1 Baptism Bible 2-1

 LHoly God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,  Chave mercy and hear us. 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  2

 C. I believe in God, the Father almighty,  creator of heaven and earth.  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 into hell.  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.  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. Amen 3

 LShow us your mercy, O Lord,  C and grant us your salvation.  LClothe your ministers with righteousness.  C Let your people sing with joy.  LGive peace, O Lord, in all the world;  C for only in you can we live in safety.  LLord, keep this nation under your care,  C and guide us in the way of justice and truth.  LLet your way be known upon earth;  C your saving health among all nations.  LLet not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten,  C nor the hope of the poor be taken away.  LCreate in us clean hearts, O God,  C and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   LThe Lord be with you.  C And also with you. 4

 LWe give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours. Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.  C Amen  LLet us bless the Lord.  C Thanks be to God.   LThe + Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.  C Amen 5

 Corporate Confession and Absolution with Sprinkling   (This order may be used before the entrance hymn or in conjunction with the entrance hymn in procession). People are invited to turn and face the baptismal font or where the sprinkling bowl is located. All stand.   Invitatory  The blessing of this water reminds us of Christ, the living water, and of the sacrament of baptism, in which we were born of water and the Holy Spirit. Whenever, therefore, we are sprinkled with this holy water we thank God for his priceless gift to us and we ask for his help to keep us faithful to the sacrament we have received in faith  Silence for self-examination 6

 Prayer P.  O God, the Creator of all things, by water and the Holy Spirit you have given the universe its beauty and fashioned us in your own image. Bless and purify your Church.  O Christ the Lord, from your pierced side you gave us your sacraments as fountains of salvation. Bless and purify your Church.  O Holy Spirit, giver of life, from the baptismal font of the church you have formed us into a new creation in the waters of rebirth. Bless and purify your Church.  An ordained minister sprinkles the people with water, in silence or during the entrance hymn (in procession)  (Source: Book of Blessings, Collegeville: Liturgical Press 1989, pp )  Continue with Corporate Confession and Absolution, LBW p. 193, ELW p.238 7

 Discuss experience of baptismal renewal  Closer to God?  Closer to neighbor?  More at peace?  More thankful?  Nothing happened?  Other? 8

 Titus 3: 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9

 Are you a good person?  Who would say that your are a good person? What would your dog say?  Who do you say is the best person you know?  How do you decide? What do you look for? How sure are you? 10

 Chrysostom ( ) “Strange, isn’t it, how we were so drowned in wickedness that we could not be purified? We needed a new birth! For this is implied in ‘regeneration.’ For as when a house is in a ruinous state no one places props under it nor makes any addition to the old building, but pulls it down to its foundations and rebuilds it anew. So in our case, God has not repaired us but made us anew.”  Say this to the class in your own words! 11

 Augustine ( ) “If the (baptismal) forgiveness of sins were not to be had in the church, there would be no hope of a future life and eternal liberation.”  There is only one sin, the sin of idolatry.  We can see this sin whenever we think we have something necessary to contribute to our own salvation, believing that something we do makes a positive difference in going to heaven.  Titus says that we are saved because of the goodness, mercy and loving kindness of God through water (Baptism) and renewal by the Holy Spirit (the baptized life as doxology). 12

 Revelations 5: 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,  “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”  13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,  “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. 13

 Think of yourself in heaven.  What is your fondest wish when you get to heaven?  Does Baptism by itself get you to heaven?  The first thing most of us think about is our own happiness. 14

 This can masquerade in different forms such has greeting long lost loved ones (which makes us happy),  or feeling an overwhelming sense of love and belonging (which makes us happy),  or being able to do something we really enjoy doing like fishing or gardening and talking with the saints (which makes us happy).  All this “me” stuff is sin. Say this out loud: I am not the point. 15

 I am not the center of the universe. I’m not even the center of my own universe.  Jesus is the point. Jesus is the focus, the center.  When we see Him in heaven, Jesus is the one that will inspire us to bend our knee in utter joy and deep worship.  (Oddly enough that will make us even happier than when we focus on ourselves!) 16

 Baptism begins this whole chain of events.  Can you think of anything better or more important or more fun?  Aren’t you glad you are baptized and belong to our loving God? 17