Gathering and Announcements
Prelude O Divine Redeemer Charles Gounod
Call to Worship (From Isaiah 42:9)
See, the former things have come to pass,
And new things God now declares;
Before they spring forth,
God speaks to us, now.
This is the Good News:
Jesus joins us in the tumultuous waters of our lives.
You are God’s beloved children.
May we worship and love our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn of Preparation Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters 605 UMH
Scripture Reading
Isaiah 42:1-9 (CEB)
Anthem Lord. I Know I Been Changed arr. Larry Shackley
Gospel Reading Matthew 3: 13-17 (CEB)
Scripture Hymn When Jesus Came to Jordan 252 UMH
Sermon - The Beloved Life
Response to the Word
We believe in God,
the creator of all things,
the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
born Emmanuel, God with us,
baptized and revealed the most beloved Son of God;
he sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself,
suffering for us,
dying for us
and being raised from the dead for our sake
and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
continually poured out refreshing our lives,
leading us into a new day,
ever-birthing the church, the body of Christ in the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth
reminding us
of the gift of faith,
the ever presence of God
and the promise of eternal life.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
Invitation to Offering
Offering and Song The Lord’s Prayer Albert Hay Malotte
Doxology Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow 94 UMH
Prayer of the People
Spirit of Life, as we enter this new year, we give You thanks for all the ways You have remained faithful to us. Guide us into this new year to live into Your intention for our lives. Keep us from the ways of this world that tempt us to put our desires above the needs of others, and lead us into the way of Your love and care for our earth and each other. May we remember that before the whole year springs forth, You whispered us the promise of new life now. You give us hope in every moment, whether we hold our resolutions or not, because You call us Your beloved children. We know we belong to You; we are Yours, now and forever. As we remember that we are yours, we pray the prayer Jesus taught us…
Prayer for Forgiveness
Living Water, we know that You have entered our humanity by joining us in the waters of baptism, yet we deny humanity to others. We have our fill while others lack food and clean water and shelter. We draw boundaries on maps and determine who receives aid while others go without. We make arbitrary divisions based on race and gender and dehumanize those who do not fit our image, instead of looking to Your image. Call us into Your ways, O God, to remember that we are made by You, and that You call us into the waters of birth and rebirth, to remember our common humanity and that we are Your beloved children. May we remember, may we repair and restore what we have broken, and work to live into Your ways, O Christ, our Living Water. Amen
Assurance of Pardon
The Apostle Peter once said, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.” God loves us all and calls us to erase the divisions we have created to proclaim the good news to everyone, but more importantly, to live into it. Go forth sharing in the world of reparation and restoration, knowing that God loves you and calls you Beloved. Amen
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty (almighty God), creator of heaven and earth.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth,
from everlasting to everlasting, you alone are God.
You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth.
You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God,
and spoke to us through your prophets.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ,
in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation.
In his baptism and in table fellowship he took his place with sinners.
Your Spirit anointed him to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and to announce that the time had come
when you would save your people.
By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread,
gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world,
until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God ), now and for ever.
Amen.
Sharing the Bread and Cup
Prayer After Receiving
Closing Hymn Baptized in Water 2248 TFWS
Charge and Benediction
Postlude
