ORDER OF WORSHIP Baptism of Jesus Sunday January 7, 2018 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion. Brennan Manning Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and water is clear? Lao Tzu Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence. Henri Nouwen No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you re welcome in this United Church of Christ congregation *Those who are able, please stand. Underlined items 8:30 a.m. worship. Pastoral Greeting and Announcements WE GATHER AS GOD S PEOPLE Prelude Prelude in C major J.S. Bach Introit Create in Me a Clean Heart Albin Whitworth Chancel Choir *Call to Worship All: God gathered us in. All: God prepared our hearts and minds for worship. All: God called us Beloved. All: The beginning is now. Let us worship God. 1
*Opening Hymn Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee #2 *Prayer of Confession (in unison) One: Timeless God, you cast light into sin's dark places and call us your Beloved. All: Forgive us when we still linger in the shadows, when we treat others in hurtful ways, when we speak ill of your friends. One: As he knelt in the waters of Jordan, you proclaimed Jesus as your child, pointing to him as the way to you. All: Forgive us when we put ourselves ahead of him, when we think he is no longer needed, when we fail to see him in the brokenness of our world. One: Baptized and blessed in your living waters, you call us be your servants in our time. All: Forgive us when we fail to welcome the stranger, when we refuse to forgive as we should, when we believe we are too good to kneel down and tie the shoes of the lost, the least, the last, the little. *Words of Assurance One: Touched by the waters of life, fed at the feast of grace and hope, embraced in the warmth of God's love and hopes - this is good news! All: Blessed by the waters of baptism, called to servanthood by the Beloved, filled with the peace of the Spirit, we are indeed God's people - redeemed, restored, refreshed to serve. Thanks be to God! Amen. *Song of Response Jesus, the Light of the World Used with permission. One License # A-723222 2
Children s Message: Children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade will leave following the Children s Message for class and return for Communion. Grades 4th through 12th will remain in worship. Baptism of Henry Erich Wunderle see ivory insert WE LISTEN FOR GOD S WORD Psalm Reading Psalm 29 OT page 477 Large print page 621 Reader: People: God is still speaking, Thanks be to God. *Gospel Reading Mark 1:4-11 NT page 32 Large print page 42 Reader: God is still speaking, People: Thanks be to God. Communion Meditation Vicki McGaw Hymn of Response Spirit of the Living God #259 WE RESPOND TO GOD S LOVE Call to Offering (Please complete a purple My Second Offering card to record the ways you share your time, talent and treasure, then put it in the offering plate. Be sure to participate in the Ritual of Friendship using the pad in your pew, then check in on Facebook using your silenced cell phone.) Invitation to the Sacrament of Holy Communion Communion Prayer One: May the Creator of heaven and earth be with you! All: And also with you! One: People of God, lift up your hearts. All: We lift them to the One who gave his heart to heal us. One: Let us give thanks to the One who made everything and called it 'good'. All: How right it is to give our thanks and praise to the One who calls us 'Beloved.' 3
One: Into the shadows of silence, you hummed the first chords of creation, your Word crafting the sun to welcome each day, the moon and stars to guide the night. All: Prophets came, sent from your heart to call us back to you, but we could not hear them over the shouts of our desires. One: So, when we had no hope, you sent your child, Jesus, the One who was willing to take on anything, and everything, which kept us from you. And with our beloved sisters and brothers in every time and place, we sing of your love: All: Holy, holy, holy! Creator of light and life, heaven and earth sing forever of your love and joy. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the One who comes to be baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. Hosanna in the highest! One: On this day we when remember our baptism, we proclaim the life which was All: his, and the hope which is ours in that mystery we call faith: Bathed in your tears, Christ died for us; washed in the resurrection waters, Christ rose for us; bringing the waters of life to us, Christ will come again. Words of Institution Prayer of Consecration and Prayer of our Savior 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Sharing of the Elements Unison Prayer After Communion Having been fed at your table, gracious God, send us out into the world as your beloved children, ready to share the grace that flows from your heart, bringing the light of hope to all in despair, and welcoming the stranger and the outcast as we whisper our yearnings for peace and reconciliation. Amen. WE GO OUT WITH GOD S WORD *Closing Hymn Spirit #249 *Commissioning and Benediction 4
Postlude Gigue Fugue Dieterich Buxtehude Please remain seated and enjoy the Postlude Serving Today 8:30 AM 10:30 AM Reader Judy Van Zante Judy Van Zante Acolyte Kerrigan Wood Acolyte Assistant Nancy Helyes Ushers Tom Planisek Neal Postel Ed Leonard Gus Fralick Mars Patterson Interpreter Lori Palmer Sound System Gus Fralick Tom Ropas This week s card corner person is Mona Sazima. Please send Mona a Get Well card to 8941 Timberlane Trail, North Royalton, OH 44133. Our Church Directory has been updated! Printed copies are available in the Parlor or you can locate it digitally on our church website under the Members section. Please contact the church office at 440-842-7743 or churchoffice@mhcucc.org if you need to update any of your information. Thank you! Thank You for Joining Us! We are so glad you have chosen to worship with us this morning! Please be sure to sign the fellowship pad found in your pew. Join us again for worship next Sunday as we continue to celebrate the One who has come to walk among us and share God s shalom. Our weekly Sunday worship services are at 8:30 & 10:30 am. Please join us again soon! 5