the
Great Blessing of the Waters
Celebrated by
the Ashland Youth Collective
& Trinity
Episcopal Church
Ashland, Oregon
Epiphany 2016
--The Rev. Fr. Anthony Hutchinson, SCP,
Ph.D.
The Great Blessing of the Waters is
celebrated in the Eastern tradition after the vespers divine liturgy on the eve
of the feast of the Epiphany [Theophany], and after the Eucharistic liturgy on
the feast day itself. It begins with
the chanting of special hymns with the incensing of the water, and concludes
with bible readings, petitions and prayers.
Celebrant:
Today
we bless God for the waters,
The
good gift that brings life and joy,
And
which God has used in diverse ways
To
bless us, give us life, and make us and God’s whole creation holy.
Celebrant:
A
Reading from the Gospel of St. Mark
At
that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the
Jordan. Just 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.”
(1:9-11)
Hear what the Spirit is saying to
God’s People.
All: Thanks
be to God.
Celebrant: Let us walk together with Jesus to the
Waters.
ALL (sung to Bunesson "Morning has Broken"; as the group processes to the water’s side):
Jordan bursts forth and turns back her
water
When she beholds our Jesus draw near,
He asks
John for washing, sign for a new- heart,
Though he has no fault or sin to fear.
“Prepare now God’s highway,” was John’s- loud witness,
And you came, Jesus, and answered his call,
Humbled before him, though you were
spot-less,
Doing this for us, as you did all.
The wa-ters saw it and fell back in wonder.
The heav’ns split and God’s- breath- rushed down
John- fell silent, hearing it thun-der,
“This is my one child, the loved
one, my own.”
Sanctify, Jesus, both us and the waters,
Fount- of all Life, Source of all
Light.
Bring all refreshment, restore us to
goodness,
Return all
to Eden’s blissful delight. (AAH)
(At the waters’ side:)
Reader:
A
reading from the Gospel of John:
“God
so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who trusts in him
might not perish, but have everlasting life.
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but that it might
be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17) Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s
People.
All: Thanks
be to God.
Celebrant:
God
sent his child Jesus not to condemn, but to save. Jesus came not only to save our souls, but to
save our bodies, and not only to save human beings, but to save all of
creation.
Blessed
are You, O God.
Your
works are full of wonder.
No
words can sing truly Your grace.
Of
Your own will You brought all things into being,
By
Your love You uphold all of creation,
By
Your care You set the universe in order.
And
it is good, very good.
All:
In You we live, and move, and have our
being.
Celebrant:
The
sun sings to You,
the
moon glorifies You,
the
stars dance together before Your face,
the
light obeys You,
the
rainbows fall at your feet,
the
deep shudders before You,
the
waters spring up to serve You.
All:
In You we live, and move, and have our
being.
Celebrant:
We
confess Your grace,
We
proclaim Your mercy,
We
give thanks for Your acts of loving kindness and power.
In
becoming flesh, You have set free our mortal nature.
By
Your birth You made holy the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother,
And
made possible for all creation a way of returning to your bliss.
All
creation praises You,
Who
have so manifested Yourself in our world among us.
All:
You took on flesh and dwelt as one of
us.
Celebrant:
(Censing the water)
For
You, our God, appeared upon earth and lived as one of us.
(Placing a cross in the water and
withdrawing it)
You
sanctified the Jordan by being baptized in it.
(Making the sign of the cross three
times over the water)
Therefore,
O Master,
+ be present here now by the descent of the Holy Spirit,
and sanctify this water.
+Give
it the blessing of Jordan.
Make
it a fountain of health and life,
Bringing
verdure to the desert
And
holiness to our broken world.
+May
these waters be for us a symbol and source
of cleansing, of healing,
And casting away our fears, demons, and
failings.
All:
Bless this water, Savior, and bless
us.
(The Celebrant sprinkles the people
with the water; the people cross themselves.)
All:
(sung, to Dundee "The People that in Darkness Dwelt")
When God began to make the earth,
It had no shape or form,
But God’s breath blew and gave it
birth,
And calmed the waters’ storm.
A dry and barren place arose;
No water then was seen.
But God made rise the mists and dews
Where only dust had been.
Rivers spring up in Eden then:
Four streams of water swell,
And trees and grass, and flowers and
fruit
Watered from God’s own well.
Jesus the Well-Spring of all Life,
now calls us, beckoning:
“Whoever thirsts, come to my side;
Drink from my living spring.” (AAH)
Celebrant:
Let us return to our starting point, chanting Psalm 104 together.
Psalm 104
Benedic, anima mea
1 Bless the Lord, O my /soul; *
O Lord
my God, how excellent is your greatness!
you are clothed with ma\jes/ty \and
\splendor.
2 You
wrap yourself with light as with a /cloak *
and spread out the hea\vens /like \a
\curtain.
3 You
lay the beams of your chambers in the waters ab/ove; *
you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on \the /wings \of the \wind.
4 You
make the winds your /mes\sengers *
and flames \of /fire \your \servants.
5 You
have set the earth upon its foun/da\tions, *
so that it never shall move \at /a\ny \time.
6 You
covered it with the Deep as with a /man\tle; *
the waters stood high\er /than \the
\mountains.
7 At
your rebuke they /fled; *
at the voice of your thunder \they /hastened
\a\way.
8 They
went up into the hills and down to the valleys be/neath, *
to the places you had \ap/pointed \for
\them.
9 You
set the limits that they should not /pass; *
they shall not again /co\/ver \the \earth.
10 You
send the springs into the /val\leys; *
they flow \bet/ween \the \mountains.
11 All
the beasts of the field drink their /fill \from them, *
and the wild as\ses /quench \their \thirst.
12 Beside
them the birds of the air make their /nests *
and sing \a/mong \the \branches.
13 You
water the mountains from your dwelling on /high; *
the earth is fully satisfied by the fru\it
/of \your works.
14 You
make grass grow for flocks and /herds *
and plants \to /serve \human\kind;
15 That
they may bring forth food from the /earth, *
and wine to glad\/den \our \hearts,
16 Oil
to make a cheerful /coun\tenance, *
and bread \to /strengthen \the \heart.
17 The
trees of the Lord are full of
/sap, *
the cedars of Leban\on /which \he \planted,
18 In
which the birds build their /nests, *
and in whose tops the sto\rk /makes \his
\dwelling.
…
26 Yonder
is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to
/num\ber, *
creatures \both /small \and \great.
27 There
move the ships,
and there is that Le/vi\athan, *
which you \have /made \for the \sport of it.
28 All
of them look to /you *
to give them \their /food in \due \season.
29 You
give it to them; they /ga\ther it; *
you open your hand, and they \are /filled
\with \good things.
…
31 You
send forth your Spirit, and they are cre/at\ed; *
and so you renew the fa\ce /of \the \earth.
…
37 Bless
the Lord, O my /soul. *
Hal\le/lu\u\jah!
Celebrant
: Let us go forth renewed and
strengthened, remembering that this water is a blessing from God.
All: Thanks
be to God.
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