This bulletin includes the order of service for the Season of Epiphany. The items in bold italics are intended for the congregation’s response.
Opening Hymn
In the name of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Giver of life. Amen.
Call to Worship and Confession of Sin
Light! Light, light and more light!
Rise and shine—your light is here! God’s glory is incoming! The world will be drawn to your glow! Leaders will follow your shining brilliance.
The awesome light of our Saviour Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
Seers speak of the coming light of God which calls all people of the earth to come together in peace. Let us confess the ways in which we have rejected this vision of wholeness.
God of light and darkness, we have seen the glimmer of your star-light beckoning to us, but we have turned away – through distraction, habit, sloth, or simple lack of love – and followed other paths. We confess that we have not loved you with everything we’ve got. And we haven’t loved our neighbors as ourselves.
Forgive us, Holy One. Strengthen our faltering steps. Guide us in your way of peace. Amen.
Lift up your eyes and see the grace of God pouring into your lives. The healing, forgiving, restoring light of God shines through the darkness.
Our hearts rejoice for Christ is in our midst.
Canticle of Praise for Epiphany
From Godspell
Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day
Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day.
The Great Spirit be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The Ministry of the Word
Old Testament
A reading from Isaiah 43:1-7
1-4 But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.
5-7 “So don’t be afraid: I’m with you.
I’ll round up all your scattered children,
pull them in from east and west.
I’ll send orders north and south:
‘Send them back.
Return my sons from distant lands,
my daughters from faraway places.
I want them back, every last one who bears my name,
every man, woman, and child
Whom I created for my glory,
yes, personally formed and made each one.’”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm
We follow the responsive recitation method for the Psalm, where the leader alternates verses with the congregation. The items in bold italics are intended for audience response.
1-2 Bravo, God, bravo!
Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
Dress your best to honor him!
3 God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.
4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.
5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.
6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.
7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.
9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”
10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
from which his power flows,
from which he rules the world.
11 God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.
Epistle
A reading from Acts 8:14-17
14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God’s Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet fallen on them. Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hymn
The Gospel
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
15 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”
16-17 But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”
21-22 After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Sermon
The Prayers
Because We Believe
Words adapted from Because We Believe, Don Moen
We believe in God the Father
We believe in Christ the Son
We believe in the Holy Spirit
We are the Church
And we stand as one
Holy holy, Holy is our God
Worthy worthy, Worthy is our King
All glory and honor are His to receive
To Jesus we sing, because we believe
We believe in the Living Scriptures
We believe in all peoples’ worth.
We believe in the resurrection
That Christ calls us
To protect the Earth.
Holy holy, Holy is our God
Worthy worthy, Worthy is our King
All glory and honor are His to receive
To Jesus we sing, because we believe.
We believe it’s love that saves us
That we’re all meant for divine rebirth.
We believe that beyond our vision
Is a boundless realm of joy and mirth.
Holy holy, Holy is our God
Worthy worthy, Worthy is our King
All glory and honor are His to receive
To Jesus we sing, because we believe.
Prayers of the People
We pray for the coming of a Living Community of Love.
You sent your Son to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind, freedom to the captives and salvation to your people: anoint us with your Spirit; rouse us to work in Christ’s name. God, by your Spirit
Unleash your domain.
Send us to bring help to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
God, by your Spirit
Unleash your domain.
Send us to tell the world the good news of your healing love. We pray for those who are ill or suffering, naming them now either silently or aloud. (Pause)
God, by your Spirit
Let your realm arise.
Send us to those who mourn, to bring joy and gladness instead of grief.
We remember those who have died, naming them now either silently or aloud. (Pause)
God, by your Spirit
Let your realm arise.
Send us to share your abundant blessing with those suffering from war, those displaced from their homes, those suffering from violence, hatred or abuse. We pray especially for those we name now, either silently or aloud. (Pause)
God, by your Spirit
Let your realm arise.
God, use us, imperfect as we are, to bring in your kingdom of mercy, justice, and peace. Empower us by your Spirit and unite us in your Son, that all our joy and delight may be to serve you, now and for ever. Amen.
The Peace
Announcements
The Holy Communion
God loves it when the giver delights in giving.
2 Corinthians 9:7
During the Offertory, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.
Doxology
(Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), para. of Psalm 117; Music: Old 100th, melody from Pseaumes octante trois de David, 1551, alt.; harm. after Louis Bourgeois (1510?-1561?); Licensed for Use: CCLI Copyright License 20716203; CCLI Streaming License 20716210
The Great Thanksgiving
The Great One is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them into the Day-giver’s clear light.
Let us give thanks to our most Holy God.
It is right to offer thanks and praise.
We give you thanks, O God, for making your love visible since the very beginning of time. You spoke the word which replaced the darkness of chaos with life-giving light. This light has nurtured generations of people, creatures and plants, great and small. This same light nurtures the virtues and strengths of our human souls, and heals the pain and harm caused by cruelty, violence and hatred.
At a pivotal moment, you spoke the Word of Light which would, decisively, dispel the darkness of chaotic lives. Because you love the world, Jesus became flesh and lived among us full of grace and truth. The entire created order, with forces visible and invisible, join together in crying out their praise.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
To you indeed be glory, visible God, because on the night before he died, your Son, Jesus Christ, took bread; when he had given you thanks, he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take, eat, this is my body given for you; do this to remember me.
After supper he took the cup; when he had given you thanks, he gave it to them and said:
This cup is an unbreakable bond in my blood poured out for you; do this as often as you drink it to remember me.
And so in this great sacrament we celebrate and proclaim the mystery of our faith.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come in glory.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on all gathered here, that we might be your light in the world.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and wine, that we might be infused with the gift of your nourishing guidance. Transform us with your nourishing grace, as we eat of this bread and drink of this wine. Transfigure us to be your presence in the world, as we are redeemed and reclaimed by your great love.
By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in service to the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at the heavenly banquet.
Through Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God, now and forever more. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, in the words that Jesus taught us, we pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven. hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kindgom 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.
Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Gentile or Jew, Servant or free
Woman or man, No more
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
Many the gifts, many the works
One in the Lord, Of all
One bread, one body, one Lord of all
One cup of blessing which we bless
And we, though many, throughout the Earth
We are one body in this one Lord
We are one body in this one Lord
Songwriter: John B Foley; One Bread, One Body lyrics © Epoch Universal Publications Inc
The congregation receives communion.
Prayer after Communion
Gracious God, you are the author and giver of all good things. We give you thanks for the gift of life, for the meal we shared, and for reconnecting us as your people. Keep us nourished by this meal and this community. Keep us grounded in the ways in which you feed us, and in the ways we are all hungry. We pray these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Blessing
May the path that Christ walks to bring justice upon the earth, to bring light to those who sit in darkness, to bring out those who live in bondage, to bring new things to all creation: may this path run through our life. May we be the road Christ takes.
Closing Hymn
Dismissal
Some prayers taken from The Church of England and https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/11/epiphany-worship-resource-index.html