Worship Elements: January 2, 2022
Second Sunday after Christmas
COLOR: White
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:(1-9), 10-18
Call to Worship
Arise, shine, for your light has come!
The glory of the Lord has risen upon us!
Like sages from afar, come and behold your Christ!
Let us fall on our knees in his honor! Let us lift our voices in praise of his name!
Call to Worship
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
Sing out your praises and say,
God has saved his people.
See how the Savior brings them from the end of the earth,
the blind and lame among them,
women with child
and women in labor, a great company.
Young men and old shall rejoice,
then shall the girl show her joy in the dance.
God turns their mourning into gladness,
and gives them joy to outdo their sorrow.
Invocation
O Christ, pass through the doors of heaven into our presence. You were not created by the Most High to recline upon the clouds in the company of angels. You were fashioned to make your home among the creatures of God. God has chosen the place where you shall erect your tent. There we shall meet you. And where you go we shall go, and where you lodge we shall lodge. Your people shall be our people; your God, our God.
Invocation
God of our hopes, Christ of our faith, Spirit in our hearts, we come to worship you with joy and gladness. Your goodness knows no limits of generation or gender, of condition or citizenship. You are kind to all, and we worship you in all sincerity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Litany
For so long God has hoped for a righteous leader,
And we have seen visions and dreamed dreams.
We have waited for one who would share God's spirit—
Who would judge the fearful with righteousness and the poor with justice;
Who would show compassion to the weak and mercy to the condemned;
Who would break down the walls dividing the peoples, that all on earth might follow a star.
For so long have we seen the visions; for so long have the dreams been dreamed.
But now the vision has found its life, arid the dream has come to pass—
ALL: Here is the One for whom we have waited! Let us open our treasures and offer our gifts: our hearts, our souls, our minds!
Prayer of Confession
All-glorious God, we have faith in Jesus Christ, and love towards your people, yet we are not without blemish in your sight, not full of love, wisdom, and other spiritual blessings you still have available for us. Our love is not as inclusive as yours, and there is much we need to learn. Give us clearer vision of all that we are meant to be, so that by becoming fulfilled, we may increase the glory that is properly revealed in Jesus Christ, your beloved. Amen
Declaration of Pardon
Friends, hear the Good News! The liberator has come to free us from all proud pretenses.
The Christ has come in Jesus of Nazareth to show us the undeserved favor of God.
Friends, believe the Good News!
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Exhortation
Accept the limitations of your own knowledge. Have reverence for the wisdom of the Creator. Be thankful for his love in Christ and for a humble place in his house.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give thanks, God of Job and Jeremiah, David's Lord, Anna's Christ, Luke's Savior, that we have found your house in many places. We have found places of prayer with the swallows and the sparrows. We have sung your praise in a quiet circle under the stars. We have enjoyed the choir of many voices and the joyous sounds of musical instruments and found inspiration and refreshment. Along our pilgrim way you provide the cup that sustains both soul and body. We are happy when we trust in you. Amen
Benediction
O Christ, we know that the gifts of our hands are no substitute for the loyalty of our lives. As we leave this sanctuary, enable us to serve your creation as we have worshiped you, with ourselves as well as our gifts.