God's nurturing salvation
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series II
Exegetical note: This portion of a homecoming hymn, part of the so-called "Book of Consolation," looks to the return of Israel from Babylonian Exile ("the north country"). The line in verse 12 - "their life shall be like a watered garden" - provides a wonderful image for the salutary, nurturing effects of God's salvation upon the downtrodden and outcasts of every age.
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 147)
Leader:
Let us give thanks to God, who covers the heavens with clouds!
People:
LET US GIVE THANKS TO GOD, WHO SENDS RAIN UPON THE EARTH!
Leader:
Let us praise God, who makes grass to grow upon the hillsides!
People:
LET US PRAISE GOD, WHO NURTURES AND SUSTAINS ALL CREATURES!
Collect
Holy and healing God, you have been the salvation of the captive and oppressed in every age. Help us to celebrate your redeeming work in Christ Jesus in this holy season: that, filled with the wonderful message that in him "God saves," we may gladly share with others that soothing gospel. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Great and gracious God, we confess that we accommodate ourselves to the many kinds of captivity in which we find ourselves and our fellow humans, and fail to place our trust and hope in the healing promises of your gospel. Forgive us, we pray, and jolt us from our complacency by the power of your presence in the Christ. Make our lives like gardens, watered by your Holy Word and nourished by your Holy Spirit. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen
Second Sunday after Christmas
Second Lesson: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
Theme:
God's accomplishment in Christ Jesus
Exegetical note: The termination of the second of these two fragments at verse 18 is unfortunate and misleading, giving the impression of a Gnostic petition. The whole passage (through verse 23), though admittedly a rambling syntactical jumble, needs to be taken into account so as to see the affirmation of Christ Jesus, not just as a conveyor of spiritual knowledge of salvation, but as the exalted one in whom God has accomplished that salvation.
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 147)
Leader:
It is good to sing praises to God!
People:
FOR GOD IS GRACIOUS AND WORTHY OF OUR ADORATION!
Leader:
God heals the brokenhearted and mends the wounded!
People:
GOD GATHERS THE OUTCASTS AND LIFTS THE DOWNTRODDEN!
Collect
Life-giving God, you have sent us Christ Jesus, not just as a spiritual teacher or messenger of your grace and our salvation, but as the very one in whom your redemption is accomplished. Help us to receive him before this holy season has passed: that, full of awe and appreciation of your work in him, we may face the new year as new creatures. In his holy name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Most holy God, we confess that we do not fully comprehend the wonderful acts of yours that we have celebrated during this Christmas season; nor do we fully appropriate what little we do understand of your saving activity in Christ Jesus. Forgive us our hypocrisy, O God, and help us to take our own professions to heart, so that we may be at last doers of your Word, and not hearers and speakers only. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Second Sunday after Christmas
Gospel:
John 1:1-18
Theme:
God's eternal, creative Word
Exegetical note: It is not just the opening phrase of John's Prologue - "In the beginning" - that echoes the first verse of Genesis. ln~ deed the whole idea that the Word that is made flesh in Jesus is God's primeval creative agent, bringing both light and life, recalls the divine "fiats" of the Priestly author, whereby God, in effect, spoke the world into existence.
Call to Worship
Leader:
Sisters and brothers, let us worship the God whose Word is Power!
People:
LET US WORSHIP THE GOD WHOSE WORD IS MIGHT!
Leader:
Let us worship the God whose Word is Life!
People: LET US WORSHIP THE GOD WHOSE WORD IS LIGHT!
Collect
Almighty Creator God, you spoke the universe to life and uttered light into the darkness with your eternal Word. Speak life and light into us as well: that, hearing again your voice in a Christ of our own flesh and blood, we may find ourselves the new creations that you would like us and have called us to be. In his holy name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
God of amazing grace, we confess that we are not the new creations that you want us and have called us to be with your enlightening, enlivening Word. We live lives of darkness and death, and thereby mock your creative and redemptive power. Forgive us this blasphemy, O God, and speak again your life-giving, light-shedding Word-made-flesh in Christ. Then open our ears so that, hearing, we may be recreated in his image. In his name we pray. Amen
Epiphany
First Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6
Theme:
The magnetism of God's light
Exegetical note: This postexilic poem of Third Isaiah anticipates a time in which, because of God's arrival in glory, Jerusalem will be so radiant that all nations will be drawn to its light, bearing not only the children that have stayed behind in the land of captivity, but treasures, such as gold and frankincense. This passage, together with the responsorial Psalm 72, was apparently one of Matthew's sources for his story of the Magi.
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 72)
Leader:
Blessed is the God of Israel!
People:
AND BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES TO REIGN IN GOD'S NAME!
Leader:
Before his spiritual majesty every earthly ruler will bow!
People:
AND ALL NATIONS WILL SERVE HIM!
Collect
Most glorious God, you have sent us a Christ whose radiance puts to shame the glory of every earthly monarch. Let us be drawn again to his light: that, basking in his holiness and glory, we may be moved to a deeper love for you and for all your children. In the name of Christ Jesus we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Most gracious God, we confess that we let ourselves be drawn to much that glitters and sparkles in the world, including luminous personalities and powerful people; and that we often pay more homage to them than to you and your Christ. Forgive us, O God, and draw our attention back to the majesty of the one who came in your name, bringing your earthly Reign, so that we shall return to you bearing our gifts and ourselves. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 147)
Leader:
Let us give thanks to God, who covers the heavens with clouds!
People:
LET US GIVE THANKS TO GOD, WHO SENDS RAIN UPON THE EARTH!
Leader:
Let us praise God, who makes grass to grow upon the hillsides!
People:
LET US PRAISE GOD, WHO NURTURES AND SUSTAINS ALL CREATURES!
Collect
Holy and healing God, you have been the salvation of the captive and oppressed in every age. Help us to celebrate your redeeming work in Christ Jesus in this holy season: that, filled with the wonderful message that in him "God saves," we may gladly share with others that soothing gospel. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Great and gracious God, we confess that we accommodate ourselves to the many kinds of captivity in which we find ourselves and our fellow humans, and fail to place our trust and hope in the healing promises of your gospel. Forgive us, we pray, and jolt us from our complacency by the power of your presence in the Christ. Make our lives like gardens, watered by your Holy Word and nourished by your Holy Spirit. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen
Second Sunday after Christmas
Second Lesson: Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18
Theme:
God's accomplishment in Christ Jesus
Exegetical note: The termination of the second of these two fragments at verse 18 is unfortunate and misleading, giving the impression of a Gnostic petition. The whole passage (through verse 23), though admittedly a rambling syntactical jumble, needs to be taken into account so as to see the affirmation of Christ Jesus, not just as a conveyor of spiritual knowledge of salvation, but as the exalted one in whom God has accomplished that salvation.
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 147)
Leader:
It is good to sing praises to God!
People:
FOR GOD IS GRACIOUS AND WORTHY OF OUR ADORATION!
Leader:
God heals the brokenhearted and mends the wounded!
People:
GOD GATHERS THE OUTCASTS AND LIFTS THE DOWNTRODDEN!
Collect
Life-giving God, you have sent us Christ Jesus, not just as a spiritual teacher or messenger of your grace and our salvation, but as the very one in whom your redemption is accomplished. Help us to receive him before this holy season has passed: that, full of awe and appreciation of your work in him, we may face the new year as new creatures. In his holy name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Most holy God, we confess that we do not fully comprehend the wonderful acts of yours that we have celebrated during this Christmas season; nor do we fully appropriate what little we do understand of your saving activity in Christ Jesus. Forgive us our hypocrisy, O God, and help us to take our own professions to heart, so that we may be at last doers of your Word, and not hearers and speakers only. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Second Sunday after Christmas
Gospel:
John 1:1-18
Theme:
God's eternal, creative Word
Exegetical note: It is not just the opening phrase of John's Prologue - "In the beginning" - that echoes the first verse of Genesis. ln~ deed the whole idea that the Word that is made flesh in Jesus is God's primeval creative agent, bringing both light and life, recalls the divine "fiats" of the Priestly author, whereby God, in effect, spoke the world into existence.
Call to Worship
Leader:
Sisters and brothers, let us worship the God whose Word is Power!
People:
LET US WORSHIP THE GOD WHOSE WORD IS MIGHT!
Leader:
Let us worship the God whose Word is Life!
People: LET US WORSHIP THE GOD WHOSE WORD IS LIGHT!
Collect
Almighty Creator God, you spoke the universe to life and uttered light into the darkness with your eternal Word. Speak life and light into us as well: that, hearing again your voice in a Christ of our own flesh and blood, we may find ourselves the new creations that you would like us and have called us to be. In his holy name we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
God of amazing grace, we confess that we are not the new creations that you want us and have called us to be with your enlightening, enlivening Word. We live lives of darkness and death, and thereby mock your creative and redemptive power. Forgive us this blasphemy, O God, and speak again your life-giving, light-shedding Word-made-flesh in Christ. Then open our ears so that, hearing, we may be recreated in his image. In his name we pray. Amen
Epiphany
First Lesson: Isaiah 60:1-6
Theme:
The magnetism of God's light
Exegetical note: This postexilic poem of Third Isaiah anticipates a time in which, because of God's arrival in glory, Jerusalem will be so radiant that all nations will be drawn to its light, bearing not only the children that have stayed behind in the land of captivity, but treasures, such as gold and frankincense. This passage, together with the responsorial Psalm 72, was apparently one of Matthew's sources for his story of the Magi.
Call to Worship
(based on Psalm 72)
Leader:
Blessed is the God of Israel!
People:
AND BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES TO REIGN IN GOD'S NAME!
Leader:
Before his spiritual majesty every earthly ruler will bow!
People:
AND ALL NATIONS WILL SERVE HIM!
Collect
Most glorious God, you have sent us a Christ whose radiance puts to shame the glory of every earthly monarch. Let us be drawn again to his light: that, basking in his holiness and glory, we may be moved to a deeper love for you and for all your children. In the name of Christ Jesus we pray. Amen
Prayer of Confession
Most gracious God, we confess that we let ourselves be drawn to much that glitters and sparkles in the world, including luminous personalities and powerful people; and that we often pay more homage to them than to you and your Christ. Forgive us, O God, and draw our attention back to the majesty of the one who came in your name, bringing your earthly Reign, so that we shall return to you bearing our gifts and ourselves. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen
