Weekly letter from St Luke's - 6 January 2023

Dear Parish Friends I am looking forward to being able to lead worship again this Sunday as we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of Christ. Services return to our normal pattern of Holy Communion at 7am, and Family service with Communion (and Zoom stream) at 9am. The week's notice paper and 9am service sheet are linked below. Whilst the baptism of Jesus opens up for us questions about our own baptism, and what that means for our commissioning as disciples, in its context on the first Sunday after Epiphany, it is more about revealing who Jesus was at the start of his ministry. These are of course related. In both cases baptism declares something that is already true; that humankind is made in the image of God, and we share in God's mission. In his baptism Jesus committed to this; following John the Baptist's preaching he turned towards this goal. As we remember our baptism, may we too look to the goal that are the promises of God. A Celtic prayer for this week: Holy Father, who at the baptism of your beloved Son, revealed his glory, grant us a glimpse of that glory in our lives; that we may be ever immersed in your presence, Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever. Amen. Yours in Christ Rev'd Timothy