January 19, 2020

January 19, 2020
Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalm 40:1-11

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 40)
If you have a solo voice who can lead/teach this song from Andra Morah/Josh Elson, use it as your call to worship: #9, Chalice Praise,
New Song (Number Forty) (written from Psalm 40)
OR:
One: Gathered to praise God, we make the Lord our trust!
Many: None can compare to God,
One: for God’s wondrous deeds are more than we can count.
Many: We’ll tell the glad news of deliverance:
One: God is faithful, and holds all in steadfast love!
Many: God is faithful, so we lift our hearts in prayer.

Opening Prayer
When we focus on your love,
and on the ways you reach out to us,
we’re filled with gratitude.
As we worship you this morning,
receive our praise for your faithful actions.
AMEN

Moment for Stewardship (from 1 Cor. 1:9)
Most wedding services include vows (or promises) made by those who are marrying one another. For many individuals, these may be the promises:
“I take you to be my (husband/wife); to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone, as long as we both shall live.”
We understand that to mean a unique relationship.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, declares “God is faithful”
So we gather to give thanks for a God who connects with each one in a unique relationship, faithful to be our God, who makes possible our call
“into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We’re named and claimed. We’re welcomed into fellowship with Jesus!
Just as those in the best of marriages seek to honor one another, sharing life and seeking the best for each other, our natural response to God is to offer our gifts: time, talent, treasure.
Today, consider how you will respond to our faithful God.
What will you give in gratitude for the relationship you cherish?

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Continue to strengthen us, God, to be in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Receive this offering as our sign of love for you and our desire to be enriched by our relationship. Use this money and use each of us to proclaim Good News to a hurting world. AMEN

Invitation to Communion (from John 1:35-42)
In our congregation, we baptize individuals once, but we invite all to come to this table every week.
That may be because of what we learn from scripture.
In John 1, we hear of Jesus’ baptism, and the very next scripture is the calling of Andrew and Simon (Peter) to “come and see”.
These first disciples began to follow Jesus, moving from place to place and seeing Jesus heal, teach and proclaim the Good News of God’s love for ALL.