Hybrid Worship, January 14, 2024 ,Epiphany II 

Hybrid Worship 

January 14, 2024 

Epiphany II 

Rev. Suzanna Bates 

Music Director: Dorothy Dittrich 

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. 

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here! 

Words for Worship
Words in bold italics, please say together 

Singing Bowl 

Prelude: I Will Bless The Lord                                                        Ira D. Sankey Gathering 

Greeting & Welcome 

Acknowledgement of the Land Lighting the Candles

We light this candle to draw near to God and to one another.  We light this candle as a sign of our commitment to healing and reconciliation between all peoples. 

We are here. God is here. 

This space is holy ground. 

Prayer 
O Blessed God, accept this burning candle  as a sign of my faith and love for you. 

Like this candle, I am ready to be used in your service,  without asking why and to what purpose. Even as this candle, I wish to stand in your presence  to be consumed in the light and warmth of your love. 

Please hear my prayer and, if it be your will, grant my petition. Amen. 

Call to Worship
The light of God has come into our world to proclaim God’s justice and love; 

It has overcome the darkness and brought new life. 

Come and see! 

Christ our companion has released our world from hopelessness. We are drawn into a loving community from every tribe and family and culture. 

Come and follow! 

The Spirit has equipped us for service: to love our neighbours as we do ourselves; to bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. 

Go and tell! 

Come and see, come and follow, go and tell! 

In God’s Love the nations of the earth will put their hope.  

Hymn: Called By Earth And Sky                                              MV #135

Called by earth and sky, promise of hope held high. This is our sacred living trust, treasure of life sanctified, called by earth and sky. 

1Precious these waters, endless seas, deep ocean’s dream, waters of healing, rivers of rain, the wash of love again.   R 

2Precious this gift, the air we breathe; wind born and free. 

Breath of the Spirit, blow through this place, 

our gathering and our grace.   R 

3Precious these mountains, ancient sands; vast fragile land. 

Seeds of our wakening, rooted and strong, 

Creation’s faithful song.   R 

4Precious the fire that lights our way, bright dawning day. Fire of passion, sorrows undone, 

our faith and justice one.   R 

Opening Prayer                                        (inspired by 1 Samuel 3: 1-20) 

Reflective Music  

Prayer Before the Reading of Scripture
Open our hearts and minds to hear your living Word, O God.  

May we be led in deeper paths of discipleship and faithfulness.  

Amen. 

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1–10, (11–20)

Reader: Nancy Hetherington Peirce 
God calls Samuel.                                                                  (The Message) 

The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still  in bed in the Temple of God, where the sacred Chest of God rested. 

Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Yes? I’m here.” Then he ran to Eli saying, “I heard you call. Here I am.” Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” And so he did. God called again, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, “I heard you call. Here I am.” Again Eli said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.) God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.” That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” 

Gospel Reading                                                                         Reader: Betty Schultze

As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.  

Reader: God be with you.   

All: And also with you 
Reader:  The Good News of Jesus the Christ according to John All:  Glory to you, Christ Jesus. 

John 1:43–49                                                                                (The Message) Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael. 

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, “Come, follow me.” (Philip’s hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) Philip went and found 

Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It’s Jesus, Joseph’s son, the one from Nazareth!” Nathanael said, “Nazareth? You’ve got to be kidding.” But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.” When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” Nathanael said, “Where did you get that idea? You don’t know me.” Jesus answered, “One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” 

This is the Gospel of Christ. 

We give thanks for Good news today.       

Word: Speak God, I am listening… 

Life and Work of the Church 

 

Prayers of the People                                                         Paddy Waymark 
In Your Light … 

       Hear Our Prayers. 

The Prayer of Jesus (a paraphrase)                                         (VU 916)
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer,  

Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be.  

Father and Mother of us all, 

Loving God, in whom is heaven;  

The hallowing of your name echo through the Universe!  

The way of your justice be followed by peoples of the world!  Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!  Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. 

With the bread that we need for today, feed us. 

In the hurts that we absorb from one another, forgive us. 

In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.  

From trials too great to endure, spare us. 

From the grip that is evil, free us. 

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,  now and forever. Amen. 

Offering

Offertory Hymn: Hope Shines As The Solitary Star         MV #220 v 1 Hope shines as a solitary star, faith is the inner light. You and I together mirror the Light of Lights, and illumine the pathway home. 

Prayer of Dedication
Generous God, we give thanks for all that you give us as blessing.  We offer these and all our gifts as sign and symbol of our lives in our calling to follow you. Amen.  

Hymn: As We Gather At Your Table                                         VU #457
1As we gather at your table, as we listen to your word, help us know, O God, your presence; let our hearts and minds be stirred. Nourish us with sacred story till we claim it as our own; teach us through this holy banquet how to make Love’s victory known. 2Turn our worship into witness in the sacrament of life; send us forth to love and serve you, bringing peace where there is strife. Give us, Christ, your great compassion to forgive as you forgave; may we still behold your image in the world you died to save. 

3Gracious Spirit, help us summon other guests to share that feast where triumphant Love will welcome those who had been last and least. There no more will envy blind us nor will pride our peace destroy, as we join with saints and angels to repeat the sounding joy. 

Holy Communion
May the peace and love of Christ be with you now and always. 

And also with you! 

Lift up your hearts 

We lift them before God. 

Pour out your souls. 

It is a good thing to offer our adoration and praise. 

Adoration and praise we bring, O God. 

In the gift of Christ we receive grace upon grace, and truth upon truth for the sake of renewed hearts and a transformed world. Bless us in the breaking of bread and inspire us through the pouring of wine. 

May you honour our desire to be people of Spirit, people of the Way and of God’s gift of unconditional love to the world. 

Amen. 

Remembering
As they were eating, Jesus said, Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me. And they were sorrowful and began to ask, as we do, is it I? 

So Jesus took bread, broke it and blessed it and asked his disciples to remember how his life was given for them and the generations to come. In the same way, after eating, he took the cup and asked them to remember how his love was poured out as a sign of a new relationship with God and for the forgiveness of sins. 

Thank you for giving your life so that we may be forgiven and reconciled to God when we follow you to the Risen Son. Amen. 

Thanksgiving Prayer
Loving God, open our minds to a new understanding of your calling which is often a mystery but is the purpose of our faith. Open our eyes so that we can see the Spirit guiding us and open our hearts to share the Christ within us as we continue our journey of faith and purpose.  

For the faith of mothers and fathers through history, we thank you and for the generations who followed them, for the visions of prophets and disciples who shared your Word, and all who believed them – we thank you. 

Blessing & Breaking of Bread and Wine
Spirit of Life, gift of God, come among us and bless this bread which we now take and break, remembering how Jesus gave his life for us, and remain with us and bless this cup as we remember how your love was poured out for us. 

Christ has died.  

Christ is risen. 

Christ will come again. 

Sharing the Bread and Wine
May we be strengthened by the life of Christ, who showed us a way for us to know God’s love, who was the living bread and poured out his love so that we may drink from God’s cup of forgiveness.  

Prayer after Communion
Thank you God, for bread and wine through which we remember your life and love. May our hearts be opened  as we hear your voice calling us Beloved. Amen. 

Hymn: I Have Called You By Your Name                                 MV #161

1 have called you by your name, you are mine;  

I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.  

 I will not abandon you; all my promises are true.  

 You are gifted, called, and chosen; you are mine.  

2I will help you learn my name as you go;   read it written in my people, help them grow.  

 Pour the water in my name, speak the word your soul can claim,   offer Jesus’ body given long ago.  

3I know you will need my touch as you go;   feel it pulsing in creation’s ebb and flow.  

 Like the woman reaching out, choosing faith in spite of doubt,   hold the hem of Jesus’ robe, then let it go.  

4I have given you a name, it is mine;   I have given you my Spirit as a sign.  

 With my wonder in your soul, make my wounded children whole;   go and tell my precious people they are mine. 

Blessing & Sending
We have come and seen,  yet there is still so much to come and see.  Send us out from here 

to witness to what you are doing in our community, in our home, in our workplace, in our world.  

Let us go now.  Listen for the voice of God and follow wherever it leads.  

And may God be with you and speak through you;  

May Christ Jesus be one with you  and raise you to life; 

And may the Spirit of Life dwell within you  and shine a kindly light. Amen.  

The peace of Christ be always with you And also with you.  

Postlude: And Now Peace                                                                  L. Fitzpatrick 
 

Resources for Liturgy:  

prayer adapted, Christine Sine on Godspace. http://godspace-msa.com/ Richard Bott, and posted on Sharing Liturgy.  http://liturgy.richardbott.com/ www.stanthonysparish.com                                                  

Spill the Beans