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Thanksgiving for Baptism

By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

Lutheran teaching on baptism is beautifully cohesive: it’s about God’s action, new identity, and ongoing daily renewal. At its heart, baptism is not something we do for God but something God does for us.

Lutherans emphasize that baptism is a means of grace—a way God delivers forgiveness, life, and salvation. Water joined with God’s promise becomes an instrument of God’s initiative, not human achievement.

In baptism, a person is united with Christ’s death and resurrection. Lutherans believe that baptism:

  • Makes us children of God
  • Washes away sin
  • Gives the Holy Spirit
  • Incorporates us into the Body of Christ

This is why Lutherans baptize infants: God’s promise is for all, and infants can receive grace just as they receive love, care, and nurture.

Martin Luther taught that baptism is a daily dying and rising. Each day, the baptized person returns to the promise:

  • Dying to sin
  • Rising to new life in Christ
  • Trusting God’s mercy again and again

It’s not a one‑time spiritual event but a lifelong identity.

Faith receives the benefits of baptism, but even faith itself is understood as something the Spirit creates. This keeps the focus on God’s generosity rather than human effort.

Baptism brings someone into the community of believers. The congregation promises to support, teach, and walk with the newly baptized. It is a beautiful thing to be thankful for. (see first announcement)

Jan. 25, 3rd Sunday of Epiphany
10 a.m. Sunday Worship

Announcements

  • Thanksgiving for Baptism: In our upcoming service on Sunday, we will do a Thanksgiving for Baptism, and you have an important part in that! On Sunday, we request that everyone bring a small amount of water with them (around an ounce or so). The source of the water is up to you…water from our homes, water from nearby lakes and rivers, creeks and streams…water upon which all living creatures depend and that nourishes all of life on this planet. During an organ interlude, we will bring forward that water and pour it into our baptismal font in celebration of our baptism, as individuals, and as a congregation of believers standing together, reconciled in Christ. Then, as you come forward for communion, you may dip your finger into the water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead or the back of your hand.
  • Let’s Decorate: Meet in the Fellowship Hall Saturday morning at 9:00 to decorate for RIC Sunday!
  • Fellowship: Join us after worship on Sunday, Jan. 25, in the Fellowship Hall an RIC Sunday picnic – we are having hotdogs and hamburgers, please consider bringing a side dish or dessert.
  • Wednesday Book Club: Lisa is leading a Wednesday Book Club focusing upon What if Jesus was Serious – A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore. The club meets at 10:30 Wednesdays in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Local History: The 150/250 Community Committee is preparing for the National Semi quincentennial & the Colorado and Trinidad Sesquicentennial in 2026. They invite us to join them from Noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, at the Trinidad Carnegie Library's history room to learn how to research personal and community history. Questions? Contact Tracy Wahl at wahltracy1@gmail.com
  • 5-Loaves Help Wanted: We will deliver meals for 5-Loaves next Saturday, Jan 31. If you can help with meal preparations on Friday, Jan. 30, or with deliveries on that Saturday, please let Norine Hazen, Terri Watson, or Jo Moss know.
  • Invitations from First United Methodist Church:
    • Women’s Conference Invitation: 6-7 – the Rev. Dr. Jan Everhart will lead a Women's Conference at First United Methodist Church in Raton. The topic is the Five Women in Jesus' Genealogy. Contact Pr. Jan E. or Pr. Lisa for registration information.
    • Time of Prayer & Coffee: Members of the Zion’s family are invited to join our siblings in Christ from the Methodist church for a time of prayer and coffee at 10:30 a.m. each Thursday at Kangaroo Coffee, (in the Marketplace on Commercial Street).
  • The Way Ministry: At 1 p.m. each Sunday, Zion’s welcomes the Way ministry to our Fellowship Hall as they offer food and worship to the unhoused and others in need.

Congregational Annual Meeting Announcement:

Zion’s Lutheran Church will conduct its Annual Congregational Meeting at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2026, in the Fellowship Hall (following worship and our First Sunday Potluck). This is an annual event as set forth in our church’s constitution where we report on that status of our congregation, including: finances, and committee and congregational activities.

Voting members will be asked to review and vote on the 2026 budget and to elect church council members. Our church council consists of nine members, of which three come up for election each year, and serve 3-year terms. If there is a partial-term vacancy, we will vote for someone to finish out that term. This year we will vote for three members to serve 3-year terms.

Voting members at Zion’s are defined as confirmed members who have communed in this congregation who made a contribution of record in the current or preceding calendar year. Voting members will receive copies of the proposed budget and agenda via email prior to the meeting. Paper copies also will be available at the church on Sunday, Jan. 25.Participation is in person and via Zoom (the Zoom link follows): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87970855587?pwd=2dnj5Ftjmhuq8LOZjgaaiGecaaEdhG.1

Meeting ID: 879 7085 5587 — Passcode: 244034

E-formation

In Year A, the Sundays after Epiphany explore the narratives of Jesus’ early ministry and preaching for their meaning for Christian faith and life.

Matthew 4:12-23

Matthew refers to Jesus as the great light and stresses the immediacy of the fishermen’s obedience to Jesus’ call. Jesus’ call is to repentance. Over the centuries, Christian theologians have variously understood what Matthew means by “the kingdom of heaven.”

Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Psalm 27:1, 4–9 is about courageous trust rooted in God’s presence, a longing to dwell with God, and a plea for continued guidance and nearness. It’s a prayer that blends bold confidence with honest vulnerability, inviting the reader into a life shaped by seeking God’s face.

Isaiah 9:1-4

As is sometimes the case, the reading provides the Old Testament passage that is cited in the gospel. Along with Matthew, Christians have seen in Jesus Christ the great light that the prophet anticipates, and the salvation God promised. Most of this passage is appointed also for Christmas Eve. On this Sunday, the passage stresses the light of Jesus’ ministry.

1 John 3:1-2

This passage celebrates the astonishing love of God that makes believers God’s children right now, and it points forward to the hope of becoming fully like Christ.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785