14.01.12 Baptism of Jesus A

Prelude:  Prelude in C Major (J. S. Bach, BWV 547/i)

Hymn:  O for a thousand tongues to sing (Charles Wesley / AZMON, Carl G. Gläser) * 
Call to Worship
Song:  Cordero de Dios (Lamb of God) (Central America)
Prayer of Confession
Song of Praise:  The storm is passing over (Charles Albert Tindley) *

Prayer of the Day

Alleluia (Arabic troparion, adapted by EM)

Gospel Reading: John 1:29-37
Sermon
Hymn:  Here at Jordan's river (Ruth Duck/NOEL NOUVELET, French traditional)  
Affirmation of Faith
Prayer Song:  There's a light in the darkness (Beth Nielson Chapman) * 
Silent Meditation
Prayers of the People
Announcements
Offerings (regular and food)
Song:  It can't be long (The Enablers)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Hymn:  O sing a song of Bethlehem (Francis Patrick O'Brien / KINGSFOLD, English traditional) 

*seasonal for Ordinary Time


Forces:
Soprano
Tenor cantor/guitar/percussion
Tenor cantor/bass guitar/percussion 
Organ/Piano

January 12, 2014

Baptism of Jesus

Please stand, all who are able.

Hymn

O for a thousand tongues to sing

my great Redeemer’s praise,

the glories ever echoing

the triumphs of God’s grace.

My gracious Savior and my God,

assist me to proclaim,

to spread through all the earth abroad

the honors of your name.

Jesus! the name that calms our fears,

that bids our sorrows cease

is music in the sinner’s ears,

is life, and health, and peace!

Glory to God, and love and praise

be ever, ever given

by all the saints in every age,

the church in earth and heaven.

Call to Worship

One:  From the corners of this city,

from the confusion of life,

from the loneliness of our hearts

All: Gather us, O God.

One:  To feed our minds,

to fire our imagination,

to free our hearts

All: Gather us, O God.

One:  We pray:

All:  God of surprises,

startle us with truth we do not see,

amaze us with your power and grace,

beckon us, and lead us

far above restricted hope and narrow faith.

Amen.

Song

O Lamb of God, O Lamb of God,

who takes away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, O Lamb of God,

who takes away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, O Lamb of God,

who takes away the sin of the world,

O grant us your peace, O grant us your peace.

Prayer of Confession

One:  Jesus criticised those who said 'yes' to him with their lips but denied him with their deeds.
All:  Forgive us, O God, the times when we use feeble excuses to evade
following in Christ's footsteps.
One:  The invitation to us is an invitation of grace - those who eventually sat down at the banquet could never have expected such an invitation.
All:  Forgive us, O God, when we trivialise the gracious invitation to share your life in Christ - when we expect you to be there for us - but fail to respond to your call on our lives.
One:  Help us to empty ourselves of all that hinders a ready response to the call to follow Jesus:
All:  even when that means putting our personal agendas on hold. 
One:  Fill us with the desire to think about whatever is true,
All:  whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
One:  whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing,
All:  whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent and worthy of praise
One:  for only then can we hope to have the same mind in us that was in Jesus in whose name we pray.  Amen.

—silent personal reflection—

One:  The good news is that all who trust in Christ will have their sins forgiven and receive eternal life. As we hold this faith, I declare that we are set free from all our sins in the name of God, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, to whom be glory for ever and ever.

All:  Thanks be to God.

Song of Praise

Have courage my soul, and let us journey on,

though the night is dark and I am far from home.

Thanks be to God the morning light appears.

//The storm is passing over, the storm is passing over,

the storm is passing over, hallelu.//

//Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallellujah,

the storm is passing over, the storm is passing over,

the storm is passing over, hallelu.//

Prayer of the Day

NOT ON PPT

You speak, God – you always speak,

if we will but listen;

All we need to do is pause, and turn our attention

to the song singing from the heavens,

and whispering in the wind;

to the flight of the dove,

and the touch of its wings on our heads;

to the giggling of the water,

and the mark it leaves in our hearts;

Your voice comes to us in faithful surround sound,

beckoning us to join the chorus,

share in the dance,

and extend the invitation into all the earth.

You speak, God – you always speak;

and joyfully, we are listening.

Amen.

Please stand, all who are able.

Alleluia

All:  Alleluia, alleluia …

Cantor:  John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. All:  Alleluia, alleluia …

Gospel Reading

John 1:29-37

NOT ON PPT

The next day John the Baptizer saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Reader:  The gospel of Jesus Christ.

All:  Thanks be to God!

Please be seated

Sermon

Please stand, all who are able.

Song

Here at Jordan’s river all is washed away.

As God’s reign draws nearer, nothing is the same.

Gone are class and status; gone, degrees and fame.

Grace alone can save us on God’s judgment day.

We at Jordan’s river meet on level ground.

Valleys are uplifted; mountains fall to earth.

None dare trust their lineage; None need doubt their worth.

Still the prophet asks us, “Will you turn around?”

God, reform, renew, us; turn us toward your will.

Till our hearts for learning; root us in your word.

May the fruits of action grow from all we’ve heard.

As we lose our old lives, God, be with us still.

Affirmation

All:  I believe in the God of Jesus of Nazareth, who blesses the meek, the poor and the persecuted, exalts the least and saves the lost..

I believe in the Holy One whose dearest Child, Jesus the Christ, pleased God far more than tongue or pen can ever tell.

I believe in the baptised Christ, and the community of love and hope which grew around his word and witness.

I believe that he is the first citizen of a new race, where the entry fee is Divine grace, and the ground rules are shaped by love.

I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by whom old things find new birth, and new things grow on to maturity, and the dead receive regeneration.

I believe in one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and in the limitless life which flows for the healing of the nations.

Amen!

Please be seated

Prayer Song

There’s a light, there’s a light in the darkness.

And the dark of the night cannot harm us.

We can trust not to fear for our comfort is near.

There’s a light, there’s a light in the darkness.

There is hope, there is hope in the darkness.

And the dark of the night cannot harm us.

We can trust not to fear for our comfort is near.

There is hope, there is hope in the darkness.

There is peace, there is peace in the darkness.

And the dark of the night cannot harm us.

We can trust not to fear for our comfort is near.

There is peace, there is peace in the darkness.

Silent Meditation

Prayers of the People

One: God of grace,

All:  hear our prayer.

News of the People

Not on ppt:

Welcome cards

Service concludes with bilingual celebration

Men’s group 1/25

Yoga classes

Offerings

(regular and food)

Offertory Song

Can’t be long (The Enablers)

Well I think I'll go
Down to the river
And let that water
Wash over me
Yes I think I'll go
Down to the river
And let that water
Wash over me
Coz it can't be long
You know it can't be long
Until my lord remembers me

Well I think I'll go
Into the forest
And let that darkness
Rush over me
Yes I think I'll go
Into the forest
And let that darkness
Rush over me
Coz it can't be long
You know it can't be long
Until my lord remembers me

Well I think I'll go
Into the mountains
And let that cold wind
Cut right through me
Yes I think I'll go
High into the mountains
And let that cold wind
Cut right through me
Coz it can't be long
You know it can't be long
Until my lord remembers me

Well I think I'll go
Deep into the valley
And let that green grass
Grow over me
Yes I think I'll go
Deep into the valley
And let that green grass
Grow over me
Coz it can't be long
It really can't be long
Until my lord remembers me

No it can't be long
I hope it won't be long
Until my lord remembers me

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Please stand, all who are able.

Song

1.  O sing a song of Bethlehem, of shepherds watching there,
And of the news that came to them from angels in the air.
The light that shone on Bethlehem fills all the world today;
Of Jesus’ birth and peace on earth the angels sing alway.

2.  O sing a song of Nazareth, of days of joy and sun;
O sing of fragrant flowers’ breath, and of the sinless One.
For now the flowers of Nazareth in every heart may grow;
Now spreads the fame of His dear Name on all the winds that blow.

3.  O sing a song of Galilee, of lake and woods and hill,
Of One who walked upon the sea and bade the waves be still.
For though like waves on Galilee, rough seas of trouble roll,
When faith has heard the Savior’s word, falls peace upon the soul.

4.  O sing a song of Calvary, its glory and dismay,
Of One who hung upon the tree, and took our sins away.
For Christ who died on Calvary is risen from the grave,
God’s sovereign child, who reconciled, is mighty now to save.