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Observance Of The Birthday Of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Observance
Worship
Worship Service
Jonah 2:2-9
Revelation 21:1-7
Gennifer Benjamin Brooks
Praise the Lord
Litanies, Prayers, And Occasional Services
(This liturgy is written intentionally for use in an interfaith setting.)

HYMN OF CELEBRATION
Lift Every Voice And Sing

GREETING
We have come together on this special day, to witness to the love of God in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a martyr to the faith, in the cause of justice. We come from different cultures, different religions, but all committed to the right for which Dr. King fought, of freedom for all people.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream. It was a dream of unity and peace, justice and equality for all. In our coming together, may we also aspire to that hope. And more than that, may we be moved to go beyond hope and join the fight which can never end until all can say with the boldness of truth, "Free at last, free at last, praise God almighty we're free at last."

LITANY OF PRAISE
Leader: God is our refuge and strength.
People: Praise God who is our very present help in trouble.
Leader: God is our strength and song.
People: Praise God who is the rock of our salvation.
Leader: God is our song of victory over our oppressors, of life over death.
People: Praise God who opens to us the gate of life.
Leader: God is our life, our joy, our crown.
People: Praise God who has crowned us with glory and honor.
Leader: God is our light and God is love, eternal and unchanging.
People: We will praise our God forever and ever.

HYMN
The Battle Hymn Of The Republic

(Verse 4 may be omitted or modified for interfaith worship.)

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of watchful care, we confess our complacency in our own security. We close our eyes to the pain around us by refusing to see the signs of suffering in the eyes of our brothers and sisters. We stride boldly along life's paths, oblivious to bowed heads and stooped shoulders that cry out the misery of life without meaning. We hide behind walls of contentment, rejoicing in the realization of our dreams, while others linger outside, too worn down to dream.

Forgive us our unthinking preoccupation that keeps us from joining the fight for justice and freedom for your whole creation. Open our eyes and hearts and hands to the plight of all your people. Move us beyond self and selfishness to a life of service to your people in your name. Inspire us to action for the good of all. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

(Readings listed are suggestions only. You may choose some other appropriate passages.)

OLD TESTAMENT
Jonah 2:2-9

NEW TESTAMENT
Revelation 21:1-7

SERMON OR MEDITATION

PRAYERS OF REDEDICATION AND RENEWAL
Leader: Let us pause and remember the words of Dr. King, the drum major for peace, who called us to arms in the battle for justice. Let us rededicate ourselves to maintain the fight for justice until all people everywhere cease to be victims of the injustice of others.
People: God of justice, give us courage.
Leader: While war rages on between nations and races and cultures, the cry for peace grows louder and louder. Let us strive for peace and justice in the hearts of all people so that together we will all do justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
People: God of peace and justice, grant us your peace.
Leader: Here in our land and around the world, the shackles from our human bodies have been replaced by the chaining of our minds. And so none of us is free because all of us are not free. Let us redouble our efforts, to seek freedom in the name of our God who makes us all free.
People: Freeing God, strengthen us that together we may break the chains of oppression that bind us all.
Leader: Although we have gathered as a community in this place and time, more often we are separated by a lack of understanding of our neighbors which causes us to fear. May we strive together so that the divisions of race may be removed and with them the fear that paralyzes our efforts so that the radiance of God's love may shine in the hearts of all people.
People: God of love, dispel our fears and awaken in us your love that binds us as one.
Leader: Sadly, we the people of God must admit that we have not been the voice that rings out for truth and justice. Instead we have so often by covert acts and overt silence, supported the status quo. Too often we have remained silent or hesitated to raise our voices in the fear that we may be called to action. May our silence and uncertainty be replaced by the disturbance of our voices raised in protest for all people.
People: Eternal God, move us beyond ourselves that we may work for truth and righteousness in your world. May we strive for justice for all people that we may all know the fullness of joy that is ours as your creation. Amen.

CLOSING HYMN
We Shall Overcome
1. We shall overcome ... someday
2. We'll walk hand in hand ... someday
3. We shall live in peace ... someday
4. God is on our side ... today

BENEDICTION
Go out in the strength of God, having the courage to stand for truth and justice.

Go out in the power of God, heeding the call to work for freedom.

Go out in the love of God, reaching out to the stranger, sharing the joy of unity with God and all people.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Epiphany 2 (OT 2)
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 3 (OT 3)
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 4 (OT 4)
28 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A 2025 calendar.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! This is a story about something that happened after Jesus was baptized when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth to visit his family and friends. While he was visiting, he went to the service at the synagogue, just like we come to our church service. During the service, they asked Jesus to read the scripture, so he stood up and read. He said:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For January 26, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
It seems everybody knows about Victor Hugo’s greatest novel, even if few have actually read it. He called his masterpiece, Les Miserables, and said that it was “a religious work.” So it is. The story echoes the gospel message at nearly every turn.

The main character, Jean Valjean, has been beaten hard by the cruel twists of fate. He has seen the sham of hypocrisy on all sides. So he casts the name of the Lord to the ground like a curse. What does God know of him, and what does it matter?
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
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Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
Did you ever notice in most of the old movies how the credits are at the front and they don’t share much information? Take the classic The Wizard of Oz. The overture begins with a rousing fanfare, followed by musical allusions to the key songs in the show. Visually, we see the Metro Goldwyn Mayer logo featuring the roaring lion and the words “Metro Goldwyn Mayer presents,” and of course the title of the film.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

 The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jesus as he worshipped in the synagogue at Nazareth. Let us ask God's Spirit to fill us as we worship in church today.

Invitation to Confession:

 Jesus, when we are unaware of your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we deny your Spirit within us,
Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we reject or damage your Spirit within us,
Lord, have mercy.

 Reading:

 Luke 4:14-21

SermonStudio

Stephen P. McCutchan
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
-- Luke 4:21

Constance Berg
David led us the two blocks from our church to his place of worship: a synagogue. We all gathered around him to hear what he was saying. The mid-week church school students had been studying the Jewish faith for three weeks, and now it was time to visit a synagogue!

David's job was to help the rabbi, who could only come to town periodically. David spoke with much pride of the customs that have been handed down for centuries and that he now espoused.
Robert F. Crowley
Theme

Is the body of Christ able to work together in harmony because the spirit of the Lord is upon it, or is it meant to operate like any other organization?

Summary

Pastor Ralph needs some work on his car and he is also dealing with differing factions in his church. He is not having a good day. Earl, his friend and mechanic, gives him some good advice on taking care of his car and then relates it to his church -- get all the parts working together; after all, they all have the same manufacturer -- the Holy Spirit.

Playing Time
Dennis Koch
Gospel Theme:
An overture for the oppressed

Gospel Note:
Luke's moving of Jesus' hometown sermon from later in his ministry (as in Mark) to its inception makes it a kind of programmatic overture for the Master's entire career. Jesus' choice of passage (from Tito-Isaiah) to define his objective is as sobering today as it was then, for the recipients of the good news are to be, not the comfortable and contented, but the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the oppressed.

Liturgical Color:
Green

Suggested Hymns:
O God Of Light
James Evans
Psalm 19 celebrates two different media through which God is revealed: nature and the law.

The first part of the psalm calls our attention to the presence of God in nature -- "The heavens are telling the glory of God." The word "glory" is the Hebrew kabod and literally means weight or heaviness. The derived meaning is something akin to "reputation." God's reputation is evident in the heavens.

But reputation for what?

Elizabeth Achtemeier
We live in a society in which right and wrong have become largely a matter of personal opinion. All individuals are seen as a law unto themselves, and what is right for one person is not necessarily right for anyone else. Indeed, if any person tries to impose their ethical standards on another, the response is usually defensive anger. "Don't try to impose your middle-class morality on me," goes the complaint. "I know what is right for me, and you have no business trying to meddle in my life!"
Gary L. Carver
I shall never forget the night that Mae June came to church. Mae June was a workingwoman who, in our little community, was often seen in the late hours of the night in some of the darker places of our little town.

Harry N. Huxhold
In the Sundays of the Epiphany we are reminded in our worship how God continually reveals God's Person. That, of course, is done most clearly in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to be one of us. Today the emphasis of the Lessons is on how God is revealed in the Word. In the Holy Gospel, Jesus himself points out how he is revealed in the word, or the word is revealed in him, but the people do not seem to understand. That is always a problem in communication. The words can be ever so clear, but do people get the message?
Robert S. Crilley
Let me offer you a hypothetical situation. Suppose you had a friend who was unfamiliar with the church. The person had never attended a worship service or sat in on a Sunday school class. He or she had never participated in any of the midweek fellowship activities or volunteered to help out with one of the mission trips. In effect, Christianity was a complete mystery to him/her. And so, more out of curiosity than anything else, the person asks you, "What exactly is the church?"
Julia Ross Strope
A single song is being inflected through all the colorations of the human choir.
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Call To Worship
Leader: Welcome! Together we'll explore ancient stories about a public reading, the awesomeness of Creation, satisfying life together, and we will claim our God-given abilities.

Special Occasion

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