Sunday’s Liturgy

January 12, 2025

Listen throughout the week, so you’re ready to sing along on Sunday!

[ Gathering ]

Call to Worship

Psalm 96:1-9

[One:] Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
[All:] Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

  • Majesty Your glory is shining
    Brighter than the moon and the stars
    Marveling we honor and fear You
    Above all gods

    Glorious and mighty
    You're awesome in beauty
    Joyful songs we raise
    Glorious and mighty
    You're awesome in beauty
    Greatly to be praised

    Majesty You fashioned the heavens
    Your decrees can never be changed
    Over all the plans of the nations
    Your judgments reign

    Majesty we'll sing with creation
    When You come again in the clouds
    Every knee will bow down and worship
    The one true God

Confession of Sin

Holy God of light,
we confess that we were born in darkness,
in a world subjected to the brokenness of sin,
deep in the valley of death’s shadow.

Though you have made us for the glory of your light,
darkness yet remains in the recesses of our hearts.
We have grown accustomed to the shadows,
having learned from our shame to fear the light.

We confess, merciful God:
We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent.

Shine on our darkness, O Lord,
with the bright light of the dawn.
Draw us out from the shadows
into the glory of your presence.

For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us,
that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your name.

For the ways we have sought comfort in darkness
instead of the healing of your light
we now come and confess…

Assurance of Pardon

Hear, O child of God, the good news of his grace:

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.

(Isaiah 9:2-4)

The light of Christ has come
shining with grace and truth
into our land of deep darkness!

The heavy yoke and the oppressive rod
of sin and death have been broken.
Their darkness has no power over us,
but in Christ our Savior, by his mercy
and the grace of his cross,
we have been called children of light.
And so we are.

Take heart, and rejoice in the glorious light
of your savior and friend!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Greetings of Peace

[CityKids are dismissed.]

[ Word ]

Prayer for Illumination

Reading of Scripture


Luke 2:21-40

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Sermon

Concluding Prayer

[ Table ]

Invitation to Communion

Prayer of Consecration

Distribution of Elements

[We gather in small groups around tables throughout the room and pray together as we receive the bread and cup.]

[ Sending ]

Benediction