CHIMING OF THE HOUR

 WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS

 CALL TO WORSHIP

 One:  God says: Look! See my chosen servant, the One in whom I utterly delight;

ALL:  I have placed my Spirit on him, he will bring true justice to the nations.

One:  When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened up, and the Holy Spirit came down in the form

          of a dove; and there was a voice from heaven saying:

ALL:  “This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

One:  The joy of the Lord be with you all.

ALL:  And also with you.

 OPENING PRAYER

 MUSIC:    Here I Am Lord

 CALL TO CONFESSION

 PRAYER OF CONFESSION:

     O God, you who created all people in your image, hear our humble prayer.  We, your people, often stumble and lose our way in a world dominated by false values.  We confess that we have been tempted to choose contrary to your holy will.  All too often, we dismiss our own conscience as we turn our backs on people who need our help.  We confess that the path of least resistance is too often our path.  Even as the call to remember the widows and orphans rings out from Scripture we concede our sin of selective amnesia.  We forget those whose silent presence might remind us our forgotten baptismal covenant.  Forgive our sin of indifference and lead us toward being those whom you created us to be.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  AMEN 

 ASSURANCE OF PARDON

 CHILDREN’S SERMON

 SPECIAL MUSIC:   Just a Closer Walk with Thee

 SCRIPTURE READINGS:

 ACTS:  19:1-7

 19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.[a] 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” 5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

 MARK 1:4-11

 ⁴ This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. ⁵ All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. ⁶ His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. ⁸ I baptize you with^[a] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

 The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

⁹ One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him^[b] like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

 PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

 SERMON:    REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM

PASTORAL PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER

MUSIC:   Will You Come and Follow Me

 AFFIRMATION OF FAITH:  FROM A BRIEF STATEMENT OF FAITH – PC USA

 In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified,
suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil,
delivering us from death to life eternal.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE