0116_05
January 16, 2005 – 2nd Sunday after Epiphany
RC/Pres: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Revised Common Lectionary Readings
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
What Are You Looking For?
*Call to Worship
God waits around the bends of life,
staying there patiently to meet us,
or walking on ahead as we rush past.
Christ turns and sees us following,
holding our eyes in love,
searching to know
the deepest desires of our hearts,
ready to call us in faith.
“Follow me” Christ says to us.
“Follow me down the days and years.”
We will be your people, O God.
We long to follow in your way.
*Prayer of Invocation
Ask us who it is we look for, Holy Spirit.
Ask us if we are open to your presence here.
Call our faces toward your life,
that we may know you more.
Stand near to us in this moment, O Christ,
for we would be your people.
We pray in faith. Amen.
*Prayer of Confession
O God, as you look at us
and know who we are,
we sometimes wonder
if we create you in our own image,
moulding you into our lives
in ways that suit us,
or leaving you behind
when we would rather walk alone.
We know that,
rather than being recreated ourselves
by your saving grace,
we sometimes choose to stay where we are,
refusing to move beyond our own limits.
Silent reflection.
Speak to our human frailty, O God.
Gather us toward the wonder
of your salvation, O Christ.
Forgive us if we have met you on the way
and would like to keep you to ourselves
rather than inviting faith in others.
Forgive us if we describe you to the world
in ways that discourage those
who long to find the true God.
Silent reflection.
Speak into our human frailty, O God.
Gather us toward the wonder
of your salvation, O Christ.
Be our friend, loving Jesus.
Travel deeply into the whole of our lives this day.
We pray in your name. Amen.
*Words of Assurance
Even as we wait,
God in Christ moves toward us in grace.
Receive the hospitality of the loving parent
whose faithfulness to us never wavers.
We are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.
*Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, eternal God,
that you have called
your people to follow in the way
since time began.
We thank you that we hear your voice
sounding in the prophets of old,
in priests and people down the centuries.
We thank you that you come to us in stories,
and in ways that we can understand,
so that no matter who we are,
we can find an echo of our stumbling lives
in your word to us.
Thank you, O God,
for all that you are in our every day. Amen.
*Stewardship Thought
As we search for our God, we usually have some inner awareness of who this God should be for us. Sometimes we are looking for a God who will make us good – who will control parts of our life that seem out of control, maybe even punish and reward us as we go. Sometimes we are looking for a God who will save us from all sorts of trauma and tragedies in our lives. Or, perhaps we want a God who gives us wisdom or who restores our energy as we struggle with various situations. Some of us are looking for a companion on life’s journey or one who works miracles. Who is the God you would recognize if you were to meet this God? Which God would you choose to follow as a disciple?
*Offertory Sentence
Make our offerings this day
part of our testimony
to all your goodness to us, O God.
Your offering will now be received.
*Offertory Prayer
In gratitude and hope,
we bring you our gifts, O God.
Hold them in your hands,
that we may be wise in their using.
This we pray, in faith. Amen.
*Prayer of Intercession
O God, you have called your people
to be a light to the nations in every age,
following you out into the world in courage
and claiming the ground for justice and truth.
Show us the way, Jesus Christ,
and help us to hear all whose voices
are silenced in despair or oppression.
A silence is kept.
As we wait on you today,
we are aware of some people
who need to be embraced by your hope
and held fast in your love.
We pray for them now.
The people pray.
Raise up among us the prophets of today
and open our hearts to hear them
above the sounds of those
who would lead us away from your calling
and on to more comfortable paths.
Give to us all that we need
to be more faithful to you.
We pray especially for these gifts for our life now.
The people pray.
Come to us, Jesus, our friend.
Come, brave Jesus,
come and call us,
that we may be your people.
This we pray in your name. Amen.
*Commissioning
Follow Jesus down the mountains of life
and into the cities of our day,
that the salvation of God may be proclaimed.
*Benediction
And may the hands of the Christ
stay within our reach,
the wisdom of God be found in our midst,
and the Holy Spirit
be our challenge and our peace. Amen.