God said, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Let us follow Jesus, so that God might be well pleased with us, too.
Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, we turn back to God.
Lord, have mercy.Jesus, we ask you to wash away all our dirt.
Christ, have mercy.Jesus, you make us clean.
Lord, have mercy.
Reading:
Mark 1:4-11
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. [6] John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8] I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." [9] At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. [10] As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. [11] And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Story:
Jesus' baptism was a defining moment in which he became aware of his special calling. This is a story of a dove who resisted that which made him special, until he met Jesus.
The Dove's Tale
I don't remember my birth, but my mother told me about it afterwards. Five of her eggs had already hatched; I was the sixth and last egg. My brothers and sisters were already noisily demanding food while I was busily tap, tap, tapping at my shell, struggling to emerge. When eventually my bedraggled head pushed its way out, I was nearly suffocated by my biggest brother who fell on top of me. And when I joined my brothers and sisters in squawking hungrily for a meal, I was so small that I hardly ever had enough to eat.
Still, although I always remained small, I survived well enough and when my brothers and sisters flew the nest, life became much more comfortable for me. I had room to spread my wings and groom myself, and all the while a great change was going on for me. My thick, soft baby down was being replaced by real feathers. I was a bit upset to lose all that baby softness, but my mother said she had never before seen such pure white feathers. All her other chicks had produced the usual dove grey, but for some reason, I was pure white.
My mother said that made me special, but I didn't feel very special. I wanted to be normal, like everyone else. I knew that all the other birds shunned me because I was different, and that made me so very lonely. And when one day my mother was savaged and eaten by a hungry cat, I felt very small and alone and afraid indeed. I didn't know whether I could survive without my mother, and her loss made me feel angry and bitter and hopeless and sad all at the same time. I cried out to God, asking why God had taken my mother when I needed her so much?
God's answer was like a warm breath caressing my feathers. I felt such love that it almost overwhelmed me. I didn't see God or hear a voice, but somehow I knew deep inside myself that God had a special job for me. That gave me the strength and the courage to go on.
It was many months later before I found out what the special job was, and even then I nearly missed it. I was floating on the breezes, enjoying the warm currents of air which spiralled up from the river below, when I noticed something going on. Because of my strangeness I usually keep well out of the way, but almost before I knew what I was doing, I found myself swooping down towards the river.
I'll never forget what happened next. A man was being ducked under the water and as he emerged, I felt such tremendous joy and energy fill the air that it kept me hovering motionless just above his head. I was aware of a shaft of pure, white light passing through me and round me and spotlighting the man, and then I heard God's voice for the first time in my life. I heard God say, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased," and the man looked up at me and I saw God in him.
I've never known such love, not even from my own mother. I knew then that nothing else mattered but this man. And I knew that I wanted to work for him all my life.
My life changed in that moment. Now I no longer keep out of the way. Now I bring peace wherever I fly in the world. Some people think of me as the "Dove of Peace". And it's as though since that moment, God has put his very own Spirit within me. I love to attend baptisms now, to ensure that God's Holy Spirit is within the person being baptised, whether it's a tiny baby, a child or an adult.
So if you should ever see me with my pure white feathers, going about my Saviour's work, remember that I'm a symbol that God's Holy Spirit is within you just as God's Holy Spirit was within Jesus when he was on this earth all those years ago, and be at peace.
Activity:
You need for each child:
Two metal coat hangers
An A4 sheet of thin white card
One
sheet of white paper, cut into four squares
A template of a dove for the
children to draw round
Sticky tape
White cotton and a needle
A pencil,
felt tip or crayon
Scissors
Make a dove mobile for the children to hang over their bed at home.
Join the two metal coat hangers together at right angles to each other, with sticky tape. Draw round the dove shape onto white card and cut it out. Draw an eye on either side of the head. Cut a slot in the middle of the body. Concertina a square of white paper and insert it through the slot at right angles to the body. Fan out on either side of the body to form wings. Using a needle, thread a length of cotton through the centre top of the head. Attach the other end of the cotton to one of the corners of the joined coat hangers. Make four doves, one for each corner of the coat hanger. They can be different sizes and hang at different heights, if you wish.
Diary time:
Some of the children may have been to a baptism and could write down what they remember best about it. Assure all the children that they are special in God's eyes, and invite those who haven't attended a baptism to write down anything they think might be special about themselves. Younger children might like to draw a picture of a baptism, and you could use this opportunity to talk about baptism, explaining the meaning of this symbolic sacrament.
Intercession:
God within us all, help us to bring peace in the world. Remind us that although we may be small and insignificant, peace around each one of us would spread very quickly. We pray for all human beings who are not at peace, especially those who live in countries which are at war.
God within us all, teach us how to tune into your Holy Spirit within us. May we feel your love and receive your strength. Show us which way we should go and help us to stick to your path.
God within us all, we pray for all who will be baptised in this church during this coming year. May they grow in your Spirit and undertake whatever special tasks you have for them. We pray for their families, their godparents and all who support them.
God within us all, may those who are ill receive your healing in their inner being and may that healing spread throughout their body. We picture them in your presence, absorbing your healing power, as we name them before you ....
Blessing:
May the Lord God know you
as his beloved children,
And may he be well pleased with you.
And the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you now,
be in your homes and in your families
and with all those whom you love
and for whom you pray,
now and always.
Amen.
