ORDER FOR WORSHIP
* Congregation stands
BOLD – Congregation responds
Please be mindful of your volume during the Prelude as we prepare for worship together.
PRELUDE Prelude in C J.S.Bach
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, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
*CALL TO WORSHIP Sue Nicholas
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. 376 We Gather Together
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving God,
In Jesus Christ, your kingdom has drawn near and you have called us to repent.
Turn our hearts and minds back to you.
In Jesus Christ, your light has dawned on all of creation.
Forgive us when we choose to walk in the darkness.
In Jesus Christ, you call the nations to come and worship you.
Forgive us when we restrict access to you and your grace.
In Jesus Christ, you loosen the bonds of injustice and set your people free.
Forgive us when our actions harm and oppress.
In Jesus Christ, your good and perfect law is fulfilled.
Forgive us when we fail to live according to your will.
(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
Hear these words of Jesus:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hid.
What does the LORD ask of us?
To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.
JUNIOR SERMON
(Following the Junior Sermon, children are invited to remain in the sanctuary for worship. There is no Children at Worship today.)
ANTHEM On Eagle's Wings Michael Joncas
And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: "My refuge,
my rock in whom I trust!"
You need not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day;
Though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come.
For to His angels He's given a command
to guard you in all of your ways;
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Response All Things Come of Thee, O Lord
All things come of thee, O Lord
and of thine own have we given thee.
*HYMN No. 594 Like a River Glorious
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
God of light:
I delight to do your will; may your word dwell within our hearts.
I desire to see your face: reveal yourself to us today.
I want to hear your voice: speak, O Lord, for your servants are listening.
Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 49:1-7 p.592
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 p.926
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
SERMON Seen in the Light Rev. Blaine Crawford
CONFESSION OF FAITH
*HYMN No. 60 Great is Thy Faithfulness (v. 1)
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
Offertory The New 23rd Ralph Carmichael
Because the Lord is my shepherd,
I have everything that I need.
He lets me rest in meadows green
and leads me beside the quiet stream:
He keeps on giving life to me
and helps me to do what honors Him the most.
Even when walking through the dark valley of death,
I will never be afraid,
for he is close beside me,
guarding, guiding all the way,
He spreads a feast before me
in the presence of my enemies
He welcomes me as His special guest
with blessing overflowing.
His goodness and unfailing kindness
shall be with me all of my life,
and afterwards I will live with Him,
Forever and ever, in His home.
*Doxology (pew card)
*Prayer of Dedication
*HYMN No. 27 O Splendor of God's Glory Bright
*BENEDICTION
Response For the Life That You Have Given
For the life that you have given,
for the love in Christ made known,
with these fruits of time and labor,
with these gifts that are your own:
here we offer, Lord, our praises;
heart and mind and strength we bring;
give us grace to love and serve you,
living what we pray and sing.
POSTLUDE Fugue in c-minor Mendelssohn
All are invited to join us downstairs
For coffee hour following worship.
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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 today. It will be offered again on January 26.
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
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation when you never say what you actually think or feel? Have you found yourself in a conversation so wrought with emotion that you had to step away? How can we have the conversations that really matter to us in a way that both parties are actually heard? The Churches Learning Change team will be hosting workshops on crucial conversations on February 2 and February 9 beginning at 12:30 p.m. The sessions will be about 45 minutes. All are invited to join in these workshops that will meet in the Music Room.
Souper Bowl of Caring
Next Sunday, January 26th through Sunday, February 2nd we will be collecting donations for the Souper Bowl of Caring! All monetary donations will go to the Greenpoint Reformed Church food pantry and soup kitchen. All canned goods will go to the Queens Federation of Churches. Join us as we tackle hunger!
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. We are especially in need of overnight chaperones. 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 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, January 21st.
Offering Envelopes
2020 Offering Envelopes are located in the back of the sanctuary for pickup.
Community Yoga
Join us in Gessner Hall for free yoga on Wednesday evenings at 7:30p.m. If you would like to join the yoga email list, please contact the church office at office@churchonthehill.org. The class is open to all ability levels and mats are available for use.
Bargain Boutique
The Boutique is open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Please bring your donations to the basement during these hours.
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