The following originally appeared as part of "Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit Week 6: Faithfulness."
Greeting
We gather in this place, trusting that God
knows what our hearts carry
from the week before.
And God knows what lies ahead,
what worries are on our hearts,
what anxieties we might carry as we think about
the coming week.
To each of us, God’s promise is as sure as it was to
his people centuries ago, when he spoke through the prophet Isaiah:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
The flames will not set you ablaze.
for I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
—Isaiah 43:1–3 NIV
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ, our firm foundation.
Amen.
Revised Common Lectionary
Year C: Epiphany—Baptism of the Lord
