ARISE! YOUR LIGHT HAS COME

Epiphany (shining forth, appearing) observes the manifestation of Christ to all the nations of the world.  In the Sundays of the Epiphany season we see Christ as our light, our revealer.  What these epiphanies have to say to us is that looking with discerning eye and listening with discriminating ear, we can perceive God behind, above, within, around, and below the world all about us.  In Epiphany we begin to see more and more of Jesus, from his baptism in the Jordan River to his transfiguration on the mountain.  Christ is the coming of the light and the power of the light to draw us to God.  This light will unveil evil even as it reveals the goodness and glory of God; God’s unstoppable love for us.

THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM

WE REMEMBER OUR BAPTISMS, CONFESS OUR FAITHLESSNESS, 

AND HEAR GOD’S FAITHFUL PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS

Pastor: Trusting in the word of life given in baptism,

we are gathered in the name

of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

the holy Trinity, one God,

the fountain of living water,

the rock who gave us birth,

our light and our salvation.

People: Amen.

Pastor: Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism,

we are clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Let us  give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Pastor: We give you thanks, O God,

for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters

and by your Word you created the world,

calling forth life in which you took delight.

Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family.

You led Israel safely through the Sea from slavery into freedom and the land of promise.

In the waters of the Jordan, your Son was baptized by John, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and proclaimed your beloved one.

By water, your Word, and the Spirit you claim us as your daughters and sons,

making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.

Through this water remind us of our baptism.

We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life,

and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.

Shower us with your Spirit,

and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.

To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

People: Blessed be God,

who gives us life with all creation,

joins us to the saving death of Christ,

and raises us to new life by the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

HYMN FOR THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY

 “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”

[click on the link below]

O Morning Star, how fair and bright!

You shine with God’s own truth and light,

aglow with grace and mercy!

Of Jacob’s line, King David’s son,

our Lord and Savior, you have won

our hearts to serve you only!

Lowly, holy!!

Great and glorious,

all victorious,

rich in blessing!

Rule and might o’er all possessing!

Come, precious diamond, light divine,

and deep within our hearts now shine;

there light a flame undying!

In your one body let us be

as living branches of a tree,

your life our lives supplying.

Now, though daily

earth’s deep sadness 

may perplex us 

and distress us,

yet with heav’nly joy you bless us.

Lord, when you look on us in love,

at once there falls from God above

a ray of purest pleasure.

Your word and Spirit, flesh and blood

refresh our souls with heav’nly food.

You are our dearest treasure!

Let your mercy

warm and cheer us!

Oh, draw near us!

For you teach us

God’s own love through you has reached us.

Almighty Father, in your Son

you loved us, when not yet begun

was this old earth’s foundation!

Your Son has ransomed us in love

to live in him here and above:

this is your great salvation.

Alleluia!

Christ the living,

to us giving

life forever, 

keeps us yours and fails us never!

Oh, let the harps break forth in sound!

Our joy be all with music crowned,

our voices gaily blending!

For Christ goes with us all the way–

today, tomorrow, ev’ry day!

His love is never ending!

Sing out!

Ring out!

Jubilation! Exaltation!

Tell the story!

Praise to Christ, who reigns in glory!

What joy to know, when life is past,

the Lord we love is first and last,

the end and the beginning!

He will one day, oh, glorious grace,

transport us to that happy place

beyond all tears and sinning!

Amen!

Amen!

Come, Lord Jesus! Crown of gladness!

We are yearning

for the day of your returning.

GATHERING

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL WITH PRAISE AND PRAYER,
AND PREPARE TO HEAR GOD’S WORD OF LIFE

GREETING

Pastor: The light and love of God,

who wonderfully made you,

who graciously redeemed you,

who calls you each by name,

be with you all.

People: And also with you

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor:  The Lord be with you. 

People: And also with you. 

Pastor:  Let us pray

People: Almighty God, you anointed Jesus at his baptism with the Holy Spirit and revealed him as your beloved Son.  Keep all who are born of water and the Spirit faithful in your service, that we may rejoice to be called children of God, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

WORD

THE CHURCH HEARS THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD ACTING
IN THIS AND EVERY TIME AND PLACE

FIRST READING  

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
   Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
   and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
   nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
   and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.’  

SECOND READING

Acts 8:14-17

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 

THE GOSPEL

Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.

People: Glory to you, O Lord.

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

Pastor: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

[click on the link below]

HYMN OF THE DAY

“Baptized and Set Free”

[click on the link below]

We are people created, chosen by God,

Then we’re washed, ever gently, in mercy and love.

Sin has power no more.  Jesus opened the door

to a fountain bringing healing, and wholeness and more.

We are fed and we’re nourished, filled and refreshed.

Then our hunger returns and again we are blessed.

For whatever the need, God is greater indeed:

endless ocean, always deeper than all of our need.

We are nourished by water, all living things,

and by life that the Spirit abundantly brings.

As we journey toward home, may your presence be known:

precious river, ever flowing, now carry us home.

Now with praise and thanksgiving, we join the song.

All are welcome! We gather to sing loud and strong.

Not enslaved, but set free! From now on, all will be

one in Jesus, one in water, baptized and set free!

APOSTLES’ CREED

Pastor: Let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

All:       I believe in God, the Father, Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

              I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father.

And he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

      and the life everlasting. Amen.

TODAY IN OUR PRAYERS

Bill, Carol, Curtis, and Christine Buchkowsky, Teri Peterson, Wayne Turner, Janet Gregory, Marge McMillan, Kyrie Parimi, John Beaven, Doris Turner, Hilda Anderson, Linda Wolfe, Naomi, Bev Gregory, Dale Robinson, Bryan Matschke, Audrey Hedlin,  Mona Neher, Carl Rausch, Oma Ywo, Joan Schock, Helen Neher, Karen Larson, the family of Norm Gregory, the family of Mary Anderson (Evelyn Robson’s mother), the family of Joel Zimmerman, the family of baby Mavrick Gallant (Bev Gregory’s great-grandson), the family of Ray Johnson (the brother of Doris Turner), and the family of Katherine Meger (Joshua Bratvold’s great grandmother).

We remember the missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, the children and people buried in unmarked graves at residential schools and First Nation lands, and all those who have suffered the trauma of residential schools, the people of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Somalia, Libya, Mozambique, Hong Kong, the Palestinians and Israelis, the civil war in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Belarus and the refugees at the Belarus/Poland border, Lebanon, the Rohingya Muslim refugees and the ethnic Karen of Myanmar, all at the Mexico/United States border seeking refuge, the people of Haiti suffering from earthquake, hurricane, and political disasters and the safe return of all 17 kidnapped persons, those in northwestern Washington, southern B.C., especially the communities of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Merritt, and Princeton, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and northern Spain devastated by torrential rains and flooding, those in the midwestern U.S. recovering from tornadoes, the communities in the Philippines ravaged by typhoon Rai, the communities in Colorado consumed by wildfire, those in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world caught up in racism and injustice and the resulting violence, and those throughout the world, in Canada, in our province, and in our community still threatened by the coronavirus and fearful of the omicron variant.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH

  [The congregational response after each petition is:  “HEAR OUR PRAYER.”]

Pastor:  As we see and hear the promises of God revealed in Jesus, the Word made flesh, let us pray for all people and the whole creation that the light of Christ’s grace and mercy shine upon all , saying, “O Christ, our light and life,” and responding, “Hear our prayer.”

Petitioner:  O God, who calls us, you have showered us with the grace of baptism.  Cause that grace to grow into faith and love, strip away those things preventing us from fulfilling the mission you have entrusted to us, that we might bring all peoples the good news of Christ and serve to meet the needs of all.  O Christ, our light and life …

Petitioner:   O Voice that shakes the heavens with justice and compassion, speak to our leaders, that they may serve in humility and be led by your righteous hand to act with honesty, justice and wisdom for the sake of the peace and security of all people, especially for the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.  O Christ, our light and life …

Petitioner:   We pray for all who in their lives of challenge, change, and loss unleash a stream of murmuring, babbling, and roaring. Help them remember the promises of their baptism and the refreshing, renewing, life-sustaining flow of the constant and abiding love of God for them, and the calling to care for their friends, peers, neighbours and all creation. O Christ, our light and life … 

Pastor:   We pray for all who long for wholeness and health, who suffer from loss  and brokenness, or are grieving.  We remember especially before you …. Send your Spirit to illumine their darkness with the light of your healing, comfort, and reassurance.  O Christ, our light and life…

Petitioner:  Marked with the cross of Christ and splashing in the waters of our Baptism, fill us with joy as we awaken to each new day of grace, celebrating the gifts of creation.  Enlighten us in the ways of holy stewardship, especially honoring the gift of water by caring for oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, creeks, aquifers, and all that you, our Creator, in your goodness have given us.  O Christ, our light and life … 

Petitioner:  Spirit of wholeness, we pray for this community of faith, that you will open our eyes to the unity we share in Christ and hear again the promises of our baptism, so that there may be no dissension among us or within us who are the body of Christ.  O Christ, our light and life … 

Petitioner:   We give thanks to you, O God, for the greatest of epiphanies in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  May it be the source of our hope, a guide for our lives, and the power that enables us to sing, to pray, to hear the Gospel, and to love our neighbour.  O Christ, our  light and life …  

Pastor:  Receive our prayers, gracious God, and fill us with hope as we behold your presence among us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

People:  Amen.

THANKSGIVING

THE COMMUNITY PRAISES GOD FOR THE GRACIOUS GIFTS OF
 CREATION AND THE SAVING DEEDS OF JESUS CHRIST

THE GREETING AND SHARING OF PEACE

Pastor: Since we are forgiven and renewed by God’s Spirit, let us also be reconciled with one another and share the Peace of the Lord.  

The peace of Christ be with you always.

People: And also with you.

(The congregation greets one another with a gesture of peace, using these or similar words:
“Christ’s peace be with you.”)

THE OFFERING

(We worship God with the offering of our selves, our time, our talents, and our possessions.)

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Leader: Let us pray.
God of all creation,

People: with great joy we worship you and lay before you these gifts.

Use what we have gathered here

in feeding the hungry world with your love.

Let our lives serve you only,

and lead us always to our dearest treasure,

Jesus Christ, the light of the world and the life of all. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Pastor: Let us pray with confidence in the words our Saviour gave us:

People: Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom 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 kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen.

SENDING

ALL RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF GOD, LEAVE IN PEACE,
AND ARE SENT OUT TO SERVE

BENEDICTION

Pastor:  May Christ, whose epiphany revealed God’s glory to the world,

deepen your faith and make your hearts glad.

God’s blessing be with you,

Christ’s peace be with you,

the Spirit’s outpouring of love be with you, now and always.

People: Amen

CLOSING HYMN

“Wash, O God, Your Sons and Daughters ”

[click on the link below]

Wash, O God, our sons and daughters, 

where your cleansing waters flow.

Number them among your people;

bless as Christ blessed long ago.

Weave them garments bright and sparkling;

compass them with love and light.

Fill, anoint them; send your Spirit,

holy dove and heart’s delight.

We who bring them long for nurture;

by your milk may we be fed.

Let us join your feast, partaking

cup of blessing, living bread.

God, renew us, guide our footsteps;

free from sin and all its snares,

one with Christ in living, dying,

by your Spirit, children, heirs.

Oh, how deep your holy wisdom!

Unimagined, all your ways!

To your name be glory, honor!

With our lives we worship, praise!

We your people stand before you, 

water washed and Spirit born.

By your grace, our lives we offer.

Recreate us; God, transform!

DISMISSAL

Pastor: Go forth as light into the world.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.

People: Thanks be to God.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMING UP AT KOG

King of Glory will hold our regular in-person worship services—following the provincial protocols recommended—on a weekly basis at the regular time 6:30 p.m.  Of course, should there be any significant changes with regard to the pandemic situation the Church Council will revisit the issue.

Thank you to everyone for your support of the Alzheimer’s Society. $226 has been contributed.  Thank you for your generosity.  We have received a thank you card from the Alzheimer Society.

Thank you to everyone participating in collecting food items for Christmas Hampers.  We had food items for 6 1/2 hampers.  Thank you for your generosity.

Pastor Michael and Renita thank all at King of Glory who remembered them this Christmas season with cards, gifts, many kindnesses, and prayers.  Christmas peace and joy, good health, and the blessing of Christ be with everyone in the New Year.

December, January, and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG

2022 Budget:  $48,854       Monthly Budget:  $4,071.17     Weekly Budget:  $939.50

2021income/expenses: –$4,729.03

November income/expenses: –$1,211.92

Weekly contributions for December:  December 5: $ 1,420  

December 12 and 19: $6190 and $200 for CLWR 

December 24 through December 31: $520 and $100 for CLWR

Weekly contributions for January:  January 2: $650

Massive floods and landslides have devastated parts of British Columbia. CLWR is accepting donations now on its website at clwr.org/BCfloods. Donations can also be made by phoning our office at 1.800.661.2597 (Monday to Thursday, 9:00 – 16:00 CDT) or by mailing a cheque to 600-177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0W5.

Offerings.  

(Please no cash for mail security reasons)

Send your contributions to:  King of Glory Lutheran Church

    3318 Merritt Street

    Saskatoon, SK  S7M 3P6

Thank you for your generosity.

Checklist and Guidelines for Re-opening Worship Services

Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc before the service

One person preps worship materials [pastor]

Six feet distancing recommended

No sharing of pencils, pens, etc.

No serving of food or beverages

Try not to use the washrooms

Open doors and windows if possible

Use/wear face masks, but you may sing quietly recommended

Hand sanitizer available

No physical contact (e.g. sharing of the peace, no passing of offering plate)

Communion procedure: distribution in a way that maintains physical distancing

Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc after the service