Hampstead Congregational Church UCC

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Hampstead Congregational Church

January 19, 2025

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey,

You are Welcome Here!

Order of Worship

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Order of Worship

Greetings and Announcements

Call to Worship                                                                                                  Debra Sawyer

Leader:  "We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."  (MLK: "Letter from a Birmingham Jail.")

People:  We have chosen to take time this morning to praise God, to listen for God’s word and to allow ourselves to be shaped by God’s love.

Leader:  "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  (MLK: Strength to Love, 1963)

People:  We gather seeking strength, courage and wisdom to discern God’s calling in these days.

Leader: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"  (MLK: 1957 speech in Montgomery, Alabama)

People:  We come before God to reflect on how we serve.

Leader:  "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."  (MLK:  "Letter from a Birmingham Jail.")

People:  We come together in community seeking a sense of connection with one another.

Leader:  "True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."  (MLK:   Stride Toward Freedom, 1957).

People : "Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love."  ("Where Do We Go From Here?" 1967)

Leader:  "We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope."  (MLK:  "I Have A Dream" speech)

People:  “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”  ("Where Do We Go From Here?" address.)

Gathering Prayer:   (unison)                                                              Debra Sawyer

     Magnificent God, we come to draw near to you. Your presence among us sustains and challenges us. In you, we find strength and surprises. May the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the word proclaimed, and the lives touched honor your name. We give you glory and honor. We welcome you and pray that your spirit shapes us with fresh wind, power, and compassion. Amen.

Passing of the Peace of Christ 

(Feel free to pass the peace by shaking hands, offering hugs or waves.  Those who would like to share peace without physical contact are invited to place their hands over their hearts in greeting.)

Opening Hymn: 

Scripture Readings:  John 2: 1-11 (NSRVUE)                                      Debra Sawyer

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to me and to you?  My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ⁶ Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the person in charge of the banquet.” So they took it. ⁹ When the person in charge tasted the water that had become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), that person called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Children’s Message                                                       Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

Sermon:  "180 Gallons of Grace"                                                       

Special Music

Call for Concerns & Celebrations

Pastoral Prayer                                                                 Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

The Lord’s Prayer:

     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, the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Call to Offering

*Doxology:   NC #779

Prayer of Dedication                                                           Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin

     Merciful One, with grateful hearts we offer these gifts, asking that they might be transformed into compassion for our world, hope for all who struggle, and vision for our ministry. Amen.

Hymn of Going Forth:  NC #593 “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (vs 1 & 3)

Benediction                                                                            Rev. Paige Besse-Rankin                 

     Dr King preached:  “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

(From his 1968 "The Drum Major Instinct" sermon.)

        Let us go from this place as those whose souls have been generated by God’s love, as those who know the grace of Christ and allow it to overflow our hearts into a world in need, as those who serve.  Go in peace!

Music Usage permitted through OneLicense HCC License # A-730412 and CCLI License Number 2927783. All rights reserved.

Announcements…

Save the Date - Annual Meeting Coming Soon -- Our 272^nd Annual Meeting will be held on February 9, 2025, following worship.  Please plan to attend this special event in the life of our congregation. Stay tuned for the annual report and more information.

Call for Nominations for HCC Officers - HCC Members:  One of the key agenda items at our upcoming Annual Meeting is the election of officers for 2025.  

The officers include Collector; Treasurer; Auditor; Clerk; and Moderator.  

Please prayerfully consider whether you have the time and skills to fill one of these important roles and indicate your interest to me ASAP. Our Bylaws require a 2-week posting period prior to Annual Meeting for the slate of officers. It’s important that we have representation across our membership and not to continue to rely on the same leadership.  

Thanks!

Fred Malcolm, Moderator 

January 20^th Church Weekly Calendar