Fairlawn Christian Reformed ChurchEpiphany Sunday January 6, 2008 10:15 A.M. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Preparation And Praise Upon entering the sanctuary please maintain silence and turn off all electronic devices for the sake of the congregation’s preparation for worship. Prelude: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” Manz Welcome and Announcements Silent Prayer and Preparation * Call to Worship: Isaiah 60 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. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. * Hymn: PH 358, stanzas 1-4 “As with Gladness Men of Old” Dix * God’s Greeting: Grace and peace be to you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you. And also with you. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Blessed be God, And blessed is his kingdom, now and forever. Amen. * Prayer of the Day: O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth; lead us, who know you now by faith, to your eternal kingdom, so that we may forever see your glory face to face, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. * Response: PH 358, stanza 5 “As with Gladness Men of Old” Dix In that glorious city bright none shall need created light; You its light, its joy, its crown, you its sun which goes not down; There forever may we sing alleluias to our King! Confession and Prayer Prayer of Confession: Lord God Almighty, who searches our hearts and knows our thoughts and intentions, we confess that we have not loved you with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have loved what we ought not to have loved, and we have coveted what is not ours. Our sins are too heavy to carry, too real to hide, and too deep to undo. Forgive what our lips tremble to name, what our hearts can no longer bear, and what has for us become a consuming fire of judgment. Set us free from a past we cannot change and open to us a future in which we can be changed, and grant us grace to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we pray. Silent Prayer and Confession Minister: Amen. Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 32 Congregational Prayer The Service Of The Word * Hymn: PH 370 “The King of Glory Comes” Promised One [Children age 3 - grade Pre-K may leave during the hymn.] Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 60:4-9 This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Reading from the Gospel: Matthew 2:16-23 Sermon: Sorrow and Joy at Epiphany Prayer * Hymn: Insert “Be Thou My Vision” Slane The Offering of Tribute * Offertory Prayer Offering: Fairlawn General Fund Offertory: “He Leadeth Me” Jordan * Doxology: PH 638 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” Old Hundredth Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Service Of The Sacrament Of Communion THE LORD’S SUPPER * SURSUM CORDA—THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Lift up your hearts. We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God. It is proper and right to do so. Truly it is proper and right and our duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Lord, holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God. Therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious Name, evermore praising you and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty; heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory be to you, O Lord Most High. THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION PRAYER OF CONSECRATION Heavenly Father, show forth among us the presence of your life-giving Word and Holy Spirit, to sanctify us and your whole church through this sacrament. Grant that all who share the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ may be one in him, and remain faithful in love and hope. And as this grain has been gathered from many fields into one loaf, and these grapes from many hills into one cup, grant, O Lord, that your whole church may soon be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom. Now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we pray: 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 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. THE INVITATION TO THE TABLE THE DEDICATORY PRAYER We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great and manifold mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord, whose nature it is to always have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us. Amen. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BREAD AND WINE Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia! The gifts of God for the people of God. (Please hold each element until all have been served. The outer ring holds wine; the inner rings, grape juice.) THE THANKSGIVING Congregation in Christ, since the Lord has fed us at his table, let us praise his holy name with thanksgiving. Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Blessing and Dismissal * Blessing: May he who by his incarnation gathered into one all things earthly and heavenly, fill you with the sweetness of inward peace and goodwill, and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you, now and forever. Amen. * Response: PH 354 “Angels from the Realms of Glory” Regent Square Saints and angels join in praising God, the Father, Spirit, Son, evermore their voices raising to the eternal Three in One: come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King! Postlude: “We Three Kings” Whitworth *Indicates congregation stands ___________________________________________________________________________________ |