FREELTON STRABANE UNITED CHURCH
To Live Our Discipleship With Integrity And Grace
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Epiphany 1 Baptism of Jesus
January 11 2026
Rev. Will Wheeler BA M. Div. E-mail: [email protected]
Organist : Joan Simpson
Call To Worship
Take this moment sign and space
Take my friends around
Here among us make the place
Where your love is found me
(Iona Abbey Music book pg 122)
Call To worship
One The child has been born, the angels have sung their choir songs.
All so what is next for the people of god?
One the coloured lights have been turned off, the tree and decorations put away.
All so what is next for the people of God ?
One The shepherd have gone home and the Kings have left their gifts.
All So what is next for the people of God ?
One the shortbread and fruit cake are eaten, the turkey soup is in the freezer.
All: So what is next for the people of God ?
One: The light has come, and it shines brightly for us.
All So what is next for the people of god ?
One Just as for all of us, the next step comes in Faith
All What do you mean?
One: just like us , Jesus was baptized. Just like us, God names him beloved. Just like us, Jesus comes to know God’s presence.
All Just like Jesus, we come to God. Let us come to God in worship today.
All Gracious one, Holy One, at the dawn of creation, your spirit danced upon the waters. At the baptism of Jesus, your Spirit revealed him to be the One through whom your grace would be made known to the ends of the earth. Teach us to lean upon the riches of your grace and the abundance of your Spirit, that we might be equipped, this day and always to follow Jesus with courage and compassion. Through Christ, who lives and reigns with you the Spirit one God, now and forever Amen
One: Let us listen to the word of God
All Our ears are open
One Our lesson is taken from Acts 10 34-43
One This is the word of the Lord
All Thanks be to God
One: The Light of Gods Love illuminates our lives in the Good news found in the teaching of our Saviour Let us listen to the Gospel of our Lord our lesson is taken from the Gospel Mathew 3:13-17
Well we have decked the halls with bows of holly and now Fast away the old year passes, Hail the new, ye lads and lasses: Laughing quaffing all together, Heedless of the wind and weather. Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! The theme I had for under the tree was dishing up Christmas and I had a lot of the serving dishes under the tree. I might have had to dish up Christmas but now I have to do the dishes
We honoured Epiphany last week here, it was actually on January 6th Old Christmas Day, Ukrainian Christmas and this past week for some it is the traditional so long to the festive season The Manse is totally topsy tervy, It does seem to go away a lot faster than it comes together. Stuffing that tree back in the box is always a true miracle.
In the end the living room looks huge…and empty.
Standing in the middle of the of the room thinking should I re arrange the dust you come to realize that When the tree was lit and the lights on the house somehow it didn’t really seem like winter but now the reality of winter’s greyness is seen in it’s clarity. We are tenderly into 2026
John has been doing his thing
John Jesus’s second cousin on his mother’s side. Who because of what he is doing get the monichore John the Baptist.
To all account he seems to be content in his lot, promoting a message of repentance and of getting ready. That the one “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Yes John, was confident and didn’t think twice about speaking his mind and who he did or did not offend. Like when the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, (as at this time it was the trendy thing to do) he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Rather fire and brimstone message.
Then Jesus shows up.
At this point in the story I could not help but think of the Song from the Musical Les Mesarables sung by Jean Valjean ‘ Who am I “
Here is John a rather confident, take charge kind of guy speak you mind person, If you don’t like what I am saying don’t let the door hit your kind of prophet. Has his own followers and he is suddenly full of doubt
Who am I? I am not worthy to carry his sandals
Who am I ? I am no one you should be baptizing me
Who am I? I am not worthy this is not proper
Who am I to play such a role in this story?
We could sing the same song. Who are we ?
Who are we to play such a role in this story of God’s great plan ?
Who are we? We are not Jesus or even Jesus like.
Who are we,? We are not people of great means .
Who are we? We are not people of celebrity or political sway
Who are we? We are not great activists or voices for change
Who are we? We are not even worthy to untie or even carry the sandals of God.
There on the banks of the Jordan river, its muddy water meandering by feet sinking in the mud Jesus, taking his cousin by the shoulders leaning in speaks quietly. “John, it is you. You are worthy, and it is right and proper and it will fulfill all righteousness. We all have our part to play and this is yours. “
Together they wade out just a way from the shore. John speaking ritual words of repentance, and devotion to God takes Jesus under the water.
Then enlightenment depending on what gospel you read, either just Jesus or everyone hears the voice of God This is my son with whom I am well pleased.
Here on the banks of our lives Jesus takes us by the shoulders leaning in speaks quietly, I know you are not me, I don’t expect you to be me, You won’t do what I did. But I tell you this you will do great things in your own right. You will make a difference because you said yes when my Father spoke your name. I am with you always. We these words of love we are taken into the waters of baptism and then enlightenment and our journey of faith begins again.
Who are We? We are called by God God has said again and again I want to be your God. I am here for you always. Even when you walk through the valley of the shadows of your darkest fears, when all light is gone, all hope appears to be lost. I am still your God and I am with you.
As some one once said The deep in us calls for something deep to answer.
How many of us have story of that unexplained presence, that feeling of reassurance that all will be alright.
Lord here I am. God has said in reply here I am.
We are offered Grace. Grace in the Cross, Grace in in Baptism, Grace in Communion God there for us.
Then it is up to us what we do with that grace that is given.
God has made it a rule for Himself that He won’t alter people’s character by force. He can and will alter them but only if people will let him.
The first aspect of knowing God is understanding that God is with us.
The Second is discerning God’s call
God calls us by name. How will we answer? Now in this season of light it is for us to seek out and look and discern what that call of God might be. How is God speaking to us and are we listening. We as individual and as the body of Christ called to be a community of Faith
Who are We. We are one with each other by our Baptism, joined in the body of Christ and the communion of the saints. For we are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen
Prayers of the people
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God.
Prayers
Who are We Oh God. Who are we to play such a role in this story of God’s great plan ? Who are we? We are not people of great means .
Or people of celebrity or political sway we are simple folk and yet in our center we feel your divine spark glow and here your voice say you are not simple folk you are my people and I have called you by name. You are my doers, my fixers, my dreamers. In you I see wonderful love.
May we allow the divine within us to be realized in our lives. May we trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit even when we don’t understand where it is we are called to go. May your Spirit inspire us to do the work you have set for us, to bring comfort where we can and to dream of how your church might be
In our prayers we stand with all those that are oppressed, live war and fear. Those that long for health care and food security. They are the countless that we shall never know
In our prayers we ask for strength to stand with those who we do know who shoulder the burdens of their journey. We name them before you
In our lives we have known you standing next to us. We are grateful for the many blessings you bestow upon us. We humbly ask that your Spirit may continue to direct us and touch our lives. We offer you our own prayers in our hearts.
Lord Hear our Prayers and in your time answer. We offer you the great prayer that binds us as one. Saying Our Father.
Offering
We give thee but thy own. The work of the Church continues and there are three ways you can continue to support that work. Consider using PAR, use the donate button on our Web Site or drop your gift at the Manse. Let us make our offering and give thanks.
One: Praise God who from all Blessing flow
Prayer O God we offer you all the gifts we have for we know that they are an outpouring that you have given us. We offer and give ourselves and our substance to you to fulfil your coming kingdom. May all that we dedicate here, accomplish much good and bring healing to our troubled world Amen
Sending Forth and Blessing.
One: A voice is heard in heaven saying,
All I am with you always”
One a voice is heard in heaven saying
All” These are me beloved children”
One A voice is heard in heaven saying
All ‘ with you I am well pleased”
One Go then, go with God, as beloved children, and do that which is pleasing to God.
amen amen amen
Yesterdaywe honour our heritage.
Todaywe know that we are not alone,that we live in God's world.
Tomorrowwith God,we will discoverthe undiscovered country.
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