Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Second Sunday after Epiphany
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
Call to Worship (inspired by Ps. 40)
One: Gathered for worship, we rejoice! God lifts us up from mud and mire.
Many: We’re here to say and sing and shout our praise!
One: God gives us a new song to sing. Let your light shine!
Many: We can sing in the shower, sing in the car, sing praise ALL the time!
One: God’s love transforms us from the inside out,
Many: so let’s declare “PRAISE!” as we receive God’s steadfast love.
Opening Prayer
Holy God, we don’t always wait patiently for you, but today we’re delighted to pray our praise. Inspire us to speak out the glad news of being lifted up by you. Free us to “say and sing and shout”, for your presence means LIFE to all who trust you.
Walk with us as we remember Jesus’ baptism,
claim once more our own baptism,
and speak out in thanksgiving for all you do for us!
AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
The followers of John the Baptist listened as their leader identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God”. When Andrew and his colleague checked in with Jesus, they found One who appeared to be the Messiah (the Christ). In that moment, their lives were forever changed.
Andrew went to tell his brother, Simon, about Jesus. Simon followed Andrew back to this Messiah, and then received Jesus’ words, “you are to be called ‘Peter’”. That is written as THE moment when Peter became a follower, who gave the rest of his life to follow this Messiah.
Take a minute now to think of your own time of claiming Jesus as the Christ. Were you born into the faith? Carried to church as an infant? Baptized as a young person? How has your faith impacted your life?
As you think back, call to mind your own sense of energy, excitement, expectation. Did you declare, “I believe Jesus is the Christ, and accept him as Lord of my life!”
As we remember, let’s re-claim that confident faith. Join me in responding with gratitude, sharing our gifts, our tithes and our offerings. Let these symbols renew in you, and in me, our desire to be disciples of Jesus, the Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Ever-giving God, thank you for the amazing gift of Jesus, who is the Light of Life. As we remember his baptism, and our own, accept our thanks for the way we are built up together into Christ. We pray for you to receive our gratitude, our gifts, and our intention to continue as followers of Jesus. Help us use what is provided, to share the Good News of your love with those close by and others, to the ends of the earth. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Sometimes it’s frustrating not to have Jesus walking among us. We might find it easier to be faith-full disciples if we could stand with him, invite him over for a meal or even just FaceTime with him.
However, we are not left comfortless! Each time we gather for worship, we’re invited to come to Christ’s table, to remember his life, death and resurrection, and to take into our own bodies these emblems of Christ’s body and blood.
In baptism, we were united (buried and raised up) with Christ. At this table, we, who are many, become one with him as we eat, drink and remember. So come! Let’s share these gifts and be brought into communion with Jesus, the Christ.