Voices Found: Cleansing waters, VF 67, First Sunday after Epiphany, Baptism

                                                                                   

Voices Found #67, verse 3

Cleansing waters once at Jordon

closed around the One foretold,

opened to reveal the glory 

ever new and ever old.

Words: Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993)

Music: Ellerton, Sharon Marion Hershey

Matthew 3: 16-17

¹⁶And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved,^* with whom I am well pleased.’

Cleansing waters. Crashing waters. Sylvia Dunstan reminds us of water power!   Early cleansing rituals involved still waters in placid pools.  For repentance, John chose the swift flowing waters of the Jordon. With the Baptist, Jesus entered that  rushing river. And God revealed his glory.

Hershey offers a beautiful musical setting for Dunstan's text.  The composer's soaring melody supported with rich harmony sings of the glory of the Voice, and the descent of the Dove.  She offers a descant which the sopranos could sing.  However, you could invite a music student to play the descant. That is a great way to involve musicians in worship. This hymn, including all three verses with instrumental descant, can serve as a lovely short anthem for a  parish  choir. It would be appropriate to sing for any baptism. 

https://www.churchpublishing.org/products/voicesfound2

For background and performance suggestions please see The Leader's Guide to Voices Found