Worship Plan for Sunday, January 10, 2021

First Sunday after Epiphany- Baptism of the Lord

January 10, 2021

137th Anniversary of the Dedication of St. John’s

and Celebration of Retirement of

David Shirley, Verger

Prelude: "Prelude in C Major" W. Wolstenholme

Words of Welcome

Entrance Hymn Songs of thankfulness and praise (Salzburg) (H 135)

Celebrant

Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.

People

Glory to God for ever and ever.

 

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen

Opening Anthem or Song of Praise S 280 Glory to God (Canticle 20) (Powell)

Celebrant

The Lord be with you.

People

And also with you.

Celebrant

Let us pray.

 

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Almighty God, to whose glory we celebrate the dedication of our house of prayer: We give you thanks for the fellowship of those who have worshiped there and with us as community, and we pray that all who seek you here may find you, and be filled with your joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-5

A Reading from the book of Genesis.

1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

 

Reader

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.

People

Thanks be to God.

 

 (S 415)

Psalm: Psalm 29

 1Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *  ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *  worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; *  the Lord is upon the mighty waters. 4The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *  the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor. 5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *  the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *  and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *  the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 8The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *  and strips the forests bare. 9And in the temple of the Lord *  all are crying, “Glory!” 10The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *  the Lord sits enthroned as King forevermore. 11The Lord shall give strength to his people; *  the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Second Reading: Acts 19:1-7

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3Then he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—7altogether there were about twelve of them.

 

Reader

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.

People

Thanks be to God.

 

Sequence Hymn Open your ears, O faithful people (Torah song [Yisrael V'oraita])

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11

Priest

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

People

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

 

4John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

  9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

 

Priest

The Gospel of the Lord.

People

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

The Sermon

The Creed (BCP p. 358)

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

A LITANY OF THANKSGIVING FOR A CHURCH

Let us thank God whom we worship here and in our church building in the beauty of holiness.

Eternal God, the heaven of heavens cannot contain you,much less the walls of temples made with hands. Graciously receive our thanks for St. John’s, and accept the work of ourhands, offered to your honor and glory.

For the Church universal, of which our visible buildings are the symbol,We thank you, Lord.

For your presence whenever two or three have gathered together in your Name,We thank you, Lord.

For this place - our church building and our community - where we may be still and know that you are God,We thank you, Lord.

For making us your children by adoption and grace, and refreshing us day by day with the bread of life.We thank you, Lord.

For the knowledge of your will and the grace to perform it,We thank you, Lord.

For the fulfilling of our desires and petitions as you see best for us,We thank you, Lord.

For the pardon of our sins, which restores us to the company of your faithful people,We thank you, Lord.

For the blessing of our vows and the crowning of our years with your goodness,We thank you, Lord.

For the faith of those who have gone before us and for our encouragement by their perseverance,We thank you, Lord.

For the fellowship of John the Evangelist, our patron, and all your Saints,We thank you, Lord.

After a brief silence, the Celebrant concludes with the following Doxology

 Officiant

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, theglory, the victory, and the majesty;

People

For everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

Officiant

Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;

People

And you are exalted as head over all. Amen.

AnNOUNCEMENTS

ACknowledgement of Retirement of Verger David Shirley

Celebrant:

David, nearly 15 years ago, you began to exercise your ministry as Verger, a ministry which is a special calling to the ordering and conduct of the church and the church's liturgy. You indeed have ministered to the church of St. John the Evangelist – the church as building, and as worshiping community. When called upon, you have reached out beyond the parish and served as Verger for diocesan functions, including the installation of the Bishop of this Diocese of Western Michigan. You have worked behind the scenes to assure the beauty of St. John’s, by your physical labor and by sharing your resources. You have led us in procession, but have more importantly led us by the example of your dedication and devotion. In turn, St. John’s has affirmed your ministry and nurtured you these many years. You have now chosen to retire from active ministry. Today we honor and celebrate your decision – while giving fair warning that we may call upon your wisdom and guidance in the days and years to come.

David, will you accept our appreciation and love as a representation of all the people of St. John’s and the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan whom you have assisted in our life of worship and service – and will you continue, even in your retirement, to celebrate God’s indwelling love in your life?

David: I will.

The Vestry Junior Warden will now read the following Proclamation – which will be framed and presented to David later in person:

 

Whereas David Shirley has faithfully served St. John’s Episcopal Church as Verger since December 15, 2006:

By assisting the Rector in scheduling and conducting the Eucharist and other liturgies, and

By collaborating with the rector and members of the music committee in the selection of hymns and instrumental music to enhance our worship, and

By helping the Altar Guild prepare the church for liturgies and making sure that the altars linens and vestments are properly cared for, especially if for special services and high feasts, and making sure the sanctuary lamp was lit, and

By preparing for orderly worship, by training and mentoring acolytes, putting out the bulletins for the congregation and those serving at the altar, marking the Bible and Book of the Gospels, putting up the signage on the hymn boards, lighting the candles, and

By calling the choir and altar party to order and getting them properly attired and in correct processional order, and

By ringing the bell to call us to worship and guiding the greeters to the altar with the gifts of the people, and

By making the worship space tidy once again after each service, preparing for the next, and

By assuring that palms were burned for the ashes for Ash Wednesday, towels and water were ready for Maundy Thursday’s foot-washing, incense was prepared when needed, the new fire was prepared for the Great Vigil of Easter, and colorful banners were waved outside for great celebrations, and

By serving as Verger for the Bishop’s installation and other ordinations, and

Whereas he has been the keeper of our history and role in the community, and has shared his knowledge thereof, and

Whereas he demonstrated his commitment to the Episcopal Tradition by acting as the Ecclesiastical Authority in his role as Senior Warden while we searched for a new Rector, and

Whereas he diligently and consistently performed a myriad of seemingly small tasks that made St. John’s a beautiful and contemplative place of worship, from his work on the building project to tending the garden, yet too many to be numbered and many unknown, Now be it resolved

That the Rector, the Vestry, and the Congregation of St. John’s Episcopal Church express appreciation and gratitude to Verger David Shirley. 

Anthem:   "When Jesus came to Jordan" by J. Cruger

When Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized by John,

he did not come for pardon, but as his Father's Son,

He came to share repentance with all who mourn their sins,

to speak the vital sentence with which good news begins.

He came to share temptation, our utmost woe and loss;

for us and our salvation to die upon the cross.

So when the Dove descended on him, the Son of Man,

the hidden year he ended, the age of grace began.

Come, Holy Spirit, aid us to keep the vows we make;

this very dan invade us, and every bondage break;

come, give our lives directions, the gift we covet most - 

to share the resurrection that leads to Pentecost.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

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 trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

Closing Collect

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with your word and your presence, for uniting us through Christ in the fellowship of your Holy Spirit, and for sustaining this church of St. John’s and our community these many years. We thank you, too, for raising up among us faithful servants living out their baptismal promises. We thank you especially for the work of David Shirley among us as Verger and Senior Warden, and the presence of David and his family here. Grant that both he and we may serve you in the days ahead, and always rejoice in your glory, and come at length into your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Blessing

May Christ, the Son of God, be manifest in you, that your lives may be a light to the world; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who creates, redeems, and sustains us, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.

Dismissal

 

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

People

Thanks be to God.

 

Post-Dismissal Hymn Our Father, by whose servants (Llangloffan) (H 289)

1 Our Fa - ther, by whose ser - vants our house was built of old. 2 The change-ful years un - rest - ing their si – lent course have sped, 3 They reap not where they la - bored; we reap what they have sown:

whose hand hath crowned her chil - dren with bless-ings man - i - fold, new com-rades ev - er bring - ing in com-rades’ steps to tread: our har – vest may be gar - nered by a – ges yet un - known.

for thine un – fail – ing mer - cies far - strewn a - long our way, and some are long for - got - ten, long spent their hopes and fears; The days of old have dowered us with gifts be – yond all praise:

with all who passed be - fore us, we praise thy Name to - day. safe rest they in thy keep - ing, who chan – gest not with years. our Fa - ther, make us faith - ful to serve the com - ing days.

Postlude: "Largo" S. Drummond Wolfe, arr.

From riteplanning.com.

Copyright © 2021 Church Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.

Serving today:

Ministers of Music: Dennis Flynn, David Klak

Lector: Jim Thurston Litany: Pat Thurston

Presider: Rev. Sr. Diane Stier Junior Warden: Nancy Herman Kinney

Director: Alice CiccuHonoree: David Shirley, Verger and Senior Warden

All music is reprinted with permission. Print and Streaming: OneLicense.net license # A-727547, CCLI #3146185

Prayers are taken or adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, Enriching our Worship, the Book of Occasional Services 2018 and the New Zealand Prayer Book.