Topic: Epiphany Service of the Word
Time: Jan 3, 2021 11:00 AM Dublin
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Killiskey Parish
Sunday 3rd January 2021 @ 11.00am
The Epiphany
SERVICE OF THE WORD
Preparation
GREETING
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
your name is proclaimed in all the world.
The Lord of glory be with you.
The Lord bless you.
INVITATION TO WORSHIP
The Christ child is born!
All you who would find him,
prepare for a journey, as the Magi did.
All you who would praise him,
come with the faith to follow but a star.
All you who would worship him,
come with humility to the child
who shows forth the immeasurable riches of God.
PRAYER OF ADORATION
Almighty Lord God,
you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the light of the world:
We praise and magnify your holy name that in him
you have revealed the wonder of your saving love to all people.
With those of old who brought their tribute to his feet,
confessing him as King of heaven and earth,
we now present the worship of our grateful hearts,
asking you to give us grace to give ourselves to you,
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Opening Hymn: 198 “The first Noel the angel did say”
The first Noel the angel did say
was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
in fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
on a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star
shining in the east, beyond them far;
and to the earth it gave great light,
and so it continued both day and night.
And by the light of that same star
three Wise Men came from country far;
to seek for a king was their intent,
and to follow the star wherever it went.
This star drew nigh to the northwest,
o’er Bethlehem it took its rest;
and there it did both stop and stay,
right over the place where Jesus lay.
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
full reverently upon the knee,
and offered there, in his presence,
their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
PENITENCE
The grace of God has dawned upon the world
through our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who sacrificed himself for us to purify a people as his own.
Let us confess our sins.
Silence
O God, our guide,
who once used a star to lead people to Christ,
we confess our poor sense of direction.
We let ourselves become confused, easily distracted, and lose our way.
We fail to follow the signs you provide.
Forgive our waywardness, O God.
Lead us to the Christ so that we may follow his way to you. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him
while we are walking in darkness,
we lie and do not do what is true;
but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Grateful for the glory revealed through God made flesh, let us pray.
O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
Mercifully grant that we, who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
God of Epiphany,
we long to hear your holy Word in fresh ways.
Open our ears to the call of your voice.
Open our eyes to the dawning of a new day and a new year.
Fill us with anticipation for your future. Amen.
Ministry of the Word
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 60: 1-6
Arise, shine; for your light has,
the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
his glory will appear over.
Nations shall come to your light,
kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far,
your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover,
young camels of Midian and Ephah;
those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
The Psalm: Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-15
1 Give the king your judgements, O God, ♦︎
and your righteousness to the son of a king.
2 Then shall he judge your people righteously ♦︎
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains bring forth peace, ♦︎
and the little hills righteousness for the people.
4 May he defend the poor among the people, ♦︎
deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, ♦︎
from one generation to another.
6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, ♦︎
like the showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall righteousness flourish, ♦︎
and abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute; ♦︎
the kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him; ♦︎
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor that cry out, ♦︎
the needy and those who have no helper.
13 He shall have pity on the weak and poor; ♦︎
he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14 He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, ♦︎
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
unto him may be given gold from Sheba; ♦︎
may prayer be made for him continually
and may they bless him all the day long.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
The Epistle: Ephesians 3: 1-12
This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— for
surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a
reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In
former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed
to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs,
members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me
by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given
to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone
see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through
the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has
carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence
through faith in him.
Hymn before the Gospel: 201 “We three kings of Orient are”
We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high.
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies.
The Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East
came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we
observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this,
he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In
Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of,
by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
is to shepherd my people.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star
had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child;
and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When
they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at
its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had
stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary
his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they
offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to
return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
SERMON
COLLECT OF THE WORD
Radiant Morning Star,
you are both guidance and mystery.
Visit our rest with disturbing dreams
and our journeys with strange companions.
Grace us with the hospitality
to open our hearts and homes
to visitors filled with unfamiliar wisdom
bearing profound and unusual gifts. Amen.
Response
SCRIPTURAL AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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.
Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
The wise men knelt before our Saviour. Let us also worship him with great joy, and make our
prayer to his heavenly Father.
Father, the wise men came from the east to worship your Son:
grant to Christians everywhere a true spirit of adoration.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Father, your Son is the King of kings and Lord of lords:
grant an abundance of peace to your world.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Father, the Holy Family shared the life of the people of Nazareth:
protect in your mercy our neighbours and families, together with the whole community of which
we are part.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Father, your Son was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor: show your love for the poor and
powerless, and strengthen those who suffer.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Father, the wise men presented to your Son gold, incense and myrrh:
accept the gifts we bring, and the offering of our hearts at the beginning of this new year.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Father, you are the King of heaven, the hope of all who trust in you:
give to all the faithful departed the wonders of your salvation.
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of wise men, shepherds, and angels,
and of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph,
we commend ourselves
and all Christian people to your unfailing love. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Let us sum up all our prayers and praises
in the words our Saviour Christ has taught us, 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, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn: 189 “As with gladness men of old”
As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to thee.
As with joyful steps they sped,
Saviour, to thy lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
thee whom heav’n and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.
As they offered gifts most rare
at thy cradle rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly king.
Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
keep us in the narrow way,
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.
Going out as God’s People
ARCHBISHOP’S NEW YEAR’S REFLECTION
DISMISSAL
The light of God’s purposes has shone upon us.
Carry that light into another week.
The star of God’s promises that led us to worship
now leads us to serve in God’s world.
When we have met God in the light,
we cannot dwell comfortably in the shadows.
We cannot enjoy our abundance and wealth
without thanksgiving and generous sharing.
The glory of God shines on you today.
Others will see your radiance and rejoice with you.
We seek God’s peace that we may share it,
God’s wisdom that we may live by it,
in Christ’s name.
Amen.
BLESSING
Christ the Son be manifest to 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,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.