Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Worship Bulletin

January 28, 2023 Worship Service

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

4th Sunday after Epiphany

01-29-2023 10:00AM Hybrid Worship

+ Gathering +

THE CALL TO WORSHIP: Daren Waoite + Congregation

L The WORD became flesh and, full of grace and truth lived among us.

C We have seen his glory, the glory which he received as the SON OF GOD!

L Come, all you who are proud and arrogant and self-centered…

C who are so sure that you are exalted in God’s eyes.

L Come, all you who are weak and lonely and despised…

C who feel “down” and “out” in this world.

L Come as you are, each and all, to meet God in Christ Jesus in this worship hour…

C but leave this place touched, redeemed, and transformed by the power of God.

L Sisters and brothers, the time is fulfilled, God’s Kingdom is at hand!

And there is much to do in Jesus’ name!

C Let us meet Him in worship, proclaim Him in service, and love Him forever,

JESUS THE CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR AND LORD! Alleluia!

OPENING SONG: “GATHER US IN”

Here in this place, new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away;

See in this space our fears and our dreamings, brought here to you in the light of the day.

Gather us in, the lost and forsaken… gather us in, the blind and the lame.

Call us to now, and we shall awaken, we shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young, our lives are a mystery, we are the old, who yearn for your face.

We have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in, the rich and the haughty… gather us in, the proud and the strong.

Give us a heart so meek and so lowly, give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water, here we will take the bread of new birth.

Here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call us anew to be salt of the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion… give us to eat the bread that is you.

Nourish us well, and teach us to fashion lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

Not in the dark of buildings confining, not in some heaven, light years away –

here in this place the new light is shining, now is the kingdom, now is the day.

Gather us in, and hold us forever… gather us in, and make us your own.

Gather us in, all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY: Daren

Father in heaven, You sent your Son Jesus to embody, reveal, and announce your Kingdom.

He has come to offer me His grace and to challenge me with His mission.

This is my purpose, this is our mission – to be different and to make a difference.

Now that I know Him, I want to love Him.

Now that I love Him, I want to serve Him.

Lord, keep me thirsty in my heart and busy in my witness. Amen.

+ The Holy Word +

FIRST READING: MICAH 6:1-8 [God’s blessed ones: Those who do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.] Judy Echols

6:1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.

6:2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.

6:3 “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!

6:4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

6:5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”

6:6 “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

SECOND READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31 [God’s blessed ones: Those who look to Christ crucified for life and power.] Pastor John Gottschall

1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,

1:23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

1:24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1:25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

1:26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

1:28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,

1:29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

1:30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

1:31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

GOSPEL VERSE:

“Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always keep Him on your mind.”

THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 5:1-12 [God’s blessed ones: The lowly and pure in heart.] Rashidah Perkins

5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.

5:2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil

SONG SELECTION: All Saints Choir

THE PRAYERS… We pray that the joy and light of JESUS CHRIST will touch all lives! Donna Waite

+ The Holy Meal +

OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… What does God require of us? The prophet Micah says we should do justice, love kindness, and walk in humility with God. This comes from committing who we are and what we can offer in the service of others.

SONG SELECTION: All Saints Choir

THE OFFERTORY SONG: “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE”

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine… (3X)

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Ev’rywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine… (3X)

Jesus gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine… (3X

OFFERING PRAYER by the Communion Assistant: Linda Crawford

O Lord our God, You have anointed us to bring good news and to proclaim liberty, to bind up the brokenhearted and to liberate the oppressed. Help us to shine forth always and in all ways with the bright glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE PREFACE:

L The Lord be with you. C AND ALSO WITH YOU!

L Lift up your hearts! C WE LIFT THEM UP IN LOVE FOR GOD!

L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God! C IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE GOD THANKS AND PRAISE!

THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)

COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! We will have “continuous distribution” with wafers and either wine or grape juice. CHRIST COMES TO US IN BREAD AND WINE AND BLESSING, BRINGING US PEACE, UNITY, STRENGTH, AND HOPE!

COMMUNION SONGS: Brown #200 Brown #250

THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant. Regina Carter

+ Sending +

BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God sends us TO SHINE with the Light of Jesus Christ in a shadowy world!

CLOSING SONG: “BLESSED ASSURANCE” Brown #118