Worship  | |
|
Service of Baptism
Service of Baptism
"Release God’s Image Within You"
Created in God’s image, we are called to share that image with others as we develop and use our gifts.
We Share Our Joy
Prelude
Welcome and Call to Worship:
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us…"—Ephesians 5:1–2, NRSV
|
*Hymn of Praise: "Creation Flows Unceasingly"
|
HS 69
|
*Invocation
*Response
Story: "The Boy Who Had Wings" by Jane Yolen (book out of print but can be requested from local library)
Story summary: Long ago in a small Greek village a boy, Aetos, was born with wings. Because this made his family uneasy a black cloak was made to cover them and hide his "differentness." Ultimately, it is Aetos’s wings that are needed to save his father trapped high in the mountains. The story serves as a biography for anyone blessed with a gift and illustrates the freedom and joy that comes from releasing our gifts in service to others.
OR A testimony about how a person’s gifts have been used in service to others.
|
Hymn: "Make Room Within My Heart, O God" (stanza 1 only)
|
HS 182
|
We Share Our Hope
Each parent expresses hope for their child as they make this commitment to reveal God’s image in their lives.
(If there are several children baptismal candidates, each parent makes a short statement expressing the hope described above.)
We Share Our Faith
Ministry of Music:
"God Goes With Me" Youth Choir
C
words by Mary Kay Beall, arranged by Charles Yannerella, copyright 1987 by Richmand Music Press, Inc.
Sacrament of Baptism
__________ will be baptized by __________
|
Hymn: "Baptized in Water"
|
HS 350
|
We Share Our Support
Congregational Unison Reading
ALL:
|
As a part of that larger family that embraces these young people in love, we offer our words of hope and expectation. May____,______, and ______ continue to discover within themselves the image of God that resides there. May we participate in nurturing that divine Presence, that it may grow and flourish, bringing to fulfillment all of the promise resident within each of their lives. And may we be receptive to what they bring into our midst—their smiling faces, their enthusiasm and energy, their creativity and gifts, their ministry. May we minister to them in accordance with their needs, and allow them to minister to us in accordance with the gifts God has given them.
|
Offertory
Members of the congregation come forward to bring their offering to baskets in the front and receive a feather (if story was used) symbolizing their willingness to free their gifts in service to God and each other.
We Share Our Commitment
Challenge to Congregation
Responsive Reading
|
Leader:
|
We have witnessed the decision of these young people to share their lives with us in our common commitment to Christ. Let us affirm their covenant and acknowledge our individual and corporate responsibility to them.
|
People:
|
We rejoice in the lives of ____, _____, and ______. We are grateful for the caring families who have brought them to this moment. We accept our own responsibility to nurture them and to learn from them in the years ahead.
|
Leader:
|
As we consider our own lives of faith, let us recognize the struggles we have encountered and still face. We know of doubt and disappointment. Even so, we also know of great joy and abundant hope. May we be receptive to each other, and especially just now to these newly baptized ones as they embark on a new journey. May we encourage when encouragement is needed, sustain when sustenance is sought, and seek their help when they can minister to us.
|
People:
|
We are grateful that God has given us this moment. May we be blessed in our reasonable service and may God’s Spirit continue to enrich us and sustain us in our times of need.
|
All:
|
Let us rejoice that in this community new vitality, energy, and creativity has been added to our midst. Let us support one another in our faith journeys as we walk together in paths of love and service.
|
|
*Hymn of Community: "Companions on the Journey"
OR "If by Your Grace I Choose to Be"
|
SN 7
HS 432
|
*Benedictory Blessing
*Response
*Postlude
|
|
