Baptism of the Lord
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| Scripture | Theme | Hymns |
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| Isaiah 42:1-9 | The Lord's servant brings justice to the nations | 103: Immortal, Invisible,
God Only Wise 730: O Day of God, Draw Nigh |
| Psalm 29 | The glory and strength of the Lord | 154: All Hail the Power of
Jesus' Name 155: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name 181: Ye Servants of God 514: Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus |
| Acts 10:34-43 | Forgiveness of sins for everyone who believes in the name of Christ | 363: And Can It Be that I
Should Gain 372: How Can We Sinners Know |
| Matthew 3:13-17 | Christ baptized by John | 193: Jesus! the Name High
over All 267: O Love, How Deep |
So many common phrases refer to the passage of time. Time marches on. Time flies when you're having fun. Timeless beauty. Just in time. Many more phrases come to mind effortlessly. As people on this earth, we often feel that we are at the mercy of time. Unfortunately, time has no consciousness and no sense of mercy. Indeed, time exacts a toll on each of us with every passing moment.
As fearful and forboding as that may seem, though, the passage of time also brings us closer to promises for the future. God's Word holds promises for a time of justice and forgiveness for His people. In a large sense, then, whether we love or fear the passage of time depends on our focus. Do we fear the toll that time takes on us, or do we rejoice in God's promises for the future?
This week's featured hymn was written by Robert Scott (1899-1987), a minister ordained in the United Church in Canada. Scott was actively engaged in expanding the influence of Christian teachings in the order of society. He wrote "O Day of God Draw Nigh" in 1937 for the Fellowship for a Christian Social Order, an organization in which he served as president for four years. The hymn calls for judgment, obedience, security, peace, and light. Since then, the world has experienced another world war, the Holocaust, and many more military engagements and terrorist attacks. We should be saddened and shocked that what Scott knew and sought in 1937, if achieved, would have averted all of those tragedies.
Read the words of this hymn thoughtfully and take them to heart.
| 1. O day of God, draw nigh in beauty and in power; come with thy timeless judgment now to match our present hour. |
2. Bring to our troubled minds, uncertain and afraid, the quiet of a steadfast faith, calm of a call obeyed. |
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| 3. Bring justice to our land, that all may dwell secure, and finely build for days to come foundations that endure. |
4. Bring to our world of strife thy sovereign word of peace, that war may haunt the earth no more, and desolation cease. |
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As we begin another year, let us look forward to the day of God, just as Robert Scott did. And let us each do all that we can to share the peace and light of the Gospel each day, that all of the world might see in us a reflection of the blessed day when we can truly say that the day of God has indeed arrived.
God bless you--
Lection at HymnSite.com
God bless you!
| Passages suggested are from The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Abingdon Press, 1992) copyright © by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Reprinted with permission of CCT. |