Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Epiphany Sunday
Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-13
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12
Call to Worship (From Isaiah 60)
(Invite people to stand for the call to worship and the opening prayer.)
One: Arise! Shine! For your light has come.
Many: The glory of the Lord rests on all of us!
One: So today we stand up as we praise the Lord.
Many: Look! Our hearts rejoice as we stand before God.
One: Together, we come to praise the Creator of light!
Many: Let our lives show God’s light to the world
beginning here and now.
Opening Prayer
We give you our praise, Creator and Redeemer, for the great light you give.
Even as we lift up our eyes and look around, we see and our hearts rejoice!
Thank you for bringing us to this place and this time of worship.
Accept what we offer in this hour;
our joy, our gratitude and symbols of our very lives.
We open our hands and our hearts to receive all you provide.
In Christ, AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (from Matthew 2)
The old joke goes like this: “You can be sure it was a group of MEN who came to bring these gifts to baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. If women had made the trip, they would have brought diapers, casseroles, and helpful advice for a first-time Mom.”
No matter your gender, as I invite you for today, to imagine we ALL are magi, bringing gifts.
On this first Sunday of a new calendar year, what gifts are you bringing?
Imagine what can be done with the gifts we offer today!
The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus will be more widely shared as we _______________________________________________________ (name one or two ways your congregation’s offering will increase the capacity for responding to needs in your community).
With joy and energy for all this new year offers, let us receive our morning offering.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Generous God,
Thank you for the gifts you pour out on each of us and on all your creation. Receive, now, this offering:
symbols of our lives and our love in check, coin, and cash.
Receive, too, our intention to live into the light of Christ, even as you pour out your Holy Spirit on each of us. May that true Light, made known in Jesus Christ, fill us. Help us use this offering to build up your realm on earth, as it is in heaven. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Epiphany, or “manifestation,” we now know, is the traditional celebration of the magi coming to find Jesus, as we read in Matthew 2.
In many lands, January 6th is the day on which gifts are given (rather than on Christmas Day).
Whether we mark Epiphany with gifts or not, in the church, Epiphany is celebrated on the closest Sunday prior to January 6th. In worship today, then, we’re modeling our actions on the actions of the magi. We bring our gifts of tithes, offerings, bread, and juice (or wine) to set the table, providing tangible signs of love to one another.
Gratefully, it isn’t just once a year, but every Sunday we gather at this Table to praise Christ and celebrate the gifts offered to us in these simple elements. They point us to Jesus’ love made manifest for the world through his life, death, and resurrection.
So come! You are welcome at this Table.
There’s a place for you at this feast. Your gifts are here!
There’s room at this Table for all.
(Consider using “Take My Gifts”, CH 381, as your communion hymn.)