Worship
Service for January 5, 2025
Prelude
Announcements:
Call to Worship
L: May the Lord give strength to His people!
P: May the Lord bless His people with peace.
L: May God be gracious to us and bless us.
P: And may God’s face shine upon us.
L: May God continue to bless us.
Opening Hymn – The First Noel #56 Blue
Prayer of Confession
Forgiving God, we are guilty
of failing to make our blessings count.
We are ungrateful children who never seem to have enough or to be
satisfied with what we have. We want
more, and yet we have not done everything we can with what we already
have. Worst of all, we have not shared
what we have with others so that they, too, might be as blessed as we are. We confess that we have not always been aware
of our spiritual blessings. Too often we
only ask You for material things and temporal blessings, forgetting that what
we really need is for You to nurture our spirits and souls. Forgive us, and give us another chance, just
as You have given us another year and another day. Heal, restore, and bless us, we pray, for the
sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
(Silent prayers are offered)
AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
L: Jesus said, “You are the light of the
world. A city built on a hill cannot be
hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts
it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in
the house. In the same way, let your
light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory
to your Father in heaven.” Friends, this
is the good news of the gospel.
P: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
Gloria Patri
Affirmation of Faith/Apostles’
Creed
I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the
third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on
the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the
resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s
Prayer
Almighty God, we gather
as your people, and we gather as those who live in hope. Our lives provide us many opportunities to
speak words of peace and reconciliation, but often we don’t have the courage. Draw us together in our Lord Jesus Christ,
that we may proclaim the good news of hope and salvation to our communities and
world. Make us bold not only to speak
the word, but also to live it.
O Great God of Light,
we give you thanks that all creation is blessed by your faithful and forgiving
love – always overcoming our sins of pride, blindness, and despair. In times of abundance give us grateful
hearts, that we may rejoice in your great kindness. In times of suffering give us eyes to see
your light shining, that we may live in hope and faithful service.
By your Spirit empower
us to reach out to all of your children who are suffering in physical,
emotional, or spiritual pain, injustice, living in poverty, or those without
hope. May we work and pray together in
the light of your grace. Hear our prayer
requests this morning…
And also the desires of
our hearts that we lift up to you today in silence….
O Lord, you are
faithful and true, full of compassion and abounding in steadfast love. We acknowledge your shining star as it guides
our own way to the Christ child and we pray together saying, “Our Father…”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. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN.
Hymn – What
Star Is This With Beams So Bright #68 Blue
Scripture Reading(s):
First Scripture Reading – Isaiah
60:1-6
Second Scripture Reading – Matthew
2:1-12
Sermon – “A Star in the East”
As
I mentioned in this month’s newsletter, we began Advent with the theme of
journeys. This season, as I read and
meditated on the Christmas Story told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, I noticed
that there are a lot of different journeys going on. Some fantastic and wondrous, some mysterious
and concerning, some even scary. I’d
like to spend the weeks between now and the beginning of Lent going through some
of those journeys and what they have to tell us.
The
Epiphany of Our Lord, a special holy day in the church calendar, is properly
celebrated on January 6th every year, but it can be celebrated on
the second Sunday after Christmas, which is what we’re doing today. We celebrate this day by reading the story of
the Wisemen/Kings/or Magi who were led by a star to Jerusalem searching for a
newborn king.
When
you think about it, celebrating Epiphany is a great way to begin a new year.
Because this story is about people going on a journey to see Jesus, which is a
great metaphor for all people of faith. We
are all on a journey. In fact, we are on
this journey together. To find Christ in
our prayers and the scriptures, in our ministries and in the people around us,
then to come and worship him. Life is a
journey. And our life as Christians is a
journey.
Scripture
offers us many important journey stories. From Abraham being told to go to the land that
God will show him to the Israelites traveling through the wilderness on their
way to the promised land; we’ve already touched on those journeys during Advent.
During the Christmas celebration we read
the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem before the birth of their
son to the celebration of post Easter when Jesus, returns to heaven to prepare
a place for us reminding us that we won’t get lost on our journey to him,
because Christ is the way, and the truth, and the life.
We
are on this journey together, like the magi before us, to find and worship the
Savior, who is Christ the Lord. So, with
that in mind, what can we learn from the magi that will help us on our journey?
The
story begins by telling us that the magi came from faraway lands to the east
and that they to stopped in Jerusalem looking for the child who had been born
King of the Jews. Jerusalem is the most
logical place for them to go looking for a newborn baby who would be king of
the Jews. Where else would the king of
the Jews be born? But it is the wrong
place.
From
the very beginning of this story when we read about Mary and Joseph, we know
that Jesus is going to be a very different kind of king and here in the visit
of the Magi, that part of the story emphasizes the difference again. This Messiah, this king, this savior - is
going to be full of surprises. And we
should expect surprises all along the way. As we think of our own journey through this
life, it is worth remembering that the magi needed more than a star to lead
them to Jesus. These wisemen needed more
than the wisdom of the stars to find him.
They needed more than the knowledge they had to find him. We often think that we can make this journey
through life on our own, but we can’t we need the collective wisdom of others
to help guide us, no matter how smart, knowledgeable, wise, or capable we think
we are.
Scripture
tells us that when the magi came to Herod to find this newborn king, he had his
chief priest and scribes scour the scriptures to seek more wisdom and knowledge
about it. It is also true for us. If we want to find the Christ child, we need
God’s Word, and we need each other to help us.
It’s
true that the magi are first led by a star. And I love that part of the story, because it
teaches us that God starts with people where they are. The magi were people who
studied the stars. That’s who they were
and what they did. So, in order for God
to get their attention, He sent them a new star to study and wonder upon. I believe that God can use almost any event in
life, good or bad, to get us started on our way, in search of our Christ. Why not a star? But once the magi are on their journey, once
we are on our journeys, we need more. We
need a dependence on what the Bible reveals, and we need each other. The stars, or whatever it is that helps us begin
the journey, won’t get us by themselves to our final destination. We need more.
Through
the study of the ancient text of the scriptures, the chief priests and scribes
reveal that this Savior, this Messiah, this King was to be born in
Bethlehem. So, they leave Jerusalem, and
follow the star once again to Bethlehem, where they find Jesus with his mother
Mary. And immediately, they kneel down
and pay him homage. They have come all
this way for one reason, and one reason only: To worship the newborn King of
the Jews. What is really odd to me about
this whole story is that these magi, these wisemen, these kings are from a
totally different culture, race, belief system and yet from the wonder of the heavens,
they come to worship Jesus. They didn’t
come with any kind of agenda. They
weren’t looking for the answer to the meaning of life, or anything like that. They weren’t trying to get in good and gain
favors of a possible newborn king before he even began to reign. They simply came to pay homage to him, and to
offer him gifts. That alone is a
beautiful description of worship, when you think about it. We should come to church to worship without
any kind of agenda. But simply to worship.
And to offer our gifts whatever they may
be.
The
magi presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Although
these gifts may seem strange to us, there is a traditional explanation for them.
Gold, first of all, is a gift fit for a
king. Jesus is born King of the Jews,
and so is offered the gift of gold. Frankincense
is a gift appropriate for a priest. It
was often used in Temple worship and sacrifices. And given to Jesus, it reminds
us all that he is a priest, our high priest, who opens the gates of the Temple,
and opens the gates of Heaven itself, so that we can worship God. And finally, Myrrh turns out to be a prophetic
gift, reminding us that Jesus will one day die on a cross. Myrrh was used in ancient times to prepare the
dead for burial, and it was used on Jesus after his death. And so, the magi present Jesus with gifts that
show him to be a prophet, a priest, and a king. A king who would die for the redemption of the
world, to open the gates of Heaven, and to put an end to the threat of death.
When
the magi leave Bethlehem, we read that they return home by a different road. They were warned in a dream not to return to
Herod. And so, they leave for their own
country by another way/road/or route. In
Pittsburgh, at least, I have learned over the years that this whole idea of
returning home by another route is nothing in the least bit unusual, because
you often can’t return the same way you got there.
The
magi, however, returned home by another road not because they couldn’t return home
the same way, but because they were warned not to return to Herod. I think that their returning home by another
road also has a symbolic significance. The
magi, after all, are forever changed by their encounter with the Christ child. They will never be the same. They return home different people, and so it’s
only fitting that they go home a different way, as well.
What
about us? When we encounter Christ,
aren’t our lives forever changed? Surely,
when you first encountered Christ in a real sense of who Christ is, your life was
changed. Young or old, we go home with a
whole new identity and mission. We become
a child of God; citizens of another kingdom, of heaven itself, and our journey
will take us on a very different road than the one we originally thought we
should take. And perhaps, every time we
come to church we are changed, too. Our
spirits are uplifted, our souls nurtured by God’s word, by the worship service
itself, by what we hear, see, feel, encounter here among one another, in the
sacrament of Holy Communion itself. Our
priorities are re-arranged, we are changed somewhat whenever we spend time here
in the house of the Lord. Just as the
magi were changed when they encountered the Christ child.
In
a powerful poem about the journey of the magi by T.S. Eliot, he writes in the
person of one of the magi. And at the
end of this poem he reflects on how he is forever changed by the journey. Here are his words:
Journey of the Magi
A
cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty and charging high prices:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,
And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,
Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins,
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.
All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.
What does this poem mean? Is it a birth or a death when we encounter
the Christ child? Is Christmas and
Epiphany really about a birth? Or a
death? After the magi encountered the
Christ child and worshiped him, they went home by another road, their lives
forever changed. In a very real way, a
part of them died with that journey. But
isn’t that true for us, as well?
We
are changed by meeting Christ. We die to
our old selves and we become a new creature, forever striving to be the people
of God worthy of being disciples, and travel by another road. Our journey is forever changed. Our route needs to be recalculated. Not by a GPS device, nor by a star. But rather by the Word of God. And by Christ himself, our new way and our new
truth and our new life. His birth,
ironically, leads us to a journey of our own death; the death of our old selves,
the death of bad habits, of harmful behaviors, sinful ways, a hardened heart. And a new creation is created, one that grows
in the ways of Christ, refreshed by the fruits of the Spirit – home by another
way.
It's
a new year, and truthfully, none of us knows what this year holds for us, or
for our world. But we don’t have to know
because we know that wherever this year takes us, Christ will be with us on the
journey, by new and unexpected roads, but always with our Emmanuel alongside
us.
As
you and I travel through this new year together, may the one who created the
stars, and gave us His only son, bless us and keep us; may the Lord’s face
shine on us with grace and mercy; may the Lord look upon us with favor, and
give us peace.
Thanks
be to God. Amen.
Offertory –
Doxology –
Prayer of Dedication –
God of
the nations, long ago the magi brought gifts to Christ, rich and costly gifts,
each one a unique expression of the giver.
Help us to bring gifts today that will express our love and dedication,
not only gifts of gold, but gifts of talent, time, and energy. We lay these gifts at your feet, trusting
that you will find a use for all that is given in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Holy Communion
Invitation
In coming to the Lord’s Table,
we intentionally take our place in the story. We come not on our own, or only
as this congregation, but with the Body of Christ throughout the world and the
saints in heaven. We come as real
people, loved for all our real or perceived faults. We come as those who are an essential part of
the story, because there is room for everyone in this story. We also come to the Lord’s Table as those
invited. Our welcome does not depend on
how good we are. It does not depend on
whether we feel like we are worthy or not. It is an open invitation to all, as a gift of
great joy for all people.
The Lord Jesus on the night of
his arrest, took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and
said, “This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
Christ’s body was broken that
we might be made whole. Take and eat.
In the same way he took the
cup also, after supper, saying, “This is the cup of the new covenant in my
blood. Do this, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of me.” For as often
as you eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he
comes again.
Christ’s blood was shed that
we might be healed. Take and drink.
Prayer After Communion
Holy God, from generation to
generation, we are nurtured at Your banquet feast. As we once again tell Your story of
forgiveness and love, we proclaim our adoption into Your family tree of kings,
carpenters, foreigners, disregarded women, and second sons. May our lives testify that there is a place
for everyone in Your story of salvation. Amen.
Closing
Hymn – We Three Kings #66/288
Benediction –
Arise, people
of God, go forth to shine like the Star of Bethlehem for all the world to
see. And as the Magi of old, go forth in
trust and excitement transformed by the presence of the child of light. May God’s blessings be upon you. AMEN.
Postlude
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