The opening act… - 1/10/2021
Call to worship:
L: In the beginning is the Voice, and the Voice of God thunders over the waters,
P: The Voice of God sounds over the deep, saying,
L: “Come to Jordan, wade into the stream, for the Lord grants strength to those who are weary,
P: For the Lord God blesses the peoples with peace!”
L: O children of earth, step off the bank and into the waters,
P: And the clouds will be rent by the light of heaven.
L: There shall be evening, and there shall be morning:
A: And we shall worship the One who declares this day good!
Opening Hymn: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light #206
1. I want to walk as a child of the light
I want to follow Jesus
God set the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus
Chorus:
In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart Lord Jesus
2. I want to see the brightness of God
I want to look at Jesus
Clear Sun of righteousness shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father (Chorus)
3. I'm looking for the coming of Christ
I want to follow Jesus
When we have run with patience the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus (Chorus)
Opening Prayer:
O God, your voice can split the heavens, part the waters, divide night from day. It can flash forth fire, shake the wilderness, thunder over the storm. Yet your word so often is heard among us not in the tempest, but in the silence.
Speak to us, O God, and let us listen, that we might detect the whisper of a wing, the rustle of a feather. Let us listen, that we might glimpse the dove and hear the voice that Jesus heard, saying, “You are my beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Speak again to us, O Lord, for when you speak, it is done, and behold, it is very good.
Epistle Reading: Acts 19: 1-7
Children's Message (video)
Hymn: Lord of the Dance #261
1 I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth.
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
[Refrain:]
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
2 I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they would not dance and they would not follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
they came to me and the dance went on. (Refrain)
3 I danced on the sabbath when I cured the lame,
the holy people said it was a shame;
they whipped and they stripped and they hung me high;
and they left me there on a cross to die. (Refrain)
4 I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back;
they buried my body and they thought I’d gone,
but I am the dance and I still go on. (Refrain)
5 They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. (Refrain)
Prayer of Dedication:
O God, your ears hears the songs of the universe before they are sung, the symphonies before they are played, the harmonies before they are sounded. As your voice hums the lyrics of the canticle you have composed, your ear tunes the strings of the lyre you have crafted. You are composer, conductor, musician, and music, and you sing to your accompaniment, to dance with the Word.
We praise you, Dear Father, for allowing us to hear the music that comes from you. The melody of your voice comes into our hearts and we sing in unison with you. Amen.
Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 4-11
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Sermon Title: The opening act… (video)
If you have ever been to a concert where the group or person you came to see was the last on a list of other performers, then you have probably seen your fair share of opening acts. There are actually several reasons for these acts to begin the event. For one, it gives them the opportunity to perform to a crowd that they would not be able to gather on their own due to their unknown stature. It also gives the crowds a chance to see and hear somebody new with having to pay for another ticket. But the biggest reason for these acts to begin the event that you actually came for is to get everyone pumped up and in the mood for a great performance.
In the passage that we read from the Gospel of Mark today, we hear about John the Baptist, who is essentially the opening act for Jesus.
As part of Jesus’ birth story, we remember that His mother, Mary, went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also with child (about six months along) and when Mary was near enough to Elizabeth so that she could hear her, the baby within her leapt for joy. That baby inside of Elizabeth was John. One could say that John was the opening act for Jesus for their entire lives. We were even told by the Prophet Isaiah that John would be a “proclaimer” for Jesus. “The voice of one crying out into the wilderness.”
In his “opening act” John baptized a lot of people (people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem) who came out to him and confessed their sins as he baptized by him. But the most important baptism that John performed was the one of Jesus himself.
John had been telling all of these people who came to him that he was baptizing them with water, but the One who would be following him (aka the main performance) would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. And while he was the “opening act”, important, but not nearly as important as the One who was coming after him, John diligently baptized all who came to him and repented of their sins.
It is true that John stood out in other ways, as well. He wore clothes made of camel hair and ate locusts and wild honey. It seems strange that his clothing and diet are mentioned each time that he is, and if you couple that with the fact that he “appeared in the wilderness,” you start to get the impression that he looked something like “Jeremiah Johnson” coming down out of the mountains after two years of seeing no other human.
But instead of focusing on John’s wardrobe and diet as being different, perhaps we should look at the fact that John was not wealthy and he made clothes from whatever he had or could find. Locusts, while gross in our culture, were eaten by many in that time and region and are still eaten today. There are plenty of them and they are pure protein, so it was not odd to others that John did this. I do believe that the orator of the Bible stories simply wanted folks to understand how much John stood out as the one who proclaimed the Savior of the world.
And so then, we come to the main attraction, Jesus, as He enters from Nazareth of Galilee. He came specifically to be baptized by his cousin, John. Even though John knew that he was not worthy, and told Jesus so in other Gospel renditions of this story, Jesus came at this time, to John, as he stood in the Jordan River because this is what had been foretold.
And as Jesus came up out of the water; once He had been ritually cleansed, the heavens were torn apart (part of the big show) and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove. And God said in His great God voice, “You are my Son, with you I am well pleased.”
A great show? You bet! An apocalyptic performance? You’re darn tootin’! The end? Not even close! This was literally just the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Up until now, he had been born and then raised and had learned and taught and grown in His faith. The next three years would change the world forever.
John the Baptist has proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah; the One who would save us all. God affirmed this in a single act one afternoon, for all the world to see.
And now, just as Jesus received that affirmation from Father God, we, too, are being sent out to spread the word that God is in control and loves us and wants only the best for all of His creation. Let us go out in love and spread the word of God through the actions of His Son Jesus the Christ.
Amen!
Closing Hymn: Spirit Song #347
1. Oh let the Son of God enfold you
With His Spirit and His love
Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul
Oh let Him have those things that hold you
And His Spirit like a dove
Will descend upon your life and make you whole
[Chorus]
Jesus oh Jesus
Come and fill Your lambs
Jesus oh Jesus
Come and fill Your lambs
2. Oh come and sing the song of gladness
As your hearts are filled with joy
Lift your hands in sweet surrender to His name
Oh give Him all your tears and sadness
Give Him all your years of pain
And you'll enter into life in Jesus' name