Third Sunday after Epiphany Worship Bulletin | 1-21-24

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

01-21-2024     10:00AM Hybrid Worship

 

+   GATHERING   +

THE GREETING, CONFESSION, AND FORGIVENESS:          

L   The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light.

The grace of (+) Jesus Christ, the mercy of the Holy One, and the Spirit of the living God be with you all.

Let us come before God, confessing our sin. Holy, merciful, and loving God…

C Through your Son Jesus, you have called us to leave the life we know and to follow you.

But sometimes we are too afraid or too distracted or prefer our own way. 

Jesus has commissioned us to fish for other people.

But too many people have mistreated and hurt us, or they just seem different from us.

So our hearts have hardened, our lips are sealed, our feet are frozen, and our hands are still. 

             But dare we act like no light has dawned on us, no word has been addressed to us?

Lord, break into our lives again, interrupt our routines, and save us from our divisive ways. Amen.

L   My sisters, my brothers, once a person meets Jesus Christ on the road of life and dares to follow, that person is changed. God has broken through the bonds and barriers that keep us from realizing our own best selves, forgiven us in Christ (+), and called us to step forward in faith and faithfulness. Nothing else matters more than that you see, accept, and bear the light of Jesus Christ in the shadows of a sin-sick and troubled world. May you seek the Word, say the Word, and do the Word – for a day and for a lifetime. Hallelujah!

OPENING SONG:    “THE LORD IS MY LIGHT”                Tan #160

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY:            

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

He has come looking for us, tracked us down, called us, and invited us.

Help me to see that, through Jesus, my search for meaning ends and my mission begins.

Help me to see that it’s time for me to drop my net and follow my Lord and Savior where he leads.

Help me, as a disciple of Jesus, to embody, reveal, and announce your Kingdom to others.

Lord, keep me thirsty in my heart and busy in my witness. So be it, Amen!

 

+   THE HOLY WORD   +

FIRST READING: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
[The surprise of a second chance by God to people who “don’t deserve it”.]

3:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying,

3:2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.”

3:3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across.

3:4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

3:5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

THE PSALM: Psalm 62:5-12     

5    For God alone I wait in silence; truly my hope is in God.

6    God alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken.

7         In God is my deliverance and my honor; God is my strong rock and my refuge.

8         Put your trust in God always, O people, pour out your hearts before the one who is our refuge.

9     Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath; those of low estate cannot be trusted.

Placed on the scales together they weigh even less than a breath.

10   Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride;

though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

11       God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, that POWER belongs to God.

12       Steadfast LOVE belongs to you, O Lord, for you repay all according to their deeds.

SECOND READING:  1 Corinthians 7:29-31
[The urgency of living according to God’s calling right now.]

7:29 I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,

7:30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions,

7:31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

GOSPEL VERSE:   

“Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always keep Him on your mind.”

THE GOSPEL:    Mark 1:14-20
[The urgent invitation to a new future following Jesus.]

1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,

1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

1:16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen.

1:17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

1:18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

1:19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.

1:20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR

THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil

SONG RESPONSE:   “I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS”                                                Tan #400

THE PRAYERS…  We pray that we may see, accept, and bear THE LIGHT OF CHRIST in our lives!   

 

+   THE HOLY MEAL   +

OFFERING   [The Psalm warns us not to put our trust in extortion, not to put our hopes in robbery. Riches will not save us. Our only hope comes from an abundantly generous God, who is our rock and our salvation. Let us faithfully and fearlessly respond with our treasure, our time, and our talents – that our steps may follow in follow in Christ’s way, bearing life and light to 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:

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 FOR LIVING FAITHFULLY AND LOVING FERVENTLY! 

COMMUNION SONGS: Tan #387 Tan #474  

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: “WALKING UP THE KING’S HIGHWAY”                                                       Tan #402