The Candle Creche Completed

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
EPIPHANY SUNDAY
CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
January 7, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterward.  If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook)

PRELUDE: How Bright Appears the Morning Star Johann Christoph Bach
OPENING HYMN:    Angels, from the Realms of Glory   GTG#143
ADVENT SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 2: 1-12, 13-15
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLES: Laura Hughes & Diane Kennedy

Leader: Today we relight our Advent Wreath and Christ Candle in honor of the Magi, powerful rulers who followed God’s star to Bethlehem from far away cultures and religions and who recognized their God to be shown forth in the infant Jesus. They teach us that God is at work in all the world’s people and that God’s salvation and justice are meant for all: in Paul’s words – Jew and Greek, slave and free, men and women, and in modern words – people of diverse cultures and economic situations

LIGHT ALL FIVE CANDLES
UNISON PRAYER:

O God of the Universe, your love is so wide it includes all people together with us. Help us to recognize you in both neighbor and stranger. Give us the courage to journey beyond our fear to discover the warmth and light of your love. Amen.

SUNG RESPONSE: Jesus, Jesus, O What a Wonderful Child   GTG#126
SHARING OF THE PEACE:

Pastor: The grace, peace, love and joy of Jesus Christ be with you
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us share the peace of Christ with one another.

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:   ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime   GTG#142
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

Pastor: May the words of my mouth
People: And the meditations of our hearts
Unison: Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING:  New Testament: Matthew 2: 16-23
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:   Jesus Entered Egypt   GTG#154
THE CANDLE CRECHE COMPLETED: Adapted from the Rev. Encie Stevens by Revs. Susan Hartley & Tom Trinidad

Reader: Now being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the Wise Men departed on their camels to their own country by another way; the Christmas Star moved on into the heavens; the shepherds and their sheep returned to the fields, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
All the angels returned to heaven.
The stable returned to being only a stable for the cow and the donkey.
And Mary… and Joseph… being flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, came to the end of their earthly life.
But the light that was lighted that night in Bethlehem so long ago… Has never been put out.  It has become the light of the world.

CHORAL ANTHEM: Christmas Joy text: Howard Thurman; music: Mark Schweizer

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky has withdrawn,
When the kings see their prophecy rightly fulfilled,
When the princes and shepherds have gone;

Then the true work of Christmas begins.

to find the lost,
to heal the broken hearts,
to feed the hungry,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among all brothers,
to make music in the heart.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION:
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE:

Pastor: Let’s gather around this planet friendly, holy table, With holy bread & drink
People: The promise of Christ coming alive among us
Pastor: This is the welcome table of God where all who intend to experience the non- physical spiritual dimension of life—
People: And live in relationships of freedom and peace with neighbors
Pastor: Hunger no more! Come to eat! Here, all who long for otherwise elusive grace
People: May enjoy the strong love of God in Jesus Christ.
Pastor: Here you are embraced and held by Self Emptying Love!—
People: One of God’s great and holy names!
Pastor: Come to drink, you are invited into this holy mystery.
People: We are ready!
Pastor: Jesus said: “I am the bread of life. All who come to me shall not hunger, and all who believe in me shall never be thirsty.”
People: We are hungry for Your Love, O God, We are thirsty for Your Deep Peace, O Lamb of God. We seek an unusual gift— an experience of wonder and joy.
Pastor: Come in, Holy Spirit. Open our eyes to the mystery of The living Christ’s presence in our midst. Through the broken bread…
People: We are becoming the Body of Christ—
Pastor: Feeding the hungry!
People: Giving showers and clothes to people who are homeless and extremely poor!
Pastor: Becoming anti-racist! Getting into Good Trouble!
People: Let us praise and pray to God by singing an African hymn!

CONGREGATIONAL SUNG PRAYER:   Come, Bring Your Burdens to God (SING TWICE)   GTG#851
Pastor: Let us lift up names of the people we wish to pray for, concluding with The Lord’s Prayer (Glory to God, page 35)…
BREAKING AND SHARING OF THE BREAD,
POURING AND SHARING OF THE WINE

Pastor: The Grace, Peace, Love and Joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray in unison…

UNISON PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Gracious, loving God, You have called us to become a body of Christ. Thank you for filling us amidst hunger & thirst. Now send us into the world to do the great work You have called us to do—Find the lost & lonely! Heal wounded souls! Free people, including ourselves, who are not at all free! Give compassion to the vulnerable & marginalized! Love Beauty, Planet & Sky, persist in resisting evil, share by how we live the Message of Jesus, Who is The Light in the World. Amen.

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:    Here in This Place (Gather Us In)   GTG#401
WELCOME! NEWS IN, AROUND AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES / INVITATION TO GIVING
                 Offering link
OFFERTORY SOLO: Saw You Never in the Twilight SUO GAN, Welsh lullaby, Joshua Stark, baritone arr. Todd Marchand
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
CLOSING HYMN:   Good Christian Friends, Rejoice  GTG#132
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE:   I Am the Light of the World (choir sings once, congregation SING TWICE)
Adjourn to ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING!

• WELCOME! MEMBERS! NEWCOMERS! FRIENDS! We are so glad you could join us for worship today! VISITORS, please take a moment to let us know you were here by picking up an attendance card (in the pews) and filling out whatever information you would like to share with us.
• WELCOME FAMILIES! Children’s Sunday School is back in action in the redesigned 2nd floor Children’s Space, teaching & learning will emphasize Care for the Earth, Sky and all God’s creation. Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am.
• Our Annual CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held today immediately following worship. We will receive reports from committee chairs and review the church budget for 2024.

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• Bread, Buns, Fruit, Water, Meat, Peanut Butter, Cheese are always needed for our INTERRUPT HUNGER work. WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sundays & Thursday nights. Men’s boxer brief underwear needed. Men’s and Women’s shoes. Backpacks! Jackets, Sweatshirts, Warm Clothes for this cold weather!

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK: (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)

• Monday, Jan. 8 4:30 p.m. FREDitation – a centering prayer experience – 20 min (Chapel)
  • • 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
    • 7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, Jan. 9 6:00 p.m. Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
  • • 7:00 p.m. Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Thursday, Jan. 11 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Saturday, Jan. 13 8:30 a.m. Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
• Sunday, Jan. 14 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  • • 11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
• Children’s Sunday School (Upstairs Children’s Room)
  • • 12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Monday, Jan. 15 12:00 noon Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series:
  Doug Talley Quartet – Jazz Concert to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Sanctuary)
• Wednesday, Jan. 17 7:00 p.m. Zoom Bible Study – contact church office for link (Online)  *meets every other week*
  • • • 8:00 p.m. Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)