ORDER FOR WORSHIP
* Congregation stands
BOLD – Congregation responds
Please be mindful of your volume during the Prelude as we prepare for worship together.
PRELUDE The Sunken Cathedral Debussy
SALUTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
*Sanctus
(Choir sings first time; congregation joins second time)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
*CALL TO WORSHIP Bob White
Arise, shine, for your light has come!
The glory of the Lord has risen upon us.
Let us praise the Lord together.
The sun shall no longer be our light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on us,
for the Lord will be our light,
and our God will be our glory.
The Lord will be our everlasting light,
and our days of sorrow will end.
Come, let us sing to our light and salvation!
HYMN No. 185 We Three Kings of Orient Are
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Almighty and merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned
against you and one another
in both our actions and our inactions.
We recognize that in Jesus Christ our light has come,
yet often we choose to walk in shadows and ignore the light.
Gracious God, forgive our sins and remove from us
the veil of darkness that shrouds our lives.
(Prayers of Silent Confession)
Kyrie (sung):
Choral Leader: Lord, have mercy.
Congregation: Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON/WISDOM FOR LIFE
The true light that gives light to everyone
was coming into the world.
To all who have received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see our good works and give glory to God in heaven!
JUNIOR SERMON
ANTHEM We Have Seen His Star Everett Titcomb
We have seen His star,
His star in the East,
and are come with our offerings
to worship the Lord.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Response Let the Words of My Mouth
Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen.
*HYMN No.181 As with Gladness Men of Old
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Almighty Father,
in the glorious incarnation of your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have sent a new light into the world;
give us grace, that we may so receive the same light
into our hearts as to be guided
by it into the way of everlasting salvation,
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 60:1-6 p.602
Matthew 2:1-12 pp. 783-784
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON Drawn to the Light Rev. Blaine Crawford
CONFESSION OF FAITH
*Apostles’ Creed (pew card)
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
Offertory Come to My Heart Timothy R. Matthews
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown
When Thou cadets to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home there was found no room
for Thy holy nativity:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But in lowly birth thou didst come to earth,
and in great humility:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
there is room in my heart for Thee.
When the heavens shall ring and the angels sing
at Thy coming victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying,
"Yet there is room, there is room at My side for Thee."
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me!
Come to my heart; there is room for Thee.
Come to my heart.
*HYMN No. 186 Wise Men, They Came to Look
*BENEDICTION
Response May the Grace of Christ Our Savior
May the grace of Christ our Savior
and the Father's boundless love,
with the Holy Spirit's favor,
rest upon us from above.
Amen.
POSTLUDE Improvisation on "Kings of Orient" Sean Cotty
Announcements
Children at Worship
Children at Worship is a spiritual formation program for children ages 4-9. Children are dismissed following the Junior Sermon and may be picked up from Classroom 2D after the service. There will be no Children at Worship on January 19.
Bible Study
Bible study will start again on January 21 with a study on the parables of Jesus! The Bible study meets on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. until 4:45 p.m.
After-Worship Workshops
The Churches Learning Change team will be hosting two more workshops on February 2 and February 9 beginning at 12:30 p.m. Last fall, the CLC team taught us about anxiety and our responses to it. This winter, they will be leading workshops about identifying and moving towards God’s emerging future in our lives and what helps us get there (and what gets in the way).
Women’s Shelter Volunteers
Every Friday, we house up to ten women in Gessner Hall. We need volunteers to greet, to provide food and hospitality, and to stay overnight. Sign up on our website or speak with our Women’s Shelter coordinator, Maureen Saepia-Chen, following the service
Food for Kids
School’s back in session which means that our Food for Kids ministry is back in full swing. Each week, bags of food are delivered to a local school to give to children who might be at risk of hunger over the weekend.
We are seeking donations of the following items on a regular basis:
· 1lb. white rice
· 1 can beans (red or black)
· 2 cans vegetables
· 1 can fruit
· 1lb. box of pasta
· 1 can pasta sauce
· 1 box mac & cheese
· 1 box cereal
· *1 jar peanut butter
· *1 jar jelly
*The jars of peanut butter and jelly must be plastic containers.
Office Closings in January
The Church office will be closed on Monday, January 20th.
Offering Envelopes
2020 Offering Envelopes are located in the back of the Sanctuary for pickup.
Community Yoga
The Winter/Spring session of Community Yoga will be beginning on Wednesday, January 15th at 7:30 p.m.
Bargain Boutique
The Boutique is open and will be following a normal schedule, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m to 1 p.m.