Christ Episcopal Church Sparta, NC A Home to All Sharing God s Unconditional Love The Second Sunday after the Epiphany January 20, 2019 The Rt. Rev José McLoughlin Bishop of Western North Carolina The Rev. Stephanie E. Parker Rector
Welcome to Christ Episcopal Church We are delighted God has brought you to this special place. Our tradition is to invite newcomers to introduce themselves during the announcements, if they would like. Following the service, the ushers have guest cards which we hope you will fill out, so we can personally welcome you to the church community. Everyone is invited for refreshments and fellowship in the parish hall afterwards. What do you need to know about worship? Everything you need for your worship today is in the booklet you are holding. Our service is based on the Book of Common Prayer, using music from sources including the Hymnal 1982 and Taizé. Are you worshiping with us for the first time? We would love to get to know you! Please fill out one of the pew cards tucked into the pew in front of you. Let us know if we can call you, answer questions, or pray for you. And know that wherever you are on your journey of faith, there is a place for you at Christ Church. Home communion visits: Do you know someone who isn t able to get to church, but would like a home communion visit? Please call the church office at 336.372.7983 to arrange a visit. Please wear a name tag. No permanent one? Please use the blank name tags found in the church entryway. We re happy to make you a new nametag, a replacement, or simply a spare. For permanent name tags, email the church office at ccepiscopal@skybest.com. Newsletter: Sign up today to receive our electronic newsletter, the weekly Good News & Notes. Email the church office at ccepiscopal@skybest.com. Sermons Available Recent sermons available at www.christchurchalleghany.com. Social Media: Please check out our website at www.christchurchalleghany.com, and like us on Facebook at Christ Episcopal Church Sparta, NC. Adult Formation at Christ Church includes an Adult Forum series Sunday morning at 9:00 am in the fellowship hall downstairs. We extend special thanks today to: Jo Ellen Carson, for serving as musician and for being so generous with her talents, and The Food & Fellowship Team, for coordinating the Potato Bar Luncheon today. 2
The Gathering All stand, as able. Processional Hymn #7 Christ, whose glory fills the skies All remain standing, as able, for the Opening Acclamation. 3
Opening Acclamation Blessed be God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be God s Kingdom now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Purity (prayed by all) BCP 355 Let us pray. Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Gloria: S280 (sung by all) Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God s people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. 4
Remain standing, as able. The Collect of the Day The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray, Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. All are seated. The First Lesson Isaiah 62:1-5 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. Liturgy of the Word You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Leader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God s. Thanks be to God. The Response Psalm 36:5-10 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; * you save both man and beast, O Lord. How priceless is your love, O God! * your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings. They feast upon the abundance of your house; * you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the well of life, * and in your light we see light. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, * and your favor to those who are true of heart. The Second Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of 6
tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. Leader Please stand, as able. Gospel Hymn #439 The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. What wondrous love is this Reader The Gospel John 2:1-11 The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John. Glory to you, Lord Christ. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. Reader The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ. Sermon A time of silence is kept following the sermon. The Rev. Stephanie E. Parker Please stand, as able, for the Nicene Creed. 7
The Nicene Creed WLP 768 8
Prayers of the Let us rejoice in the Mystery of the Incarnation, In the Humanity of God, In the Wonder of the Word made Flesh. O Prince of Peace Let us rejoice that God is with us, A hidden silent presence, Transforming to gold the leaden rock of earth. O Emmanuel Let us rejoice that the best name of God is Love, A Love that draws us like a magnet, That nothing can defeat, neither evil nor pain nor death. O Wonderful Counselor Let us rejoice in God revealed to us as a baby, Whose weakness is stronger than our brittle pride, Whose light shines clearer than our willful blindness. O Word made flesh Let us rejoice that God has given us one another, That we might learn to bear the beams of love. O Wonderful counselor Let us pray that we may have courage to change our lives so as to be, As nations and as individuals, That the hungry may be fed, the poor achieve dignity, The oppressed go free, and the stranger be welcomed. O living Christ 9
Let us pray for those in authority among us, That they may work for justice and the common good. O King of Peace Let us pray for the peacemakers of the world, And all who through their vision and struggle Seek to make us citizens of one earth. O Son of Man Let us remember the lonely and anxious among us, The elderly, the homeless, and the starving, The foolish and the despairing, The sick at heart and those in pain, The dying and those who mourn, And those whose hearts are hardened against the love of God. O Lord of love We pray for our sick in heart, body, or soul, especially O God of healing We pray for those who have died and those who grieve, especially O Lord of Resurrection We share our joy and thanksgivings, especially. O Lord of the Dance : All: Dear God, our Creator, Beloved Companion and Guide upon the Way, Eternal Spirit within us and beyond us: let us honor your name in lives of costly giving love; let us show that we and all whom we meet deserve dignity and respect, for they are your dwelling place and your home; 10
let us share in action your deep desire for justice and peace among the peoples of the world; let us in the spirit of your forgiving us make friends with those we ve hurt and failed to love; let us in your love free the world from evil, transforming darkness into light. For the whole world is yours, and you invite us to be partners in the work of your creating. Amen. So be it. The Peace The peace of Christ be always with you. And also with you. Please greet one another in a way that is comfortable as a sign of our participation in Christ s reconciling work in the world. Offertory Doxology (sung by all) Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; praise God above, ye heav'nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Jo Ellen Carson All things come of thee, O Lord. And of thine own have we given thee. 11
The Great Thanksgiving Standing, as able. Prayer B, BCP 367 The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise. Because you gave Jesus Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, was made perfect Man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; so that we might be delivered from the bondage of sin, and receive power to become your children. Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name: Sanctus: 129 (sung by all) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life. Stand or kneel, as able, for Prayer of Consecration. On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me. 12
Therefore, according to his command, O Father, ALL We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory; And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine. We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN. And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray, The Lord s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Breaking of the Bread A period of silence is kept. Fraction: S154 (sung by all) Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrified for us; therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. 13
The Invitation to Communion : The gifts of God for the of God; God s holy food, for God s holy people. All who seek God and are drawn to Christ are welcome at the Lord s Table. If you are gluten allergic, please ask for a rice wafer at the distribution. Communion Music (sung by all) Spirit of the Living God Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me, Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Jo Ellen Carson Sing, praise, and bless the Lord Taizé 35 Sing, praise and bless the Lord. Sing, praise and bless the Lord, s! Nations! Alleluia! (Repeat) Surely the Presence of the Lord (sung acapella) Stand or kneel, as able. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, I can feel His mighty power and His grace, I can hear the brush of angels wings, I see glory on each face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. Post Communion Prayer BCP 365 Let us pray, Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 14
The Blessing Please stand, as able. Recessional Hymn #59 The Dismissal Postlude All praise and thanks to you, most merciful God, for adopting us as your own children, for incorporating us into your holy Church, and for making us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. Amen. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God, Alleluia, alleluia. Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding Coming Lessons Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 Prayer List Intercessions: Ben D., Chuck B., Jann B., Jim D., Jon, Julie O., Karleen Y., Laura D., and Stella D. Departed: Birthdays: Deb Donaldson (Jan 26) Wedding Anniversaries: Bob & Roddy Dixon (Jan 25) 15
The Following are Assisting with the Services Role This Sunday Next Sunday Altar Guild Jeanne Green Jeanne Green Chalicist I Brenda Weems Bruce Smith Chalicist II Bruce Smith Nancy Wilson Crucifer Bruce Smith Nancy Wilson Lector I Brenda Weems Jann Boggs Lector II Phil Donaldson Ceil Watson Prayers of the Jann Boggs Randy Watson Oblations Bearers Joe & Judy Ritchie Frank & Ann Hazard Greeters/Ushers Phil & Deb Donaldson Joe & Judy Ritchie Book Bearer Brenda Weems Bruce Smith Sanctus Bell Bruce Smith Nancy Wilson Schedule Sunday, January 20 Second Sunday after Epiphany NO Adult Forum 10:30 am Holy Eucharist Potato Bar lunch and Annual Meeting following the service Wednesday, January 23 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Thursday, January 24 11:15 am Ladies Lunch Out - meet at the church for carpooling Sunday, January 27 Third Sunday after Epiphany 9:00 am Adult Forum 10:30 am Holy Eucharist Soup Sunday following the service Announcements NO Adult Forum TODAY. Adult Forum will resume next Sunday, January 27 th at 9:00 am. 16
Ladies Lunch THIS Thursday, January 24 at Harvest Grill (Shelton Vineyards). Meet at church to carpool & depart @ 11:15 am. The Harvest Grill, located on the grounds of Shelton Vineyards Dobson, NC, offers upscale dining with a bistro style atmosphere. This is one of our favorite lunch outings. Plan to join us, and invite a friend, too. Sign-up sheet on the Information table or call the church office. Contact Nancy Wilson if you have any questions. 336.528.2729 Soup Sunday is NEXT Sunday after morning services! Please plan to join us for this delicious soup and salad lunch after the morning service. A special thank you to Deb Donaldson and friends for making this a warm treat during our winter months! Altar Flowers and Refreshments 2019 If you would like to provide flowers for the altar or refreshments on a specific Sunday this year, please sign-up at the Information table. Food & Fellowship Person of the Month for January is: Deb Donaldson. She can be reached at 336.372.7573 or sld1400@aol.com. Vestry Person of the Month for January is: Phil Donaldson. He can be reached at 336.372.7573 or sld1400@aol.com. For any building or property issues, please contact: Phil Donaldson with your concerns. He can be reached at 336.372.7573 or sld1400@aol.com. 17
Come One, Come All! Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 817) Every year at Annual Meeting time I am reminded how I love this Prayer for the Parish from our Book of Common Prayer. I love the phrase Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. In my mind it reads like a flourish of encouraging words that call us to awareness that as a community of faith we exist to do something. While the prayer asks God to make these things possible, I feel like it calls us out of passivity into action! It also contains a phrase that out of my loving consumption of this wonderful book has simply become part of my vernacular, all things necessary for our common life. Just as the other phrase feels like a call to action, this phrase reminds us that we are invited to action in and through community; we are all in this together. This prayer For the Parish reminds us that God formed us and brought us together in this place and this time so that as a community we can join together and do something that makes a difference in our own lives and for those who are our neighbors. Please make plans to attend our Annual Meeting today as we give thanks for the year that was and look at the year ahead in which we plan to continue creating a place of deep connection and true community. Grace and Peace, Stephanie+ 18
2019 Vestry Nominee is: Gary Medley I m a co-owner of a local business, Jewelweed Studio, that specializes in stained glass design & creation. I also create folk art, specifically working with gourds. I m an Alleghany County Arts Council Board Member and am actively involved in the Alleghany County writers group. I ve been a member of Christ Church since 2005, chairing the Parish Care Ministry Team in recent years, and participating on the Mountain Soul Ministry Team since its inception. I m glad to expand my commitment to Christ Church through serving on the Vestry! 19
Christ Episcopal Church 2543 US Highway 21 South, PO Box 1866, Sparta, North Carolina 28675 Office: 336-372-7983; Rector cellphone: 336-363-4141 Website: christchurchalleghany.org Email: ccepiscopal@skybest.com Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-1:30 pm Music used by permission CCLI License #11138616. Prayers adapted from Darkness Yielding by: Jim Cotter, Martyn Percy, Sylvia Sands, W.H. Vanstone & Rowan Williams and Collect adapted from Praying with Christ based on Louis Evely s meditative book, Our Father. 20