Second Sunday After Epiphany Worship Bulletin

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

2Nd Sunday after Epiphany

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

01-15-2023     10:00AM Hybrid Worship

         

+   Gathering   +

THE OPENING RITE:        

L   I need help. I need healing. I need hope. I need a financial blessing.

Where can I go to get some answers to my burdens?

C John the Baptist points and shouts,

“Look! Here is the LAMB OF GOD!”

L   I really want other people to notice me.

I really want to have the comfort and the pleasure of the “good life”.

I want a big car, a huge house, and an expensive vacation.

How can I get my desires fulfilled?

C John the Baptist points and shouts,

“Look! Here is the LAMB OF GOD!”

L   But I said that I need some strong sturdy help, not a weak little lamb!

C The LAMB OF GOD offers you hope that sustains.

L   But I want stuff and satisfaction, not a shy and soft lamb!

C The LAMB OF GOD offers you authentic living.

L  Now really, be honest, what can this “LAMB OF GOD” do for me?

C Come and see!

OPENING SONG:    “NOW BEHOLD THE LAMB!”                 Brown #128 

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY:

Father in heaven, it’s personal.

The LIGHT OF THE WORLD is calling out to us to follow.

The LAMB OF GOD, who takes away the sin of the world, is inviting us into discipleship.

Jesus is the BEST and the MOST for real living on this earth.

We pray that we may always see, hear, believe and hold on to Him.

We also pray that we will not keep silent or rest easy until the Good News is excitedly passed on.

Lord, keep us thirsty in our heart and busy in our witness.  Amen.

+   The Holy Word   +

FIRST READING:   ISAIAH 49:1-7     [Called to be a servant of God’s light to the entire world.]

49:1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

49:2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.

49:3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD, and my reward with my God.”

49:5 And now the LORD says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength-

49:6 he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

SECOND READING:   1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9     [Called to be an apostle and saints together in God’s love.]

1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,

1:5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind

1:6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you

1:7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

GOSPEL VERSE:   

“Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always keep Him on your mind.”

THE GOSPEL:   JOHN 1:29-42     [Baptism for Jesus and for us: claimed, anointed, commissioned, sent.]

1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

1:30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’

1:31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

1:32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.

1:33 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.’

1:34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

1:35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

1:36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

1:37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

1:38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

1:39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

1:41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).

1:42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

THE SERMON: Herbert Crawford, member of St. Peter’s

SONG SELECTION: All Saints Choir

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

+   The Holy Meal   +

OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTSLet us offer ourselves to God this day – all that we have and all that we are – in praise and love of Christ. To be his disciple is to “walk the walk”, to truly act with courage and compassion and to be willing to put our lives on the line for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of this world that the Gospel embraces.

Please note that our boxes of 2023 offering envelopes have been delayed by paper supply route issues and by fewer seasonal hires to do the printing. We will start this year without them. But we encourage you to continue to give offerings and to write your name or past offering box number on an envelope. We will have unnumbered envelopes in the sanctuary, or you can use one from home.

 

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:

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 BLESSINGSAll 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 #119 Brown #213  

THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.  

+   Sending   +

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

CLOSING SONG: “LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING”                                                 Brown #296

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