Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

Service of Worship

January 28, 2024

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

.                               .                                                                                                                        .

Prelude

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”

  Johann Gottfried Walther    

Welcome and Announcements

Centering Music

“Sanctuary”

  John Thompson & Randy Scruggs; arr. Lloyd Larson

 *Call to Worship

We come to worship…

Giving thanks with whole hearts…

In the company of this congregation.

We worship the One who is gracious and merciful…

Holy and awesome is God’s name!

Let us worship God together!

*Gathering Hymn #391

“God Made from One Blood”
 Thomas H. Troeger / Welsh melody

God made from one blood all the families of earth,
the circles of nurture that raise us from birth,
companions who join us to work through each stage
of childhood and youth and adulthood and age.

We turn to you, God, with our thanks and our tears
for all of the families we’ve known through the years,
the intimate networks on whom we depend
of parents and partners and children and friends.

We learn through our families how closeness and trust
increase when our actions are loving and just.
Yet families have also distorted their roles,
mistreating their members and bruising their souls.

Now give to each family in conflict and storm
a sense of your wisdom and grace that transform
sharp anger to insight which strengthens the heart
and makes clear the place where rebuilding can start.

Then widen that wisdom and grace to include
the races and viewpoints our families exclude
till peace in each home bears and nurtures the bud
of peace shared by all You have made from one blood.

Prayers  of the People

God in your mercy

Hear our prayer

Children’s Moment and the Lord’s Prayer

Children may gather in the front or stay sitting as you prefer.

Our loving Parent God who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kindom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not  into temptation but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kindom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Scripture Reading —Mark 1:21–28

Millie Myers

May our still-speaking God
Grant us wisdom and understanding.

Musical Meditation   

“Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God”

 Psalm 51:10 / Carl F. Mueller

Meditation

Invitation to Generosity

Let us organize our way to a hopeful present and a vibrant future. Let us co-create places to play, to grieve, to heal. Come, beloveds! We will plant seeds of possibility with our gathered resources. Together, we will pull the weeds of oppression and tend the ways of life.

*Offertory

“Andante cantabile”

  Robert Powell

*Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God all creatures here below;
Praise God above ye heavenly hosts;
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.

*Prayer of Dedication

*Sending Hymn #445

“Be Thou My Vision”

 Traditional Irish hymn

Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
nought be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my Redeemer, my love thou hast won;
thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
thou mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
Ruler of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

*Benediction

*Choral Benediction

“Bless the Lord, My Soul”

  Jacques Berthier

*Passing of the Peace

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

*Postlude

“God of Grace and God of Glory”

 Paul Manz