VERSION: 6 November 2001
SPRINKLING (ASPERGES) CEREMONY
The ceremony known as the 'asperges' or 'sprinkling' may be particularly useful during Easter-Pentecost or at any time when baptism is particularly remembered, eg on the First Sunday after Epiphany, to highlight the connection of confession and absolution with the forgiveness received in baptism through the Holy Spirit. Due pastoral preparation must be taken so that notions of holy water are not encouraged, but if used sensitively and with care, it can offer another form of sensory communication in worship.
After the confession and absolution (or in place of the creed) the minister may say the following or similar words.
In baptism, God forgave our sin,
delivered us from death and the devil,
and gave everlasting salvation to all who believe what he promised.
It is not water that does these things,
but God's word with the water and our trust in this word.
Water by itself is only water,
but with the word of God it is a life-giving water,
which by grace gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit.
Friends,
this water will be used to remind us of our baptism.
As we receive the sprinkling of this water,
let us remember that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires,
should be drowned through daily repentance;
and that day after day a new self should arise
to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.
The minister then takes a bowl of water, and a sprig from an evergreen tree, and sprinkles the water over the whole congregation. While this is done, a suitable song/hymn may be sung (eg LHS 831, 869; AT 126, 359), or one of the following responses may said:
I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple. Alleluia!
It brought God's life and his salvation,
and the people sang in joyful praise. Alleluia!
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple. Alleluia, alleluia!
OR
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Alleluia!
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, :
will have streams of living water flowing from within. Alleluia! Alleluia!
As a deer longs for flowing streams :
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God :
for the living God.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Alleluia!
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, :
will have streams of living water flowing from within. Alleluia! Alleluia!
|