If you are watching our live stream this morning, you are invited to find a candle, so that we can all light candles at the same time. Later in the service, we will be sharing virtual communion. Have bread and grape juice or wine on hand–or elements that are roughly equivalent. Granola bar and a juice box? Jesus’ body is broken for you. Goldfish crackers and pop? Jesus’ body is still broken for you. Muffin and coffee? Yep, Jesus’ body is broken for you! We are one in Christ even when we aren’t able to share the same loaf of bread.
CALL TO WORSHIP (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
One: The Magi had a dream.
All: They dreamed of a Messiah. They dreamed of just rulers. They dreamed of a new day for all people.
One: The Magi had a dream, and this dream led them to action.
All: They journeyed to unknown places. They followed a star. They walked for days to get to Jesus.
One: So may we be like the Magi,
All: May our dreams inspire action. May we worship the one true God. Amen.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray: Everlasting God, the radiance of faithful souls, who brought the nations to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising: Fill the world with your glory, and show yourself to the nations; through him who is the true light and the bright morning star, Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord. In the name of God the original dreamer, Jesus the dream come true, and the Holy Spirit who enables us to be those who dream, we pray. Amen.
CALL TO CONFESSION (Roger Gench, Presbyterian Outlook)
In this season of Christmas, we are reminded that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Yet we are fearful and anxious; we do not trust in the light of God — the Word of God made flesh. Let us therefore confess our sin, trusting God’s promise of light and grace.
Please join me in the prayer of confession, followed by a silent personal prayer.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
God, I love to worship you when the stars are bright above me.
I love to worship you when the sky is clear, and the breeze just right.
I love to worship you when the journey to Bethlehem is an easy one.
Unfortunately, as you know, this journey of life, love, and faith is rarely easy.
Now and again, the stars disappear.
My feet get blisters, and the journey is far too long and lonely.
On these days, forgive me for giving up quickly.
Forgive me for allowing the dream to die and for taking the shortcut home.
I want to be as brave as the Magi.
I want to persevere.
Guide my feet. Show me the stars. Amen.
Moment of silent prayer–people of God, what do you confess this week?
Assurance of Pardon (Roger Gench, Presbyterian Outlook)
Hear the good news: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and from that fullness we have all received grace upon grace. And to all who receive this good news, who believe in Jesus’ name, God grants power to become children of God — power to participate in God’s own life. Bear that family resemblance into the life of the world, for we are forgiven and restored to walk in the light, set on right paths of justice and peace
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
God of the Milky Way,
We, like the Magi, are walking toward you.
One foot in front of the other, we are walking toward you.
It is our very prayer to move your way.
So if you can, leave the light on and the front door unlocked.
Leave a fire in the hearth and food on the stove.
And when we start to get lost or doubt our dreams,
Give us the will to persevere.
We are walking toward you, O God.
So like the parent that throws open the door,
Open the door to us through this text.
Amen.
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 60:1-6
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
SECOND SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Consider:
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The Magi refer to Jesus as the “king of the Jews”—he is not their king. They do not share a culture or religious tradition with Jesus, and somehow, they recognize his power and come to pay homage. Contrast their reaction to King Herod, who also recognizes this child’s significance and perceives him as a threat to his own power. In what particular ways is Jesus good news to all humankind—especially those on the margins of society and power? In what particular ways is Jesus feared as a threat to power?
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Through a dream, God sends the Magi home by another way. When has the Spirit led you “home by another way”?
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Artist Lauren Wright Pittman writes, “For the oppressed, downtrodden, and cast-aside, God says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come.”11 Who in your midst must receive this message now?
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
God of starlight,
There has always been something holy about stars for us.
We wish on them.
We look for them.
We celebrate when we see them streaking across the sky on summer nights.
We map out their designs, and consider glimpses of the Milky Way holy enough for bare feet.
There has always been something holy about stars.
We know that.
You know that.
The Magi must have known that.
So today we come to you in prayer, trusting that if you can paint the stars in the sky,
Then surely you can hear us over the noise.
So first we pray for people wishing on stars:
We pray for those for whom 2020 was a year full of hospital rooms and isolation.
We pray for those who lost love in 2020.
We pray for those who lost life in 2020.
We pray for those who lost a job, a home, or a sense of hope in 2020.
We pray for parents forced to homeschool children in 2020,
And for children who missed their friends in 2020.
We pray for the milestones canceled in 2020,
And for the breath that was stolen in 2020.
However, at the same time,
We also say a prayer of gratitude for all the stars you have left for us this last year—
The signs and mile markers of hope on the horizon.
For example, we could not have survived without the birthday parades and the sidewalk chalk.
And oh how some needed the slower schedule, and some were blessed with family around dinner tables.
We thank you for the gifts of technology, backyard gardening, and sourdough bread.
We thank you for every variety of essential workers, from grocery store clerks and teachers,
to internet technicians and doctors.
We thank you for the quiet that came with fewer cars on the road and fewer planes in the sky.
We thank you for protesters demanding justice and for leaders like the late John Lewis
who refused to give up on a broken system.
In so many ways, 2020 was a turbulent year, and in so many ways, you were there,
leaving stars in the sky, painting hope on the horizon.
So today, in this new year, we ask that once more you would give us a sign.
Pour out a double portion of your Spirit on us and on this new year,
So that your grace might provide us a glimpse of something more.
For like the Magi, we are seeking you.
Like the Magi, we are looking up.
Like the Magi, we just need a sign.
Guide our feet. Show up in the mundane and the extraordinary.
Be in the stars in the sky and in our everyday lives.
Hear our prayers.
We are hopeful, O God. We are hopeful.
We pray these things with the confidence of children wishing on stars.
Amen.
HYMN We Three Kings of Orient Are
1 We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.
Refrain:
O star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light!
2 Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never
over us all to reign. [Refrain]
3 Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a deity nigh;
prayer and praising gladly raising,
worshiping God Most High. [Refrain]
4 Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb. [Refrain]
5 Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
sounds through the earth and skies. [Refrain]
Invitation to the Table and The Great Thanksgiving (prayer by Rev. Sarah Van Zetten Bruins, Trinity Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
Response: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Response: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We know the story, that on the last night with his friends, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, telling them, “Take this and eat. It is my body, broken for you.” He also poured a cup, telling them, “This is the new covenant, sealed in my blood. Drink from it, all of you, and remember me.”
Throughout the centuries, across the nations, even when we have been divided by time and place, every time we break bread together in Jesus’ name, we take part in the meal he shared with his friends so long ago. We may be separated now, as we continue to practice physical distancing and as we continue to be unable to take part in church, work, school, family life, or social activities in the way we used to, but Christ is always with us, even to the end of the age, and Christ is in the meal that we are sharing now, no matter what form it might take.
Please pray with me. Creating God, send your Spirit upon your people that we too may dream your dream—of the lion lying down with the lamb, of justice rolling like a mighty river, of swords beaten into plowshares, of prisoners set free. May we dream your dream, and then, as we wake, empower us with your Spirit, and work to make your dream reality as we join our voices to pray the prayer Jesus taught us:
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, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
VIRTUAL COMMUNION
(If you are fortunate enough to be worshipping alongside someone, you might offer the elements to each other. If you are worshipping alone at home today, remember that you share this meal with Christians around the world and that God’s arms are around you, no matter how lonely it feels to eat this meal alone.)
Remember that this is the body of Christ, broken for you.
Remember that this is the blood of Christ, shed for you.
Prayer after Communion (adapted from a prayer by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
God of ink black skies and starry nights,
Like the Magi so many years ago,
We are here, seeking you.
Step by step, we have wandered into this hour
With the hope of feeling you in our midst.
And step by step, you have claimed us, loved us, and fed us.
This week, we journey into a new year
For some of us, it is full of meaning, challenge, and invitation already.
For others, it is a blank canvas—inviting you into our lives.
So as a new year dawns, we pray that you would be in our dreams and in our waking.
In a year, may we follow a star to find ourselves together again,
With mouths full of praise for the ways in which you have been present to us.
With hearts full to the brim,
Together we pray,
Amen.
HYMN There’s a Star in the East
1 There’s a star in the east on Christmas morn.
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
It will lead to the place where the Christ was born.
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Refrain
Follow, follow;
rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Follow the star of Bethlehem.
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
2 If you take good heed to the angel’s words,
rise up, shepherd, and follow.
You’ll forget your flocks, you’ll forget your herds.
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Refrain
Follow, follow;
rise up, shepherd, and follow.
Follow the star of Bethlehem.
Rise up, shepherd, and follow.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
Author Alice Walker wrote, “Look closely at the present you are constructing: it should look like the future you are dreaming. May the gifts we offer this day be as generous as those of the Magi. Together, may we build the future of God’s dreams.
MORNING OFFERING
If you are able to, please consider mailing your offerings to the church (210 Smith Street). Alternatively, there is a link at the top of this page that will take you directly to a secure page where you can make a one-time donation. We appreciate your generosity as we seek to continue our mission and ministry throughout the community during this difficult time.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION (Roger Gench, Presbyterian Outlook)
O God, receive the gifts we offer in gratitude for abundant gifts that we have received from you, and now return to you to further your work in the world. Amen.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (written by Sarah Are for A Sanctified Art, LLC)
We believe in God,
Who came to this earth as a child,
Was born to unmarried teenage parents,
And was quickly made a refugee.
We believe that this child grew up to heal the sick,
See the poor,
Dine with outcasts,
Welcome foreigners,
Wash the feet of sinners,
Offer second chances,
And bless the children.
And so we believe that Christmas is only the beginning.
The dream does not end with a manger.
The dream ends with God’s promised day.
So until all God’s children are home,
We will follow the Magi’s lead—
Walking, seeking, and looking up.
May it be so, for this we believe. Amen.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
May God’s countenance be lifted upon you and give you peace.
Remember that God is with us, wherever we are,
all around the world.
God has seen us through times of distance before
and God will see us through again.
From wherever you are, serve the Lord: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
If you are using this page to follow along with today’s worship service while it is being live streamed, please join us for virtual coffee hour! Turn on your video camera and join us after the benediction with this link. You could also join over the telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting code 146 874 134, followed by the password 075003.