Sunday Worship Guide - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Worship Guide

February 6, 2022

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

 

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

 

Greetings:

 

Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People: And also with you!

 

Hymn: Here I Am Lord”

 

I, the Lord of sea and sky

I have heard my people cry

All who dwell in dark and sin

My hand will save

I who made the stars of night

I will make their darkness bright

Who will bear my light to them?

Whom shall I send?

 

Here I am, Lord

Is it I, Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night

I will go, Lord

If You lead me

I will hold Your people in my heart

 

I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have borne my people's pain.

I have wept for love of them.

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,

give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak my word to them.

Whom shall I send?

 

Here I am, Lord

Is it I, Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night

I will go, Lord

If You lead me

I will hold Your people in my heart

 

I, the Lord of wind and flame

I will tend the poor and lame

I will set a feast for them

My hand will save

Finest bread I will provide

'Til their hearts be satisfied

I will give my life to them

Whom shall I send?

 

Here I am, Lord

Is it I, Lord?

I have heard You calling in the night

I will go, Lord

If You lead me

I will hold Your people in my heart

I will hold Your people in my heart

 

Centering Words:

 

In this season of light, God’s grace has been given to strengthen and enlighten us. May our epiphanies and jolts of wisdom lead us to a path free from shame.

 

*Call to Worship:

 

Leader:   Great is the grace and glory of God.

People:   We give thanks with hearts of joy.

Leader:   Great is the strength and mercy of our creator.

People:  We give thanks with hearts of hope.

Leader:   Great is the courage and hope of the Lord.

People:  We give thanks with hearts of faith.

Leader:   Great is the mercy and compassion of the Holy One.

People:  We give thanks with hearts of love.

Leader:   Let us pray.

 

ALL: Divine Deliverer of compassion, you call us to follow your voice. “Whom shall I send?” you asked us. With hearts of hope and souls filled with courage, we respond, “Here I am. Send me.” You evaporate our shame, and joyously embrace our authentic selves. May we continue to open ourselves to you, and may we embrace our full humanity as you do. Amen.

 

Special Music: Still Rolling Stones” - Stefanie

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

 

Words of Assurance

 

The grace of God has molded us throughout our lives and will continue to do so until our final breath.

God’s grace is never in vain. Even as God embraces our past, God moves us into the future– a future filled with hope, and the fulfillment of dreams.

Thanks be to our God. Amen

 

*Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11

 

1Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so   also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

 

Leader:   This is the Word of God, for the People of God

People:  Thanks be to God!

 

WORD AND RESPONSE

 

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”                             

 

Children’s Message: “The Most Important Thing”

Hymn: “Holy Ground”

 

We are standing on holy ground,

and I know that there are angels all around;

let us praise Jesus now;

we are standing in his presence

on holy ground.

 

We are standing on holy ground,

and I know that there are angels all around;

let us praise Jesus now;

we are standing in his presence

on holy ground.

 

We are standing on holy ground,

and I know that there are angels all around;

let us praise Jesus now;

we are standing in his presence

on holy ground.

 

We are standing on holy ground,

and I know that there are angels all around;

let us praise Jesus now;

we are standing in his presence

on holy ground.

 

Sermon: “Hold Firmly” - 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

 

1 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

 

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

 Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

 

THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION

 

Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:

 

Christ our Lord invites to his table

all who love him,

who earnestly repent of their sin

and seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God

and one another.

 

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you

with our whole hearts.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the

cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

that proves God's love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are    forgiven.

Glory to God. Amen

  

The Great Thanksgiving  

 

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

always and everywhere

to give thanks to you,

Father Almighty, creator of

heaven and earth.

You formed us in your image and

breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed,

your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity,

made covenant to be our sovereign God,

and spoke to us through your prophets.

And so,

with your people on earth

and all the company of heaven

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son

Jesus Christ.

Your Spirit anointed him

to preach good news to the poor,

to proclaim release to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

and to announce that the time had come

when you would save your people.

 

He healed the sick, fed the hungry,

and ate with sinners.

By the baptism of his suffering,

death, and resurrection,

you gave birth to your church,      

delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

and made with us a new covenant

by water and the Spirit.

 

When the Lord Jesus ascended,

he promised to be with us always,

in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

 

On the night in which he gave himself up for us,

he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread,

gave it to his disciples, and said:

"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

 

When the supper was over, he took the cup,

gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

"Drink from this all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it

in remembrance of me."

 

And so,

in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,

we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving

as a holy and living sacrifice,

in union with Christ's offering for us,

as we proclaim the mystery of faith

 

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

 

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,

and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,

that we may be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory,

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,

all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and forever.   Amen

 

And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

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.

Amen

 

As we share in the bread of life,

is it not a sharing in the body of Christ.

 

And as we share in the cup of Salvation,

Is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ.

 

Moment of Prayer and Meditation

 

Prayer of Thanks

 

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for this holy mystery

in which you have given yourself to us. 

Grant that we may go into the world

in the strength of your Spirit,

to give ourselves to others,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

 

SENDING FORTH

 

Hymn: “He Lives”  

 

I serve a risen Savior,

he's in the world today;

I know that he is living,

whatever foes may say;

I see his hand of mercy,

I hear his voice of cheer,

and just the time I need him,

he's always near.

 

He lives, he lives,

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

along life's narrow way.

He lives, he lives,

salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

 

In all the world around me

I see his loving care,

and though my heart grows weary,

I never will despair.

I know that he is leading

through all the stormy blast;

the day of his appearing

will come at last.

 

He lives, he lives,

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

along life's narrow way.

He lives, he lives,

salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

 

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,

lift up your voice and sing

eternal hallelujahs

to Jesus Christ the King!

The hope of all who seek him,

the help of all who find;

none other is so loving,

so good and kind.

 

He lives, he lives,

Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

along life's narrow way.

He lives, he lives,

salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

 

Benediction