Bulletin – Sunday, February 20, 2022 – Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Sunday, February 20, 2022
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Approach

Lighting the Christ Candle

Light to soften the shadows. Light to warm the air. Light to warm our hearts. Light to move us in new and exciting direction. Light of presence, refining light, challenging light, light of Christ.

(adapted from Peter Chynoweth, Gathering Epiphany 2021/22, page 42; used with permission)

Call to Worship

One:   We are gathered together, because we want to worship God,
All:      to give thanks for God and for God’s presence in good and bad times,

One:   to confess to God those moments we have been unfaithful,
All:      to listen for God’s word in our lives and our life together,

One:   to lift up those concerns close to our hearts.
All:      We are gathered together to be the Body of Christ.

One:   May God find a welcome home among us.
All:      Let us worship today in God’s presence.

(adapted from Frances Flook, Gathering Epiphany 2021/22, page 44; used with permission)

Hymn – “Come to My Heart, Lord Jesus”

Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; come to my heart today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Come to my heart, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.

Fill me with love, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus; fill me with love today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Fill me with love, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.

Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; teach me to walk in your way.
Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; answer my prayer today.
Give me the peace and joy that only you can bring.
Answer my prayer, Lord Jesus; give me a song to sing.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Creator, Timeless, Loving God. We gather to worship knowing that you are with us. During this season of Epiphany, we have journeyed the path that Jesus travelled between his birth and the start of his ministry. We come to learn as he learned, with open hearts and minds. We come to understand our place in the world as Jesus learned to understand his place in the world. Give us the courage to take our place and travel the path with Jesus.

Yet, God, we are so conditioned to respond in kind. We are so worried that when the reckoning comes, we will find ourselves left with the short end of the stick. And not without reason. The powerful take and take and lie and lie and oppress and oppress seemingly without consequence.

Teach us to love with skill, Teach us to love with precision. Teach us to love with abandon, trusting that when we step into the ocean of your abundant love we will receive the blessings of your abundant life. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Hymn – “How Great Thou Art”

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

But when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Time for All Ages

The Word

Scripture Reading:           Genesis 44:3-11, 15

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. ¹⁰ You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’
¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Scripture Reading:           Luke 6:27-38

²⁷ “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.
³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God!

Meditation – “Who Are You”

Anthem – “The Greatest of These”

The Response

Prayers of the People

One:   We call to mind our concerns and commitments, and join our prayers for peace and well-being to the prayers of the whole church as they are offered this day for the whole world. Let us pray: We remember the people we know who are in trouble, and pray for healing and happiness for all, as we lift up to you those in this community for whom we pray…God of grace,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   We seek God’s encouragement: for honest trade and just commerce; for medicine and education; for the gifts and aptitudes in every person which serve justice in community living. God of grace,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   We pray for peace on earth: for the generous sharing of the earth’s resources and the responsible sharing of the earth’s problems; for understanding of others and willingness to regard the diversity of human culture as more stimulating than threatening; for the turning of swords into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks. God of grace,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   We pray for the church, by all its names and in all its places: for its continuing usefulness as a channel of grace and hope; for its rescue from bureaucracy and stagnation; for its witness to unity and justice; for its commitment to hospitality and compassion. God of grace,
All:      hear our prayer.

One:   Hear us now as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us;
All:      Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom 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. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn – “God, as We Rise to Leave”

God, as we rise to leave this shell of worship,
Called to risk of unprotected living,
Willing to be at one with all your people,
We ask for courage.

For all the strain with living interwoven,
For the demands each day will make upon us,
And for the love we owe the modern city,
God, make us cheerful.

Give us an eye for openings to serve you;
Make us alert when calm is interrupted,
Ready and wise to use the unexpected;
Sharpen our insight.

Lift from our life the blanket of convention;
Give us the nerve to lose our life to others;
Be with your church in death and resurrection,
God of all ages.

Benediction

Go forth to be God’s people, knowing that God’s love for us will never change.

Go forth to embody God’s love to and for others, knowing that God’s love for us will never change.

Go forth to the world that God loves and as you go seek to be that love we know through Jesus in this community. Amen.

(adapted from Beth Johnson, Gathering Epiphany 2021/22, page 49; used with permission)

Response

Lead me, Lord, I will follow.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.
You have called me, I will answer.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.