This morning our 10 am service was a parish eucharist, and we were very happy to welcome Archdeacon Luke as the celebrant. Today we were reading and thinking about the baptism of Our Lord in the river Jordan by St John the Baptist. In his sermon Father Luke reflected on the fact that we are all joined by baptism into God's grace. 

We were without Joanna this week, and were very happy to welcome Sylvia to play the piano for us for this service. The Choir returned to its 'Covid' position in the South Transept near to the piano, and sang the hymns and the Ave Verum in the setting by W.A.Mozart as the anthem. 

There was coffee after the service.

Next week we will have a said matins with hymns. 

 Acts 8:14-17

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the apostles at Jerusalem heard 

that Samaria had accepted the word of God, 

they sent Peter and John to them. 

The two went down and prayed for them 

that they might receive the Holy Spirit 

(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; 

they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, 

and they received the Holy Spirit.

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

In the wilderness John proclaimed a baptism of repentance.

As the people were filled with expectation, 

and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, 

whether he might be the Messiah,

John answered all of them by saying, 

“I baptize you with water; 

but one who is more powerful than I is coming; 

I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. 

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

His winnowing fork is in his hand, 

to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; 

but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Now when all the people were baptized, 

and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying,

the heaven was opened, 

and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.

And a voice came from heaven, 

“You are my Son, the Beloved;

with you I am well pleased.”