First Sunday after Epiphany (Baptism of Jesus) B
Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):
Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:
Genesis 1:1-5 Roman Catholic reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 or Isaiah 55:1-11
Psalm 29 Roman Catholic reading: Psalm 29:1-10 or Isaiah 12:2-6
Acts 19:1-7 Roman Catholic reading and Episcopal reading: Acts 10:34-38 or 1 John 5:1-9
Mark 1:4-11 Roman Catholic reading and Episcopal reading: Mark 1:7-11
Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal
The Oremus Hymnal offers many good choices for the lectionary (although this 2010 version will have incorrect calendar dates). Not all are available in Chalice Hymnal, but some may be helpful in congregations where there is not a Chalice Hymnal available. Visit the Oremus Hymnal.
177-What was your vow and vision
176-Sing of God made manifest
104-Of the Father’s love begotten
651-God who stretched the spangled heavens
183-We meet you, O Christ
365-Wash, O God, your sons and daughters
357-We call ourselves disciples
411-For the bread, which you have broken
More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.
Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:
Since Chalice Hymnal does not provide a complete Psalter, there will be occasions when suggestions may be made for alternate Psalm use (or hymn equivalent). A metrical version of the Psalter, for those Psalms not provided in Chalice Hymnal, is being prepared by Rev. David Chafin. Where practical, these may be offered here as well. You may also want to visit http://www.modernpsalter.com/ or
This week: Psalm 29 is found on page 737.
Hymn of the Day from Rev. William Flewelling (© 2014-2015, William Flewelling; All rights reserved)
On Acts 19:1-7
Far beyond the cloistered bating,
deep within the Lord’s desire
lies the freedom of the Spirit
in the blithe confessing life.
Coming past the harsh repentance
stand we now with him who came,
Jesus – he fulfilling all love
breaks all boundaries by joy.
Here where timid answers echo
with presumption of the truth,
find we evermore resounding
Jesus in the treasured chore.
In the moment of compassion
all is freed, all is of God.
Let us answer in confession:
Jesus is our bold relief.
Now indeed, O God our savior,
learn we yearning to embrace,
hold as held in full delighting
all you offer, all of grace.
Folly is compassion founded;
evermore the Spirit frees.
And in our upstarting wonder
bliss is our sublime increase.
8.7.8.7.D Suggested tune: Austria
Note: Except where otherwise noted, items are created or adapted by the editor. If you are aware of source notations which are missing, please bring them to his attention. No copyright infringement is intended, but is sure to happen.
Words of Greeting/Call to Prayer
L: We gather in the name of the living Christ to worship God.
P: Surely, God is in this place and calls us to worship in spirit and in truth.
L: God’s love is for you and for all people everywhere.
P: That we may share God’s love and life, may we be renewed in the refreshing Spirit of the living Christ.
L: The living Christ is with us.
P: Praise the Lord!
Prayer of Approach
L: The Lord be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: Let us pray. Eternal and Almighty God, we praise you that you cause the sun to rise to bring us the light of this new day and that you raised Christ form the dead to bring us new life. May our lives always face his brightness so we may go wherever he leads, serving in gladness and peace (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)
Intercessions
O gracious and loving God, we come to you recognizing the wonders of life that you have given us. As winter falls around us, we pray that you will warm our hearts to your will and guidance in all of life, that we may truly live as your people, continually working for the reign of your kingdom on earth.
Hear our prayers, O God, this day for all who are absent from us. Hear our concerns and hopes for them and all your people. Touch their lives with your grace that they may find healing, and peace, and love. May your Spirit touch us to ever reach out to them and to those around us that all may feel your generous love in their lives.
Hear our prayers for your world. May we see the beauty of creation and work for your peace throughout the world. These and all our prayers we lift to you in the name and Spirit of our life-giving Lord, Jesus Christ.
Prayers from Common Worship*
Collect
Eternal Father,
who at the baptism of Jesus
revealed him to be your Son,
anointing him with the Holy Spirit:
grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,
that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Post Communion
Lord of all time and eternity,
you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father
in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son:
by the power of your Spirit
complete the heavenly work of our rebirth
through the waters of the new creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect
Heavenly Father,
at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son:
may we recognize him as our Lord
and know ourselves to be your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River
Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him
with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his
Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly
confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Collect of the Day from Rev. William Flewelling (© 2014-2015, William Flewelling; All rights reserved)
Mark 1:4-11
O God, in the breach of time
Jesus went to the Jordan,
went into the water,
arose in your delight.
Send upon us the Spirit
that in your delight we might rise
in the energies of faith,
baptized in the breath of the Lord Jesus.
Service of Table
Preparation (Invitation)
Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit at the table in the kingdom of God. This is the Lord’s table. Jesus invites all who seek to trust him to share in the feast which he has prepared. Let us come to his table now with hope and confidence as God’s children. [If the offering has not yet been received, add: “Let us prepare the Table of the Lord with the fruits of our lives and our labors”]
Offertory Prayer
Thank you, God of Love, for the promise of this season. We are grateful for the generosity aroused in us by Christ’s coming into the world. May these gifts represent a new spirit of joyous sharing among us, for the sake of all your children everywhere. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)
Gracious, life-giving God, as we who follow Jesus remember his baptism long ago, may our lives be renewed and our baptisms confirmed afresh. And as we gather at his Table, may we receive from your hands the gifts of earth and heaven. May this bread be for us his Body, and this cup his Blood, so that we who seek to live as his body in this world might be empowered by your Holy Spirit to follow him faithfully – from the water and into the world.
Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.
[if not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”]
MORE…
Resources from the Jubilee Fund: This stewardship ministry serving the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) offers weekly emails for each Sunday’s service. Visit http://www.thejubileefund.com/ to learn more.
You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.
Intercessions and other helpful planning materials geared to the Lectionary (using Roman Catholic version, but normally quite useful for all traditions) for preaching and worship are supplied for several weeks in advance at The Sunday Website of St. Louis University.
Liturgies created by Moira Laidlaw (Uniting Church in Australia) as a part of her doctoral dissertation are often helpful. Read more here.
Common Worship Almanac and Lectionary for the year beginning Advent Sunday 2014. Compiled by Simon Kershaw October 2014 from the Common Worship Calendar and Lectionaries using Almanac Maker; compilation © Simon Kershaw 2014; Almanac Maker © Simon Kershaw 2010. The Revised Common Lectionary is copyright © the Consultation on Common Texts 1992. The Daily Eucharistic Lectionary is adapted from the Ordo Lectionum Missae of the Roman Catholic Church reproduced by permission of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Adaptations and additions to the RCL and the DEL, together with Second and Third Service lectionaries and the Weekday Lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer are copyright © the Archbishops’ Council 1997-2010. http://almanac.oremus.org/lectionary
Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.
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