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January 15, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
THE SECOND
SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
Today’s readings focus both on the identity of Jesus as
the Lamb of God and the call of God to be Jesus’ disciples.
FIRST
READING: Jesus is called the Father’s Son, the Lamb of God and
the servant of God. Isaiah, in speaking for the servant, says, ‘The LORD called
me before I was born…’ The servant is at once Israel as a people, and Jesus as
the representative of the people. The servant will be given as a light to the
nations of the world, to bring them into relation with the God of Israel.
SECOND
READING: Paul uses the word ‘call’ three times in the opening of
his first letter to the Corinthians. They are ‘called’ to be saints, that is,
to be sanctified (made holy). The church together ‘calls’ on the name of Jesus
Christ. God has ‘called’ the Corinthians into the fellowship of his Son. (1
Corinthians 1:1-9)
GOSPEL: John the
Baptist obeys God’s call to witness to the Lamb who baptizes with the Holy
Spirit. Jesus calls his own from John’s disciples, who follow him. The
re-naming of Simon as ‘Peter’ signifies that now he is a new person whose
identity is bound up with Christ. (John 1:29-42)
Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes away our sin by his
spotless offering on the cross. In baptism, we are called to follow Jesus and
we share in the Spirit in which he baptizes. God is faithful and will
strengthen us to the end. We give thanks for his call, and seek ever more to
serve him in faith, hope, and love in everything we do.
OPENING MUSIC
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Stand
The
sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
In the name of the Father, and of the X Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Almighty
God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom 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 Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
If we
say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we
confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Most
merciful God,
we confess that we are in bondage to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
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.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have
mercy on us. Forgive us,
renew us, and lead us, so that we may
delight in your will and walk
in your ways, to the glory of your holy
name. Amen
Almighty God, in his mercy, has
given his Son to die for us and, for his
sake, forgives us all our sins. As
a called and ordained minister of the
Church of Christ, and by his
authority, I therefore declare to you the
entire forgiveness of all your
sins, in the name of the Father, and of the X
Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
I will go to the altar
of God;
the
God of my joy and gladness.
WHymn LBW 77 O One with God the Father
1 O one with God the Father
in majesty and might,
the brightness of his glory,
eternal Light of light:
to gloomy haunts of darkness
your rays are streaming down;
the shadows flee before you,
the world’s true light has come.
2 Yet, Lord, we see but dimly,
O heav’nly Light, arise;
dispel these mists that shroud us
and hide you from our eyes.
We long to track the footprints
where you yourself have trod;
we long to see the pathway
that leads to you, our God.
3 O Jesus, shine around us
with radiance of your grace;
O Jesus, turn upon us
the brightness of your face.
We need no star to guide us,
as on our way we press,
if you will light our pathway,
O Sun of righteousness.
Text: William W. How, 1823-1897, alt.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you
all.
And also
with you. 2 Corinthians 13:13
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Lord be
with you.
And also with you.
Merciful
God,
you sent
your Son, the spotless Lamb,
to take
upon himself the sin of the world.
Make our
lives holy,
that your
Church may bear witness to your purpose
of
reconciling all things in Christ,
who lives
and reigns with you
in the
unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and forever.
Amen
God is faithful;
by him we were called into the fellowship of his Son.
Let us hear the
Word of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Sit
FIRST READING Isaiah
49:1-7
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.
2He 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.
3And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4But I said, “I have labored 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.”
5And 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 honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
6he 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.”
7Thus 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.”
the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 40:1-12
Antiphon
1 I waited patiently up- | on the Lord;*
he
stooped to me and | heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the |
mire and clay;*
he
set my feet upon a high cliff and made my | footing sure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise | to
our God;*
many
shall see, and stand in awe,
and
put their trust | in the Lord.
4 Happy are they who trust | in the Lord!*
They
do not resort to evil spirits or turn | to false gods.
5 Great
things are they that you have done, O Lord
my God!
How great your
wonders and your | plans for us!*
There
is none who can be com- | pared with you.
6 Oh, that I could make them | known and tell them!*
But
they are more than | I can count.
7 In sacrifice and offering you | take no pleasure;*
you
have given me | ears to hear you;
8 burnt-offering and sin-offering you have | not
required,*
and
so I said, "Be- | hold, I come.
9 In the roll of the book it is written con- | cerning
me:*
'I
love to do your will, O my God; your law is deep | in my heart.'"
10 I
proclaimed righteousness in the great | congregation;*
behold,
I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O | Lord,
you know.
11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I
have spoken of your faithfulness and | your deliverance;*
I
have not concealed your love and faithfulness
from
the great | congregation.
12 You are the Lord;
do not withhold your com- | passion from me;*
let
your love and your faithfulness keep me | safe forever.
SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
1Paul, called to be an apostle of
Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in
every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and
ours:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of
God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you
have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind—6just
as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—7so that
you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that
you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is
faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord.
the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE Isaiah 49:3 Setting by David Schack
Alleluia. The Lord said to me: You are my servant in
whom I will be glorified. Alleluia.
Gospel John 1:29-42
The Holy Gospel according to St. John. Glory to you, O Lord.
29[John the Baptist] saw Jesus
coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world!30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who
ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know
him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed
to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I 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.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is
the Son of God.”
35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and
as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37The
two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When
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?” 39He 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. 40One of the two who heard John speak and
followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his
brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated
Anointed). 42He 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).
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
Sermon
WHYMN OF THE DAY LBW 87
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
his reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
to set the captive free,
to take away transgression
and rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
to those who suffer wrong,
to help the poor and needy,
and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
were precious in his sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
upon the fruitful earth;
and love, joy, hope, like flowers,
spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains
shall peace, the herald, go;
and righteousness in fountains
from hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before him,
and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
his praise all people sing.
To him shall prayer unceasing
and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771-1854
CONFESSION
OF FAITH Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the
Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit
and born of the
virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius
Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at
the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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
Called as
disciples to prayer and praise, let us pray in the Spirit to the Father.
Silence is kept.
Holy God,
call your Church into the way of discipleship. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
enrich our congregation in every spiritual gift. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
strengthen pastors to testify to the Lamb of God upon whom the Spirit rests. Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
give peace in the world and in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
have mercy upon all who are in need.
The pastor reads the names submitted for prayer.
The People may intercede for others aloud or in silence.
Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
strengthen us to the end, that with the saints we may be blameless on the day
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Holy God,
receive these prayers and petitions through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
PEACE
The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.
The People exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY
John 2:11, 10 Setting by Henry V. Gerike
Jesus manifested his glory, and his disciples believed
in him. Everyone serves the good wine first, but you have saved the good wine
until now.
Father, look upon the face of Jesus Christ your Son,
who gave up his life to set all people
free.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
may your name be great among the nations,
and in every place a pure sacrifice of praise be offered to your glory.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God;
you
are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.
You so loved the world that you gave your only Son,
that
whoever believes in him
may not
perish but have eternal life.
Having come into the world, he fulfilled for us your
holy will
and
accomplished our salvation.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our
Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke
it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and
gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering, therefore, his salutary command,
his
life-giving Passion and death,
his
glorious resurrection and ascension,
and his
promise to come again,
we
give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
not
as we ought, but as we are able;
and
we implore you mercifully
to accept
our praise and thanksgiving,
and,
with your Word and Holy Spirit,
to bless
us, your servants,
and
these your own gifts of bread and wine;
that
we and all who share
in the body
and blood of your Son
may
be filled with heavenly peace and joy,
and,
receiving the forgiveness of sin,
may be
sanctified in soul and body,
and
have our portion with all your saints.
All honor and glory are yours, O God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit,
in your
holy Church, now and forever.
Amen
In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave
us.
By
the power of the Spirit,
we
pray to his Father, saying:
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
Matthew
6:9-15
Here is the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world.
Happy are we who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say
the word and I shall be healed.
John
1:29; Revelation 9:19; Luke 7:6-7
We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Choir Jesus Calls Us
Text/ Cecil Frances
Alexander;
Music/ New Harp of Columbus, 1867;
arr. K. Lee Scott
Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless
sea;
day by day his sweet
voice sounding, saying, “Christian, follow me!’
As of old the apostles heard it by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and
toil and kindred, leaving all for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden
store,
from each idol that
would keep us, saying, “Christian, love me more!’
In our joys and in our sorrows. days of toil and hours of
ease,
still he calls, in
cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love me
more than these!”
Jesus calls us! By your mercies, Savior, may we hear your
call,
give our hearts to
your obedience, serve and love you best of all!
Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless
sea;
day by day his sweet
voice sounding, saying, “Christian, follow me!”
When all have received, the People
stand at the direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Lord of all time and eternity,
you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father
in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son:
by the power of your Spirit
complete the heavenly work of our rebirth
through the waters of the new creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Sit
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY
Stand
Silence for meditation.
BENEDICTION
God the Father,
who led the wise men
by the shining of a star
to find the Christ,
the Light from Light,
lead you in your pilgrimage
to find the Lord.
Amen
God the Son,
of whom the prophets
foretold
and to whom John witnessed,
call you into his
fellowship and make you holy.
Amen
God the Holy Spirit,
who came upon the
beloved Son
at his baptism in the
Jordan,
pour out his gifts on
you
who have come to the
waters of new birth.
Amen
Almighty
God, Father, X Son, and Holy
Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen
WCLOSING HYMN LBW 263
Abide with Us, Our Savior
1 Abide with us, our Savior,
nor let your mercy cease;
from Satan’s might defend us,
and grant our souls release.
2 Abide with us, our Savior,
sustain us by your word;
that we with all your people
to life may be restored.
3 Abide among us always,
Lord, with your faithfulness;
O Jesus, leave us never,
but help us in distress.
4 Abide with us, our Savior,
O Light of endless light,
bestow on us your blessings,
and save us by your might.
Text: Josua Stegmann, 1588-1632; tr. unknown, sts. 1-2, 4; F. W. Detterer, st. 3; alt.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Lutheran Book of Worship Daily Scripture Readings
Monday, January 16: Isaiah 44:6-8, 21-23; Ephesians 4:1-16; Mark 3:7-19a
Tuesday,
January 17: Isaiah
44:9-20; Ephesians 4:17-32; Mark 3:19b-35
Wednesday,
January 18: Isaiah
44:24-45:7; Ephesians 5:1-14; Mark 4:1-20
Thursday,
January 19: Isaiah 45:5-17;
Ephesians 5:15-33; Mark 4:21-34
Friday,
January 20: Isaiah
45:18-25; Ephesians 6:1-9; Mark 4:35-41
Saturday,
January 21: Isaiah
46:1-13; Ephesians 6:10-24; Mark 5:1-20
Sunday, January 22: Isaiah 47:1-15; Hebrews 10:19-31; John 5:2-18
From
Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted
by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Additional
liturgical material from Common Worship: Times and Seasons, copyright the
Church of England.
John the Baptist Identifies Jesus as
the Lamb of God, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt
Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=29353 [retrieved January 9, 2023].
Original source: image donated by Jim Womack and Anne Richardson.
Agnus Day appears with the permission
of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:30 am
