“We are journeying together in God’s love . . .to discover, nurture, and share our gifts.”
January 3, 2010
Epiphany Communion
In this Christmas season, we celebrate that we are able to grow in understanding God because we are witnesses to what God has done. As the Word made flesh, Jesus is close to God’s heart – the very incarnation of God’s wisdom at work in the world. This life-giving Word enables all God’s children to live, now and always, close to God’s heart.
If you would like to stay seated for any or all of the “standing” parts of the service, please feel free to do so.
Need a refuge? Our Nursery is located off Memorial Hall, has a speaker system through which to hear the service, and exists for all who may need this space. Memorial Hall approach is via the pulpit side exit.
A Time of Greeting: Our sensitivity to the realities of the H1N1 virus, which is transmitted from hand contact to the mouth, nose, and eyes, encourages each of us to observe good hand hygiene. It is also important for us to avoid public gathering if we feel unwell. If we all do our part in eliminating the spread of this virus, hopefully it will be a short lived health concern.
Prelude / Sharing Announcements / A Time of Greeting
Call to Worship (Responsive)
One: A star shining brightly in the East.
All: Discovered, by those who have eyes to see the unusual and the challenging.
One: A journey into unknown territory.
All: Taken by those who have courage and curiosity.
One: An encounter with an evil, commanding presence.
All: Evil that was faced, yet resisted with care.
One: The Holy One recognized, in spite of humble origin.
All: The glory and the gifts, given to a child. Let us worship.
Illuminating One, each sunrise and sunset reminds us of your constant presence. May each of us be awakened to the possibility for new life, new vision and renewed energy. Amen
Hymn #96 “Will You Come and See the Light”
Conversation Time
Coloring packets for the children are available in the first pew on the pulpit side of the church.
One: We bring our gifts. We have no gold, but we offer our money.
All: May we share wisely.
One: We bring our gifts. We have no frankincense, but we offer our worship.
All: May we praise joyfully, pray wholeheartedly, and learn with openness.
One: We bring our gifts. We have no myrrh, but we offer our experience of loss.
All: May we express our feelings openly, share our struggles trustingly, and comfort sensitively…(time for silent reflection)
Words of Assurance (One)
May all the gifts we offer be accepted in the compassionate and generous spirit of Jesus. May we be open to generosity. Amen.
Biblical Notes / Prayer of Illumination
Other lessons for your personal consideration from today’s lections are:
Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Matthew 2:1-12; and Ephesians 3:1-12.
Hymn #82 “A Light Is Gleaming”
Prayer of Dedication (One)
May our offering be blessed. We offer our gifts in the name of Jesus, whose self-offering completes ours. Amen.
Communion Hymn #469 “We Gather Here”
Invitation
In all the colours and scents and sounds of the world,
In all growing things,
In all creatures and people and their joy,
In the chorus of suns and planets and stars,
We would see God's signature
as the beauty of things.
Thanksgiving (Responsive)
One: Creator of the wintry day,
All: Praise and wonder be.
One: Creator of the sunsets and the dawns,
All: Praise and wonder be.
One: We gather together conscious that raising our hearts and minds is a gift of the Spirit of Life at work in the depths of our being.
All: For the presence of that Spirit in us, we give thanks.
One: We gather together conscious that our prayer gives the Spirit a way of breaking into word and song unique in all the universe.
All: For the words and songs within each of us, we give thanks.
One: We gather together mindful of men and women throughout human history who allowed the Spirit of Life to work in them for the betterment of our world and humanity.
All: For their lives and their inspiration, we give thanks.
One: And so we offer our thanks and praise inviting the Spirit of Life, Love and Goodness to move freely in our words and actions.
All: Holy, holy, holy, celebrating God, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
One: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
All: Hosanna in the highest.
One: Jesus is the story we gather around and give thanks for. Human like us, he discerned where this Spirit of Life is found: in the everyday, in human interaction, in caring, in sharing, in being neighbour. He urged people to work together to establish the 'reign of God' by wholehearted generosity, by eliminating boundaries between people, by trust in the goodness of people, and by working for peace and justice in all human endeavours.
All: We remember his total commitment to living fully and loving totally and his faith in a God to be trusted whatever twists life could take in this imperfect world.
One: We also remember the tradition...On the night before Jesus was handed over he again shared a meal with his friends. Through grain and grape, bread and wine, and in fellowship together, Jesus spoke of his enduring love for each of them. So we take this bread and this wine mindful of the Spirit at work in our lives, in the ordinary, in the everyday, and in our desire to love as generously as Jesus loved.
And all the people shall reply.
All: Amen.
Bread and Wine
We break this bread giving our Amen to the Holy, living and loving in us.
(The Bread is broken.)
We fill this cup with the fruit of the vine, reminding us of promises to love,
of love generously shared, of Jesus who loved so totally, and our call to love as courageously as Jesus loved.
(The wine is poured.)
Communion
And they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.
Communion is Served
After Communion (Unison)
We give thanks for the Spirit of Life visible in Jesus, visible in us, visible in people in all walks of life. We give thanks for faith that recognizes and names this presence and this bonding of all people. We pray that we will allow the life and the teaching of Jesus to motivate all that we do so that what we profess to have seen in his life and heard in his teaching might be evident in our living and loving.
Commissioning (One)
Choral Amen
Welcome to Westminster this morning. Please gather for coffee in Memorial Hall, following worship.
This Week at Westminster (January 3rd – 9th)
Sun. |
Music & Worship |
9:00 a.m. |
Lounge |
Local Food Needs |
10:30 a.m. |
Narthex |
|
Worship: Epiphany/Communion |
10:30 a.m. |
Sanctuary |
|
Tues. |
Prayer Shawl |
1:30 p.m. |
Lounge |
The Willing Gardener’s Seminar |
7:00 p.m. |
Memorial Hall |
|
Wed. |
Christmas Decoration Removal |
10:00 a.m. |
Sanctuary |
Bible Study |
9:30 a.m. |
Nursery |
|
Wii Fun |
2:00 p.m. |
Memorial Hall |
|
Thurs. |
Senior Choir Practice |
7:00 p.m. |
Sanctuary |
Fri. |
Christian Development |
10:00 a.m. |
Lounge |
Next Week at Westminster (January 10th – 16th)
Sun. |
Worship |
10:30 a.m. |
Sanctuary |
Jr. Choir Practice |
11:45 a.m. |
Lounge |
|
Tues. |
Prayer Shawl |
1:30 p.m. |
Lounge |
Board of Elders |
7:00 p.m. |
Lounge |
|
Wed. |
Bible Study |
9:30 a.m. |
Nursery |
Wii Fun |
2:00 p.m. |
Memorial Hall |
|
Thurs. |
Electra UCW |
1:30 p.m. |
Lounge |
Senior Choir Practice |
7:00 p.m. |
Sanctuary |
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the Sunday School Christmas projects this year. $400 or 26 mosquito nets or 260 persons shall be protected from malaria because of your gifts. Many folks at the homeless shelter are warmer and cleaner and happier because of your gifts to the Homeless Shelter. Thanks!!
The Life and Work of the Church continues ... if you are interested in Greeting, Ushering, Hosting Coffee, Reading Scripture during worship, or volunteering in the Nursery, please sign up on the way into Memorial Hall.
The Board of Elders is looking for persons to fill two Board positions beginning in 2010. The Property Committee requires a member as the representative to the Board and we also require a Board secretary. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, or think of someone else who would be a good fit, please contact the office or talk to any Elder.
Your 2010 offering envelopes are available in the Narthex. The cost of the Observer is $15.00. When you pick up your envelopes you may notice that the number is different from the one you had for 2009. This is because we have reduced the number of envelopes ordered as more people are using PAR. All numbers are below 175. If you have any questions regarding the correctness of your number, please contact Murray via the church office. People on PAR were not issued envelopes. Please do not use these envelopes, including the Observer envelope until the year 2010. Destroy your old unused 2009 envelopes. Thanks for your cooperation – Murray Bell, Treasurer.
PAR Subscribers—If you wish to receive THE OBSERVER magazine, please pick up a donation envelope in the Narthex.
Willing Gardeners’ Seminar Series – Commences this Tuesday for those who pre-registered. Each session will be dealing with different subjects from Rev. Bruce Sanguin’s book The Emerging Church, particularly the Values, Vision and Mission of Westminster United Church. They will start at 7:00 and be about 2 hours long.
Christmas Decoration Removal will take place this Wednesday, at 10:00 a.m. Anyone who would like to help is very welcome, as many hands make light work.
Sunday School classes resume next Sunday, January 10th.
Events Calendar Deadline is January 12th—Please let the office know of any events you wish to have included in the January to June Events Calendar.
Birthdays: Leroy Angle, Dave Luyten, Penita Schnell, Margaret Henderson, Morgan Harrison.
Anniversaries: Adair & Vern Prouty.
South Alberta Presbytery: Our prayers this week are requested for Conference President and Conference Executive Secretary – Peter Chynoweth and Lynn Maki.
Sunday School Co-ordinators |
Jackie Schlenker, Kim Hanson |
Nursery Convenor |
Jackie Carlson |
Greeters & Ushers |
Ray Yanke & Emma Nelson Yanke, Stan & Pat Bohnet |
Coffee Hosts |
Mike & Joan Jantzie, Sharon Clay, Irene Fekete |
Scripture Reader |
Murray Bell |
Elder-in-Charge |
Jennifer Oster |
Next Week’s Readings are from: Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22; and Acts 8:14-17.