Welcome to ICYMI Worship! ICYMI stands for In Case You Missed It; our ICYMI series gives a brief snapshot of worship each week so that you can worship in your home, on the road, or wherever life takes you.
At Cross of Christ, our basic worship order is based on worship patterns from Hebrew traditions and biblical accounts of the earliest Christians:
We GATHER with songs and prayer,
We HEAR God’s word,
We SHARE a meal of bread and wine,
We are SENT into the world to love and serve.
Let us know how this format works for you.
Today is the First Sunday after the Epiphany.
Our Gathering song at our Traditional service is Brightest and Best of the Stars (ELW 303)
Prayer of the Day
Holy God, creator of light and giver of goodness, your voice moves over the waters and stirs life, bringing all things into being. Immerse us in your grace, and stir us by your Spirit, that we may follow after your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
This week’s readings are from Genesis 1:1-5 , Psalm 29, and Acts 19:1-7
Genesis 1:1-5
1-2 First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
3-5 God spoke: “Light!”
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good
and separated light from dark.
God named the light Day,
he named the dark Night.
It was evening, it was morning—
Day One.
Psalm 29
Acts 19:1-7
1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?”
“We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?”
3 “How were you baptized, then?” asked Paul.
“In John’s baptism.”
4 “That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.”
5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.
This week’s Gospel text is from Mark 1:4-11
4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
Pastor Dave’s Sermon Snapshot: “Blessed Assurance”
We enter the bright and enlightening season of Epiphany today with the Festival of the Baptism of our Lord. As the Gospel writer Mark tells us in our lesson today, Jesus was given assurances of who he was, what he was called to do, and how he was empowered to fulfill his calling in the waters of the Jordan River. We celebrate our own baptisms, and consider the promises and commissioning that God spoke to us through holy water and his holy word. Peace to all who gather in the name of Christ, the Light of the World.
The Hymn of the Day is Blessed Assurance
Prayers of the People – 1/7/18
Confident that God our light and our salvation hears and answers our prayers according to his good will and perfect timing, let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their need. Each petition will conclude, “God of mercy” to which the congregational response is “Hear our prayer.” We observe a time of silence for reflection and preparation.
For lighting our way with the sun, the moon, and the stars of creation; with prophets and poets and preachers throughout history; with your written Word our light and our path; and most brilliantly through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, we give you thanks and praise. God of mercy…
Hear our prayer.
For the church and the ministry of the baptized, for pastors and deacons and bishops and that staff members, for lay leaders and Council members and volunteers and supporters and participants in the mission of your people, that you would continue to guide all Christians by your Holy Spirit to forgive as we have been forgiven, to advocate on behalf of the poor and the outcasts, to pray for both our friends and our enemies, and to be faithful workers in your kingdom. This week we remember in prayer our ELCA, Northwest Washington, East King County Cluster sister congregation Our Savior Lutheran Church in Issaquah and Pastor Wes Telyea. God of mercy…
Hear our prayer.
For the earth and all living things, for safe and favorable weather, for fragile environments and endangered species, that you will cause all creation to thrive in the care of good stewards, wise governments, and careful consumers. We remember especially those dealing with severe winter weather along the East Coast. God of mercy…
Hear our prayer.
For the sick and suffering, the imprisoned and hungry, the lonely and grieving, we pray comfort, healing and hope, especially for those who have asked for our public prayers: Anna Bero, Lavonne Ekren, Heidi Fine, Phyllis Hahn, Claire Huehnerhoff, Maryls Paulson, Vernette Rae, Corinne Riemer, and Marilyn Van Brero. We pray for Jerry Johnson’s sister-in-law Marilyn, and her husband Jerry’s brother Harry as she is in treatment following a heart attack. We ask for mercies upon 5-year-old Tommy Sagoonack and his family, dear friends of Joyce and Jerry Johnson, as he once again faces serious health challenges. We give you thanks for the healthy birth of a child to Vijay and his wife. We continue to ask for blessings for David and his family as they prepare for the Memorial Service for his wife, Mary, this Saturday. God of mercy…
Hear our prayer.
For our ancestors in the faith, both distant and near, who have taught us to trust in you and believe the good news of your Son, we thank you and ask that you would allow us to be models and mentors to others along their spiritual journeys. We remember Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa, pastors and confessors of the faith whose feast days are this week. God of mercy…
Hear our prayer.
Receive our prayers for the sake of the one through whom you have revealed your goodness, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The Communion song at our Traditional service is The First Noel (ELW 300)
On the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
All are welcome to receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist.
And because there’s always something going on, the Announcements!
YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILES ARE INVITED TO THE “PRAY-GROUND” – New this year is this special space in the Sanctuary designed for our youngest worshippers and their families. Children age 8 and under are welcome to color, play games, enjoy age-appropriate books, and just have their own space in the back of the transept – the southeast corner of the Sanctuary. You’ll know you are in the right place when you see the brightly colored kid-sized table, floor mats, and other items just your size. We LOVE having children in worship! We hope this special place helps make them and their families feel both welcome and comfortable.
UNDIE SUNDAY – The Cross of Christ preschool through 5th grade Sunday School students will be collecting donations of new-in-package socks and underwear for all ages and sizes of people so that we can distribute them to local shelters serving homeless men, women, and families. Look for the collection basket in the Narthex today through January 21. Thank you for your support!
STYROFOAM COLLECTION – Wondering how to get rid of all that post-holiday Styrofoam cluttering your garage and overfilling your recycle bins? Bring it to church! Today and next Sunday our Cub Scout Den is collecting Styrofoam to them earn an Arrowhead award in Conservation. If you have any questions, please see Laurie Beck in the Narthex today, or contact her at laurie_beck@msn.com. Thanks for supporting the Scouting program and being a good steward of our home planet!
ADULT FAITH FORMATION NEW SERIES – Join Pastor Dave as he leads a new study beginning today. “Christianity, Care of Creation, and Environmental Stewardship” is a four-week Bible-based look at the environment, our place in it, and our part in caring for it from a perspective of faith. Each session is built around a central question:
Today – If “The Earth is the Lord’s” Then What’s Our Role as Stewards of It?
January 14 – What Are Human That God is Mindful of Us?
January 21 – Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
January 28 – Was Martin Luther an Environmentalist?
Today’s news and concerns for the future regarding global warming, climate change, what appears to be quantitative and qualitative increases in natural disasters, recent decisions regarding America’s participation in global efforts to combat these, as well as potential increase in off-shore oil and gas exploration and other governmental decisions make this study highly relevant. Additionally, it will help prepare us for the upcoming Interfaith Lecture Series (see article below). Much of the background for this series is based on the research of the John Ray Initiative, a Christian environmental advocacy group based out of the United Kingdom, as well as Pastor Dave’s own studies. Adult Faith Formation meets between services, 10:15 to 10:55 am, in the Library. All are welcome.
SUNDAY SCHOOL THEMES FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY – Come join us in January as we learn about Jesus the kid! At the beginning of February, we’ll start an extended unit on God’s plan for a baby named Moses. Children’s Sunday School is for ages 10 through 10. We hope you can join us in the Youth Room between services!
YD THIS WEDNESDAY – We’re back together after the holidays from 5 to 6:30 pm in the Youth Room. WE will be continuing our study of the Apostles’ Creed, playing some games, eating some junk food…I mean, nutritious snacks…and sharing what was our favorite Christmas gift or activity. We’ll also be covering the details of our upcoming MLK weekend retreat and service project. See you there!
MARY MELHUM MEMORIAL SATURDAY – The family invites you to join them for this time of Remembrance and Thanksgiving, at 11 am in the Sanctuary, followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. If you are able to assist with the reception or provide food including desserts please contact Gale Hill at ghill5250@gmail.com or at 206-940-1214.
INTERFAITH COVENANT LECTURE SERIES WELCOMES FORMER KING-5 WEATHERMAN JEFF RENNER – Long-time local television meteorologist Jeff Renner will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Interfaith Covenant Lecture event, hosted by Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, on Wednesday, January 31, at 7 pm. The event is free, and open to the public. Mr. Renner will be speaking on his career as well as his understanding of current and future weather and climate threats, including the impact of global warming. He will also speak from his perspective as a person of faith on how his beliefs inform his views on environmentalism, stewardship of the earth, and care for the world for ours and future generations. After nearly four decades on air, Mr. Renner retired from King 5, Seattle’s NBC affiliate, as the station’s chief meteorologist for weeknight broadcasts. In addition to running a weather consulting business, he is a frequent speaker and advocate at events like the Interfaith Lecture Series.
THANK YOU FROM PASTOR DAVE – who was touched and grateful for the many Christmas cards, presents, food, gift cards, and gifts you gave him. He’s shared some of the wealth with staff, and some with his family. How generous and thoughtful you are!
PRAYERS FOR HOMEBOUND MEMBERS – Marilyn Van Brero, Lavonne Ekren, Leona Lenschow, Doris Lundquist, Bill and Betty McConnell, Mary Moen, Jane Pittenger, Corrine Riemer, and Norman Stromer.
Our sending song in our Mosaic service is 10,000 Reasons
By God’s grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to
Worship God
Grow in Faith
Share the Gospel
Serve others, and
Welcome all.
Thanks be to God!
