Baptized We Live
April 2, 2025
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Standing OPENING
For these forty days, we journey with Jesus down the Lenten path. As we gather around the cross, we seek to be renewed in our baptismal call to let the light of Christ's love shine through us.
We come with hearts open to learn.
We will listen to stories of Jesus’ life and of God’s people, because they teach us how God calls us to live in the world.
We come to learn from the stories of God’s ancient people, Christ’s life, and the church.
We will light candles to remind each other of the fullness of Christ’s presence with us in our worship and in our world.
We come to learn how to better see and reflect the light of Christ. We will receive Christ present in bread and wine and so experience the boundless grace of our Lord.
We come to be made into what we receive, the body of Christ given to the world. We will pray as Jesus taught us and send each other back into daily life with a deeper connection to the life and love of Jesus.
We come to learn how to live more fully in the image of God.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight. Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family. Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all. Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love. Amen.
HYMN: ELW 561
Seated
Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory
WORD: Acts 8:26-40
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He
replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
REFLECTION REMEMBERING SAINT BENEDICT THE AFRICAN
Standing HYMN: ELW 452
Awake O Sleeper Rise from Death
PRAYER AND THANSGIVING
You are holy, O God of majesty, and holy is your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He lived as one of us, and knew our joy, our pain and sorrow, and our death. By his death on the cross you revealed that your love has no limit. By raising him from death you conquered
the last enemy, crushed all evil powers, and gave new life to the world. In the waters of baptism we are joined to his life, death, and resurrection, and called to be lights in the world, shining with Christ's light, love and grace.
Letting our light so shine before others that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, we light our candles.
Pause for the sharing of the light.
Through the beauty of the candle’s light, we see the brightness of God’s love shining in every darkness.
Through the warmth of the candle’s heat, we feel the strength of God’s love burning through all obstacles.
In the scent of the candle’s wax, we remember the promise that our prayers rise up as incense to God.
In the flavor of the candle’s smoke on our breath, we taste the persistence of God’s love, surviving the flames and taking new form.
In the sound of the candle’s flame crackling, we hear the dance of God’s love, which we are invited to join.
May the light, warmth, scent, flavor, and sound of our candles lead us deeper into the love of God today and always. Amen.
HYMN: ELW 677 This Little Light of Mine
Verse 1:This little light of mine, I'm goin'-a let it shine...
Verse 2: Everywhere I go, I'm goin'-a let it shine...
Verse 3: Jesus gave it to me, I'm goin'-a let it shine...
Please extinguish your candles PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. | And also with you.
HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord be with you. | And also with you. Lift up your hearts. | We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. |It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O God, Creator of our wilderness world, O God, Savior of the lost, O God, Comforter of the sick and suffering, we give you thanks for your everlasting might; we glorify you for your covenant of mercy.
For forty days you cleansed the earth with the waters of the flood. For forty days you illumined Moses with the words of your law. For forty years you fed your people with manna from heaven.
You became truly human in Jesus our brother. For forty days, with fasting and prayer, he renounced the power of the devil. On the night before he died he took bread, and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Transform us, O God, with your lively Spirit. Make this food into manna for our journey, the body and blood of your Son. Teach us your words of wisdom and justice. Renew the whole earth with baptismal grace. At the last, lead all your pilgrim people through our wilderness to your Easter garden.
To you, O God, Creator, Savior, Comforter, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be our worship and praise, adoration and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
AFTER COMMUNION
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen
Let us pray. | Generous Host, you have shared your feast with us and made us new. Send us now to set tables of love and grace in our communities, that your liberating love might nourish the world into freedom, in the name of the crucified one, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
ELW 445 Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters
BLESSING
God our tender parent, God the crucified one, God the reconciling Spirit, ☩ bless you now and forever.
Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you. | Thanks be to God.