Order of Worship

ENTRANCE

If the church has a crèche, today is the day for the visitation of the wise men bearing gifts. Consider including an enactment of this, either as an opening processional while singing an appropriate song or two or three, or in preparation for the reading of the gospel lesson for today.

“We Three Kings” UMH 254
“The First Noel” UMH 245
“Star-Child” TFWS 2095
“On This Day Earth Shall Ring” UMH 248
“There’s a Song in the Air” UMH 249
“We Would See Jesus” UMH 256

Prayer of Illumination
Brief spoken segue by the worship leader from last song directly to the readings

WORD AND RESPONSE

First Reading Isaiah 60:1-6

Hymn or Song

“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” UMH 247 or
“Love Has Come” W&S 3059

Second Reading Ephesians 3:1-12

Procession to the Crèche with Wise Men (if not done earlier)

Gospel Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon “Reveal”

Choral/Band Anthem

“A Star Shone Bright” W&S 3051 or
“Jesus Saves” (Hughes/Herbert, CCLI Song Select #5322950)

Prayers of the People
Use “Jesus, the Light of the World” (W&S 3056 or Africana Hymnal 4038, or downloadable from Onelicense.net) as an ongoing refrain

Sing stanza 1 and chorus.
Play stanza while praying:

For all creation,
Rock and plasma, ice and water,
Stars, galaxies, and bosons,
And every form of life you have made:
Shining in the universe,
And shining in our hearts:
Hear our prayer, Lord Jesus.


Sing stanza 2 and chorus.
Play stanza while praying:

For leaders in every form of common life:
In nations, states, cities, towns, tribes,
companies great and small,
In congregations and denominations,
Especially for our bishop, (Name), our district superintendent (Name), and our pastor(s) and lay leader(s) (Names):
Shining in the universe,
Shining in our hearts,
Hear our prayer, Lord Jesus.


Sing stanza 3 and chorus.
Play stanza while praying:

For all who are in isolation
and all who suffer
because of sickness, injustice, loneliness, or prejudice;
Reveal your light in them
and in us,
And let your healing and delivering power flow through them
and through us:
Shining in the universe,
Shining in our hearts,
Hear our prayer, Lord Jesus.


Sing Chorus twice.

THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION

Word and Table II for Invitation to the Table, Confession, Pardon and Peace

Offering

Offertory Music

“What Gift Can We Bring” UMH 87
*Any of the selections based upon Epiphany that are not chosen for this Sunday would work well with the offering since the scriptural narrative involves a story of giving!

Great Thanksgiving for Epiphany BOW 58-59

Hymns During Communion

“Cuando El Pobre”/”When the Poor Ones” UMH 434
“Some Children See Him” W&S 3065

Thanksgiving after Communion

Almighty God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery
in which you have revealed yourself to us.
Send us out into the world
to see and bear witness to your revelation in all things,
and invite all to come, taste and see your saving power;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SENDING FORTH

Song of Sending
Sung to “Jesus, the Light of the World”

We go forth in Jesus’ name,
Jesus the light of the world;
Shining with the Spirit’s gleam,
Jesus the light of the world.
Chorus twice.

Dismissal
Deacon or Lay Leader:
Go forth, behold the revelation,
And reveal it to one and all.
Jesus is the light of the world!
Christ in you is the hope of glory!

People: Be revealed in us, Lord Jesus!
Thanks be to God!

Postlude