Baptism of Our Lord	January 7, 2024
Prayer of the Day
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ baptism you declared him to be your beloved Son and set him apart as your agent of grace for your creation. May we who are baptized into his life also be sent as agents of grace in your world; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
First Reading: Genesis 1:1-5
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Psalm 29 (LBW) 
1Ascribe to the | Lord, you gods,*
	ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his Name;*
	worship the Lord in the beau- | ty of holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of | glory thunders;*
	the Lord is upon the | mighty waters.
4The voice of the Lord is a pow- | erful voice;*
	the voice of the Lord is a | voice of splendor.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedar trees;*
	the Lord breaks the ce- | dars of Lebanon;
6He makes Lebanon skip | like a calf,*
	and Mount Hermon like a | young wild ox.
7The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord | shakes the wilderness;*
	the Lord shakes the wilder- | ness of Kadesh.
8The voice of the Lord  makes the | oak trees writhe*
	and strips the | forests bare.
9And in the temple | of the Lord*
	all are | crying, “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned a- | bove the flood;*
	the Lord sits enthroned as | King forevermore.
11The Lord shall give strength | to his people;*
	the Lord shall give his people the bless- | ing of peace.

Psalm 29 (ESV)
1Ascribe Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Second Reading: Romans 6:1-11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Next Week’s Readings:
1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20]; Psalm 139:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51