January 9, 2022 Epiphany Sunday - Gower Street United Church is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, age
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Gower Street United Church is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, age,
ability, cultural background, or sexual orientation.
January 9, 2022
Epiphany Sunday
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We respectfully acknowledge the land on which we live, work and worship as the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk,
whose culture has been lost forever and can never be recovered. We also acknowledge the island of Ktaqmkuk
(Newfoundland) as the unceded, traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi'kmaq. And we acknowledge Labrador as
the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Innu of Nitassinan, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut, and the Inuit of NunatuKavut.
We recognize all First Peoples who were here before us, those who live with us now, and the seven generations to
come. As First Peoples have done since time immemorial, we strive to be responsible stewards of the land and respect
the cultures, ceremonies, and traditions of all who call it home. As we open our hearts and minds to the past, we commit
ourselves to working in a spirit of truth and reconciliation to make a better future for all.
Minister: The Rev. Pamela Jones-Fitzgerald
Pastoral Care Minister: The Rev. Ettie Gordon-Murray
Youth & Family Ministry: The Rev. Rebecca Pike
Minister Emeritus: The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy
Music Ministry: Dr. D. Dunsmore Organist: R. Carl Goulding
Youth Choir: Dana Collins
Band Director: Ron Collins
Band Director Emeritus: Dr. Edsel Bonnell
Custodian: David Noseworthy Board Chair: Patrick GriffinBold indicates unison.
The projected text in white is a communal response.
THE SPIRIT GATHERS US IN
Voluntary
Words of Welcome:
No matter who you are, where you come from, how you come to be here, what you believe or what
you are questioning, you are welcome in fullness.
Life and Work of Gower
Lighting of the Christ Candle:
A story is told that once, long, long ago, a group of magi brought gifts to Jesus, valuable gifts of
gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We, too, bring our gifts to Jesus, some tangible and some intangible.
As we have reached the end of the Christmas Season and move into the New Year and the season
of epiphany, we think of
The gifts of hope (candle is lit),
The gifts of peace (candle is lit),
The gifts of joy (candle is lit),
The gifts of love (candle is lit),
The gift of Jesus Christ, reflected in our daily lives, our choices, our actions, our way of living and
loving (light candle)
May the gifts of our faith be brought alive in worship today.
May the gifts of our faith be shared every day of the New Year.
May the light of Christ shine bold and daring in our hearts and our lives as we make our way.
We sing: I Am The Light of the World VU 87
Refrain: 'I am the light of the world!
You people come and follow me!'
If you follow and love you'll learn the mystery
of what you were meant to do and be.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and the shepherds have found
their way home,
the work of Christmas is begun: R
To find the lost and lonely one,
to heal the broken soul with love,
to feed the hungry children with warmth
and good food,
to feel the earth below, the sky above! R
To free the prisoner from all chains,
to make the powerful care,
to rebuild the nations with strength of good will,
to see God's children everywhere! RTo bring hope to every task you do,
to dance at a baby's new birth,
to make music in an old person's heart,
and sing to the colours of the earth! R
(The light of Christ is transferred from the advent wreath to the Christ Candle).
Gathering Words:
We follow a great light;
the light that shines in the shadowed places of creation.
But there is another light:
the light that is the spark of the Divine in each of us.
So then let our light shine
and chase away the shadows.
Come, let us worship God.
Gathering Prayer:
As the sun rises to be the light of this physical world,
so you rise before us to be the light for our spiritual path.
Give us the assurance that you have placed along the path
all that we will need to meet the challenges of this day.
In expectation, we await discovering you. Amen.
We sing: We Three Kings of Orient Are John Hopkins
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 night, 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.
O Star of wonder, Star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.
Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a Deity nigh.
Pray’r and praising all men raising, Worship Him, God most high.
O Star of wonder, Star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.
Glorious now behold, Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Earth to heav’n replies.
O Star of wonder, Star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.
We sing: Circle Song
Come and join the circle, come and take my hand.
Come and join the circle, come and be my friend.
Gather round and see what the world can be.Come and join the circle, come and share God's word with me.
Circle Time
We sing: Good King Wenceslas Arr. John Stainer
Good King Wenceslas look’d out
On the feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about,
Deep and crisp and even:
Brightly shone the moon that night,
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight,
Gathering winter fuel.
“Hither, page and stand by me,
If thou knowest it; telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence,
By Saint Agnes’ fountain”
“Bring me flesh, and bring me wine,
Bring me pine logs hither;
Thou and I will see him dine,
When we bear them thither.”
Page and monarch forth they went,
Forth they went together;
Through the rude wind’s wild lament,
And the bitter weather.
“Sire, the night is darker now,
And the wind blows stronger;
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.”
Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure,
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor,
Shall yourselves find blessing.LISTENING TO THE STORY
Prayer for Illumination:
As we sit here in this sacred space, which is lit with the light that represents our God and Savior
Jesus Christ, we long to receive the words of how he came to be the light for the world. Loving
God, grant us the wisdom to accept and understand these words and stories that light the
way of our Christian journey. Amen
A reading from the Hebrew Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6
Arise, shine, for your light has come.
Responsive Psalm: Psalm 72 (Parts one and two) VU p. 790
A reading from the Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
The visit of the magi.
Ministry of Music
Meditation
An Epiphany Prayer VU 88
We sing: Will You Come and See the Light? VU 96
Will you come and see the light from the stable door?
It is shining newly bright, though it shone before.
It will be your guiding star,
it will show you who you are;
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you step into the light that can free the slave?
It will stand for what is right, it will heal and save.
By the pyramids of greed
there's a longing to be freed;
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you tell about the light in the prison cell?
Though it's shackled out of sight, it is shining well.
When the truth is cut and bruised,
and the innocent abused,
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you join the hope, alight in the young girl's eyes,
of the mighty put to flight by a baby's cries?
When the lowest and the least
are the foremost at the feast,
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?
Will you travel by the light of the babe new born?
In the candle lit at night there's a gleam of dawn,
and the darkness all about
is too dim to put it out:
will you hide, or decide to meet the light?COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND SHARING GOD'S LOVE THROUGH OUR
MINISTRY
The collection plates are located near the sanctuary doors. You are invited to place your offerings
there when you arrive or leave.
Gathering our Gifts:
We remember those who brought gifts, gifts that were special and unique, gifts that were part of the
culture of their day, gifts meant to show the importance and significance of the birth of Jesus. Now
is our opportunity to respond with our gifts of significance that show how we seek to live the
teachings of Jesus and share the love of Christ, in our community, in our region, and our
world through Mission and Service. The gifts we now give show how valuable the birth of
the baby Jesus really is in our lives and the lives of others we meet and serve.
We sing: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow VU 541
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures high and low;
give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word and Spirit, One.
Offering Prayer:
Loving God, like the magi, we bring our gifts. We bring the work of our hands and hearts. We
bring a portion of our material wealth. We pray that these gifts may be utilized in your work
and multiplied by your grace. Amen.
Prayers for our world and prayer of Jesus
Loving God, we come before you burdened as we move into a new year.
We remember words and actions that have hurt family members and friends. We remember
words and actions that have hurt us. We remember grudges we hold. (a time of reflection)
We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
Loving God, we come before you burdened as we move into a new year.
We remember opportunities missed, regrets we hold, and persons forgotten this year. (a time
of reflection)
We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
Loving God, we come before you burdened as we move into a new year.
We remember talents misused, abilities neglected, and mistakes not accepted. (a time of
reflection)
We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
Loving God, we come before you burdened as we move into a new year.
We remember guilt, shame, and doubt that have held us back. (a time of reflection)
We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
Loving God, we come before you burdened as we move into a new year.
We remember situations that have overwhelmed and experiences that have pulled
us down. (a time of reflection)
We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
Rejoice and sing, your burden has been laid down. This new year invites you to a new way in the
spirit of Jesus Christ.We sing: O brother, lets go down, lets go down, come on down. O sister, come on down,
down to the river to pray.
We have laid down our burdens. By the grace we know in Christ, we are unburdened.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
WE GO OUT INTO THE WORLD
We sing: Go to the World VU 420
Go to the world! Go into all the earth.
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life's worth,
baptising as the sign of our rebirth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go into every place.
Go live the Word of God's redeeming grace.
Go seek God's presence in each time and space.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go struggle, bless and pray;
the nights of tears give way to joyous day.
As servant Church, you follow Christ's own way.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Go to the world! Go as the ones I send,
for I am with you 'til the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry 'Amen!'
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We go out into the world: We entered worship, aware of the light of God that shines through the
life of Jesus Christ. And now we depart. We carry that light of truth into the world to share
and inspire. Amen.
We sing: A Light Is Gleaming (refrain) VU 82
A light is gleaming, spreading its arms
throughout the night, living in the light.
Come share its gladness, God's radiant love
is burning bright, living in the light.
Organ Postlude
Worship today was inspired by Gathering, Advent, Christmas & Epiphany, Year C, 2018-2019 and
2021-2022.
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