In-Person, Sunday Morning at 9:30 am

or

Online Recorded Worship Service

February 2, 2025

To access, please visit our website

at www.umcw.org/sermons

“Jesus’ Sermon in His Hometown” 

Order of Worship

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

BOLD indicates congregational SPEAKING participation

GATHERING AS THE BODY OF CHRIST


Prelude

  "God Hath Spoken by the Prophets"

 UMH #108


Welcome and Sharing of Announcements


A Time to Make Connections


Meditation Time


Introit

 “The Gospel Train” 

Traditional arr. Bernd Frank

Bruce Goody & Matt Cron

(in-person service only)


Call to Worship

Liturgist: Children of God, we come to worship today with expectations: how we expect to feel, what we expect to experience, songs we expect to sing, or prayers we expect to pray. We find comfort in the familiar

People: We come to worship, expecting God to meet us here.

Liturgist:  Sometimes what feels familiar grows stale. We stop noticing the power of our prayers. We hear but don’t listen to the Word. We sing without letting the music seep into our hearts. Yet, God is still here, moving and working among us. 

People: We come to worship, expecting God to meet us here.

Liturgist: We may meet God in a familiar voice speaking a hard word, in a song we love that pierces our hearts, in a prayer that we receive in a new way. Because God is here, moving and working among us. 

People: We come to worship, expecting God to meet us here. 

Liturgist: Children of God, come! Let us worship, ready to embrace God’s Word already at work among us, even when we are challenged to recognize God in the familiar and unfamiliar alike.  

People:  We come to worship, expecting God to meet us here. Thanks be to God! Amen.

(Resource comes from umcdiscipleship.org)  


Opening Prayer

In a cynical and despairing world, O God, give us a quietly prophetic voice to proclaim your hope. In a violent and angry world, O God, give us a quietly prophetic voice to proclaim your peace. In a dismissive and disinterested world, O God,

give us a quietly prophetic voice to proclaim your compassion. In a lonely and inhospitable world, O God, give us a quietly prophetic voice to proclaim your love. In a grieving and weeping world, O God, give us a quietly prophetic voice to proclaim your joy. May we be so captivated by your hope, O God, that we cannot help but to whisper, to sing, and to enact, the message of your reign which is always coming into our world; And may our quietly prophetic lives be channels of your restoring grace wherever we may go. Amen.    (Resource come from umdiscipleship.org) 


Opening Hymn

“Take Our Bread”  

UMH #640


Holy Communion


Invitation to the Lord's Table

Come to the Lord's Table, all you who love him.

Come to the Lord's Table, confess your sin.

Come to the Lord's Table, be at peace.

 

Thanksgiving and Communion

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to you, Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to praise you, Lord.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

Always and everywhere to give thanks to you,

Holy Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

From the rising of the sun to its setting

your name is praised among all peoples.


Therefore we praise you,

joining our voices with your people on earth

and all the company of heaven

who forever sing this hymn to the glory of your name:


Holy, holy, holy, Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the One who comes

in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest!


You are holy, Almighty One!

Blessed are you, Jesus Christ!

In the power of the Spirit

you created all things, blessed them, and called them good.

You called to yourself a people

To make your mercy and truth known in all the world.

We betrayed your calling;

You were faithful.

We wandered from the way;

You called us to return, and led us home.


And still we turned from your ways,

abused your creatures,

and made ourselves slaves to sin and death.


At the right time

you came and dwelt among us, as one of us,

bringing good news to the poor,

healing the sick, raising the dead,

sharing table with the unrighteous,

and teaching the way that leads to life.


By your incarnation, life, suffering, execution and resurrection

You gave birth to your church,

delivered us from slavery

and made a new covenant with us

by water and the Spirit.


On the night of your betrayal, Lord Jesus,

you took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to your disciples and said,

"This is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me."

You did the same with the cup after the supper, saying,

"This cup that is poured out is the new covenant in my blood."


Blessed Trinity, in remembrance of all you have done to save us,

we offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving

as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,

as we sing (proclaim) the mystery of our faith:


Christ has come among us. Christ has died.

Christ has risen. Christ abides with us.

Christ will come again.


Pour out your Spirit on us.

Pour out your Spirit on us.

Pour out your Spirit on these gifts.

Pour out your Spirit on these gifts.

Make these gifts the body and blood of Christ.

Make us, through them, Christ's body alive in the world.


Abba, Father!

Let your kingdom come!

 

Come, Lord Jesus!

Be our daily bread.

 

Holy Spirit!

Send us to the world.


Holy, Blessed Trinity!

One God forever!


Breaking the Bread

As we share one loaf and one cup, may we become one with the world, bringing good news to all. And hear us now as we are bold to say together the words Jesus taught:

 

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that 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.


Giving the Bread and Cup


Prayer of Communion

Lord, you now have set your servants free

to go in peace as you have promised.

For these eyes of ours have seen the Savior

whom you have prepared for all the world to see!

Blessing and honor and glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen. (Discipleship Ministries The United Methodist Church)

Special Music

 “Adagio”

Vivaldi

Bruce Goody & Matt Cron


ATTENTION TO THE WORD OF GOD

*Scripture Readings

 Luke 4: 21-30


21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (NRSV)


Liturgist: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God.  


Message

    “Jesus’ Sermon in His Hometown”

Pastor Jinyong Choi

WE RESPOND


Offertory Hymn

   “Open My Eyes, That I May See” 

UMH #454


*Doxology

UMH #94


*Offertory Prayer

Compassionate God, who sees beyond our boundaries and loves without limit, we bring these offerings with grateful hearts. Use them to proclaim your good news, heal the broken, and extend your love to all, especially those we struggle to accept. Transform our gifts into a beacon of hope and inclusion that reflects the boundless love of Christ in every corner of our community. In his holy name, we pray. Amen. (Resource comes from

*Closing Hymn

   “God of Grace and God of Glory” 

UMH #577


*The Blessing and Sending Forth 

May God our Creator renew in us the creative Spirit

that brings healing and life to our world.

May Jesus the Christ uphold us in grace and love.

May the Holy Spirit fill us with courage

to be bearers of God’s song of hope in our hometown and beyond. Amen.


Postlude

 "When We are Living"   

 Traditional Spanish, arr. Joel Raney

Bruce Goody & Matt Cron

(in-person service only)

In-Person Services:


Usher/Greeter: Claire Hall

Organist: Matt Cron

Sound: Sharon Lipp

Liturgist: Nancy Keelan

Projection: Valarie Wilder

Communion: Jane Mazzucotelli


Our Mission Statement

“God calls us to be disciples of Jesus, building community through service and fellowship and sharing the love of Christ with all.”


Our Openness Statement

“The United Methodist Church of Westford is an open and welcoming community of Christian Faith. Without any exceptions, we welcome anyone who seeks to love and to serve God.”

Please click here for “A Statement of Our Openness”.

www.umcw.org

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