Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Epiphany Sunday
Second Sunday after Christmas
Ephesians 1:3-14
John 1:(1-9), 10-18
These resources are written to focus on Epiphany, which is January 6. In many Latin communities, Epiphany is celebrated as a time of gift-giving (more than Dec. 25), calling to mind the visit of the magi bringing gifts to the child, Jesus. Many Christian communities focus on the guiding light of the star (some adding the magi to the crèche) and link that to this first Sunday of a new calendar year.
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 147)
One: This first Sunday of 2025, let us praise God!
Many: Launching into a new year we praise the Lord who grants peace.
One: Our Creator orders the wind and water.
Many: We lift our voices to sing our praise.
One: Great is our Lord, abundant in power!
Many: To this God alone we offer our prayers of thanksgiving!
Opening Prayer
With joy, Loving God, we tune our hearts and minds to praise, for you
have carried us through the past year, and now open to us the whole of 2025.
You bring light into the world.
You bless us and our children.
You fill us with food
and rejoice in all who hope in your steadfast love.
Accept our joyful offering of thanksgiving!
AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (in response to Matthew 2 & Ephesians 1:3-14)
After all the flurry of gift-giving and gift-receiving throughout the month of December and the many appeals for “end of year giving”, on this first Sunday of a new year, do you feel exhausted by the requests for support?
If so, I invite you to bring to mind both the story of the magi who travelled miles to bring gifts to Jesus, and the text in Ephesians 1, which lifts up the ways in which God has destined us for adoption as his children.
Because of Jesus Christ, we’ve been given an inheritance!
Because we’re claimed by God as God’s own beloved children, we have already received the promised Holy Spirit as a promise of the full inheritance we are to receive.
When we stop to realize what God gives us:
not only Jesus as our Lord, life-leader, and teacher,
and the Holy Spirit to inspire us day by day,
but adoption as God’s own beloved ones (!)
our response becomes profound gratitude!
Let’s begin 2025 with a recognition of being claimed and named by God,
which prompts us to generosity.
With delight, let’s start this new year with a financial gift of support for this congregation and for the ministries we share every year, including (name one or two ___________________).
You can make your gift (list the ways people can give).
Prayer of Thanksgiving
As adopted children of every age, we offer you our thanks, Holy God. You’ve claimed us, named us, and called us into relationship with you.
Thank you! Now we ask you to accept these gifts of gratitude, multiply them for service, and help us use them to strengthen your Realm here on earth. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
When a young couple met with the social worker who was finalizing their adoption of an infant daughter, they were surprised to hear this counsel from the social worker: “Remember, this child you are adopting will legally become exactly like the children born to you. She will be your daughter. You are becoming responsible for her nurture and care. We expect you will clothe her, feed her, nurture her and help her become the best of who she can be.”
When we come to this Table, we come as the adopted daughters and sons of the Most High God. Here we find a feast which can nurture us to become the best people God has called us to become. Here we join the first disciples in an Upper Room, remembering Jesus shared bread and cup, inviting his followers to recognize him every time they broke the bread and drank the wine.
So come, beloved followers of Jesus.
Come, adopted daughters and sons of the Most High God.
Come, all who are eager to receive
the grace upon grace which comes through Jesus Christ.
The feast is prepared, and you are invited to eat, drink, and remember.