Lectionary Readings
Jeremiah 1:4–10
The Lord knew and called the prophet Jeremiah before he was born.
Psalm 71:1–6
Be my refuge, O God; I have trusted in you since my birth.
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Without love, I have nothing; the greatest gift is love.
Luke 4:21–30
A prophet is not welcome at home; a crowd tries to attack Jesus.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
In you, O Lord, let us take refuge,
so we might never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, O Lord,
let us find deliverance,
so we might experience your saving power.
In your presence, O God, let us place our trust,
so we might find confidence in you alone.
You are our rock and our refuge,
our fortress and shield.
We turn to you again this day. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Holy, loving God,
we look to you this day
to return us to the force of love.
In our worship and witness,
our works and our ways,
may we be marked by the contours
of your divine love.
Remind us that our songs and words,
prophecies and gifts, are nothing
if not done in love.
Pour out your Spirit this day, empowering us
with the radical force of love. Amen.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving for Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the faith, hope, and love you give to us
through the blessing of our baptism—
claiming us as your beloved children,
calling us to the path of discipleship,
revealing to us the light of your glory.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
help us to follow you with faith,
to trust in you with hope,
and to serve you with love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
God gathers the insiders and the outsiders;
not one is beyond need of restoration.
Trusting this promise,
we surrender ourselves
in the presence of Christ and one another,
as we pray together.
Generous God, when we set our tables,
we imagine who belongs.
We are satisfied to welcome
those who we call our own.
Our boundaries are drawn
for our own family, our own congregation, our own neighborhood.
We limit the seating to those
who make us comfortable,
and lay out the welcome mat
for those who we choose to welcome.
But your kingdom has no boundary.
Before our birth you have known, loved,
and claimed each and every one.
Soften our hearts to those we rage against.
Restore us to your vision
of who belongs at the table.
Renew us with your abundant mercy and love,
which know no end.
Lifting water from the font:
Jesus Christ satisfies each of our shortcomings.
It is in God we are given the full vision
of love, peace, and justice.
This good news is for you:
God claims you,
Christ welcomes you,
and the Spirit draws up your seat
at the welcome table.
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and restored.
Thanks be to our God now and forever.
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Saving God, source of our calling,
your Word is full of power and glory.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
so that we may receive your grace
and live as your beloved children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
Listen for the Word of God,
shaking the wilderness.
Psalm 29:8
After the readings:
Powerful and full of majesty
is the voice of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29:4
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
And in the temple of the Lord,
the people of God say: Glory! Amen.
Psalm 29:9
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
God’s sovereign love is a mystery
beyond the reach of the human mind.
Human thought ascribes to God
superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness.
But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ
by showing power in the form of a servant,
wisdom in the folly of the cross,
and goodness in receiving
sinful men and women.
The power of God’s love in Christ
to transform the world
discloses that the Redeemer
is the Lord and Creator
who made all things
to serve the purpose of God’s love.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.15
Prayers of Intercession
Joining our hearts and minds in prayer,
let us call on the name of the Lord,
saying: O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the church . . .
Help us to be a true and living sign
of the faith, hope, and love we have in you,
reaching out for the life of the world.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for the world . . .
Uproot systems of oppression,
weed out violence and corruption,
and plant new seeds of life and hope.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for this community . . .
Rescue those who are in trouble
in our streets and in our homes.
Protect the vulnerable from danger.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Comfort and heal those who are sick,
and give us the wisdom and grace
to help them in their suffering.
O God of grace, bless us with peace.
Mighty God, strengthen your people
so that we may live in the world
as those you have chosen and called;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
There is only one Lord and God,
from whom all things come
and for whom we live.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
1 Corinthians 8:4–6
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
We praise and thank you, Lord God,
for the majesty of your work,
the wisdom of your word,
and the generosity of your grace.
Let the gifts of our lives bear witness
to your goodness and mercy,
your faithfulness and justice,
and your steadfast love for all. Amen.
Psalm 111
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
On you, O Lord, we depend from our birth;
you are our hope and trust,
from the days of our youth,
and you will always be our rock and refuge.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Jesus is the fulfillment of your promise—
hope of prophets, balm of healing,
voice of all grace and truth.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation
(e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Teach us to strive for the greater gifts
while we wait to see you face to face—
abiding in faith, hope, and love.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
We give you thanks and praise, O God,
that you have fed us with your mercy
and poured out your Spirit in this place.
Continue to nourish and fill us each day,
that we may live as your beloved people;
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the blessing of the Lord our God,
the grace of Jesus Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and forever. Alleluia!
Luke 4:18–19
In the name of Jesus,
bring good news to the poor. Amen.
Luke 4:18
Seaside with the Sermon of Christ
Jan Bruegel
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
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Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak (OEG) CANONBURY GTG 722, PH 426
-
Lord, When I Came into This Life (OG) LAND OF REST GTG 691, PH 522
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O God, Who Gives Us Life (OG) NOEL GTG 53
WORD
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O God, You Search Me (O) O GOD, YOU SEARCH ME GTG 29
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Though I May Speak (E) GIFT OF LOVE GTG 693, PH 335
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O Carpenter, Why Leave the Bench (G) LEWIS-TOWN GTG 162
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God, Give Me Faith Like a Child (E) Adam Tice/EZRA Stars Like Grace 32
EUCHARIST
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Healer of Our Every Ill (OEG) HEALER OF OUR EVERY ILL GTG 795, STF 2213
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Live in Charity (E) UBI CARITAS GTG 205, STF 2179
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Bread of the World in Mercy Broken (G) RENDEZ À DIEU GTG 499, PH 502
SENDING
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Will You Come and Follow Me (OEG) KELVINGROVE GTG 726, STF 2130
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We Cannot Measure How You Heal (EG) YE BANKS AND BRAES GTG 797
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Hope of the World (G) DONNE SECOURS GTG 734, PH 360
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 71:1–6
Metrical
-
To You, O Lord, I Come for Help [CM]; SGP 71
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In You, O Lord, I Put My Trust [CM]; PCW 71, PP 130 (with refrain)
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In You, O Lord, I Put My Trust [WAREHAM]; PAS 71A
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God, My Help, My Hiding Place [TOKYO]; GTG 813, PAS 71B, LUYH 319
Responsorial
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My Tongue Will Proclaim Your Righteousness; PSA 63
-
Since My Mother’s Womb; PAS 71C
Organ Music
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“Love,” DOWN AMPNEY, Fruit of the Spirit: Chorale Preludes for Organ, David Evan Thomas, AF (M)
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“Faithfulness,” FOUNDATION, Fruit of the Spirit: Chorale Preludes for Organ, David Evan Thomas, AF (M)
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“Prelude on Land of Rest,” Oxford Hymn Settings: Holy Communion, Pamela Decker, OUP (M)
-
“Galliard on Gather Us In,” Twentieth Century Hymn Tune Settings, James Biery, MSM (M)
Piano Music
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“The Gift of Love,” O WALY WALY, The Essential Collection for the Church Pianist, John Carter, HOPE (M)
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“Attende Domine,” ATTENDE DOMINE, The Quiet Journey, Thomas Keesecker, MSM (MA)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
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“At Your Holy Table,” Patti Drennan, Celebrating Grace Inc., SATB, pno, opt fl (E)
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“Cum Laude Ego Canto,” Richard Burchard, Gentry Publications, SATB div, acap (MA)
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“May the Mind of Christ, My Savior,” Jonathan Reid, HAL, SATB, pno (M)
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“Love Never Fails,” Leeann Starkey, CV, SSA, pno (ME)
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“The Greatest of These,” Jay Rouse, ALF, SATB, pno, opt vc (ME)
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“Precious Savior, Still Our Refuge,” arr. Cindy Berry, SHAW, SATB, keybd (ME)
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“Come, Ye Disconsolate,” arr. Ryan Kelly, Musicspoke, SATB, pno (M)
Art
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1 Corinthians 13:12, Timothy R. Botts, 2016 (EYE)
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Church Interior with Christ Preaching to a Crowd, Cornelis van Dalem and Jan van Wechelen (attribution), 1545–70 (VDL)
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Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia, mural in Rila Monastery, 20th century (VDL)
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Seaside with the Sermon of Christ, Jan Bruegel, 1598 (VDL)
