Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

January 1, 2023

Epiphany Sunday

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!

Special Music: “Noel” Meagan

Centering Words:

Arise; shine, for your light has come.

*Call to Worship:

Leader:   I say, arise; shine, for your light has come!

People:   We are called out of our darkness into light.

Leader:   Lift up your eyes and look around.

People:  We rejoice in the gift of light.

Leader:   Come, let us worship the God of light and joy and peace.

People:  We come to kneel at the cradle of the babe, the light incarnate.

Leader:   Let us pray.

ALL: God of promise and light, open our eyes this morning, that we may see your light in the darkness. Open our hearts, that we may perceive your promises of justice and righteousness– promises fulfilled in the babe of Bethlehem. May we, like the magi, have a star to guide us on our journey quest to find the one who will truly set us free. May this time of worship bring us closer to you, that the good news of the birth of light and love may transform our lives. Amen.

Hymn: “We Three Kings”

We three kings of Orient are;

bearing gifts we traverse afar,

field and fountain, moor and mountain,

following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of light,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain

gold I bring to crown him again,

King forever, ceasing never,

over us all to reign.

O star of wonder, star of light,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

Frankincense to offer have I;

incense owns a Deity nigh;

prayer and praising, voices raising,

worshipping God on high.

O star of wonder, star of light,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

breathes a life of gathering gloom;

sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

sealed in the stone cold tomb.

O star of wonder, star of light,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

Glorious now behold him arise;

King and God and sacrifice;

Alleluia, Alleluia,

sounds through the earth and skies.

O star of wonder, star of light,

star with royal beauty bright,

westward leading, still proceeding,

guide us to thy perfect light.

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

As certain as the dawn follows the night, so is the promise of God’s forgiveness and love.

Arise and shine. Follow the star, that the light born in Bethlehem may transform our world from darkness into light.

Praises be to God. Amen

WORD AND RESPONSE

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”

Children’s Message: “Finding Jesus”

Hymn: “There’s a Song in the Air”

There’s a song in the air!

There’s a star in the sky!

There’s a mother’s deep prayer

and a baby’s low cry!

And the star rains its fire

while the beautiful sing,

for the manger of Bethlehem

cradles a King!

There’s a tumult of joy

o’er the wonderful birth,

for the virgin’s sweet boy

is the Lord of the earth.

Ay! the star rains its fire

while the beautiful sing,

for the manger of Bethlehem

cradles a King!

In the light of that star

lie the ages impearled;

and that song from afar

has swept over the world.

Every hearth is aflame,

and the beautiful sing

in the homes of the nations

that Jesus is King!

We rejoice in the light,

and we echo the song

that comes down through the night

from the heavenly throng.

Ay! we shout to the lovely

evangel they bring,

and we greet in his cradle

our Savior and King!

Sermon: “New Year’s Day” Matthew 2:1-12

¹  In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

⁶     ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

             are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

      for from you shall come a ruler

             who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

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.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or youhad 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.

In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to

be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth.

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.

You sent a star to guide wise men to where the Christ was

born; and in your signs and witnesses, in every age and through all the world, you have led your people from far places to his light.

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, give 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

Sharing of the Cup and Loaf

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: “Angels from the Realms of Glory”

Angels from the realms of glory,

wing your flight o’er all the earth;

ye who sang creation’s story

now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,

watching o’er your flocks by night,

God with us is now residing;

yonder shines the infant light:

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn King.

Sages, leave your contemplations,

brighter visions beam afar;

seek the great Desire of nations;

ye have seen His natal star.

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn King.

Saints, before the altar bending,

watching long in hope and fear;

suddenly the Lord, descending,

in his temple shall appear.

Come and worship, come and worship,

worship Christ, the newborn King.

Benediction