Jan 5, 2014 – Epiphany
Welcome
Welcome everyone to the
Epiphany Sunday service of Chemainus United Church.
We are a community of
God’s faithful; our mission is to be a welcoming community at the crossroads, in
the heart of Chemainus.
We celebrate God’s presence
and share the joy of the Gospel. We serve and support one another in the love
of Christ.
We are seeking an
expression of faith that fully communicates love that helps us transform our
lives and transform our world.
May the light of
Epiphany shine upon us all, and bless us all as we worship together on this
first Sunday of the New Year, 2014.
Welcome all, and we
extend our warmest welcome to those who are here with us for the very first
time. It would be great if you would introduce yourself to the rest of us so
that we can get to know you better. (please join in our refreshment after the
worship service.)
Blessing and Candle-lighting
Friends, please feel
free to come forward for candle-lighting and to receive the anointing of
healing.
Assurance of God’s Grace
In today’s scripture
reading, Isaiah says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of
the Lord has risen upon you.”
The light of God comes
not to sear and blind us but to save us, heal us, and make us whole. Your sins are
forgiven. Let us be glad and give thanks to God.
Sharing the Peace
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May the Peace of Christ be with you all!
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And also with you!
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We who know the peace of Christ and the blessings of being in and with Christ
are called to send that peace to the world.
Let us share that peace with one another.
Children’s Time: The
Wise Men
Good morning, my
friends. Merry Christmas!
Does it sound a little
bit weird that I am saying Merry Christmas?
11 days have passed
since Christmas- we’re in a whole new year!
Yes, it may sound
strange, but it is still right! it’s still okay to say Merry Christmas, because
Christmas is not finished yet. Christmas is never really finished. Today we
celebrate Epiphany – and what we remember today is that the Wise Men came to
honour the baby Jesus. Today!
They arrived in the
stable, maybe even some weeks after Jesus was born because they had such a long
way to travel.
Perhaps all the
shepherds have gone back to their own homes, their own places, to their
families and to their sheep.
The Wise Men couldn’t
arrive as quickly as the shepherds because they lived far away and they
traveled by camel - camels are fun to ride, but they’re not a fast way to
travel.
But- the Wise men made
it - they’re here! Now they are coming in. See!
(Some grown-ups bring
the figurines of the Wise Men to the stable through the aisle….)
Will you help the
grown-ups place the Wise Men in the stable?
The message for us today
is that the Wise Men arrived here,
so many days after
Christmas, reminding us that Christmas is never really finished; Christmas work
is for every day. Christmas is all about the work of making room for others –
not just one day, but every day.
There is always room for
more, and we should make room for others and welcome them, as we have welcomed
the Wise Men today,
so many days after
Christmas.
So, again, Merry
Christmas, everyone!
Will you pray with me?
Dear Lord, thank you
that there is always more room. Help me to do the work of Christmas and to
discover and share your love with others. Amen.
Intro
for Three Minute Meditation
We have heard the
sacred readings for the church. May they comfort us, inspire us, challenge us,
and centre us. Let us have a quiet moment for centering prayer.
COMMUNION
…. We believe that everyone is welcome to receive this gift.
Explain about the adapted version of
The Prayer of Jesus
L: May God be with you.
P: And also with you.
L: We open our hearts.
P: We open our hearts to God.
L: Let us give thanks to God.
P: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Creator of the Universe, you speak in the darkness, bringing song out of silence, dance out of stillness, life out of death.
Your life fills us now and gives us the power to
praise you and bless you.
So we sing a song of great thanks and praise with the company of saints here and all around the world, of men and women and children, in ages past and in the present, as one body, God’s body, in endless diversity.
Beholding your holiness in all our human lives, we praise you and bless you.
On the night before his friends betrayed him
and enemies took him away to be killed,
Jesus shared supper with them all.
He blessed bread, broke it, gave it to them and
said,
“This bread is my body,
making covenant with you and all humankind.
Whenever you eat it, remember me.”
Then he blessed the cup and said,
“This is the cup of life, my blood poured out
for all,
making covenant with you and all humankind.
Whenever you drink it, remember me.”
Now whenever we eat this bread and juice,
Jesus rises in us and makes us one body.
REMEMBERING THE
COMMUNITY
Gracious God, your abundance surrounds us as it
sustains us. We thank you for gifts of friendship and new beginnings, for life
as it unfolds, new opportunities and growth. For the life of this church, (God
of Grace we know you hear our prayers).
Spirit of Hope, in our lives and in our world, there
are many troubles by concerns. Some face uncertainty and pain and illness. Some
wrestle with anxiety and fear about work, about relationships and about
themselves. We pray that your healing love may touch these lives …..(continued
healing for N). (God of hope we know you hear our prayers.)
Spirit of Compassion, be with us as we experience
losses in our lives. Where there are disappointments lead us with joy. Where
there is grief, fill us with your peace. Where there is death, help us to say
good bye for now, but not forever. We pray for…….(Our brother/sister N).
(Breath of Compassion, we know you hear our prayers.)
Breath of the Universe, you have created us for joy.
Open our minds to your spirit. Increase our trust and guide our hearts in the
ways of the truth.
God of Many Names, you transform us by grace, and
renew us in peace.
The Prayer of Jesus
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of
all that is and that shall be.
Father and
Mother of us all,
Loving
God, in whom is heaven:
The
hallowing of your name
echo
through the universe!
The way of
your justice
be
followed by peoples of the world!
Your
heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your
commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the
bread we need for today, feed us.
In the
hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us:
and teach us to offer forgiveness
as freely as we yearn to receive it.
In times
of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From
trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the
grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you
reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen.
--Voices United # 916
“Holy Gifts for Holy People.”
DISTRIBUTION
Benediction:
Christmas is never
really completed. There is always room for more and always more room for us.
Our work is for making room and extending welcome for all so that we may know
Christ better and then make Him known to everyone.
May the God of Grace,
the Creator, Christ, and the Holy Spirit bless you today and forever more.
Amen.
Go in the peace of Christ and walk in His light.
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