Baptism Sunday ~ September 13, 2026
Call to Worship:
Praise the God of life.
Let us praise God together.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is God’s steadfast love;
as far as the east is from the west, so far God removes our sins.
So let us rejoice in God’s gracious presence.
Let us praise the God of mercy together.
Music: #814 Morning has broken
Prayer of Approach and Confession:
God of might and mercy,
the heavens and the earth are full of your glory.
Your love transforms our lives.
You enter our confusion and give insight.
You bear our grief and bring healing.
You see our fatigue and renew strength.
You sense our fear and spark courage.
You know death and raise up new life.
So, we come before you in worship,
handing over to you all that weighs us down.
Renew us in this time of worship, we pray,
so that we may serve you with joy in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Merciful God,
our lives do not always reflect your transforming power.
You are gracious, but we cling to judgment.
You are kind, but we can be cruel.
You are forgiving, but we nurse grudges and old wounds.
Forgive us, O God.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit,
and make us new through Christ, your Son and our Saviour.
Assurance of Pardon:
The proof of God’s amazing love is this: that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Know that you are forgiven by his grace and be at peace with God, with yourselves and with each other. Amen.
Order for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Words of Institution:
Minister says:
The Gospel tells us that “Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
Jesus himself said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of time.”
Matthew 28:18-20
The Presentation:
The minister says:
Who comes to receive the gift of baptism?
An elder presents each candidate for baptism saying:
On behalf of the session,
I present Kevin and Dillon,
to receive the sacrament of baptism.
Statement:
Minister says:
When Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan, the Spirit of God came upon him. His baptism was completed through his dying and rising again.
Our baptism is the sign of our rising to new life in Christ.
It is Christ himself who baptizes us. By the Spirit, he makes us members of his body, the church and calls us to share his ministry in the world.
By the water of the Holy Spirit, God claims us as his own, washes us from sin, and sets us free from the power of death.
In this sacrament, the love of God is offered to each of us. Though we cannot understand or explain it, we are called to accept that love with the openness of a child. In baptism, Kevin and Dillon are assured of the love that God has for them, and the sign is placed upon them.
Confession:
The Minister says to the parents/godparents/sponsors:
In presenting this child for baptism, desiring that they may become one in the body of Christ and the church, do you profess to raise your child in the love and grace God has shown the world?
I Do
The Minister says to the congregation:
Please stand and let us affirm our faith. Apostles Creed #539
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
he 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 the saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer:
We thank you, gracious God, for your gifts of water and the Holy Spirit. For in the beginning, you moved over the waters and brought light and life to the formless. By the waters of the flood, you cleansed the world, and made with Noah and his family and new beginning for all people. In the time of Moses, you led your people out of slavery through the waters of the sea, making covenant with them in a new land. At the appointed time, in the waters of the Jordan when Jesus was baptized by John, you sent your spirit upon him. Now we have been granted new life through Christ’s baptism.
Amen.
Declaration:
Kevin and Dillon for you Jesus Christ came into the world: for you he lived and showed God’s love; for you he died so you can be free from sin and be able to have new life, for God first loved you.
Renunciation and Affirmation:
Kevin:
Trusting in the gracious mercy of God
who has been faithful to us in all generations,
do you turn away from sin,
renounce all evil powers in the world
which rebel against God
or oppose God’s rule of justice and love?
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin which separate you from the love of God?
I renounce them.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ,
accepting him as Lord and Saviour,
trusting in his grace and love?
I do.
Do you desire, in dependence on the Holy Spirit,
to mature as a Christian in the church,
to seek the guidance of Christ as you listen for his Word,
to celebrate his death and life at the table he provides,
and to engage in his mission to the world?
I do.
Baptism:
Kevin, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Renunciation and Affirmation:
Kevin and Becky:
Trusting in the gracious mercy of God
who has been faithful to us in all generations,
do you turn away from sin,
renounce all evil powers in the world
which rebel against God
or oppose God’s rule of justice and love?
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin which separate you from the love of God?
I renounce them.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ,
accepting him as Lord and Saviour,
trusting in his grace and love?
I do.
Do you desire, in dependence on the Holy Spirit,
to mature as a Christian in the church,
to seek the guidance of Christ as you listen for his Word,
to celebrate his death and life at the table he provides,
and to engage in his mission to the world?
I do.
Baptism:
Dillon, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Blessing:
The Minister says:
The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon you, and dwell in your heart for ever.
Promise:
The Minister says to the parents/godparents/sponsors:
This child is a beloved child of God. This child will always be welcomed and accepted in the family of Christ. Do you promise to teach your child about the love poured out today in the celebration of baptism? Do you promise to raise your child in the love and grace God has shown us? Do you promise to teach your child the truths and wisdom God has granted?
We Do
Commitment of the Congregation:
The Minister says to the congregation:
You who are gathered here represent the whole church. Word and sacrament bring you the joy of Christ’s presence in your midst. They also bring responsibilities as Christ’s people in this place. Do you welcome this child and do you renew your commitment, with God’s help, to live before all God’s children in a kindly and Christian way and to share with them the knowledge and love of Christ?
We Do
Prayer
God of love, we rejoice again to receive your grace in Word and Sacrament. We have heard your call and are made new by your Spirit. Guide and Guard Kevin and Dillon all his days. May your love hold him and your truth guide him and your joy surround him. May he grow up in a secure and happy home. May his family be blessed with your wisdom and courage, laughter and peace and a love that endures all things. Amen.
Music: #441 Can a little child like me
Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on you fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Meditation: “Power of Grace”
This past week we have been inundated with stories of terror. Stories of loss, shock, pain, grief. By now we’re all too familiar with the scenes and the headlines.
For some the incident is too distant to cause much effect, for others it feels much closer. And for others perhaps we’re just too numb to it all. But the fact that remains is that this week we have once again been brought face to face with the terror.
And what do we do with it? When the brokenness of the world invades our lives. What do we do when we experience our own brokenness? When we are hurt? When we feel like we stepped out in compassion and in turn are blamed? When our trust in another is betrayed? What do we do then? When the event is past, but the feelings of bitterness, hurt, agony, heartache, sadness and sorrow remain?
Well, that is what the reading today focuses us on. Peter approaches Jesus and knowing that Jewish tradition tells him to forgive once, twice, even three times but never four. He asks Jesus, “How many times shall I forgive?” We read it as another one of Peter’s questions but really it is a question we also face. Be honest with yourself, you don’t have to declare it publicly, but how many of us have struggled to forgive and have asked do I really have too? I have. Look at that just another example that I’m human.
We may not talk about it, but we most certainly face it when we find ourselves hurt by a friend again or left out again of something we wanted to be apart of, or you find someone has been slandering you behind your back.
We face the issue that Peter speaks of more regularly than we realise, when we ask ourselves, why should I forgive this time? Isn’t it enough? And to this Jesus replies: As many as seventy times, or in some translations it says 70 times 7.
Now of course Jesus didn’t mean that we have to count each time, and when we get to that final number we stop. Jesus set the number as more of a benchmark that says unconditionally you must forgive. It’s not a case of forgive until you get sick of it and then cease to do so or forgive until you think they don’t deserve it anymore and stop. Jesus says keep on forgiving.
For some of you hearing this today this isn’t what you’d prefer to be listening to. Perhaps you’ve been hurt too deeply. Perhaps the pain is still too raw. Perhaps the act of forgiveness is too great.
I know forgiveness isn’t the easiest option. It isn’t the most appealing option. I heard in a sermon this quote: When we forgive, we heal the hurt we never deserved. When we forgive, we heal the hurt we never deserved.
As you heard the parable, I’m sure you like me wanted to pin labels on the characters the master is God, and we are the first servant. But if we read the parable like that, we run into problems! So, let’s have a fresh look at it:
We see a master summon in his servant and say to him: “Where’s my money?” And the servant responds with the fact that he cannot pay. So, the master says, “I’m going to sell you and your wife and family and everything you owe so that the debt can be squared.” At this the servant falls on his knees and begs for patience, so he can earn the money and pay off the debt. And the master responded by doing what? He cancelled the debt. Wiped it completely from the records.
Now the debt we’re speaking of is ten thousand talents. A daily wage for a slave of their time was 1 denarii. The equivalent debt was about five million denarii. The debt was absolutely unpayable. The servant could never have paid off the debt. The only way this debt was to be resolved was by complete forgiveness.
Jesus wanted the people hearing this parable who were questioning “to what extent we should forgive?” to realise that God offers us a forgiveness that is far greater than any reward we could ever earn. That is unfathomable to the human mind. But God’s forgiveness is a level of forgiveness so great that it completely cancels our debt!
Jesus doesn’t quite put the breaks on there. He goes on to talk about that same servant having been freed from his debt going out and attempting to collect the payments owed to him. Payments that were five hundred thousand times less the amount he owed.
It’s here where we discover more of the message that Matthew speaking through Jesus was wanting us to grasp. That the relationship between master and servant should be same as relationship between servant and servant. We are to treat others as we have experienced God treating us! We are to forgive others as we have received God’s forgiveness.
This was something that the first servant did not grasp. And because of it, he brought upon himself the judgement of the master. The servant wanted the benefit of the forgiveness but did not want the responsibility. This servant became full of greed when in fact as Jesus points out, he should have been filled with grace.
How often we are filled with a greed, not necessarily of material substance but of vengeance and pay back? A greed for justice? However, what we are being called to do is not seek the opportunity to settle a score but rather to respond in grace. To seek to forgive. To respond with the grace that God has given us through Jesus Christ.
Peter’s questions still loudly echoes, “How many times should we forgive?” Where is the grace? Are we showing grace in our lives? Are we freely forgiving? The truth is God’s forgiveness is not for decoration it is for use. You have been forgiven. If you feel you haven’t been forgiven, God’s forgiveness waits for you to accept it. But once you have been forgiven it is to be used and to be shared. Once we accept God’s forgiveness we too are called to forgive. To forgive that friend who has hurt you. To forgive that work colleague who has let you down. To forgive those friends who have left you out. Matthew writes this to assure us that we can live on God’s unbelievable good grace. That forgiveness can be a source of unending greatness and beautiful change if we are willing to accept it. Amen.
Music: #634 Will you come and follow me
Invitation of Offering
From generation to generation, God calls us to share God’s redeeming love in the world. Let us offer God our gifts this day as tokens of that love, needed so much in our generation.
Doxology: #830 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer of Dedication
We give thanks to you, O God, because you have blessed us with so much. Yet we know that others have too little. Bless our gifts so they touch lives in need and become roots of justice in the world, for the sake of Jesus Christ, who sends us out in love. Amen.
Prayers of the People:
God of grace and new life,
we come before you today, glad to know you give us the chance to change our lives when we have wandered away from your purposes.
We give you thanks for the encouragement and support we receive from friends in Christ, here in your church and wherever we meet them.
We thank you for relationships that have grown stronger
through the courage to forgive which you inspire in us.
Use us as signs and servants of the new possibilities you create.
Christ our Companion,
make our community one that lives out your grace and mercy.
Today we pray for those among us and around us who are struggling to live wisely and well,
who seek a way of integrity for the future.
We pray for those who are confronting addictions
or trying to change old habits that are harmful to health:
give them persistence and support
We pray for those who want to end violence and anger in their lives:
give them courage and wisdom to walk a new way
We pray for those who have broken the law and now seek to make amends:
inspire us with good judgement and grace in action and relationships.
We pray for those who have broken their word and want to rebuild trust and integrity: show them how to take responsibility and live it out.
We pray for those who are seeking new work, learning new skills, or changing employment:
open new opportunities for them.
We pray for all of us who seek new ways to live out our faith
in this church and in this community:
help us communicate God’s love in fresh ways so others catch the vision of your love.
We pray in silence for all those for whom the week ahead will hold deep challenges, and who need your support and ours to face what the days will bring.
Spirit of transforming power, work in us and in all for whom we pray, as we sum up our prayers in the words Jesus taught 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.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Music: #592 I, Lord of sea and sky
Benediction:
Jesus set the challenging goal before us: to forgive someone not just seven times, but seventy times seven. So, take up the challenge as you go, and allow forgiveness to change your life.
Now may the LORD keep us and bless us,
May the LORD make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious unto us,
Now and for ever more, AMEN.
Choral Closing: “Go Now in Peace”
Go now in peace. Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.
Know He will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there watching from above.
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.
Sept. 6, 2026
https://pccweb.ca/knox-goderich/files/2026/09/Love-over-Hate.docx