New Year’s Resolutions? Don’t Bother!

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
BAPTISM OF THE LORD SUNDAY
January 11, 2026, 11am
Video will stream LIVE on the church’s FB page on Sundays at 11am and the video will be cross-posted here afterward.

PRELUDE: Air from Water Music Handel; arr. F. Ritter
CALL TO WORSHIP: (from Psalm 148) Drew Irwin, liturgist

One: The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty.
All: May the Lord bless us with God’s Peace!
One: The voice of the Lord proclaimed Jesus as God’s beloved.
All: In our own baptisms, we are claimed as God’s beloved.

OPENING HYMN:  God Is Here! (verses 1-2, 4)   GTG#409
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:

All: Merciful God, we confess that we are estranged from you and from one another.
We treat others as strangers rather than as people created in your image.
We exploit the earth as though it were our possession –
rather than a gift entrusted to our care.
Forgive us and transform us by your Spirit,
that we might live as people baptized into a new way of life. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:

One: Friends, hear the good news – in his own baptism by John, Jesus lives in solidarity with all who have been immersed in baptismal waters, seeking a better life. In his name, God has forgiven us of our own sins and set us on new paths. Let us remember our baptisms and trust in God’s mercy to restore our strength and dignity as God’s beloved family.
All: Thanks be to God!

SUNG RESPONSE: In My Life (verses 1-2)   GTG#468
[Time with Young Disciples]
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST:

One: The peace of Christ be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Let’s share the peace of Christ with one another.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One: O God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that the words we are about to hear will become the Word of God for us this day. Help us to listen to what the Spirit is saying to our hearts and to the community.
All: Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 42: 1-9   Matthew 3:13-17

One: May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All: Thanks be to God.

CHORAL ANTHEM: Snow on Snow arr. R. Schram
VIDEO SERMON: New Year’s Resolutions? Don’t Bother!
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Spirit Divine, Attend Our Prayer (verses 1-2, 4)   GTG#407
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: Kum ba Yah (verses 1, 4)   GTG#472
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, BLESSINGS, AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Our Mother and 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 OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE:

One: On the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we celebrate the great gift of Baptism and the life of promise therein. God has given us life and resources for it, so let us give in return.
Offering link

OFFERTORY SOLO: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing arr. Owenby      Joshua Stark, baritone
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:

One: O God, in our baptisms we have been named and claimed as your covenant people, connected deeply with you, with one another, and with the earth. May these gifts be used as a witness to your love, peace and justice at work in the world, renewing the face of the earth.
All: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN: I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am, Lord)   GTG#69
CHARGE AND BLESSING:

One: Hear the voice of God that claimed you in baptism:
you are precious and beloved in God’s sight.
All: God has claimed our lives in baptism that we might die to our smaller, fearful lives
and be raised to new life.
One: God’s Spirit empowers us now to follow Jesus into our world,
so as you go, lift up the broken hearted and stand with the oppressed.
All: We will love God with our whole lives and love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.

POSTLUDE: The Living Water G. Blake

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! NURSERY care is available in the upstairs children’s space. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once). Children’s Sunday School usually meets during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, but is on break. Children are invited to remain in the service until the “Time for Young Disciples” and then they can go play in the upstairs children’s room.
• HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES available upon request. Talk to Deanna up in the front of the sanctuary at the livestream table if you would like to use one.
• The OVERCOMING OVERWHELM group (meets Sunday mornings at 9:40 a.m.) has decided to take a break from our regular class activities to do some small projects that would help benefit the church. Some possibilities include: helping with mailings, folding brochures, cleaning out or organizing areas of the church that need attention, and anything else we can come up with. Anyone is welcome to join us in that week’s activities, and if we have time we may do a meditation as well. 😊

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• We are excited to be hosting a VISIONING MEETING for Westport Showers on January 17th, at 1pm until 4pm at Westport Presbyterian Church, in the Fellowship Hall. This meeting will be held in two parts – “Who We Are” and “Who We Want to Be”. The first part will be open to all volunteers, members of the church and community, and interested parties. This part will include information on our success, summarize the history and mission of the organization, and include time for comments from volunteers and the community. This is where we want the most feedback! After a short break, we will regroup and discuss feedback and items discussed in the first half. This part will serve more internal organization members so folks who need to leave may at this point.
• WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sunday mornings & Thursday nights. Items Needed for our CLOTHING CLOSET include: Sneakers, T-shirts, Underwear (Men’s Boxer Briefs), Socks, Women’s pants/shorts size 0-8, Men’s pants/shorts size 28-40, Bandaids, Sweatpants, Leggings, Belts, Backpacks, Body wash, Sports bras, & Washcloths.
• WESTPORT SHOWERS is looking for additional volunteers to help with Sunday mornings. With the increase in guests, we would like to have teams of 2 volunteers upstairs working together at the door and 2 downstairs working in the shower/laundry room each Sunday. You would be working with experienced volunteers who can train you in what is needed. If you would like to help, and are willing to volunteer 1 Sunday morning a month, reach out to Drew Irwin or Allison Rozga for more information.
• We are giving out lunches on Fridays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of fruit cups, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.
• WINTER WEATHER CLOTHING DRIVE: As cooler weather approaches Westport Showers will be collecting coats, hats, gloves, warm socks, shoes and boots. Look through your closets and see if you have any extra items you can donate.

BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED & PAID PART-TIME POSTITIONS AVAILABLE: Westport Center for the Arts, an non-profit organization founded by our church that has dedicated itself to bringing free art exhibits, concerts, dance performances, etc. to the neighborhood, has several positions that need filling. They need a board president to set a meeting agenda and keep track of who is doing what, and they are looking to fill several paid positions: Photographer, Grant Writer, Visual Arts Program Director. If interested, email [email protected] or speak with Josh Stark or Deanna Capps.

CONNECTION HOUR SMALL GROUPS:
Sunday Mornings

9:40 a.m. “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm” lead by Jennifer White. Does it feel like everywhere you look the world is on fire? This weekly workshop will give you 1-5 minute tools to help deal with the stresses of our modern way of living.
10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group readings related to various topics including faith, art, culture, politics, earth care. Currently reading Breathing Under Water: The Spirituality of the 12 Steps, by Richard Rohr.

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

• Monday, Jan. 12 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
  • • 7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, Jan. 13 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
  • • 5:15 p.m. Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Thursday, Jan. 15 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Saturday, Jan. 17 8:30 a.m. Private Rental – Meeting (Storefront)
  • • 1-4:00 p.m. Westport Showers Vision Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Sunday, Jan. 18 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  • • Connection Hour Small Groups:
      9:40 a.m. “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm”
      10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group
    • 11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
      Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
    • 12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Monday, Jan. 19 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
  12:00 p.m. WCA Brown Bag Concert Series: Doug Talley Quartet (Sanctuary)
• Wednesday, Jan. 21 6:00 p.m. House KC Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Saturday, Jan. 24 10:00 a.m. WCA Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)

SPECIAL EVENTS:

• Thursday, Jan. 29 6:30 p.m. Panel Discussion (featuring Pastor Jared)
  7:30 p.m. “A Man for All Seasons” (Warwick Theater, 3927 Main St, KCMO)
• Sunday, Feb. 1 5:00 p.m. Chili/Soup Dinner (Fellowship Room)
  • • 6:00 p.m. Taizé Service (Sanctuary)
• Saturday, Mar. 7 5:45-7:30 p.m. Iftar Gathering/Ramadan Fast Breaking Dinner
• Second Pres, Rolling Hills Pres & Westport Pres with the Dialogue Institute of Kansas City (at Second Presbyterian Church, 318 E 55th St, KCMO)