I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son our Lod, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.


Response Reading: 93. New Year Day (1)
PRES: In the beginning you laid the foundadtions of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands
CONG: They will perish, but you remain
PRES: they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded
CONG: But you remain the same, and your years will never end
PRES: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past
CONG: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up;
PRES: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
CONG: to be made new in the attittude of your minds; and to put the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness adn holiness
PRES: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation
CONG: the old has gone, the new has come!
PRES: A new command I give you; love one another
CONG: As I have loved you, so you must love one another

Matthew 3:5-17
5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." """

Hymnal 450
1 My one wish, Lord, is this alone: To serve Thee all my days,
Then rise to stand before Thy throne And sing Thy deathless praise.
2 Why should I cling to things of earth, Like dreams which pass away,
Such dreams and toilings have no worth In heaven's eternal day.
3 The fiery trials our faith incurs, Unnumbered though they be,
Fear not for more than conquerors Through Jesus Christ are we.
4 More dear is faith than gems or gold: Rich jewel we receive;
Truth, flooding blessedness untold On all who but believe.
5 Like arrowflight the moments pass! Redeem, at Christ's control,
Thy days, and give on His behalf Heart, body, strength and soul! Amen.


hymnal 633
Take these gifts, take these gifts, O our God:
All we have, all we have comes from you.
With our voices raised in thanks, Lord, we give to you. Amen.


hymnal 595
1. A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify,
A never dying soul to save, And fit it for the sky.
2. To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage To do my Master's will!
3. Arm me with jealous care, As in Thy sight to live,
And O, Thy servant, Lord, prepare, A strict account to give!
4. Help me to watch and pray, And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust be tray, But press to realms on high. Amen.