11C – Epiphany 3C

10C - Epiphany 2C12C - Epiphany 4C
 
See also my posts from 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022

 
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 19)
Come into this sacred space to worship God
whose teaching is perfect;
whose directions are sure.
Come into this holy place to worship God
whose standards are right;
whose commandment is clear;
whose judgements are true.
Come with holy fear —
to be given life, and made wise,
to have your heart stirred and your eyes opened wide.
Come — let us worship God.
Let the words of our mouths and the whispering of our hearts
be acceptable to you,
Source of life,
Word of life,
Breath of life. Amen.

PRAYER OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION    (from Psalm 19)
Your mystery, O God
is declared in the holy silence of the heavens,
and told in the silent succession of day and night.
No speech, or word or voice is heard;
yet they speak to all the world,
and their words reach to the ends of the earth. 
The sun joyfully leaps across the sky,
from one end of the heavens to the farthest reaches,
and nothing is hidden from its heat or light.
So nothing that we do or say or whisper in our hearts 
is hidden from you, Lord God.
Release us from the darkness we hide deep within our lives.
Let our lives be radiant with holy awe;
delighting in your teaching, 
receiving insight from your word
and wisdom from your encouraging. 
Enliven our desire for your everlasting judgements
over wealth or fame:
to enjoy the sweet drippings of the honeycomb,
that are to be found 
in right relationship with those around us,
and with you.   Amen.

OFFERING
Gracious, eternal, mysterious 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 following Jesus.
Amen.

For use in worship, with acknowledgement. © Jeff Shrowder 1997, 2013.


A CREATIVE MOMENT – Luke 4:14-21
Several suggestions to ‘kick-start’ your creative thinking:
(a) A Bible open at the Isaiah passage;
(b) Create a “scroll” showing the Isaiah passage;
(c) a length of rope with frayed or cut ends;
(d) a length of chain, perhaps with a broken link;
(e) a pair of spectacles, placed as part of the worship centre; or
(f) tap into one of the many projects which ‘bring sight to the blind’
e.g. Lions International and/or groups of opticians and related professionals who regularly collect disused spectacles for re-use in third world countries. This could be an occasion to invite members of the congregation to donate redundant spectacles for redistribution by such groups.


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 borrows lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
Just and compassionate One,
In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body;
one body with many members,
some who today grieve,
others who are thankful,
and yet others who experience joy.
By your living Word be a sustaining presence to each
and by the one Spirit in which we were baptised into one body
comfort those whom we name on our lips and in our silence,
those whose trouble is known only to you,
and those who have no-one…
      (The Prayers of the People continue)


Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate
Or metrical psalms? Try Dale A. Schoening’s Sing the Psalms

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HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR EPIPHANY 3C
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
God has spoken by his prophets TIS 158
Lord, your word abiding TIS 427
Spread, O spread. Almighty word TIS 450
What does the Lord require? AHB 568
Psalm 19
Creation sings a new song to the Lord TIS 166
Let all creation dance TIS 187
Morning has broken TIS 156
Nature with open volume stands TIS 343
Now to the Lord a noble song! TIS 113
Sing a new song, sing a new song TIS 166
The heavens shall declare TIS 746
The sky tells the glory of God TIS 7
The voice of God goes out to all the world SA 86
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Bring many names, beautiful and good TIS 182
Christ, from whom all blessings flow TIS 440
Filled with the Spirit’s power, with one accord TIS 411
God gives us a future TIS 687
Help us accept each other TIS 648
I come with joy to meet my Lord TIS 533
In Christ there is no east or west TIS 459
Jesus put this song into our hearts TIS 670
Now let us from this table rise TIS 530
The law of Christ alone can make us free TIS 630
We are your people TIS 468
Where there is charity and love TIS 434
Luke 4:14-21
Christ is the world’s true light TIS 238
Come to be our hope, O Jesus TIS 688
Come, your hearts and voices raising TIS 297
God of freedom, God of justice TIS 657
God of grace and God of glory TIS 611
Hail to the Lord’s anointed TIS 275
Holy Spirit, ever dwelling TIS 410
Holy Spirit, go before us TIS 420
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun TIS 207
O for a thousand tongues to sing. TIS 210
Praise with joy the world’s Creator TIS 179

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