volume 2 by Susan A. Blain Sharon Iverson Glouwens, Catherine O'Callaghan, Grant Spradling (Eds.), United Church Press, 1995, ISBN 0829810331, page 105 (pictured at right).

Adult Response:
Challenge everyone with the Reject, Accept, and Reflect challenges found in John 1:10-18. It is interesting to note that in John's view accepting Jesus without reflecting him in your life is pretty much the same as rejecting him. Give people some space and time to think about this. 

Also:

Worship Activity: Responsive Reading

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 680 (pictured at left).  This is based on the John reading.

Prayer Exercise: Singing our Prayers

Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 68 (pictured at right).  This is based on the Psalm reading.

Drama: Accept My Gift

Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 96 (pictured at left). This drama is based on the John reading.

Drama: Heavenly Gift

Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 27. This is based on the John reading.  

Service Outline: Jesus for the Whole World

Based on the Isaiah reading this is found in The All-Age Service Annual Volume 4, published by Scripture Union, 2010, ISBN 9781844275199, page 74 (pictured at left).

Drama: God in the Real World

Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109208, page 89 . This drama goes well with the John reading.

Drama: Prospecting

Found in Mega Drama 6 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109208, page 9 . This drama goes well with the John reading.

Meditation: He Was In The World
Found in He Was in the World by John L. Bell, Wild Goose Publications, 1995, ISBN 094798870X, page 69 and based on the John reading.

Psalm 147

Found in The Psalms: An Artist's Impression by Anneke Kaai and Eugene Peterson, Piquant, 1999, ISBN 0 9535757 0 5, page 50-52. 

Christmas Bauble

Found in Messy Church 2 by Lucy Moore, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84101 602 3, page 105. This is based on the John reading.

Seal of Belonging

Found in Messy Church 2 by Lucy Moore, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84101 602 3, page 187-8. This is based on the Ephesians reading.

Opening Response: In Quietness and Darkness

Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 32ff (pictured at right).  This is based on the John reading.

Meditation: With God All Things Are Possible

Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 57ff (pictured at right).  This is based on the John reading.

Drama: Whose Been Sleeping in MY Manger?

Found in All Age Sketches for The Christian Year by Peter Shaw, The Bible Reading Fellowship, 2006, ISBN 10 1 984101 458 3, page 18ff.  This is based on the John reading.

Poem and Painting: A Bloke Called Jesus

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 4. These are based on the John reading. 

Reflection and Prayer: 
Found in Advent Readings from Iona by Brian Woodcock and Jan Sutch Pickard, Wild Goose Publications, 2005, ISBN 1901557332 (pictured at right). These are based on the Ephesians reading and found under the heading: December 3rd.

Reading:

By Jean Mortimer in Doing December Differently by Nicola Slee and Rosie Miles (Eds.),Wild Goose Publications, 2006, ISBN 1 905010 23 0, page 204 and based on the John reading. 

Reflection, Poem and Prayer:

By Leith Fisher and found in Going Home Another Way by Neil Paynter, Wild Goose Publications, 2008,pages 29ff and based on the John reading. 

Prayer/Action: Sacred and Secular

Found  in Going Home Another Way by Neil Paynter, Wild Goose Publications, 2008,pages 122 and based on the John reading.  

Psalm 147: This Works Around Us

Found in Australian Psalms by Bruce Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, 1979, page 32. 

The Divine Secret

Found in Australian Psalms by Bruce Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, 1979, page 44 and based on the Ephesians reading. This book is an oldie but a goodie.