February 5, 2023 Bulletin
Hampstead Congregational Church
February 5, 2023
Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
with Communion
No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey,
You are Welcome Here!
Order of Worship
Prelude Herb Tardiff
Greetings and Announcements
Passing of the Peace of Christ
Refrain
“What does the Lord require of you? What does the Lord require of you?
Justice, kindness, walk humbly with your God.”
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 112)
Leader: Praise God! Happy are those who delight in doing God’s will.
All: They are like light in the darkness.
They give generously and lend; they do justice.
They are not cowed by news of evil: their hearts are firm, secure in God.
Their spirits are steady; they will not back away,
while the wicked fill themselves with worry and anger.
Praise God, who sustains the weak and the needy!
Opening Prayer Kari Allard
Let us pray,
God, speak your word to us, a lamp unto our feet, so we may know your ways.
Shine your light upon us, so we can see your path.
Shine your light within us, so we can know your presence.
Shine your light out through us, so we can help you bring your love into this world. Amen.
Opening Hymn “For the Fruit of All Creation”
Verse 1 Verse 2 |
Verse 3
|
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58: 1-12 NRSV
Shout out; do not hold back! Lift up your voice like
a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet day after day they seek me and
delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they
want God on their side.
“Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why
humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress all your
workers.
You fast only to quarrel and to fight and
to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today will not
make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose, a day
to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast, a day
acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of
injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor
into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the
finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to
the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your needs in parched places
and make your bones strong, and you
shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water
whose waters never fail. Your ancient
ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations
of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
Sermon Rev. Kathy Youzwak
Special Music
Celebration of Holy Communion
Invitation to Communion (Matthew 5:13-20)
Come to this table, shaken like salt; come to this table, tasty like salt –
for you have preserved old stories, and raised the blood pressures
of those who do injustice.
Come to this table with shining; but also come with your tired old batteries –
for you have illuminated joys and sorrows,
and you have been snuffed out, and re-lit again and again.
Come to this table salty like sweat from caring for the world,
and crumpled like a bag of fries.
Come to this table, bright as a halogen headlight,
and fragile as the candle flame on a one-year-old birthday cake.
Come to this table because whoever you are Jesus told parables for you.
Words of Remembering (Isaiah 58:1-12)
We remember that Jesus quoted Isaiah throughout the gospels –
for Christ came to lead followers who feed those who are hungry,
shelter those
unhoused, clothe those naked, and comfort those afflicted.
Christ came to lead followers to destroy injustices,
lift up those who are oppressed, break the yokes of those victimized
and, at the same time, stop pointing fingers of blame.
And we remember that Jesus sealed the covenant not in a fast of deprivation,
but a feast of hope, sitting at a seder celebrating escape from oppression,
and claiming that the new Way is bread and fruit and love.
Prayer of Consecration
Spirit of Christ, shake on our lives the
seasoning of love, for Bread is Body
and the Cup is poured for
all.
Shine on these gifts so here and so now. Shine on our
lives today and give us enough for everyone’s
tomorrows. Amen.
Sharing of the Elements—All are welcome to the table, always!
Sharing of the Bread
For all your
paths in the new year, and all the light arising on your way home.
Take this
bread and eat.
Sharing of the Cup
For every
meal you share with others, and every sip you need of hope.
Take this
cup and drink.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God, now that we are fed, we recognize how many there are who need a lighted lamp lifted so high it may take several hands to hold it, and who always need a taste of tomorrow, and a sip of courage for it.
For this we pray in the words Jesus taught,
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.
Call for Concerns & Celebrations
Pastoral Prayer
Call to Offering
Prayer of Dedication
God of Heaven and Earth, receive our gifts as a deposit of trust in your
faithfulness and a seed of hope for the flourishing of your realm. Amen.
Hymn of Going Forth “Called as Partners in Christ's Service”
Benediction
May God bless your eyes with sight, that you may see her face in every living being.
May God strengthen your soul with courage, that you may never fear the forces of hatred and division.
May God fill your heart with her love, that you may go forth to do her work of peace and reconciliation.
And may the God
of neighbor and stranger,
Who was and is and always shall be,
Who is Mother and Father of us all,
be with you and bless you and bring you joy all the days of your life. Amen!
Music Usage permitted through OneLicense HCC License # A-730412 and CCLI License Number 2927783. All rights reserved.
Worship materials Copyright 2021 Faith INFO Ministry Team, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education. All publishing rights reserved. Liturgy for January 2, 2022 Call to Worship, Opening Prayer, Prayer of Dedication from The Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes, https://unfoldinglight.net/worship-resources/. Benediction from The Rev. Talitha Arnold
Announcements…
HCC Annual Meeting - Our 270th Annual Meeting will be held in Hadley Hall next Sunday following worship. Please attend this vital gathering as we look back at this past year’s accomplishments and look ahead to God’s call in our congregational life. A quorum of members is needed. At the end of this past week, the 2022 annual report was emailed/mailed to each member. Please take some time to read the reports and familiarize yourself with the proposed budget for 2023. If you did not get a report and would like one, copies are available in the foyer of Hadley Hall.
Prepared to Serve 2023 This Month - Prepared to Serve, our conference's day of workshops to help us be a better church, will be at Pembroke Academy on February 25th. There is a slate of workshops that will provide training and sharing on the topics most commonly asked for in this time of emergence. Please see the Weekly Word for the link. If you want more info, or are attending, please let Pastor Kathy know. Those who have attended in the past have found it helpful, and a great opportunity to connect with people across the state.
Open Positions at HCC--Are you looking for a way to serve the church in the new year? We have several open positions on our teams and executive board.
Our congregation is looking for someone to fill the position of clerk--they take notes and participate at the monthly Ministry Oversight meetings and at the annual congregational meeting. We are looking for an at-large member who can serve the church by participating in Ministry Oversight. It is a small time commitment but gives you an active role in the life and decision making of our church. We are also looking for people to serve on our Operations Team--those who take care of our building and grounds. Of course, anyone who is interested can join our teams or groups at any time. Looking to get more involved in Missions, Worship, Discipleship, Stewardship, Operations, Peace and Justice, Fundraising, or Hospitality? If so, there is a place for you! Interested? Let our Moderator Fred Malcolm, Pastor Kathy, or a member of the team know.
February 6th Church Weekly Calendar
7:00 P.M. |
Boy Scouts, Hadley Hall |
|
Tuesday |
7:00 P.M. |
Alcoholics Anonymous, Hadley Hall |
Wednesday |
6:30 P.M. 7:30 P.M. |
Worship - ZOOM Al-Anon, Hadley Hall |
Thursday |
7:30 P.M. |
Gamblers Anonymous, Hadley Hall |
Friday |
11:00 A.M. |
LifeShare, Hadley Hall |
Sunday |
10:00 A.M. 11:00 A.M. |
Worship Service and Coffee Hour Annual Meeting – Hadley Hall |