"Named and Claimed" (Ashtabula)

I. The Gathering

Welcome & Announcements

(Liturgist shares announcements)

Good morning! It is a blessing to be with you all today. I know it’s brisk outside this morning, but I hope you can feel the warmth of the Holy Spirit and the warmth of this church family here in the sanctuary.

Whether you have been sitting in these pews for decades or this is your very first time with us, please know: you belong here.

Today is a special day—Baptism of the Lord Sunday. In a world that loves to put labels on us—labels based on our age, our bank accounts, or our past mistakes—today we are here to remember the only label that truly matters. God calls us 'Child.' God calls us 'Beloved.'

So, let’s leave the worries of the week at the door and settle our hearts. I invite you now to rise as you are able as Jeff brings forth the Light of Christ to our altar, and Mary leads us in our Prelude.

Prelude

Call to Worship

Leader: The voice of the Lord echoes over the waters.

People: The Glory of God thunders in our hearts.

Leader: To the bruised reed, God says: "I will not break you."

People: To the dimly burning wick, God says: "I will not quench your light."

Leader: Today, the heavens open and the Spirit descends.

People: We are named. We are claimed. We are the Beloved of God.

Leader: Come, let us worship the One who calls us by name!

Opening Hymn (Selected by Music Director)

Opening Prayer

Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, you once moved over the face of the waters and brought forth life. Today, we stand at the edge of the Jordan with your Son, Jesus. We come carrying the labels the world has given us—names of worry, age, and weariness. But in this hour, we ask you to speak over us once more. By your Holy Spirit, remind us that we are your servants, upheld by your hand. Forgive us when we forget whose we are, and fan the flickering wicks of our faith into a steady flame. Open our ears to hear the voice from heaven calling us "Beloved," that we may go forth as a light to the nations. In the name of the One who was baptized for us, Jesus Christ, Amen.

II. The Word

Scripture Reading 1 Isaiah 42:1-9

Isaiah 42:1–9 NIV

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

Hymn of Response (Selected by Music Director)

Scripture Reading 2 Matthew 3:13-17

Matthew 3:13–17 NIV

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 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 alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Let us pray. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Open our ears to hear the voice that speaks over the waters, and open our hearts to receive the name you have given us. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Sermon "Named and Claimed"

I. Introduction: The Power of a Name

Have you ever noticed how much power a name carries? When we are born, the very first thing that happens—after the doctor checks our vitals—is that we are given a name. That name becomes our identity. It’s what goes on our birth certificates, our driver’s licenses, and eventually, our headstones.

But as we go through life, the world likes to give us other names, doesn’t it? Sometimes the world names us by our mistakes. It calls us "The Divorcee," "The Failure," or "The One Who Couldn't Keep it Together." Sometimes the world names us by our utility. It calls us "The Worker," "The Taxpayer," or "The Consumer."

And as we get older—as many of us in these beautiful sanctuaries in Amboy and Ashtabula can attest—the world starts to give us names like "Retired," "Slowing Down," or even "Invisible." We start to feel defined by our aging bodies, our changing economic status, or the way the neighborhood doesn't look like it used to. We start to wonder: Who am I now? Does anyone still see me?

Today, on this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we encounter a different kind of naming. We are here to remember that before the world ever got its hands on you to label you, God had already looked at you and called you something else. Today is about being Named and Claimed.

II. The Servant: A Different Kind of Power (Isaiah 42)

Let’s look first at the prophet Isaiah. The passage we read today is what scholars call a "Servant Song." It was written to a people who were, quite frankly, feeling "un-named." They were in exile in Babylon. They had lost their Temple, their homes, and their sense of place. They were scratching out a living in a foreign land, wondering if their God had forgotten them or been "bested" by the gods of the Babylonians.

In that space of spiritual dislocation, God speaks through the prophet and points to a figure: "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights."

Now, if you were an exile looking for a hero to get you out of a mess, you’d expect God to describe a warrior. You’d expect a description of someone with "shock and awe" tactics—someone who would march in and break some heads. But look at how God describes this Servant:

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench."

What a startling image of leadership! In a world that prizes strength, volume, and "crushing the competition," God’s chosen one is defined by tenderness.

Think about a "bruised reed." A reed by a riverbank is already a fragile thing. If it’s bruised—if it’s bent and crimped—it takes almost nothing to snap it. A "dimly burning wick" is a candle or a lamp that is down to its last drop of oil. The flame is flickering; one stray breath and it’s gone.

Perhaps you feel like a bruised reed today. Maybe life has bent you. Maybe grief, or health struggles, or the weight of local church administration has left you feeling like you’re one bad day away from snapping. Maybe your faith feels like a dimly burning wick—you’re still here, you’re still showing up at Amboy or First Church, but the light isn't as bright as it once was.

The Good News from Isaiah is that God’s Servant—Jesus Christ—is not coming to finish you off. He’s not coming to snap the reed or blow out the candle because it isn't "useful" enough. He comes to cup his hands around your flame. He comes to support the bend in your spirit until you can stand tall again. This is the character of the God who claims us. Our God is a God of restorative justice, not destructive power.

III. The Jordan: Solidarity in the Water (Matthew 3)

Fast forward several centuries to the banks of the Jordan River. John the Baptist is there, preaching fire and brimstone, telling people to repent because the Kingdom is at hand. And suddenly, Jesus shows up.

Now, John is confused. And he should be! John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. It was for people who had messed up and needed to turn back to God. But Jesus? Jesus is the "Beloved Son." He doesn't have sins to wash away. John tries to talk him out of it: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

But Jesus insists. He says it must be done "to fulfill all righteousness."

In our Wesleyan tradition, we talk a lot about Grace. Specifically, we talk about Justifying Grace—the moment God accepts us just as we are. But before that, there is Prevenient Grace—the grace that runs to meet us before we even know we need it.

When Jesus steps into that muddy river water with all those "regular" sinners, he is practicing the ultimate form of solidarity. He isn't standing on the shore pointing fingers. He’s getting in the water with us. He’s saying, "I am with you in your brokenness. I am with you in your need for a new start."

And as he comes up out of the water, the heavens open. The Spirit descends like a dove. And a voice speaks: "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Notice something very important here: Jesus hasn't "done" anything yet in his public ministry. He hasn't healed a single leper. He hasn't preached the Sermon on the Mount. He hasn't walked on water or fed the five thousand.

The Father’s "pleasure" in the Son isn't based on Jesus’ performance. It’s based on his identity. He is loved simply because he is the Son.

IV. Named and Claimed: Our Baptismal Identity

This is the core truth for every person sitting in these pews today.

When you were baptized—whether you were a crying infant in a long white gown or an adult stepping into the water with a heavy heart—the same thing happened to you that happened to Jesus at the Jordan. God leaned down from heaven, pointed at you, and said: "This is my child, my Beloved, in whom I am well pleased."

You were Named. You were given the name "Christian." You were given the name "Beloved." You were given the name "Child of God."

And you were Claimed. In the United Methodist Church, we believe that in baptism, God is the primary actor. It’s not about how hard we believe or how well we behave. It’s about God claiming us as God's own property. We are marked by the Holy Spirit. We belong to the household of God.

Whether you live in the heart of the city where the world measures you by your professional title and your "making it," or you live in the quiet of the rural hills where it can sometimes feel like the world has moved on without you—hear this: You are more than any label the world has assigned you. You are not forgotten, you are not a number, and you are certainly not a failure. God looks past the bank accounts and the aging bodies to see the "bruised reed" and the "dimly burning wick," and He is cupping His hands around your life right now. You are Beloved, and you are Claimed.

V. Commissioned: We are Not "Done"

But there is a trap we fall into, isn't there?

I think about a story I heard from a fellow pastor about a young man named Kyle. Kyle went through confirmation, he was baptized, he did the retreats, he worked with a mentor. He was there every Sunday. Then, after the big celebration on Pentecost, he just... disappeared.

When the pastor called his mom to check-in, she said, "Oh, I guess I thought Kyle was all done. I mean, he was baptized and confirmed. Isn't he done?"

We laugh, but how many of us treat our faith like a graduation? We think baptism is the finish line. We think that once we’ve joined the church and served on a few committees, we’ve "put in our time."

But look at the Gospel story again. For Jesus, the baptism wasn't the end of the story. It was the launching pad. It was his commissioning. The moment he was Named and Claimed was the moment he was sent out into the wilderness, then into the villages, and eventually to the Cross.

To my older brothers and sisters here today: God is not "done" with you. Your baptismal covenant doesn't have an expiration date.

Being "Claimed" by God means we are drafted into the work of the Servant we read about in Isaiah. We are called to be "a light to the nations." We are called to "open the eyes that are blind" and "bring out the prisoners from the dungeon."

Now, you might say, "Pastor, I’m 85 years old. I can’t go out and liberate a prison."

Maybe not literally. But you can be the light to a neighbor who is trapped in the "prison" of loneliness. You can "open the eyes" of a grandchild to the beauty of God’s grace. You can be the one who refuses to "break the bruised reed" of someone in this community who has made a mess of their life and needs a word of mercy instead of a word of judgment.

Justice, in the biblical sense, is about "how things ought to be." It’s about right relationships. Every time you offer a word of encouragement, every time you support the ministries of this two-point charge with your prayers and your presence, you are fulfilling your commissioning.

VI. Conclusion: Reaffirming the Covenant

In a few moments, we are going to do something powerful. We are going to participate in the Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant.

I want to invite you to take this seriously. This isn't just a ritual. It is a chance to shake off the labels the world has stuck on you this week.

If the world has called you "Useless," come to the water and hear God call you "Chosen." If the world has called you "Failure," come to the water and hear God call you "Redeemed." If you feel like that "dimly burning wick," come to the water and let the Holy Spirit fan that flame back into life.

You have been Named by the One who created the stars. You have been Claimed by the One who walked into the Jordan to stand by your side.

You are a Beloved Child of God. And today, we are commissioned once again to live like it.

Amen.

Anthem (Selected by Music Director)

III. Response and Intercession

Let the beauty of that music settle over us. In the stillness, let us turn our hearts to God in prayer.

Silent Intercession & Pastoral Prayer

(Allow a moment of Silence)

Pastoral Prayer:

Gracious and Holy God, you who spoke over the waters of creation and the waters of the Jordan, speak to us now. We thank you that you know us by name, that you have claimed us as your own, and that you refuse to let us go.

Lord, we lift up this community of Ashtabula First. We pray for those among us who feel like bruised reeds today—those struggling with illness, those aching with grief, and those feeling the weight of the years. Be their strength and their stay. We pray for the families represented here, for our children and grandchildren, asking that they might know the deep security of your love.

We pray for our nation and our world. In places where there is conflict and division, bring your peace. In places where there is injustice, bring your righteousness—not with violence, but with the persistent, gentle power of your Servant. We pray for the leaders of our country, that they might be guided by wisdom and compassion.

And now, bind us together as one body, as we pray the prayer your Son taught us to pray, saying:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Offering

As we respond to God's word with our tithes and offerings, I invite the ushers to come forward to wait upon the congregation. Let us give with glad and generous hearts as Mary leads us in our offertory.

(Mary plays Offertory)

Doxology (UMH #95)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Let us pray.

Holy God, you have poured out your Spirit upon us and claimed us as your own. Receive these gifts we offer today as a token of our gratitude. May they be used to support the work of this church in Ashtabula—to feed the hungry, comfort the grieving, and proclaim the Good News to all. We dedicate them, and ourselves, to your service. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Please be seated.

IV. Reaffirmation of the Baptismal Covenant

Friends, we are coming now to a very special moment in our service. We are going to Reaffirm our Baptismal Covenant.

Sometimes people ask, "Pastor, can I get baptized again? I was baptized as a baby, but I didn't understand it then," or "I've made some mistakes and I want a fresh start."

In the United Methodist Church, we answer that question with a gentle "No"—but for the most beautiful reason. We believe that Baptism is first and foremost an act of God. It is God's "Yes" to us. And because God is faithful, God doesn't need to do it twice. God got it right the first time! That claim we talked about in the sermon—that "Named and Claimed" identity—doesn't wear off, even when we struggle.

However, while God's promise never changes, our commitment sometimes needs dusting off. That is what this moment is for. We don't need a new baptism; we need a renewed heart. We are here to say "Yes" again to the God who has always said "Yes" to us.

So, I invite you to turn to page 50 in your hymnals. Let us remember our baptism and be thankful.

Baptismal Covenant IV (UMH Page 50)

V. Sending Forth

Friends, as we prepare to leave this place, remember that you carry the name of Christ with you. I invite you to rise, in body or in spirit, as we sing our closing hymn.

Closing Hymn (Selected by Music Director)

Benediction

Go now in peace.Remember that you are God’s "Beloved."When the world tries to rename you with heavy labels, remember the water.When you see a bruised reed, be the gentle hand of Christ.When you see a dimly burning wick, be the breath of the Spirit.And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.

Postlude