January 23, 2022 Worship

 PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship via Blog       Third Sunday after Epiphany      January 23, 2022

 

 WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome to Pioneer’s blog worship service. Though we are accessing this remotely and unable to look each other in the eye, we are still the Pioneer faith community, gathered as children of God to worship, to be spiritually fed, and to be equipped to go out to serve in Christ’s name—though we do it differently during this pandemic.

 

Pioneer offers worship in several modes:

a)    The blog.

b)   The blog service mailed through US Postal service.

c)    Sermons only, mailed to those who so request.

d)   Zoom services at 10:00 Sunday mornings.

e)    Live worship with masks and social distancing has plenty of room for additional worshipers.

 

-         Deacons meet following worship

-         PPW lunch meeting Tuesday at noon

-         Men’s Prayer Group meets Thursday at 8:30

 

Now allow yourself a brief time of silence as you open your hearts and feel God’s presence with you, right where you are.

 

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BAPTISM:         Friends, remember your baptism … and be thankful.

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Let the ears of all people be attentive:

the heavens are telling the glory of God.

Everything around us proclaims God’s handiwork.

Let us bow down and worship our Creator.

Day and night, God is at work among us.

We are drawn together into one body, the church.

As we commune with God, we know we need one another.

Let us honor the good to be found in all people.

Hear once again the laws and commandments.

Find them sure and right and true for all.

We weep and mourn our lack of faithfulness.

We seek true community in which all are honored.

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

On this holy day, we come together to make sense of our lives. We look to your Word, O God, as a source of understanding. Revive our souls that our hearts may rejoice in your presence. Cleanse and enlighten us with your truth. Liberate us from self-imposed limitations. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

OPENING HYMN:     “Thy Word”                                              LU#85

                   

                        

CALL TO CONFESSION

Who can discern their own errors? Are we innocent of great transgression? Are there hidden faults of which we are unaware? Do we seek to dissociate ourselves from part of the human race, our sisters and brothers? Let us examine ourselves that we may be open to the leading of the Spirit.

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Sometimes, God, we do not know what to confess. We seek to keep your law, but the right course is not always clear. We want to follow your direction, but it is hard to discern what is true. Sometimes it is difficult to care about people whose values are different from ours. How can we be one with those who do not share our beliefs? At times, our own faith is shaken--our faith in ourselves and our faith in you. We need your help, God, so our sins will not have dominion over us.  (continue with personal prayers………..) Amen.

 

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

          The old life has gone; the new life has begun.

Friends, believe the Good News!

          In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and restored to new life!

 

PASSING THE PEACE

          May the peace of Christ be with you.

                   And also with you.

Let us extend the peace of Christ in heart and prayer to one another.

 

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

 

SCRIPTURE 1: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free -- and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those parts of the body which we think less honorable we invest with the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

 

SCRIPTURE 2:  Luke 4:14-21

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

 

SERMON                              Rev. Jean Hurst

 

 

 

HYMN:     “Here I Am Lord”                                             Glory #69

 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER

          Compassionate and loving God, we thank you that you are faithful. No matter how we might wander from you, even when we let other things in our lives become more important than you, even though we lose our sense of purpose and hope, you are there. You redeem us, you renew us, you give your breath to us again and again. With you we have new life, new hope.

          Lord we open our hearts to you. Touch the dry places, pour over them the living waters, bring new growth, fresh beginnings. Take our fears, our disappointments, our losses and fill those places with your peace.

          We know we are not alone in our struggles. Each of us carries his or her own burden. So we pray for each other. We ask that you would guide us as we try to help and encourage one another.

          We remember, too, those who are homeless, those who live in poverty and want, those who suffer from war and oppression and disease and disaster. Watch over them, provide for their needs, tender God, and grant peace for their lives.

          We bring to you those of our church and community who need your healing and peace:

We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray: 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 TO OFFERING

We are part of the body of Christ which extends around the world. Together, we form a caring community, united in spite of many differences in appearance, understanding and function. If others are suffering, we, too, will suffer. When we have the ability to help, it is a joy to do so. May our offerings preach good news, proclaim liberty, and recover among us all the ability to see and hear and respond.

 

DOXOLOGY

 

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

In the spirit of Christ, we give our best for the world. We share what you have allowed us to use and give thanks for the joy of helping others. Through these gifts we seek to proclaim the good news of Jesus. In all we do, we seek to serve you by sharing your love. Amen.

 

CLOSING HYMN:  “Live into Hope”                               Glory #772

 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

          When Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah and proclaimed his call, he listed several things: good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." I challenge you to pick just one this week and focus on doing that.

          As you do the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is with you now and always. Amen.

 

CHORAL RESPONSE

May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever. Grant you peace, perfect peace, courage in every endeavor. Lift up your eyes and see his face and his grace forever. May the Lord, Mighty God, bless and keep you forever.

 

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LOOKING AHEAD

January 25: Thursday, at noon:  1st PPW Luncheon Meeting of the year!  Please join us downstairs and bring a Valentine to be sent to our shut-ins and those at a distance. 

January 30: Sunday, following service: Deacons will meet

 

 

PRAYER CARE:

 

Linda Kaesemeyer (multiple health issues), Tina Bossuot (Alzheimer’s), Verna’s sisters (Covid recovery), (one passed away), Mary and Ray Swarthout, Sandy Cargill (breast cancer), Somer Bauer (breast cancer), Tasha Sizemore (Crohn’s), Jacob Cunningham, Trisha Cagley (health problems), Dave Clark (recovery from brain surgery, kidney cancer), Virginia DesIlets (age 100!), Margaret Dunbar (Ashley Manor), George and Joyce Sahlberg (health issues), Darlene Wingfield (pulmonary fibrosis, breast cancer), Courtney Ziegler (Huntington’s).

 

 

LECTIONARY FOR 1/30/22

Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30