Epiphanies both small and great! A ha moments that connect us to the holy #BaptismandOtherRitesOfPassage

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey,

Happy Sabbath Day and the the First Sunday after The Epiphany or The Baptism of Our Lord.
Wow that is a mouthful! I don't know about you but initiation rites in all faiths are monumental holy a ha moments. Christians go through at least one Baptism and if you are a sacramental/ liturgical church you may be confirmed. Our Jewish brothers and sisters go through circumcision if they are male after eight days, Jesus was Jewish and went through that rite. Girls in some Jewish communities are named, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are the initiation into adulthood in the Jewish community. There is Confirmation in Reformed Judaism. My sister Margaret taught Confirmation even though she didn't convert to Judaism. I have her Union Prayer Book. Which I found in our library book shop after she died. It was as if  Margaret was saying "Hello and I love you!" yes an a ha moment for sure. Can you think of initiation rites that have given you the goosebumps? When I was confirmed I got the goosebumps and remember when I felt Bishop Rusack anointing/sealing me with the chrism and slapping me on  the  arm.  I have been re-affirmed many times during my life as a step along my Christian journey. Are there any personal and not religious rites you have made as a life commitment to a religious group, community, relationship, change in your status, re-naming?  We see many times that changes in our faith requires a change of name, an inward change in personhood. One of these changes can be and we often miss it and that is the Reconciliation of a Penitent or Confession that allows us to meet privately and clear out the garbage in our soul and minds and begin the long process of metanoia or change of mind or turning around and making a new commitment in not practicing bad habits and sinning. Here is our assignment for tonight! We are going to meditate upon the Baptismal Covenant as we do a lot by renewing our vows and taking stock of where we are and give ourselves with God's help a personal report card. It's always good to do this at the beginning of the year. I don't like to do this on January 1 or First Advent because it can be insincere and lots of stress and pressure to make resolutions and taking inventory. So dear ones tonight is that night. 

Let us first enter in to this time of Baptismal Vow Renewal and Meditation by remembering the Smudging prayer. 



A Smudging Prayer 

Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.

Let us light our candles and make vigil this night!

God let us light our candles to pray that we may love radically with open hearts, open souls, open spirits, and open minds. Let our love be seen not only in words but deeds. Let our lives show the love that you have given us daily without fear. God let our love be the measuring stick from which we may guide ourselves to do better when we fall short in loving all of our family members. God help us to love with words that have deep and abiding meaning that will build up and not tear down. Give us the courage to support our family members who desire to love and live openly as beloved children of God. God help us to know that Love truly is Love without condition and needs to be celebrated daily in many and exciting ways. God help us to love radically in the service of others and with enough Love Energy to set the world ablaze with enlivened and joyful hearts. We pray these our prayers in the name of God and in the name of Love who is God. Amen.

The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and
renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?
I do.

Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

 Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
 I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

 I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

 Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the
prayers?

 I will, with God’s help.

 Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

 I will, with God’s help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?

 I will, with God’s help.

 Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?

 I will, with God’s help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every human being?

I will, with God’s help.

May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and
bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal
life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Let us remember Jesus' Baptism by looking to the lessons from today's lectionary.

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

Psalm 29

Afferte Domino

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.
9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, "Glory!"
10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Acts 10:34-43

Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Prayers for Commitment

God help us to commit to each other every day to be mindful that everyone matters.

God help us we pray to commit our lives to the care of all of our family members nearby and far away.

God help us we pray to commit to the equality and well being of all and that we will speak truth to power in solidarity with the marginalized as we remember especially_________.

God help us we pray to commit our Love Energy and Heart Homes to making peace on our streets and through out the world.

God help us we pray to commit  our care muscles in the care of all our family members and especially the least of these and our many family members who are ill in body, mind, and spirit.

God help us we pray to commit our compassion muscles in lovingly supporting our family members who are grieving and having life struggles.

God help us we pray to commit our energy to be good conservationists of your Cathedral of Life.

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to the fight of injustice, being a voice for the voiceless, and speaking truth to power and letting justice roll down.

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to the inclusion of all human beings into our lives and be fully accepting of them as our brothers and sisters. 

God help us we pray to commit our energies in the service of all our family members who are in trouble, danger, escaping tyranny and unsafe nations. 

God help us we pray to commit ourselves to protecting all who labor in factory, farm, and everywhere. 

God we commit ourselves to you, 

God we commit to being Loving towards you, our family members, and ourselves.

God we commit to walk the walk and talk the talk without fear and reservation,

God we commit to speak lovingly towards each other with dignity and respect.

God we commit to get to know our family members from other faith communities as our brothers and sisters.

God we commit to the affirmation that All Lives Matter and All means All and not Some.  
God we commit to enter into daily silence and go deeper to the center to be in communion, conversation, and listening with you and hear with our heart homes and with the necessary Love Energy you Give us.

God we add our additional prayers and thanksgivings now remembering especially__________

Accept these our prayers in name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Bits and pieces from the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense, and let
the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Psalm 141:2

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole
earth stand in awe of him. Psalm 96:9

Thine is the day, O God, thine also the night; thou hast
established the moon and the sun. Thou hast fixed all the
boundaries of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.
Psalm 74:15, 16

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart
teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always
before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.
Psalm 16:7, 8

Seek him that made the Pleiades and Orion, that turns deep
darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night;
that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out
upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his Name. Amos 5:8

If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me, and the light
around me turn to night,” darkness is not dark to thee, O Lord;

the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to thee
are both alike. Psalm 139:10, 11

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he that follows me
shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
John 8:12 


A Prayer of Self-Dedication
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so
guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our
wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto
thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always
to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we


For all Christians in their vocation
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole
body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified:
Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before
you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation
and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

For Vocation in Daily Work
Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory
and show forth your handiwork in the heavens and in the
earth: Deliver us in our various occupations from the service
of self alone, that we may do the work you give us to do in
truth and beauty and for the common good; for the sake of
him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For Social Service
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served
but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give
themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom,
patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the
suffering, the friendless, and the needy- for the love of him
who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus
Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For Social Justice
Almighty God, who created us in your own image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is

hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where

there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where

there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where

there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to

be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we

are born to eternal life. Amen.

Today we have another opportunity to read and meditate upon these scriptures and celebrate the Feast of Harriet Bedell 

Holy God, you chose your faithful servant Harriett Bedell to exercise the ministry of deaconess and to be a missionary among indigenous peoples: Fill us with compassion and respect or all people, and empower us for the work of ministry throughout the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Proverbs 8:32–9:6

"And now, my children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.

Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.

Happy is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.

For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favour from the Lord;

but those who miss me injure themselves;
all who hate me love death."

Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.

She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,

"You that are simple, turn in here!"
To those without sense she says,

"Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight."

Psalm 96:1-7

Cantate Domino

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; *

sing to the LORD, all the whole earth.

2 Sing to the LORD and bless his Name; *

proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations *

and his wonders among all peoples.

4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *

he is more to be feared than all gods.

5 As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *

but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *

Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!

7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples; *

ascribe to the LORD honor and power.

Romans 16:1-2

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well.

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Good Night Dear Ones! I hope you are discovering many a ha moments or are getting the holy a ha moment juices flowing. I love you and give thanks to God for you! Enjoy your night.  Be at peace and be well. 

With Love, blessings, and familyhood, because that is what we are!

Sara

References:

Book of Common Prayer

The Lectionary Page
Epiphany 1 The Baptism of Jesus

The Satucket Lectionary
Harriet Bedell

Indian Metis Christian Fellowship
Smudging Prayer