12A - Epiphany 4A — 14A - Epiphany 6A
See also my posts from 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023
Psalm 112 – A Wisdom Psalm (A translation for today)
How fortunate is the one who holds the LORD in holy awe,
who takes great delight in the commands of the LORD.
This person’s descendant’s will be powerful in the land;
the upright generation receive blessing;
wealth and riches are in their home,
and their covenant response is constant.
Light rises in the dark for the upright;
the person with integrity is dutiful and affectionate.
It is good for a person to lend dutifully,
to order their affairs justly.
Never will such a person be shaken;
and they will be remembered for ever.
A righteous person is not afraid of bad news;
their mind is unwavering, trusting in the LORD.
their mind is set firm, they are not afraid,
as they wait for the time of looking with satisfaction on their foes.
The righteous person gives generously to the poor;
their righteousness continues for ever,
they raise their head in honour.
The wicked person sees it and is angry
They gnash their teeth and fade away;
the desires of the wicked come to nothing.
OFFERING
Source of life and love,
we bring these symbols of our everyday.
By your Spirit of grace,
move us to use them
to bring freedom from injustice and oppression,
to share our bread with the hungry,
to shelter the homeless
and clothe the naked
as we seek to walk in the way of Jesus. Amen
A CREATIVE MOMENT – Matthew 5:13-20
Suggested symbols for the worship centre:
a quantity of salt, piled, on a sheet of coloured paper or card; a lit candle/tealight. Any other symbols appropriate to your context.
Place these symbols on a hessian cloth draped from the worship centre table onto the floor.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(A prayer, usually with connection to one or more of the lections for the day, to gather the spoken and silent concerns/joys/thanks expressed by the congregation and lead into a more structured Intercession. Sometimes this prayer also borrows lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Compassionate spirit of love and justice,
acting to right what is wrong in the world;
be present to those
we name in word and silence;
those who today know only
the pain of hunger, homelessness, loneliness or grief;
those whose troubles are known only to you …
And, by the stirring of your gracious Spirit
may we act in ways
worth our salt,
in following Jesus …
(The Prayers of the People continue)
Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
| HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR EPIPHANY 5 | |
| Christ is the world’s light | TIS 246 |
| Fairest Lord Jesus | TIS 203 |
| Father in heaven | TIS 465 |
| Come, thou everlasting Spirit | TIS 509 |
| When I survey the wondrous cross | TIS 342 |
| Hail to the Lord’s anointed | TIS 275 |
| Isaiah 58:1-9a | |
| God of freedom, God of justice | TIS 657 |
| Great God, your Spirit, like the wind | TIS 416 |
| When he comes back | TIS 280 |
| Psalm 112:1-9 | |
| Praise the Lord. Blessed are those … | TIS 69 |
| Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling | TIS 582 |
| 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 | |
| God moves in a mysterious way | TIS 126 |
| The love of God is greater far | TIS 151 |
| O the deep, deep love of Jesus | TIS 232 |
| Nature with open volume stands | TIS 343 |
| We sing the praise of him who died | TIS 347 |
| In the cross of Christ I glory | TIS 349 |
| O breath of God, breathe on us now | TIS 408 |
| Spirit of truth, essential God | TIS 426 |
| Eternal light, shine in my heart | TIS 548 |
| Lord of creation, to you be all praise | TIS 626 |
| Matthew 5:13-20 | |
| Far beyond our mind’s grasp | TIS 542 |
| Have faith in God, my heart | TIS 619 |
| Here in this place new light is streaming | TIS 474 |
| Holy Father, God of might | TIS 622 |
| Lord Jesus, we belong to you | TIS 686 |