10C - Epiphany 2C — 12C - 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.
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
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 |
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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 |
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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 |