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A Service of Song, Word, & Table
THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
January 14, 2024
* Please rise in body or spirit.
WELCOME
PRELUDE Hush, Hush Spiritual Dr. Karen Marrolli, mezzo-soprano
* CALL TO WORSHIP
The voice of God calls to us! Are you listening?
Speak, Lord, your servants are listening.
The hands of God beckon us! Are you paying attention?
Show us, Lord, your servants are paying attention.
The love of God asks us—are you ready to follow?
Guide us, Lord, and we, your servants, will follow.
Come, let us worship the God whose tenacious love never stops calling and beckoning and asking us to follow.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
* PROCESSIONAL HYMN Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah UMH 127
A READING FROM HEBREW SCRIPTURE I Samuel 3:1-10
ANTHEM
8:30 Somebody’s Knockin’ at Yo’ Door Moses Hogan Dr. Karen Marrolli, mezzo-soprano
11:00 Speak, O Lord arr. Lloyd Larson Chancel Choir
HOMILY “A Voice in the Wilderness”
MUSICAL RESPONSE Lead Me, Guide Me (vs 1) TFWS 2214
Solo on verse, congregation on refrain
RESPONDING TO THE WORD: WE ARE CENTRAL — PRESENCE Rhys Wetherill
INVITATION TO OFFERING
OFFERTORY Dr. Dan Cummings, piano
* DOXOLOGY Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 94
PRAYER OF CONFESSION Rev. Bert Scott (11 a.m.)
When we confess our sins, we accept God’s invitation to clear out the noise and chaos that keep us from recognizing God’s loving voice. So, as we come to confess our sin and be reconciled to God and one another, take this opportunity to let God help you declutter your heart and your mind so that you might listen and receive God’s love and guidance more clearly.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you as our God, nor have we loved our neighbors as ourselves. Our priorities do not line up with yours, and too often we wander from your path by trying to do things our way instead of yours.
Forgive us, Lord. Your servants repent.
Merciful God, we confess that we are too often complacent in answering your call to enact justice. You call us to enter the flow of your justice that rolls down like water, and instead, we inhibit the work of justice by choosing not to pay attention or believe the stories of suffering and need in our midst.
Forgive us, Lord. Your servants repent.
Merciful God, we confess that sometimes we avoid you. We don’t want to hear your voice. We don’t want to receive your call. We are scared of what you might ask us to do and how letting your grace work in our lives might change us. So, we keep you at arm’s length, ready to run when you seem to ask too much of us.
Forgive us, Lord. Your servants repent.
Merciful God, we confess that there are things that clutter our hearts and minds that we cannot say aloud or do not have words for, and so, we lift them to you now in silence.
Offer silent prayers of confession.
AN ACT OF HOLY SILENCE
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS AND PARDON
Reconciling God, your steadfast love surrounds us, calling us into right relationship with you, with self, with one another, and with creation. As your reconciled and forgiven people, open our hearts to receive all that you have to say to us today.
Speak, Lord, your servants are listening.
Time of silent listening and prayer.
Loving God, you call us by name to be your people in the world, pouring your love into us in such abundance that it overflows into the world around us. Guide us, form us, and send us as your people to live out your good news wherever we go.
Call us, Lord, your servants will follow. Amen.
* PASSING OF THE PEACE
* REGATHERING HYMN Just a Closer Walk With Thee (refrain) TFWS 2158
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING UMH 17 Musical Setting A
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,
Our God, creator of heaven and earth.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth,
from everlasting to everlasting, you alone are God.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the 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,
in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation.
In his baptism and in table fellowship he took his place with sinners.
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 liberate your people.
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.
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 is 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, Rev. Bert Scott (11 a.m.)
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 (God), now and for ever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER — "Our Father/Creator…"
MUSIC AT COMMUNION Dr. Dan Cummings, piano
INVITATION TO CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
* CLOSING HYMN Guide My Feet (vs 1,2,3,6) TFWS 2208
* BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Dr. Dan Cummings
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