"The Light That Finds Us" (Ashtabula)

Service Manuscript: Ashtabula First UMC

Date: January 4, 2026 (Epiphany & Holy Communion) Theme: "The Light That Finds Us"

I. THE GATHERING

Welcome & Announcements (PASTOR)

"Good morning, and a very Happy New Year! Welcome to Ashtabula First United Methodist Church as we gather for the first Sunday of 2026. It is a joy to be back together in this sanctuary.

As we settle into this first week of January, many of us are feeling the weight of the season—the grey skies and the post-holiday weariness. But today, we are here to celebrate 'The Light That Finds Us.' In our time together, we’ll be exploring how God’s grace doesn't wait for us to be perfect or even for us to start looking; instead, God’s light reaches out across the distance to find us exactly where we are.

I invite you to stand now, as you are able, as the acolyte brings forth the light of Christ to our altar to begin our prelude and our time of worship."

Prelude

(Congregation remains standing as the acolyte brings the light forward. A moment of silence follows for the Prelude.)

Call to Worship (LITURGIST)

Leader: Arise, shine; for your light has come!

People: The glory of the Lord has risen upon us.

Leader: Lift up your eyes and look around; the darkness is passing away.

People: The true light is already shining. We have come to pay Him homage!

Opening Hymn (LITURGIST)

"Sing We Now of Christmas" (UMH #237)

Opening Prayer (LITURGIST)

"Let us pray: O God, who by the leading of a star manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

II. THE WORD

Scripture Reading 1 (LITURGIST)

Isaiah 60:1–6 NIV

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.

Hymn of Response (LITURGIST)

"There's a Song in the Air" (UMH #249)

Scripture Reading 2 (LITURGIST)

Matthew 2:1–12 NIV

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Sermon: "The Light That Finds Us" (PASTOR)

Prayer of Illumination

"Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that as the Word is proclaimed, we may see the light of Your truth and follow where it leads. Amen."

I. Introduction: The Grey of January and the Search for Light

Good morning, and Happy New Year. Here we are, just four days into 2026. If you’ve spent any time at all looking out the window this morning, or if you were driving through the familiar landscapes of Northeast Ohio to get here, you know exactly what kind of season we are in. January in our part of the world has a specific personality. It’s a color palette of grey and slate. The festive lights of Christmas are starting to come down, the bills from the holidays are starting to land in the mailbox, and the cold seems to have a way of settling into our very bones.

But there is a deeper kind of "grey" that sometimes settles into our spirits this time of year. It’s a weariness that goes beyond just being tired from the holidays. For congregations like ours—communities that have seen many decades of life and many seasons of change—there is a unique pressure. We look at a world that seems to be shrouded in what the Prophet Isaiah calls "thick darkness." We see the empty pews of those we’ve buried, we feel the weight of a changing culture, and we sometimes wonder if the dawn is ever actually going to break over our lives and our ministries.

Today, on this Epiphany Sunday, we aren't just here to talk about a star that shone two thousand years ago. We are here to talk about "The Light That Finds Us." We are here to reclaim a "Theological Imagination" that allows us to see what God is doing right now, in this place, even when our physical eyes only see the grey.

II. The People Face Down in the Dust (Isaiah 60:1–6)

Our first lesson from the Prophet Isaiah was spoken to a people who felt a lot like we do. These were the exiles who had finally returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. They thought they were coming home to a world of abundance, but instead, they found poverty, famine, and ruins. They were dispirited. They were prostrate.

The Hebrew imagery here is quite literal: they were face down in the dirt, paralyzed by their "limiting conditions." They were so bogged down in the "malaise" of their daily struggle that they couldn't even imagine a future that wasn't marked by shame or disappointment.

And it is into that paralysis that the Prophet speaks. He doesn't offer a suggestion. He offers a command. "Arise, shine; for your light has come!" Notice the grammar here, because it is the key to our hope. Isaiah doesn't say, "If you pull yourselves up by your bootstraps, the light might eventually show up." He doesn't say, "If you work harder, God will reward you with a sunrise." He uses the perfect tense: "Your light HAS come." This is what we call Theological Imagination. It is not "wishful thinking." It is the courage to stand in the imagined future that God has promised. It is the wisdom to believe that the light of God is already breaking over the horizon, even while we are still surrounded by shadows. For us, this means we stop looking only at what we don't have—the energy we used to have or the world that used to be. Instead, we "lift up our eyes and look around." We recognize that we are called to be a "radiant people." We are not the source of the light—we are the window. Our job is simply to stand up, shake off the dust of our despair, and let the glory of the Lord, which is already present, reflect off our lives.

III. The Radiance That Attracts: Power vs. Presence

Isaiah tells us that the "glory" of the Lord carries the connotation of radiance, but it also conveys God’s "seriousness" and "importance." When this light shines through a people, it becomes attractive rather than imposing.

Think about that for a moment. In our world, we are used to "power" being something that is imposed. It’s loud, it’s political, it’s often aggressive. But God’s power—the power of this Epiphany light—is a power that calls people. The Prophet envisions the nations being drawn to the radiance of Zion not by force, but by beauty.

As established congregations, we often worry about our "influence." We wonder how we can compete with the loud, fast-moving voices of the modern world. But the Prophet reminds us that when we are truly transparent to the divine light—when we are a people of hope, justice, and kindness—people will find their way to us. They will bring their "gold and frankincense"—not just as a transfer of wealth, but as a sign of reconciliation and a desire to be near the holy.

IV. The Star as Divine Tracking Device (Matthew 2:1–12)

This brings us to our Gospel lesson and the journey of the Magi. If Isaiah gives us the vision, Matthew gives us the practical "how." We often make the Magi into beautiful, porcelain figures for our nativities. But let’s remember who they were. These were outsiders. They were "pagan" astrologers from the East. They weren't part of the "inner circle" of the faith. They didn't have the Hebrew Scriptures. And yet, the Light found them.

In our United Methodist tradition, we have a beautiful concept called Prevenient Grace. It is the grace that "comes before." It is the light of God that is active in the world, seeking out the stranger and the seeker, long before they ever set foot in a sanctuary. We might think of that star not just as an astronomical event, but as a divine tracking device. It was God’s own GPS, reaching out into the vastness of the East to pull those travelers toward the truth. It is a reminder that God’s grace is not passive. It doesn't sit behind a desk waiting for us to make an appointment. It goes out. It searches. It finds.

I wonder, who are the "Magi" in our community today? Who are the seekers in Ashtabula County who are following "stars" of longing and hunger, looking for something that is real? Epiphany tells us that God is already at work in their lives. They might not know our hymns yet, or our "Methodist way" of doing things, but they are being "enflamed" by the same light that guided the travelers of old. The question for us is: are we ready to welcome them when they follow that star to our door?

V. The Disturbance of the Light: Herod vs. Homage

But we must also be honest: the Light is "disturbing." When the Magi arrive in Jerusalem asking, "Where is the one born King of the Jews?", the text says that King Herod was "frightened, and all Jerusalem with him."

Why? Because Light reveals the cracks in our own kingdoms. Herod ruled by fear, by self-preservation, and by the sword. When a new King is announced—a King who rules by compassion—the old guard gets nervous. Even within us, there is a "little Herod." It’s that part of us that likes our "comfort" just the way it is. It’s the part of us that is "disturbed" when God calls us to a "new road" or asks us to welcome the "outsider."

The religious leaders in Jerusalem knew the Scriptures—they could quote the Prophet Micah about Bethlehem—but they stayed in the palace. They had the map, but they didn't have the heart for the journey. The Magi, however, followed the light they were given. And when they finally entered the house and saw the Child with Mary, they didn't just drop off their packages and leave. They performed an act of Homage. In the Greek, the word is proskyneō. It means to fall down. To prostrate oneself.

It is the same posture as the exiles in Isaiah—the same physical bending of the knee—but with a total reversal of meaning. In Isaiah, they were face down in despair. In Matthew, they are face down in adoration. The physical posture is identical, but the heart is transformed from paralyzed to praised.

VI. The Fourth Gift: The Gift of Self

We always talk about the three gifts: Gold for a King, Frankincense for a God, Myrrh for a Savior who would die. And these are regal, expensive, and appropriate. But as we reflect on this text, we realize there was a "Fourth Gift." The Magi gave their "kneeling" before they gave their gold.

The order of their actions is vital. The text says they "knelt down and paid him homage," and then they opened their treasures. If they had given the gifts while standing up, it might have looked like a transaction between equals—like one king visiting another. But by prostrating themselves first, they acknowledged their total dependence on the grace incarnate in that Child.

As we enter 2026, we are often asked for our "gifts." We are asked for our pledges, our service on committees, our time in the kitchen. And those are holy things. But have we given the "Fourth Gift"? Have we truly surrendered our lives to the King? Have we "humbled our hearts," allowing the external sign of the star to become an internal flame?

VII. The Table where the Light Becomes Bread

In a few moments, we will gather at this table. Whether we are using the "all-in-one" cups or sharing through intinction, the mystery remains the same. The "Light of the World" isn't picky about the vessels we use.

The Magi traveled hundreds of miles to find this revelation. Today, the revelation has come to find you. In the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup, the "Light That Finds Us" becomes the life that sustains us. When you take these elements today, I want you to remember that the star has done its work. The external sign is no longer needed because the Power is now on the inside. You are leaving this sanctuary not just with a sense of duty, but with an "enflamed heart and an illumined memory."

VIII. Conclusion: Returning by Another Road

The Magi didn't go back to Herod. They were warned in a dream, and they went home "by another road." That is our calling for this New Year. We cannot go back to the "grey" of our old despair. We cannot go back to the "Herod-like" fear of the future. Once the Light has found you, you are changed. You are "radiant." Your heart "throbs and thrills" with the knowledge that God is not finished with us yet.

So, friends: Arise. Shake off the dust. The darkness shall not last—not the dark days of winter, nor the dark days of the soul. The Light rises now, just over the horizon. And it is very, very good. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Anthem (CHOIR)

"Guided By a Star"

III. RESPONSE AND INTERCESSION

Silent Intercession and Pastoral Prayer (PASTOR)

"As we move now into our time of prayer, let us center ourselves in the Light that has found us today. In the quiet of this sanctuary, we bring before God the deepest longings of our hearts—our hopes for the year ahead, our worries for our loved ones, and our prayers for a world in need of healing. Let us observe a moment of silent meditation together."

(Observe a period of silence)

"Holy and Radiant God, we thank You that You are the Light that finds us. We thank You that in the midst of the 'grey' of our lives, Your grace is already breaking over the horizon.

Lord, we lift up this congregation of Ashtabula First. We pray for our members who are facing the challenges of transition and change. Surround them with Your warmth and remind them that they are never outside of Your care.

We lift up our city. For our neighbors who are searching for purpose, for the families who are trying to build a future, and for the leaders of our community who seek to act with justice. Let our church be a beacon of hope—a place where the stranger is welcomed and the weary find rest.

We pray for our country. Grant wisdom to those in authority, and instill in us a spirit of compassion for all people. Help us to be a people who use our resources with respect and who behave as global neighbors in ways worthy of Your glory.

And Lord, we pray for Your world. In places where the 'thick darkness' of war and poverty seems overwhelming, send Your peace. Help us to imagine a future where all nations are drawn together by Your beauty and Your love. We bring all these prayers to You now, trusting in the Light that never fades. Amen."

Offering & Doxology (PASTOR/LITURGIST)

"Having heard the Word and shared in prayer, let us now offer our tithes and gifts for the work of Christ's kingdom."

(Offering is collected)

"I invite you to stand now, as you are able, as we sing our Doxology."

All: (Sing Doxology)

Prayer of Dedication (PASTOR)

"Holy God, we dedicate these gifts to Your service. May they be used to bring light to the dark corners of our city and hope to the hearts of Your people. Use us, also, as instruments of Your peace. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen."

IV. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION

"As we come to this table today, I want to remind you that in the United Methodist Church, we believe this is the Lord’s Table, not ours. It is an 'Open Table.' You do not need to be a member of this church, or any church, to receive the bread and the cup today. This is a meal of grace for all who love Jesus, who earnestly repent of their sin, and who seek to live in peace with one another. If that is the desire of your heart, you are welcome here.

Today we will receive the elements by intinction. After the Lord's Prayer, the ushers will release you by rows. We ask that you come down the main center aisle to receive the bread and dip it into the cup. After you have received, you may return to your seat by the side aisles. For those who wish, our altar rail is open for you to stop and kneel in prayer before returning to your seat. You can follow along with our liturgy starting on page 12 of the hymnal."

Invitation to the Table (UMH Page 12)

Pastor: Christ our Lord invites to His table all who love Him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Confession and Pardon

All: Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved You with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done Your will, we have broken Your law, we have rebelled against Your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pastor: Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen.

"Now, as we move into the Great Thanksgiving, we’re going to skip over to page 13 in the hymnal."

The Great Thanksgiving (UMH Page 13)

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Pastor: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting, you 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:

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.

Pastor: Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. 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. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. 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. When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Holy 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:

All: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pastor: 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, now and for ever.

All: Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Pastor: And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

All: 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, forever. Amen.

(The elements are shared via Intinction. Use the side aisles to return to your seat.)

V. SENDING FORTH

Closing Bridge (PASTOR)

"Having been nourished by this meal of grace, we go forth as a people found by God. The light that found the travelers of old and guided them to the manger is the same light that burns in us today. Let us take that light back into our homes, our workplaces, and our city as we stand together and sing our closing hymn, 'We Three Kings,' number 254."

Closing Hymn (ALL)

"We Three Kings" (UMH #254)

Benediction (PASTOR)

"Friends, go forth from this place with your hearts enflamed and your memories illumined. Do not return to the road of grey despair; do not return to the fear of what the future holds. Instead, go home by 'another road'—the road of the King, where compassion and justice lead the way. Arise and shine, for your light has come! May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit find you, keep you, and guide you now and forevermore. Amen."

Postlude