For a long while until now I have served my holy mission Received long ago in the desert In the angel’s surprising vision
I have gone into the Jordan That river of ancient tradition That place of needed healing That water of such division
To call all forth and announce That repentance is in need And the time has now come That all from sin be freed
As the angels told me to go And prepare the way I have called all now forth From their sin to turn away
To prepare for this Holy One He who has now come To go down into the water For in him all has begun
I stand here in his shadow This holy One spoken of old To be baptized as all others In humility as was foretold
Now I too am kneeling At the voice of holy sound As the white dove of love Amazes all of Spirit bound
For I have seen salvation This cousin Jesua of mine For whom I now realize In humility I must end my time
For now I completed my mission As I have prepared the way For this messiah, God’s Son Begins his sacred mission today
Dear Jesus Help me to go down to the river With all my faults and sins To leave them all behind And may a new life of love begin In you are Father and Spirit revealed And as John I must now too kneel And humbly beg to be healed