WORSHIP
God is Present, February 6 Worship
We have been visited by God. In the season of Epiphany we celebrate the entrance of Jesus, the Son of the Living God into our world. Even more wonderful is that God wants to stay with us. He wants to be present in our work day and in our time of relaxing and reflection. We celebrate that God is present with us.
In His Presence by Amy Donaldson
The Voice of Our God. Worship: January 30, 2022
Sometimes a parent will catch their child getting a little too excited and need to ask them to use their “indoor” voice. Each of us have many different voices and we don’t always use them in an appropriate way. In contrast God has a lot of different ways in which He can speak to us, and He always gets it right. In our Gospel lesson we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue, healing a man possessed by an evil spirit, healing Simon’s mother-in-law, healing more of the sick and diseased, casting out demons. In each one of these situations He uses a different tone of voice. If we listen carefully God may use different voices with us, sometimes challenging us to live better lives, and then at other times comforting us with an accepting voice that says we are ok just the way we are. God can speak to us in a variety of ways. Are you listening?
Jesus, in the Power of the Spirit. Worship: January 23, 2022
Jesus returned to His hometown in the power of the Spirit. Today we rejoice to be able to recognize that the same One who created all things comes to us in the Spirit. He comes with the heart to care for us and bless us. He comes in love, serving goodness and righteousness for us.
Jesus Rejected In Nazareth. Painting by Jeff-Watkins.
The Joy of His Presence. Worship: January 16, 2022
Jesus was invited to a wedding and there he turned water into wine. It was the first of his many miracles. Through that moment we see that God has this incredible ability to turn one thing into another. He can turn bread and wine into His body and blood. He can turn a bad day into a good day. He can turn a hopeless situation into one in which we are blessed. It is our privilege to invite Him into our moments. As Psalm 65 says, “Your miracles and wonders inspire songs of joy.”
Great Guiding Star that Leads Us. Worship: January 9, 2022
Our celebration of Christmas now turns into Epiphany when the Magi followed a star that led them to Bethlehem. There they found the Christ Child, Jesus, and worshiped Him as King.
As we consider the mystery of just how that guiding light might have worked, we can celebrate that God has arrived in our midst to guide us. He is a real guiding light. Wise men and women still seek Him because the True Light that enlightens all things has come! Today we bring Him the gift of our worship and rejoice in His glorious guiding light.
Three Wise Men. Mark Messman
The Gift of Wisdom. Worship: January 2, 2022
Young King Solomon prayed for the gift of wisdom and God gave him a wise and discerning heart. When Jesus was twelve he wandered into the great temple in Jerusalem and astonished the smartest teachers with his wisdom and understanding. We pray that God bless us with His eternal and practical wisdom in this New Year.
Christ among the Doctors, from The Life of the Virgin, Latin ... - The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Our Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation. Worship: December 26, 2021
After waiting and waiting Simeon and Anna were blessed beyond measure. There in the great temple their eyes beheld the salvation of God, the baby Jesus brought right to them. Seeing Jesus inspired in them a heartfelt song of thanks and praise to God. One day we will see Jesus face to face, and even now we are in the presence of the sacred mystery: God is with us, our Emmanuel. God bless you with joy, thanks and peace.
Simeon and Anna 1 by Dutch artist Jan Van’t Hoff
Christmas Eve, God with Us, Worship with Seven Readings and Carols (Reissue)
Welcome to Bethlehem’s Christmas Eve celebration: God is with Us.
On this sacred and magical night a beloved service of lessons and carols has been celebrated at King’s College in Cambridge, England for nearly one hundred years. Though our version will have different music we honor this grand tradition by reading from the original lessons, and beginning and ending our service with a version of King’s College prayers.
For the Glory of God. The Fourth Sunday in Advent. Worship: December 19, 2021.
Mary, the mother of Jesus is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells her she will give birth to the Savior of all mankind. Maybe the most amazing thing Mary receives is the ability to accept and rejoice in this with composure of soul and peace of mind. She sings, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” Our Advent prayer is to welcome our Emmanuel, God with us, and sing with Mary her humble song of joy for the glory of God.
The North Transept of the Annunciation Chapel in Mdina, Malta
An Eternal Celebration. The Third Sunday in Advent. Worship: December 12, 2021
Some people are preparing for one day of celebration on Christmas. But we are preparing for an eternity of celebration and rejoicing. The Creator of the whole universe heard our deepest yearning and desire and came himself to answer us. Perhaps the whole season of Advent is embodied in the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Since the seventh century these prayers have been sung in the days of Advent. They recount the promises God gave to His people before the coming of the Savior Messiah. They propel us forward to the day of Jesus' coming in glory on the Last Day. In this service we will pray these O Antiphons as our prayer for the day. In this we rejoice today and forever!
