09B - Baptism of Jesus — 11B - Epiphany 3B
See also my post from 2012, 2018, 2021, 2024
THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE (Psalm 139:1-6)
Lord God, you know me through and through;
you know my sitting down, and my getting up.
You sense what I am thinking from far away;
you understand my journeying and my resting.
In fact, you are familiar with the way I do everything;
even before I speak, you know what’s on my mind.
You are in my past, and in my future,
you surround me with your love
and your reassuring hand is upon me.
This wonderful knowledge is beyond my understanding;
it surpasses everything, and is beyond my grasp.
OR PRAYER OF INVOCATION (from Ps. 139:13-14)
Ever present God of grace,
by your Spirit you gather us to worship you;
you who formed my very consciousness,
and wove me together in my mother’s womb
you who are so awesomely wonderful
you whose creativity is so marvellous.
Engage us by your word and change us:
open our ears to hear you
open our eyes to see what we might become
open our hearts to follow your ways. Amen.
PRAYER OF ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING
Lord God, you know me through and through;
you know my sitting down, and my getting up.
You sense what I am thinking from far away;
you understand my journeying and my resting.
In fact, you are familiar with the way I do everything;
even before I speak, you know what’s on my mind.
You are in my past, and in my future,
you surround me with your love
and your reassuring hand is upon me.
For our life together in following Jesus,
and for the breathe of your Spirit among us,
we thank you,
holy one of many names. Amen
OFFERING
Gracious and eternal God,
we bring our gifts with hopeful and faithful spirits.
Bless the offering of these gifts and our lives
that new hope and new possibilities are made real
in the lives of those whom we serve
in your name. Amen.
EPIPHANY
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
How often we scorn or deprecate ‘the other’:
someone from the other side of town,
from over the river,
from the across the rail line,
from the community whose football team
is our arch-rival,
or from a country and culture
that is not ‘ours’.
And yet
if we dare investigate more closely
we may find in ‘the other’
not just ourselves
but also the glory of God.
“Come and see.”
A CREATIVE MOMENT – Psalm 139:1-18 (rather than omitting verses 7-12)
Materials/Preparation:
(a) images for projection which illustrate aspects of the psalm;
(b) a screen or wall space for the projection of these images
(c) a means of projection e.g. overhead transparency projector, 35mm slide projector, data projector;
(d) have two people prepare the psalm as an antiphonal reading (For the most part this will mean “verse and verse about”, but verses 5-14 have natural divisions which invite the use of alternating voices);
(e) darken or dim the worship space as you are able.
Project the images while the psalm is being read. An unhurried reading, with brief pauses at the end of each verse/line will enable the congregation to reflect momentarily on the words and projected images.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(A prayer to gather the spoken and silent concerns/joys/thanks expressed by the congregation and lead into a more structured Intercession with connection to the lections for the day. Sometimes this prayer will borrow lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Compassionate and including God, who knows our inmost being,
By your Word and your Spirit you sustain those who live at the edges
Comfort and encourage those whom we name on our lips
and in the silence of our hearts,
and those whose troubles are known only to you …
(The Prayers of the People continue)
Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
| HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR EPIPHANY 2 – YEAR B |
|
| All praise to our redeeming Lord | TIS 442 |
| Be thou my vision | TIS 547 |
| Breathe on me,breath of God | TIS 407 |
| Christ be my leader by night as by day | TIS 624 |
| Christ whose glory fills the skies | TIS 212 |
| Far beyond the mind’s grasp and our tongue’s | TIS 542 |
| Father of peace and God of love | TIS 482 |
| God has spoken by his prophets | TIS 158 |
| God of mercy, God of grace | TIS 452 |
| Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult | TIS 589 |
| Just as I am | TIS 584 |
| Let him to whom we know belong | TIS 563 |
| Master speak, thy servant heareth | TIS 597 |
| This is the day the Lord has made | TIS 368 |
| Thou art the way; by thee alone | TIS 226 |
| To God be the glory, great things he has done | TIS 147 |
| 1 Samuel 3:1-10 | 11-20 |
| God has spoken by his prophets | TIS 158 |
| I, the Lord of sea and sky | TIS 658 |
| Master, speak, thy servant heareth | TIS 597 |
| Praise the Spirit in creation | TIS 415 |
| Take my life and let it be | TIS 599 |
| Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 |
|
| I am alone, yet not alone | TIS 605 |
| Immortal, invisible, God only wise | TIS 143 |
| Lord of creation, to you be all praise | TIS 626 |
| O love that wilt not let me go | TIS 602 |
| One God, one living God | TIS 742 |
| You are before me, Lord, you are behind | TIS 87 |
| 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 |
|
| Blest are the pure in heart | TIS 448 |
| Breathe on me, breath of God | TIS 407 |
| Far beyond our mind’s grasp | TIS 542 |
| Let him to whom we now belong | TIS 563 |
| May the mind of Christ, my Saviour | TIS 609 |
| The royal banners forward go | TIS 332 |
| To God be the glory, great things he has done | TIS 147 |
| John 1:43-51 |
|
| Christ be my leader by night as by day | TIS 624 |
| Help us accept each other | TIS 648 |
| Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult | TIS 589 |
| Jesus shall reign where’er the sun | TIS 207 |
| Just as I am, without one plea | TIS 584 |
| We have a gospel to proclaim | TIS 245 |