Bulletin – Sunday, January 5, 2024 – Second Sunday after Christmas / Epiphany Sunday
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Second Sunday after Christmas / Epiphany Sunday
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Announcements
Lighting the Christ Candle
One: In the beginning, God gave light to the world.
All: In the time, god sent Christ to live among us, and to shine with the light of God’s love.
One: We light this candle to remember that Jesus, the light of the world, is with us always.
(The Christ candle is lit)
Call to Worship
One: The people who lived in darkness.
All: On them a great light has shone.
One: The gift of God-with-us is given.
All: Jesus is born shining hope, peace, love, and joy for all.
One: For God so loved the world,
All: O Come, let us adore him.
Hymn – “As with Gladness Men of Old” (VU #81)
As with gladness men of old did the guiding star behold,
As with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright,
So, most gracious Lord, may we evermore your splendor see.
As with joyful steps they sped, to that lowly manger bed,
There to bend the knee before Christ, whom heaven and earth adore;
So may we with eager pace ever seek your throne of grace.
As they offered gifts most rare at that manger crude and bare,
So may we with holy joy, pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to you, our heavenly King.
Holy Jesus, every day keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past, bring our ransomed souls at last.
Where they need no star to guide, where no clouds your glory hide.
In the heavenly country bright none shall need created light,
You its light, its joy, its crown, you its sun which goes not down;
There forever may we sing hallelujah to our King.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: God, glorious light of light, you give yourself in the person of Jesus Christ, born among us full of grace and truth. And you are still shining in our world with all its sorrow and celebration, all its grief and gladness, all its darkness and terror. And. Nothing (!) has been able to extinguish your love. We rejoice in your great love. We rejoice in your great love for all people. But sometimes your great love is too excessive for us.
All: Help us to love our enemies too.
One: We rejoice in your great love for all creation. But sometimes we’re too distracted to notice it.
All: Help us to turn away from all that tempts us away from you.
One: We love that you call us to do your work. But sometimes there is too much of your work to do. We get overwhelmed and paralyzed with too many hungry, and hopeless people who need your love.
All: Help us to focus only on the work that you call us and equip us to do.
(a short time of silence)
One: Forgive us, help us, and make us new yet again.
All: In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Sung Response – “Gloria” (VU #37)
Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory in the highest!
Glory to God, glory to God, hallelujah, hallelujah!
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 3:1-13 (There is a Time)
Narrator 1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?
Narrator 2 A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south, and goes around to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing.
Narrator 1 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been, in the ages before us.
Narrator 2 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
Narrator 1 a time to be born, and a time to die;
Narrator 2 a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
Narrator 1 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
Narrator 2 a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Narrator 1 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
Narrator 2 a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Narrator 1 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
Narrator 2 a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
Narrator 1 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
Narrator 2 a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
Narrator 1 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
Narrator 2 a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Narrator 1 a time to love, and a time to hate;
Narrator 2 a time for war, and a time for peace.
Narrator 1 What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.
Narrator 2 God has made everything suitable for its time; moreover God has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Narrator 1 I know that there is nothing better for everyone than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.
Scripture Reading: John 1:1-5, 14 (The Word of God Became Flesh)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Hymn – “A Light is Gleaming” (VU #82)
A light is gleaming, spearing its arms throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God’s radiant love is burning bright, living in the light.
When light comes pouring into the darkest place,
It hurts our eyes to see the glow.
Sometimes a word of hope reminds us of our fears,
Our memories and tears.
A light is gleaming, spearing its arms throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God’s radiant love is burning bright, living in the light.
When night is round us and every shadow grows,
A star is there to light our way.
It tells a story of Jesus who came near to say:
“God’s light will ever stay.”
A light is gleaming, spearing its arms throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God’s radiant love is burning bright, living in the light.
And Jesus showed us a brighter path to walk.
He Showed us things we hadn’t seen.
Now we, like Jesus, can help creation shine,
And this will be a sign.
A light is gleaming, spearing its arms throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God’s radiant love is burning bright, living in the light.
So let us live in the brightness God has giv’n,
And let us rise to see the dawn.
We trust that God is here asparkle and ablaze,
Warming all our days.
A light is gleaming, spearing its arms throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God’s radiant love is burning bright, living in the light.
Meditation – “The Biggest Question”
Hymn – “Will You Come and See the Light” (VU #96)
Will you come and see the light from the stable door?
It is shining newly bright, though it shone before.
It will be your guiding star, it will show you who you are;
Will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you step into the light that can free the slave?
It will stand for what is right, it will heal and save.
By the pyramids of greed there’s a longing to be freed;
Will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you tell about the light in the prison cell;
Though its shackled out of sight, it is shining well.
When the truth is cut and bruised, and the innocent abused;
Will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you join the hope, alight in the young girl’s eyes;
Of the mighty put to flight by a baby’s cries?
When the lowest and the least are the foremost at the feast,
Will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you travel by the light of the babe new born?
In the candle lit at night there’s a gleam of dawn,
And the darkness all about is too dim to put it out,
Will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
We Respond to God’s Word
An Invitation to Share
Offering Sung Response – “Grant Us, God, the Grace” (VU #540)
Grant us, God, the grace of giving;
With a spirit large and free,
That ourselves and all our living
We may offer faithfully.
Offering Prayer
Prayers of the People
One: God in your amazing mercy and grace,
All: Hear our prayer.
Prayer Jesus Taught Us
All: Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, they 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, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
We Go Into God’s World
Hymn – “On This Day of Celebration”
On this day of celebration, at this time when hopes are new,
God, we gather as your people, called to put our trust in you.
You have made the world we live in; you have worked through history.
In your plan we find our purpose, in your love, our unity.
Long ago, you sent our Saviour to this world in deep despair.
In your Word made flesh you came, our life to know, our sins to bear.
Christ has died and Christ is risen! At this new year we proclaim:
Yesterday, today, forever—Jesus Christ is still the same!
Through two thousand years of changes, through these passing centuries,
You have called your church to witness to Christ’s love that claims and frees.
Each new generation hears you, each must find a fresh new way
To make know the life you offer, to the people in their day.
On this day, we pause and wonder what the future years will bring,
Yet we know you clothe each flower and you make each sparrow sing.
How much more will you protect us with your guiding, caring hand!
By Your Spirit, lead us boldly in the future you have planned.
Benediction
Sung Response – “O Radiant Christ, Incarnate Word” (VU #84, verse 4)
O Light of Nations, fill the earth;
Our faith and hope and love renew.
Come, lead the peoples to your peace,
As stars once led the way to you.
