The Presbyterian Church at Woodbury
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 6, 2022
Worship Notes
WELCOME
OPENING PRAYER
Faithful God, we come into Your presence with thanksgiving, deeply grateful for the unfailing love and faithfulness You have shown toward us, Your people. When we call out to You, You answer. When we are exhausted, You give us the strength to go on. When we find ourselves in trouble, You are there, standing beside us. And so, we come before Your gratitude and praise, offering You the worship of our hearts and lives. Open our eyes to see and know You here among us; open our ears to recognize Your voice. And then send us out from here, to live and work in the world as Your faithful disciples. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
PRELUDE “Peace Reigns Within” Gerald Peterson
CALL TO WORSHIP
Hear the voice of the Lord, saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
People of God, let us respond,
“Here am I; send me!”
*HYMN No. 682 “It Is Good to Sing Your Praises”
1 It is good to sing your praises
and to thank you, O Most High,
showing forth your loving kindness
when the morning lights the sky.
It is good when night is falling
of your faithfulness to tell,
while with sweet, melodious praises
songs of adoration swell.
2 You have filled my heart with gladness
through the works your hands have wrought;
you have made my life victorious;
great your works and deep your thought.
You, O Lord, on high exalted,
reign forevermore in might;
all your enemies shall perish,
sin be banished from your sight.
3 But the good shall live before you,
planted in your dwelling place,
fruited trees and ever verdant,
nourished by your boundless grace.
In his goodness to the righteous
God his righteousness displays;
God, my rock, my strength and refuge,
just and true are all your ways.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
As we stand in the presence of God, let us confess the ways we have strayed and failed in faithfulness.
*CONFESSION OF SIN
God, you call us to humble service, to love our neighbors and our enemies, to do justice and offer mercy. But we do not respond as we should. We pretend we do not hear your call. We excuse ourselves from Christian work, citing self-doubt and fear. Our desire for comfort outweighs our desire to do your will. Forgive us, God. Have mercy upon us. Return us to you and your way. Amen.
*SILENT PRAYER
*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
“Your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen.
*RESPONSE No. 606 “Gloria Patri”
Praise God, from whom all blessing flow, Praise God, all creatures here below. Alleluia, Alleluia Praise God in Jesus fully known; Creator, Word and Spirit one. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
Our peace comes from knowing how much God loves us in Jesus Christ. With God’s help, we try to love and forgive one another as Christ loves and forgives us.
“The peace of Christ be with you,”
“And also with you.”
ANTHEM “O God Unseen, Yet Ever Near” Hal Hopson
1 O God, unseen yet ever near,
thy presence may we feel;
and, thus inspired with holy fear,
before thine altar kneel.
2 Here may thy faithful people know
the blessings of thy love,
the streams that through the desert flow,
the manna from above.
3 We come, obedient to thy word,
to feast on heav’nly food;
our meat the body of the Lord,
our drink his precious blood.
4 Thus may we all thy word obey,
for we, O God, are thine;
and go rejoicing on our way,
renewed with strength divine.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
You call us through your Word read and proclaimed, Holy God. May our eyes be opened and our hearts willing to follow where your Spirit leads. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 6:1-8
6In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke.
5And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Luke 5:1-11
5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
SERMON “Be Church” Elise Bates Russell
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Apostles’ Creed
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN No. 518 “Your Only Son”
1 Your only Son, no sin to hide,
but you have sent him from your side
to walk upon this guilty sod,
and to become the Lamb of God.
Refrain:
O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God,
I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in his precious blood,
my Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
2 Your gift of love, we crucified;
we laughed and scorned him as he died;
the humble King we named a fraud
and sacrificed the Lamb of God. (Refrain)
3 I was so lost, I should have died,
but you have brought me to your side
to be led by your staff and rod,
and to be called a lamb of God. (Refrain)
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE
Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God! They will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.
According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with his disciples, he took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. This is the Lord’s table. Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which he has prepared.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, eternal God, our creator. You have given us life and second birth in your Spirit. Once we were no people, but now we are your people. You claimed Israel as your chosen nation and raised up the church as a witness to the resurrection, breathing into it your life and power. From worlds apart, you gathered us together. When we go astray, you welcome us home. Always, your love has been steadfast.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the choirs of heaven and with all the faithful of every time and place who forever sing to the glory of your name: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. You are holy, O God of majesty, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
In love with you and in compassion for all, Jesus healed and taught, challenged and comforted, welcomed and saved. He formed a community, promising to be with his disciples wherever two or three were gathered, and sending them on his mission of hope and healing in the world. Jesus trusted his life to you, and went freely to his death, so the world might be set free from suffering and sin. You raised him from death and raise us also to live a new life with him. In the power of the Holy Spirit, you send us out to make disciples as he commanded.
Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ. Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves, that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen.
Great is the mystery of faith.
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name, that we may be one in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.
O God, today you have called us together to be the church. Unite us now at your table, and in one loaf and a common cup, make us one in Christ Jesus. Let your Spirit empower the life we share and ignite our witness in the world. With all who have gone before us, keep us faithful to the gospel teachings and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Give us strength to serve you until the promised day of the resurrection, when with the redeemed of all the ages we will feast with you at your table in glory. Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
As Christ our Savior taught us, we are bold to pray:
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
The Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread, and after giving thanks to God,
he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me. Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the saving death of the risen Lord, until he comes.
COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Gracious God, may we who have received this sacrament live in the unity of your Holy Spirit, that we may show forth your gifts to all the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TITHES & OFFERINGS
Friends, out of the abundance we have been given, let us present our tithes and offerings to the Lord.
OFFERTORY
*RESPONSE
Praise God, from whom all blessing flow, Praise God, all creatures here below. Alleluia, Alleluia Praise God in Jesus fully known; Creator, Word and Spirit one. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God, you call us to Christ’s mission and ministry. Bless these gifts that they might spread the hope of your good news, feed the hungry, shelter the poor, comfort the suffering, and free the captives. Bless us, also, so that our lives conform to the radical love to which you call and expect of us. Amen.
*HYMN No. 757
1 Today we all are called to be
disciples of the Lord,
to help to set the captive free,
make plowshare out of sword,
to feed the hungry, quench their thirst,
make love and peace our fast,
to serve the poor and homeless first,
our ease and comfort last.
2 God made the world and at its birth
ordained our human race
to live as stewards of the earth,
responding to God’s grace.
But we are vain and sadly proud;
we sow not peace but strife.
Our discord spreads a deadly cloud
that threatens all of life.
3 Pray justice may come rolling down
as in a mighty stream,
with righteousness in field and town
to cleanse us and redeem.
For God is longing to restore
an earth where conflicts cease,
a world that was created for
a harmony of peace.
4 May we in service to our God
act out the living word,
and walk the road the saints have trod
till all have seen and heard.
As stewards of the earth may we
give thanks in one accord
to God who calls us all to be
disciples of the Lord.
*BENEDICTION
The Presbyterian Church at Woodbury
67 S. Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
856-845-1244
www.pcwoodbury.com
CALENDAR
Sunday, February 6 9:30 am
10:30 am
11:00 amWORSHIP with Elise Russell
Fellowship
Christian Education
Monday, February 7 7:00 pm Task Force Meeting
Tuesday, February 8 6;30 pm
7:00 pmCub Scout Meeting
Chess Club
Wednesday, February 9 9:30 am
7:00 pmStaff Meeting
Al-anon Meetings
Thursday, February 10 5:30 pm COMMUNITY DINNER
Friday, February 11 Church Office Closed Church Office CLosed
Saturday, February 12
Sunday, February 13 9:30 am
10:30 am
11:00 amWORSHIP
Fellowship
Christian Education
Elise Bates Russell, Executive Director of Camp Johnsonburg
Elise Bates Russell currently serves as the executive director of Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center, serving youth, families, non-profit and corporate groups with leadership development, teambuilding, retreats, outdoor education and missional opportunities. Her education includes a degree from the College of Wooster and a Masters in architecture from the University of Michigan. Her passions include leadership development, healthy governance, effective teams and cultural diversity. Elise enjoys hikes with her family, travel, hearing new ideas, being outdoors and meeting people!
SUNDAY SCHOOL BLOCK SCHEDULE
Church School classes for children and youth will resume in February. Classes will be: February 6, February 13, February 20, and February 27.
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Cheryl Kier and family, Peggy Shirey and family, Joann Brodrick, Joe and Kathy Federici, Dick Hill, Joyce Edwards, Charlotte Nelson, Janet Muhm, Judy Fetty, and Sally Hanna-Schafer. A reminder to keep our military personnel in your prayers, including Jonathan Gabler, Nathan Wadding, Cameron Wadding, Jarrod Fetty, and Wesley Tatham.
0 Comments