Hybrid Church, Second Sunday After Epiphany, January 15, 2023

Hybrid Church, Second Sunday After Epiphany, January 15, 2023, Rev. Sally Bullas

Musician: Steve Smith

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!

Welcome & Announcements

Whether you are gathering in person, on zoom or worshipping at home with the bulletin, welcome! We are one community, one in the body of Christ. 

Centering & Stillness                       (G. Vosper, from liturgy prepared by Rex AE Hunt)

May we find in the simplicity of the silent time together nourishment for this moment in time, and may we sense connection with those whom we share it in this sacred space. 

                                                            (invitation to sit in silence)

Introit: Come Touch Our Hearts vs 5                                         MV #12 

Come touch us now, this people who are gathered,
to break the bread and share the cup of peace;
that we may love you with our heart, our soul,
our mind, our strength, our all,
come touch us with your grace.

The Christ Candle is Lit 

Greeting
One:  The grace of Christ Jesus, the love of God, 

          and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All:     And also with you

Opening Words                                                         (Ana Gobledale, Based on Psalm 40)

One:  Happy are those who are patient and trust God,
All:    for God has performed wondrous deeds, too many to count.
One:  God is steadfast and faithful,
All:    the solid rock upon which we stand.

Hymn:  Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise vs 1-3                                VU #264

1Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

2Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;

thy justice like mountains high soaring above

thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

3To all, life thou givest, to both great and small;

in all life. thou livest, the true life of all;

we blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree,

then wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Opening Prayer                                                                                                  (Louise Gough, adapted) 

One:  Loving God who summoned the world into being, moulded the                      mountains, bathed the earth in colour and light, and breathed into    us the Spirit of life,
All:    we bring you our praise.

One:  God who first loved us – who knew us in the womb, made each                    of us unique and who tends us with care,

All:    we praise you.
One:  Love, which through dusty feet, faithful service, wise words, and caring hands, turns exclusion to inclusion, sadness into laughter, and oppression into liberation,

All:    we praise you.

One:  Through the Spirit at work in the world, we can all know the joy and freedom of your generous love.                        
All:    Spirit of Life and Love, forgive us when we fail to show that  love to others;

One:  when we stifle your ever-creating Spirit in our lives or in the lives of others;

All:    when we fail to allow others to shine, and make light of the gifts you have given us.

One:  By your love, make us new…
All:    and help us to know ourselves forgiven and loved, a people of your pleasure.  Amen.

Passing of the Peace

One:    The peace of Christ be with you! 

All:      And also with you!

You are invited to turn to those directly around you and share Christ’s peace. Those on zoom, please unmute and share with one another.

Reader: By the gift of your Spirit, calm and quiet our souls that we may hear your Word today and be lifted up to walk with you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7 (NRSV)          Reader: Nancy Hetherington-Peirce

Listen to me, O coastlands,
   pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
   in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
   and my reward with my God.’

And now the Lord says,
   who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
   and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
   and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
   to raise up the tribes of Jacob
   and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’
Thus says the Lord,
   the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
   the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
   princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
   the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

Gospel Reading                                                               Reader: Nancy Hetherington-Peirce

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 1:29-42 (NRSV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).

       Reader: This is the Gospel of Christ.   

       All:           Praise be to Jesus Christ       

Reflection: “Sing a New Song”

Silent Reflection

Hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me                                      VU #567  

1Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?

Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?

Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,

will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?

Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?

Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?

Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?

Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?

Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,

and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?

Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?

Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,

through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.

Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.

In your company I’ll go where your love and footsteps show.

Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Offering

Doxology                                                                                                                                        CP #669

Praise God the Source of life and birth,

Praise God the Word, who came to earth.

Praise God the Spirit, holy flame.

All Glory, honour to God’s name.

Offering Prayer                                                                                                                       (James Burklo, adapted) Holy One, may these offerings serve as symbols of our deep desire for your love to transform our time, effort, and substance into works of creative compassion for each other, for our wider community, and for the world beyond, through this church.  Amen.

Prayers of the People                                                         Paddy Waymark                                                                                                

One:  Creator of Love,

All:    Hear Our Prayers

Communion 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.

A New Creed                                                                                                                       VU #918

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

We are not alone,

    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:

    who has created and is creating,

    who has come in Jesus,

       the Word made flesh,

       to reconcile and make new,

    who works in us and others

       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

We are called to be the Church:

    to celebrate God’s presence,

    to live with respect in Creation,

    to love and serve others,

    to seek justice and resist evil,

    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,

       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

    God is with us.

We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

We Celebrate at the Table            (Adapted from a communion liturgy written by 

                                                                                                                               Rev. Dr. Nancy L. Steeves)

One:  May Love be with you.

All:    And also with you.

One:  Let us open our hearts.

All:    We open ourselves to Love and to each other.

One:  Let us give thanks for the gifts of life and faith.

All:    Spirit of life, of grape and grain, we gather in gratitude.

One:  We are moved with wonder as we consider the magnificence of        this planet which is our home for the journey.

All:    In creation, we engage mystery. The universe proclaims the great love story.

One:  Blessed be our lives. Blessed be our land. Blessed be the Love in which all that is, lives, and moves has its being.

One:  May our hearts be opened to all the dwelling places of the Holy.

All:    In silence and speech, in disturbance and rest, in our nearest breath, and in the farthest star, Spirit is among us.

SINGING:                                                                     (Sanctus) MV #203
O Holy, holy, holy God, O God of time and space.
All earth and sea and sky bear witness to your grace
Hosanna in the highest heav’n, creation sings your praise.
And blessed is the One who comes and bears your name always.

One:  At this and other times, we remember Jesus of Nazareth in whose life and death we experience a vision of a new humanity and in whose story we are called…

All:    to celebrate the sacred, 
          to live with respect in creation, 
          to love and serve others,

          to seek justice and resist evil.

SINGING:                                             (Memorial Acclamation) MV #204
Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!  Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

One:  Spirit of Life, 
All:    we are grateful for this bread and wine, gifts of grain and            vine. 
One:  May this bread nourish our capacity for compassion. 
          (bread is broken)

          May this cup strengthen our commitment to community. 
          (wine is poured)

          And so we sing in the spirit by which Jesus taught his friends to        pray:

The Prayer of Jesus      VU #959

Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name,

your Kin-dom come, 
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive
those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil

for the kin-dom, the power
and the glory are yours,

now and forever.

One:  We eat this bread and drink this cup…

All:    to deepen our compassion, broaden our hope, and share our     quest for right relationship with all that is sacred. 

One:  We come to this table to build courage and to widen the love             which transforms life and death into purpose and meaning.
All:    May the spirit of what we do reflect the Spirit of who we                          are and bless our doing and being.

One:  The bread of compassion.  

          The cup of community.

          (Communion is served)

Hymn: Spirit God, Be Our Breath                                                               MV #150

1Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.

Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.

Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn….

Spirit God, be our song.

2Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.

Comfort us. When we know you are near

we grow more certain, our vision is clear.

Patient God, calm our fear.

3Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer.

Reaching out, joining hands as we share,

we seek your guidance through friendship and care.

Loving God, be our prayer.

4Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.

Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.

Through change, through challenge, we’ll greet the new dawn….

Spirit God, be our song.

Thank You

Blessing                                                                                                          Iona Community

If you are with another person, you’re invited to bless each other, taking every other line.

One:   The Creator’s blessing be yours on your road, on your journey,        guiding you, cherishing you.

Right/ The Son’s blessing be yours, wine and water, bread and stories,

Zoom feeding you, challenging you.

Left:   The Spirit’s blessing be yours, wind and fire, joy and wisdom,          comforting you, disturbing you.