Lectionary Resoruces Epiphany 4 Year C

Lectionary - Epiphany 4 (Ordinary 4) Year C

Jeremiah 1:4-10 ... before you were born I consecrated you
Psalm 71:1-6 Upon you have I leaned from my birth
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The greatest of all is love
Luke 4:21-30 ... no prophet is accepted in the prophet's home town

Suggested Hymns (From Denis Towner. TIS = Together in Song; AHB = Australian Hymn Book; SA = Sing Alleluia)

Hymns for Epiphany 4, Yr.C

lesson hymn TIS AHB SA

Ps/E A mighty fortress is our God 103 8

E A new commandment I give unto you 699 571

Christ is our corner stone 433 344

G Fairest Lord Jesus 203 131

Glorious things of you are spoken 446 374

O/G God has spoken by his prophets 158 92

G Hail to the Lord's anointed 275 203

G How firm a foundation, you people of God 578 491

O/G I the Lord of sea and sky 658

G In great thanksgiving, O Love divine 632 49

O Jerusalem the golden 346

Ps Jesus lover of my soul 211 139

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 207 136

E Jesus united by thy grace 365

G Lord bid your servant go in peace 324 248

E Love divine all loves excelling 217 148

O/E Morning glory, starlit sky 174

My heart is full of Christ and longs 214 143

O Jesus Christ may grateful hymns be rising 620 553

E/G O love that wilt not let me go 602 525

E O perfect love, all human thought transcending 603 526

Rejoice the Lord is King 216 147

The God of Abraham praise 125 53

s The people that in darkness walked 274 202

E When love is found and hope comes home 654

E Where there is charity and love 434 C591

E Your love O God, has called us here 664

Other Possible Hymns
(Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book or SA = Sing Alleluia, TIS = Together in Song)
SA 40 (TIS 99) God, we praise you, God, we bless you
105 (TIS 164) The great God of love/ is revealed in his son
175 O Son of Man, our hero strong and tender
243 (TIS 317) Love came down at Christmas
295 (TIS 373) Hail thou once despised Jesus
362 (TIS 439) What shall we offer our good Lord
391 (TIS 459) In Christ there is no east or west
470 (TIS 562) I'm not ashamed to own my Lord
515 (TIS 596) Fill thou my life, O Lord my God
537 (TIS 609) May the mind of Christ my Saviour
543 (TIS 611) God of grace and God of glory
552 (TIS 619) Have faith in God my heart

Sermon summary (Click here for complete sermon)

Who will God bless?

There are several important messages for us in the account of Jesus' return to the synagogue in his home town [Luke 4:16-30]: (1) Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah expected by the prophets; (2) God blesses people in unexpected ways, both far away and near to us, in our own families and communities, even when they are young and inexperienced, eg Jeremiah [1:4-10]; (3) the signs of his coming and of the Kingdom include justice for the poor, healing and victory over sin and death; (4) God's blessing may fall on those outside the faith community; (5) and it is an aspect of the free gifts of grace that nothing comes to us as a right.

Jesus is the Christ
Luke speaks of Jesus as `filled with the Holy Spirit' and of the excitement his ministry was beginning to generate: Luke 4:14-15. Jesus chose to read the passage [Isaiah 61:1-2] in which Isaiah speaks of the anointed one. "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." [Luke 4:21]. Saying that was much the same as "The Kingdom of God is at hand" [Mark 1:14-15]. The Messiah is the anointed one, recalling the anointing of kings, Saul and especially David from whom the Messiah would descend [1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 15:1; 1 Samuel 16:13]. Jesus applied to himself the reading, "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me", and believers share in the same blessing, in the gift of the Spirit [Luke 3:16; Acts 2:2-4].

God blesses people in unexpected ways
The great love of God includes everyone. The unexpectedness of his gifts of love may be seen not only in the way he blesses people who are far away but in those close to us. Jesus took examples from Elijah [1 Kings 17] and Elisha [2 Kings 5], of a foreign widow and the general of a foreign army who were blessed because of the unexpected nature of the blessing they recieved. There were many occasions when Jesus found it necessary to correct expectations of privilege from people close to him [eg. Matthew 12:50]. First they had to learn about the grace of God [Ephesians 2:7-8; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 11:5-6] - then they could accept the amazing truth, unexpected and undeserved nature of God's love. So we have the Christian experience of `And can it be ...?" If only we can accept it as a free gift, it can happen here amongst us.

Oder of Service - Epiphany 4 (Ordinary 4) Year C - | DB Home | RCL Resources Index |

The Gathering of the People of God

CALL TO WORSHIP
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 1:2
Let us worship God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

HYMN God, we praise you, God, we bless you. TIS 99 SA 40

PRAYER OF ADORATION Te Deum Part 1 [Front of Hymn Book]

CONFESSION with responses:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 2 Corinthians 5:19
Hear then Christ's word of grace to us:
Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

DOXOLOGY
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

WELCOME AND GREETING EACH OTHER

Service of the Word

INTRODUCTION OF THEME: [A word to the children]
OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 1:4-10 ... before you were born I consecrated you
PSALM 71:1-6 Upon you have I leaned from my birth
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The greatest of all is love
GOSPEL Luke 4:21-30 ... no prophet is accepted in the prophet's home town

HYMN The great God of love/ is revealed in his son TIS 164 AHB105

SERMON

CONFESSION OF FAITH We are a Pilgrim People
We believe in one God,
the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit.
We proclaim Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen One,
confessing him as Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
In the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
We acclaim Jesus as the Lord of the church,
the Head over all things,
the beginning of a new creation.
We acknowledge that we live and work
between the time of Christ's death and resurrection
and the final consummation of all things
which he will bring.
We are a pilgrim people,
always on the way towards the promised goal;
on the way Christ feeds us with word and sacrament,
and we have the gift of the Spirit
in order that we may not lose the way.
We will live and work within the faith and unity
of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church,
bearing witness to that unity
which is both Christ's gift and his will.
We affirm that every member of the church
is engaged to confess the faith of Christ crucified.
Together with all the people of God,
we will serve the world for which Christ died,
And we await with hope the day of the Lord Jesus.
Adapted from the Basis of Union of the Uniting Church in Australia.

HYMN May the mind of Christ my Saviour TIS 609 AHB 537

OFFERING
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
SHARING TIME [Notices, celebrations and requests for intercessions]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Living God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.

The Sending Forth of the People of God

HYMN Love divine, all loves excelling TIS 217 AHB 148
WORD OF MISSION
BLESSING
DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:
In the name of Christ. Amen.

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	Hymns for Epiphany 4, Yr.C
lesson	hymn	TIS	AHB	SA
Ps/E	A mighty fortress is our God	103	8
E	A new commandment I give unto you	699	571
	Christ is our corner stone	433	344
G	Fairest Lord Jesus	203	131
	Glorious things of you are spoken	446	374
O/G	God has spoken by his prophets	158	92
G	Hail to the Lord's anointed	275	203
G	How firm a foundation, you people of God	578	491
O/G	I the Lord of sea and sky	658
G	In great thanksgiving, O Love divine	632		49
O	Jerusalem the golden		346
Ps	Jesus lover of my soul	211	139
	Jesus shall reign where'er the sun	207	136
E	Jesus united by thy grace		365
G	Lord bid your servant go in peace	324	248
E	Love divine all loves excelling	217	148
O/E	Morning glory, starlit sky	174
	My heart is full of Christ and longs	214	143
	O Jesus Christ may grateful hymns be rising	620	553
E/G	O love that wilt not let me go	602	525
E	O perfect love, all human thought transcending	603	526
	Rejoice the Lord is King	216	147
	The God of Abraham praise	125	53
s	The people that in darkness walked	274	202
E	When love is found and hope comes home	654
E	Where there is charity and love	434	C591
E	Your love O God, has called us here	664