prepared by Deacon Nigel Perrott – 11th January 2026
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—[b]
so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Hymn STF 28 – Jesus calls us here to meet him
1 Jesus calls us here to meet him
as, through word and song and prayer,
we affirm God’s promised presence
where his people live and care.
Praise the God who keeps his promise;
praise the Son who calls us friends;
praise the Spirit who, among us,
to our hopes and fears attends.
2 Jesus calls us to confess him
Word of life and Lord of all,
sharer of our flesh and frailness,
saving all who fail or fall.
Tell his holy human story;
tell his tales that all may hear;
tell the world that Christ in glory
came to earth to meet us here.
3 Jesus calls us to each other,
vastly different though we are
creed and colour, class and gender
neither limit nor debar.
Join the hand of friend and stranger;
join the hands of age and youth;
join the faithful and the doubter
in their common search for truth.
John L. Bell (b. 1949) and Graham Maule (b. 1958)
Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 28
Words: From Love from Below © 1989, WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH Scotland. <www.wgrg.co.uk>
Opening Prayers
Lord, you who created everything, you who we dare to call our Father, we come to worship.
As we come to worship you this day, help us to welcome your presence in our lives. Help us to ask for and receive forgiveness.
Lord, you reach down into our darkness, into the pits and the traps other make for us, and so often the things we do that can create a mess in our lives. You step into our lives and help us to see the light of your love care and care. You Lord are not distant, but close at hand in times of trouble. You are there with us, in the joys and in the sorrows. We worship and adore you.
Your beauty can be seen in the world you created. Forgive us for those times when we do not treat the world you provided, with the care needed to keep its beauty.
Lord, we thank you that in the darkness of our world you so often bring hope through the hands and actions of the trying to make a difference. Forgive us Lord, for when we are blind to those who are need.
So loving God we recognise that you are indeed the great, the mighty and the awesome God.
God beyond, generous in love and kindness and possessing all.
Speak to us today, as we come into your presence, as we give thanks for the gift of your spirit, and the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ our Saviour
The Lord’s Prayer
Hymn STF 78- Give Thanks with a grateful heart
78 Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks because he’s given
Jesus Christ, his Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One;
give thanks because he’s given
Jesus Christ, his Son.
And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong,’
let the poor say, ‘I am rich,’
because of what the Lord has done for us;
And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong,’
let the poor say, ‘I am rich,’
because of what the Lord has done for us;
Give thanks.
Henry Smith (b. 1952) Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 78
Words and Music: © 1978 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music / Integrity Music Europe, PO Box 39, Westham, BN23 6WA UK <songs@integrityeurope.com> Used by permission.
Please Read: Matthew 3:13-17 – The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
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.”
Reflection
It may seem that the year has started at a pace and the celebrations of the birth of Jesus can become distant and move on. Before too long, Lent will be upon us and the cycle continues. I have said this before, we need to remember that all these celebrated events are anchor points that help to remember what and who Jesus was. Not just to those long ago, but to us today. Jesus wasn’t a baby forever, and this reading is right at the start of his ministry, where it all began.
Jesus comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John. It’s a surprising moment. John’s baptism is for repentance of sin. However, Jesus has nothing to repent of! but he steps into the same water as everyone else. This Emmanuelle, this God with us, shows how he is one with us. He chooses to stand with us, and not above us.
The first thing we can take from this is that God meets us by entering our world, not avoiding it and orchestrating it from far away.
Jesus begins his ministry in humility, just as he would throughout his ministry, washing the feet of his disciples. He identified with the brokenness of humanity so that none of us ever would feel beyond his reach.
As Jesus rises from the water, the heavens open. The Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father speaks: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Notice when this affirmation comes, not after a miracle, not after a sermon and not after some great achievement.
It comes before Jesus has done anything public at all. I see this as the fathers love for us and not some kind of reward that could be earnt. This was the beginning of what was to come.
Our identity in God starts with love, not performance. Before we succeed or fail, before we prove anything, God’s word over us in Jesus, is the same: “You are my child. You are loved. I delight in you”.
Finally, this moment at the Jordan is the doorway to Jesus’ mission. Baptism doesn’t end something—it begins something. The Spirit rests on him, and he steps forward into the work God has given him
And finally in this short passage we see how the people became spirit led people, we rise from the waters—literal or symbolic—to live out God’s love in the world.
May we remember today that Jesus stands with us, the Spirit rests upon us, and the Father calls us beloved, and from that place of grace, we are sent.
Our last hymn today, sums up beautiful all of this, and reminds us that Love really did come down at Christmas. This awesome love that God gave to us freely through Jesus. My pray for this year is that we can all experience that love and share it with all those around us.
Amen.
Hymn STF 233 – When Jesus came to Jordon
| 1 When Jesus came to Jordan to be baptised by John, he did not come for pardon, but as his Father’s Son. He came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins, to speak the vital sentence with which good news begins. 2 He came to share temptation, our utmost woe and loss, for us and our salvation to die upon the cross. So when the Dove descended on him, the Son of Man, the hidden years had ended, the age of grace began. | 3 Come, Holy Spirit, aid us to keep the vows we make; this very day invade us, and every bondage break. Come, give our lives direction, the gift we covet most: to share the resurrection that leads to Pentecost. Fred Pratt Green (1903–2000)Reproduced from Singing the Faith Electronic Words Edition, number 233 Words: © Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ |
Prayer
God of compassion and hope,
we lift before you our world, our community, and all who are in need.
Strengthen those who are weary, comfort those who mourn,
and guide all who lead with wisdom and kindness.
Loving God we continue to pray for peace and ask that you uphold all those experiencing violence and oppression. We pray that leaders act with compassion and wisdom that glorifies your name.
Bless our church family this week with courage, peace, and joy, especially those alone or unwell.
may we reflect your love in all we do.
Amen.
Blessing
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
