These people who have received

Acts 10:44–48 

Astonish us, Holy One,

with your wide, wide welcome. 

Challenge us, Holy One,

to welcome unexpected outsiders. 

Astonish us, Holy Spirit,

with your indiscriminate drenching. 

Challenge us, Holy Spirit,

to share you, abundantly. 

Astonish us, Wisdom Word,

with your voice in unfamiliar tongues. 

Challenge us, Wisdom Word,

to listen for you beyond our expectations. 

Astonish us, Divine Parent,

with your Love, your Love profound. 

Challenge us, Divine Parent, 

to love, with you, all that you love. 

Amen. 

As your people

Acts 8:26–40 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like the court official

reaching for Holy One

travelling to the Sacred Home

of the people of God, 

may we travel Ethiopia

to Jerusalem distances

and more

to worship you

to gather together

as your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like Philip, in tune

with Holy One, responding

to the call to go,

may we get up and go

with no more clarity than 'towards –' 

with trust

with joy

playing our part in the Body

of your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like the unnamed foreigner

reaching for Holy One,

searching the Story for Spirit,

for meaning, for hope,

may we welcome fellow travellers

through these sacred traditions

and listen

and wonder

and enter the Story together

as your people. 

We pray for open hearts,

minds enquiring

spirits searching. 

Like Philip, open, ready

to run towards the unknown

to listen

to accept an invitation

to enter the story together, 

may we run

together to worship

together to celebrate

you

as your people. 

Amen. 

Jesus: baptised

Luke 3:21-22 

the ache of yearning
water drawing me on a line
I long to drop
be held
breathe
no more -
dive into the air
water flung in abandon
reaching out to the yearning

It begins

Mark 1:1–8



Wash us with water,
John the baptiser.

Call us to follow,
John the proclaimer.

Show us the way,
John the prophet.

Make us ready for Jesus,
John, kinsman of the Christ.

there remain

John 1:29–42




The Spirit will descend like a dove,
The Spirit will fit you, each, like a glove.

Jesus said, come and see, and they came;
Jesus says, follow me, with him we remain.

Creator says, my beloved, my son;
Creator speaks and the world will be one.

Wisdom will welcome all to the feast;
Wisdom has walked with humble and least.

The Holy comes to earth to reside.
The Holy leads us all towards life!