Some years ago I wrote a baptism hymn to the
tune O Waly Waly which would be appropriate for this Sunday or for
most Baptism Sundays.
Image: I,
Davezelenka, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
It's based on the Baptism of Jesus Passages eg
Luke 3:15-22, on Romans 6:2-11, on Calvin's notion for regeneration
or recapitulation as a central way to understand trhe atonement and
on Jesus' discussion with James and John in Mark 10:35-38 “James
and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he
said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said
to him, “Appoint us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your
left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what
you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?””
(Mark 10:35–38, NRSVue Emphasis Added)
When you
were born you joined us Lord
Words Andrew Gillies
© 2002/2003
Used by Permission
When you were born, you joined us
Lord.
You took our human way and
strife,
and in the Jordan were
baptized.
You took our place, remade our
life.
Then through your living and the
cross,
into the tomb and raised
again,
your gift for us was made
complete,
and through all this you cleansed
our stain.
And, so because you loved us
first,
we surely can bring
everyone,
obey your call that they should
come,
and be baptized, new life
begun.
To be sung to O Waly Waly - AHB 453, TIS 536
First written for the occasion of Tia Mary Wild’s baptism, Jan 13,
2002.