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Baptism Of Our Lord

Worship
Genesis 1:1-5
Acts 19:1-7
Mark 1:4-11
The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B
James R. Wilson
Lectionary Worship Aids
Cycle B, Series IV
First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-5
Theme: Meeting the God of Eternity

Call To Worship
Leader: Trust in the Lord your God who is now and who has always been!
People: For we are limited and our lives span only a moment in eternity.
Leader: But God was before the Creation and will be forever!
People: Our faith is well placed when we rest upon the word of the Lord.
Leader: Then let us give praise that God has reached through time to call us!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

O God, You were before the winds blew or the sun shone, and You will be when the days of time run out, yet You delight in reaching out to each one who would hear Your voice. We praise You, Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, so often as we live life day by day we let our focus drop to only the time at hand and we forget that all of eternity awaits us if we will but place our faith and trust in Your leadership for our lives. Too often we would even compromise what we know to be Your will for the comforts of the moment. Forgive us, Lord, and lead us to keep our focus upon You. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Hymns

"Higher Ground"

"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise"

"Dear Lord, Lead Me Day By Day"

* * * * *

Second Lesson: Acts 19:1-7
Theme: Unified by our Baptism in Christ

Call To Worship
Leader: We celebrate together this day the Christ, our Lord and Savior!
People: For we were once wandering in a world of uncertainty and despair.
Leader: But Christ has given us eternal hope and a life of true joy!
People: And in our Baptism we are united as one with the risen Christ.
Leader: Let our hearts sing with joy and our voices praise our beloved God!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

All-wise and merciful God, through Christ You have made it possible for each and every one of us to walk again with hope and dignity in our hearts and lives! We praise You, O Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, as we are called again to remember our Baptism, we also remember those times when we have taken it and You for granted and lived our lives not as You have called us to live, but focused on our own desires. Forgive us, Lord, and help us keep our eyes upon our commitment to You that You might one day tell us we have been good and faithful followers. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Hymns

"Christ For The World We Sing"

"Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above"

"We've A Story To Tell To The Nations"

* * * * *

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11
Theme: Commitment before the Lord

Call To Worship
Leader: Let the heavens declare the glory of the Lord!
People: Let us give unto the Lord all glory and praise!
Leader: Let our lives declare the glory due to our merciful God!
People: For the voice of God fills our ears with its beauty and strength.
Leader: Let us lift our voices in praise for God's kindness and mercy!
All: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, in Jesus we saw a life of perfect commitment. Even when faced with danger, from His baptism to the cross, Jesus never strayed from Your will. Help us to be faithful, Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Prayer Of Confession

Lord, when we first placed ourselves into Your loving care we knew Your Spirit's power to remake us and claim us for Your own. We promised then to love and follow You, but we have found the way hard. We have often been slow to take our stand for You and at times slow even to accept Your help. Forgive us, Lord, and remake our hearts with love. In Christ we pray. Amen.

Hymns

"Higher Ground"

"More Like The Master"

"More Love To Thee"




UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Baptism of Our Lord
29 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
40 – Children's Sermons / Resources
25 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 2 | OT 2
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
39 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Epiphany 3 | OT 3
30 – Sermons
120+ – Illustrations / Stories
31 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
25 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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For January 25, 2026:

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus called Simon and Andrew, James and John, to follow him. They immediately made their decision and dropped everything, for they knew the importance of their call. When Jesus calls us, do we hear him and do we respond?

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, when I'm busy I find it difficult to hear you.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, when I'm busy, I find it difficult to respond to you.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, when I'm busy I'm not sure whether I want to follow you.
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I remember years ago watching an old film, which I think was "The Nun's Story." The young nun who was the heroine of the story had all sorts of difficulties in relationships with the other nuns. The problem was that she was super-intelligent, and the other nuns resented her. In the end the young nun went to the Mother Superior for advice, and was told that as a sign of humility she should fail her coming exams!

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A Story to Live By: "Angel of Mercy"
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What's Up This Week
by John Sumwalt

C. David Mckirachan
Sandra Herrmann
Contents
"Ordinary Time" by C. David McKirachan
"Who's the Fool?" by C. David McKirachan
"Sharing the Light" by Sandra Herrmann


* * * * * * *


Ordinary Time
by C. David McKirachan
Isaiah 9:1-4

SermonStudio

John N. Brittain
How familiar Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1 sound! Chloe's people had reported quarreling among the believers. Imagine that -- disagreements in a church! There were rivalries and backstabbing even in the very earliest days of the Christian community.
Linda Schiphorst Mccoy
A few years ago, I was on a retreat in northern Michigan, and I knew that some of our friends from home were sailing in the vicinity. One evening I went to the local boat dock, and walked through the lines of boats calling out the names of our friends, hopeful that they might be there. I remember the joy I felt when I yelled their names, and they answered! They were actually there, and they responded to my call!
Dallas A. Brauninger
E-mail
From: KDM
To: God
Subject: In Christ's Name
Message: What on earth will bring us together, God? Lauds, KDM

How long must we wait, God,
for people to stop fighting
nations and nations
buyers and sellers
big ones and little ones
in-laws and relatives
husbands and wives
sisters and brothers
for me to stop fighting with me?
How long must we wait, God,
before we let the Christ Child come here?1
William B. Kincaid, III
In some parts of the country it doesn't matter, but in many areas the snow which falls during this time of the year can bring things to a decisive halt. Schools close. Events are canceled. Travel becomes tricky. If the conditions become severe enough, the decision may be made that not everybody should try to get to work. Only those who are absolutely necessary should report.
R. Glen Miles
"There will be no more gloom." That is how our text begins today. For the ones who were in anguish, glory will replace the gloom. Light will shine in darkness. Celebration will replace oppression. A new day will dawn.

In one sense these verses offer a summary of the overall message of the scriptures, "The darkness will pass. The light of a new day is dawning and there will be joy once again." At the end of the Bible, almost as if the original collectors of these sacred texts intended to remind us again of this word of hope, the Revelation of John tells us:
Robert A. Beringer
After a service of ordination to the Christian ministry, a sad-faced woman came up to the newly-ordained pastor and said, "It's a grand thing you are doing as a young man - giving up the joys of life to serve the Lord." That woman's attitude reflects a commonly held belief that to be serious about our faith means that we expect all joy to be taken out of living. For many, Christianity appears to be a depressing faith, with unwelcome disciplines, that cramps our lifestyle and crushes our spirits.
John T. Ball
All religions offer salvation. Eastern religions offer salvation from the illusion of being separated from ultimate reality - as in Hinduism, or from the pains of desire, as in Buddhism. Nature religions preach a salvation by calling us to realize we are linked to the natural world. Humanistic religions offer a salvation tied to the call to live in dignity and justice without divine aid. The biblical religions - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity - describe salvation in somewhat different ways. Judaism sees salvation primarily as an earthly and corporate affair.
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
Litany Of Confession
P: Discord, dissention, strife,
C: anger, violence, hatred;
P: we confess to you, O God,
C: our schemes, our willful rebellion,
our hidden hostilities toward your children.
P: We confess to you, O God,
C: our lack of trust in your presence,
our need to control, our insatiable appetite for praise.
P: We confess to you, O God,
C: our fear of speaking the truth in love,
our self-hatred, our moments of utter despair
when we no longer believe you are at work in us.
Wayne H. Keller
Adoration And Praise

Invitation to the Celebration
Beverly S. Bailey
Hymns
Canticle Of Light And Darkness (UM205)
To Us A Child Of Hope Is Born (CBH189)
God Of Our Strength (CBH36)
Beneath The Cross Of Jesus (CBH250, UM297, NCH190, PH92)
In The Cross Of Christ I Glory (CBH566, UM295, NCH193--194, PH84)
Lord, You Have Come To The Lakeshore (CBH229, NCH173, PH377, UM344)
Where Cross The Crowded Ways Of Life (PH408, CBH405, UM42, NCH543)
Jesus Calls Us, O'er The Tumult (UM398, NCH171--172, CBH398)

Anthems

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
In 1882 George MacDonald wrote a fascinating story that powerfully illumines the thought behind today's lectionary passages. MacDonald called his tale "The Day Boy and the Night Girl: the Romance of Photogen and Nycteris" (it is available online at http://www.ccel.org/m/macdonald/daynight/daynight.html). In MacDonald's fable a witch steals a newborn girl and raises her in the total darkness of a cave. The witch experiences both light and darkness, but not the girl. She is completely immersed in the black world.
Wayne Brouwer
"Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous!" said Winston Churchill. "In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times."

In one of his essays, Albert Camus describes a powerful scene. John Huss, the great Czech reformer of the church, is on trial. His accusers twist all his ideas out of shape. They refuse to give him a hearing. They maneuver the political machine against him and incite popular passion to a lynch-mob frenzy. Finally, Huss is condemned to be burned at
David Kalas
Schuyler Rhodes
I was in the home of a church member the other day where I saw a marvelous family portrait. The picture had been taken on the occasion of a fiftieth wedding anniversary, and the entire family had gathered for the occasion. The celebrating husband and wife were seated in the center of the picture, flanked by their adult children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. It was a magnificent full-color illustration of God's design.

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