With a 20-minute sermon and distribution of communion to an average-sized church, this liturgy is about 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. If the Holy Spirit moves in an unexpected way (e.g., there is an extended time of testimonies), parts of the service such as the song after the Sanctus and the Prayer After Communion may be omitted at the discretion of the Minister. It is recommended that announcements be saved until the end of the service, after the Doxology or after the Benediction and Sending.
For prelude music, the Epiphany Playlist may be used. For a processional hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” may be used.
THE ACCLAMATION
Blessed be God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The Lord has brought us together once again on this holy day to worship his holy name. Let us come with joy. Let us come with reverence. And let us come with contrite hearts. For as Psalm 15 says, the one who would ascend to God’s holy hill must walk blamelessly; do what is right; speak truth in his heart; restrain his tongue from evil; do no evil to his neighbor; despise the wicked; honor the righteous; and walk in justice towards his fellow man.
Let us pray.
OPENING PRAYER
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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.
THE SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
THE KYRIE, TRISAGION, AND GLORIA PATRI
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Holy God, holy and mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
PRAYER BEFORE THE LESSONS
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Let’s listen attentively to the Word of the Lord.
THE FIRST LESSON
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah, Chapter 6, at the first verse:
Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3 “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.” 6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM
Psalm 15 may be read responsively or sung in metrical form.
O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE SECOND LESSON
A reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 1, at the 18th verse:
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
HYMNS
Hymn numbers from “Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.”
- Shine, Jesus, Shine (217)
- Seek Ye First (341)
Alternatively, “Take My Life” May be sung after the sermon.
THE GOSPEL READING
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 5, at the 1st verse:
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
THE SERMON
The Minister expounds and exhorts from one or more of the Scripture lessons. Recommended sermon length: 20 minutes.
THE CREED
Let us confess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Prayer is offered for the local and universal Church, the nations of the world, their rulers, Christian ministers, the spread of the gospel, the work of the great commission, and all who are in trouble, sorrow, need, or sickness. For sample prayer liturgies, see “The Prayers of the People (Congregational Prayer).”
THE INVITATION
Brothers and sisters, Jesus offers himself to all who are poor in spirit and mourn for their sins. If you truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from this point forward in his holy ways; draw near with faith, and take this holy sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God.
THE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and lament our many sins, which we have, from time to time, most grievously committed, by thought, word, and deed, against your divine majesty. We earnestly repent, and are sincerely sorry for our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous to us. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in your great mercy you have promised forgiveness to all who turn to you with sincere repentance and true faith. Have mercy upon us; pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COMFORTING WORDS AND THE PEACE
Our Savior speaks comforting words to all who truly turn to him: Come unto me, all you that are burdened and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Peace be with you.
And also with you.
THE OFFERTORY
Before or during the offertory, a song may be played or sung, and a time may be observed for the People to greet one another in the name of the Lord, extending peace and reconciliation (Matthew 5:23–24).
THE SURSUM CORDA AND THE SANCTUS
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks unto our God.
It is fitting and right to do so.
O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, it is very fitting, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto you through Jesus Christ our Lord, who took on our mortal flesh to reveal his glory; that he might bring us out of darkness and into his glorious light. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you, and saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Glory be to you, O Lord most high. Amen.
SONG AFTER THE SANCTUS
THE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Almighty God, our heavenly Father; of your tender mercy, you gave your only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption. By once offering himself there, he made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, offering, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.
So now, most merciful Father, we humbly ask you to bless and sanctify, with your Word and Spirit, these gifts of bread and wine; and grant that we may receive them according to the holy institution of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, in remembrance of his death and passion, and be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.
In the same night that he was betrayed, he took* bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake* it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this* is my Body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise after Supper he took* the Cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink you all of this; for this* is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins: Do this as often as you shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your 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 yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MINISTRATION
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us, and grant us your peace.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Ministers receive the Bread and Cup, and then deliver it to the people, saying,
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, [which was given for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your heart by faith, with thanksgiving.]
The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, [which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.]
Or, the Minister may say,
The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven.
The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.
If the consecrated bread or wine is consumed before all have communed, the Minister consecrates more, repeating the Prayer of Consecration. When all have communed, the Minister covers what remains of the consecrated elements with a fair linen cloth.
THE POST COMMUNION PRAYER
Nourished with these sacred gifts, we humbly entreat your mercy, O Lord, that, faithfully listening to your only begotten Son, we may be your children in name and in truth. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE DOXOLOGY
The Doxology may be sung without introduction.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
THE BLESSING AND SENDING
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.