FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2025
PRELUDE My Faith Looks Up to Thee arr. Gordon Young
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
-CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED on Monday, Jan. 20 for national holiday.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP, 9:30ish AM at the Mission Coffee House.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting at 9:30 AM in the center meeting room.
-ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING after worship on January 26.
CALL TO WORSHIP
God of the feast, God of abundance,
you are always turning water into fine wine.
Though the wine has run out,
you work miracles among us.
Though the work feels impossible,
you accomplish wonders through us.
Though many fail to perceive it,
you reveal your glory among us.
Help us to receive your good gifts this day,
that we might learn to put our faith in you. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, our fountain of life, grant us your good gifts this day. Call us to drink from your river of delights. Welcome us to feast in your house of abundance. Teach us to find refuge in you as we learn to walk in your light together this day.
*OPENING HYMN #39 (red) ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not; thy compassions they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving Lord, we long to be your faithful people, but our good intentions run out and we come up empty. For all the ways we fall short in our sin, forgive us, Gracious One. Change us—like water into wine—to become what the world lacks, that our community, our nation, our church, and all creation may know your justice and love.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God has lifted you up from all that has pushed you down. Gone are old names of derision: Forsaken, Desolate, Loser, Nobody. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, God calls you by new names: Wise, Knowing, Faithful, Healer, Prophet, Mystic.
Hear, believe, and trust your new name:
In Jesus Christ, my name is Forgiven.
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen, Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC “Pass It On” Choir
It only takes a spark to get a fire going.
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it.
You spread this love to everyone, you want to pass it on.
What a wonderous time is spring, when all the trees are budding.
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming.
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it.
You want to sing; it’s fresh like spring, you want to pass it on.
I wish for you my friend this happiness that I’ve found.
You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound.
I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know;
The Lord of love has come to me I want to pass it on.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Saving God, source of our calling, your Word is full of power and glory. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that we may receive your grace and live as your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
John 2:1-11
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
SERMON Power and All that Comes With It Elizabeth Fox, CRE
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #263 (red) “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel's race ye ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all!
Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball,
to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all!
We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH - Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.15
God’s sovereign love is a mystery beyond the reach of the human mind. Human thought ascribes to God superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness. But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ by showing power in the form of a servant, wisdom in the folly of the cross, and goodness in receiving sinful men and women. The power of God’s love in Christ to transform the world discloses that the Redeemer is the Lord and Creator who made all things to serve the purpose of God’s love.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
Concerns: Jan J, Darwin and Jeanne L, Judy Se.
Our homebound or in care members: Richard & Dolores C, Bob F (Pat caregiver), Jan J, Darwin L (Jeanne caregiver), Marlys M, Bob O (Nancy caregiver), Rose P, Joyce R, Steve VB, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Arlyce T, Steve & Carrie VB
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY
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.
Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
We praise and thank you, Lord God, for the majesty of your work, the wisdom of your word, and the generosity of your grace. Let the gifts of our lives bear witness to your goodness and mercy, your faithfulness and justice, and your steadfast love for all. Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN #761 (red) “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”
Called as partners in Christ’s service, called to ministries of grace,
We respond with deep commitment fresh new lines of faith to trace.
May we learn the art of sharing, side by side and friend with friend,
Equal partners in our caring to fulfill God’s chosen end.
Christ’s example, Christ’s inspiring, Christ’s clear call to work and worth,
Let us follow, never faltering, reconciling folk on earth.
Men and women, richer, poorer, all God’s people, young and old,
Blending human skills together gracious gifts from God unfold.
Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission, in a small or global sense,
Help us bear each other’s burdens, breaking down each wall or fence.
Words of comfort, words of vision, words of challenge, said with care,
Bring new power and strength for action, make us colleagues, free and fair.
So God grant us for tomorrow ways to order human life
That surround each person’s sorrow with a calm that conquers strife.
Make us partners in our living, our compassion to increase,
Messengers of faith, thus giving hope and confidence and peace.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
May the blessing of the Lord our God, the grace of Jesus Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Alleluia!
Luke 4:18–19
In the name of Jesus,
bring good news to the poor. Amen.
Luke 4:18
POSTLUDE Called as Partners in Christ’s Service arr. Hustad
ORDER OF WORSHIP
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2025
PRELUDE My Faith Looks Up to Thee arr. Gordon Young
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
-CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED on Monday, Jan. 20 for national holiday.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP, 9:30ish AM at the Mission Coffee House.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will be meeting at 9:30 AM in the center meeting room.
-ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING after worship on January 26.
CALL TO WORSHIP
God of the feast, God of abundance,
you are always turning water into fine wine.
Though the wine has run out,
you work miracles among us.
Though the work feels impossible,
you accomplish wonders through us.
Though many fail to perceive it,
you reveal your glory among us.
Help us to receive your good gifts this day,
that we might learn to put our faith in you. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, our fountain of life, grant us your good gifts this day. Call us to drink from your river of delights. Welcome us to feast in your house of abundance. Teach us to find refuge in you as we learn to walk in your light together this day.
*OPENING HYMN #39 (red) ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not; thy compassions they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving Lord, we long to be your faithful people, but our good intentions run out and we come up empty. For all the ways we fall short in our sin, forgive us, Gracious One. Change us—like water into wine—to become what the world lacks, that our community, our nation, our church, and all creation may know your justice and love.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God has lifted you up from all that has pushed you down. Gone are old names of derision: Forsaken, Desolate, Loser, Nobody. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, God calls you by new names: Wise, Knowing, Faithful, Healer, Prophet, Mystic.
Hear, believe, and trust your new name:
In Jesus Christ, my name is Forgiven.
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen, Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC “Pass It On” Choir
It only takes a spark to get a fire going.
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it.
You spread this love to everyone, you want to pass it on.
What a wonderous time is spring, when all the trees are budding.
The birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming.
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it.
You want to sing; it’s fresh like spring, you want to pass it on.
I wish for you my friend this happiness that I’ve found.
You can depend on Him, it matters not where you’re bound.
I’ll shout it from the mountain top, I want my world to know;
The Lord of love has come to me I want to pass it on.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Saving God, source of our calling, your Word is full of power and glory. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that we may receive your grace and live as your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
John 2:1-11
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
SERMON Power and All that Comes With It Elizabeth Fox, CRE
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #263 (red) “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
Ye chosen seed of Israel's race ye ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all!
Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all!
Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball,
to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
O that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all!
We'll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH - Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.15
God’s sovereign love is a mystery beyond the reach of the human mind. Human thought ascribes to God superlatives of power, wisdom, and goodness. But God reveals divine love in Jesus Christ by showing power in the form of a servant, wisdom in the folly of the cross, and goodness in receiving sinful men and women. The power of God’s love in Christ to transform the world discloses that the Redeemer is the Lord and Creator who made all things to serve the purpose of God’s love.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
Concerns: Jan J, Darwin and Jeanne L, Judy Se.
Our homebound or in care members: Richard & Dolores C, Bob F (Pat caregiver), Jan J, Darwin L (Jeanne caregiver), Marlys M, Bob O (Nancy caregiver), Rose P, Joyce R, Steve VB, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Arlyce T, Steve & Carrie VB
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY
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.
Amen
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
We praise and thank you, Lord God, for the majesty of your work, the wisdom of your word, and the generosity of your grace. Let the gifts of our lives bear witness to your goodness and mercy, your faithfulness and justice, and your steadfast love for all. Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN #761 (red) “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”
Called as partners in Christ’s service, called to ministries of grace,
We respond with deep commitment fresh new lines of faith to trace.
May we learn the art of sharing, side by side and friend with friend,
Equal partners in our caring to fulfill God’s chosen end.
Christ’s example, Christ’s inspiring, Christ’s clear call to work and worth,
Let us follow, never faltering, reconciling folk on earth.
Men and women, richer, poorer, all God’s people, young and old,
Blending human skills together gracious gifts from God unfold.
Thus new patterns for Christ’s mission, in a small or global sense,
Help us bear each other’s burdens, breaking down each wall or fence.
Words of comfort, words of vision, words of challenge, said with care,
Bring new power and strength for action, make us colleagues, free and fair.
So God grant us for tomorrow ways to order human life
That surround each person’s sorrow with a calm that conquers strife.
Make us partners in our living, our compassion to increase,
Messengers of faith, thus giving hope and confidence and peace.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
May the blessing of the Lord our God, the grace of Jesus Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Alleluia!
Luke 4:18–19
In the name of Jesus,
bring good news to the poor. Amen.
Luke 4:18
POSTLUDE Called as Partners in Christ’s Service arr. Hustad