THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY:
Celebrating the Birthday of
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Service and Readings
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Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 10:00Am
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HYMN
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart
(#141, vs 1,2,3,5; The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)
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Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, by the hand of Moses your servant you led your people out of slavery, and made them free at last: Grant that your church, following the example of your prophet Martin Luther King, may resist oppression in the name of your love, and may strive to secure for all your children the blessed liberty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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THE FIRST READING
A Reading from the Book of Exodus.
The Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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THE PSALM
Psalm 77
I will remember the works of the Lord, *
and call to mind your wonders of old time.
I will meditate on all your acts *
and ponder your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a god as our God?
You are the God who works wonders *
and have declared your power among the peoples.
By your strength you have redeemed your people, *
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and trembled; *
the very depths were shaken.
The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; *
your arrows flashed to and fro;
The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world; *
the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.
You led your people like a flock *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
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THE SECOND READING
A reading from the Letter from the Birmingham Jail.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have never yet engaged in a direct-action movement that was “well timed” according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “wait.” It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This “wait” has almost always meant “never.” We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”
Here ends the reading.
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GOSPEL HYMN
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart
(#141, vs 1,2,3,5; The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)
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THE GOSPEL READING
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
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THE HOMILY
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THE NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name
may be united in your truth,
live together in your love,
and reveal your glory in the world.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land,
and of all the nations,
in the ways of justice and peace;
that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly
in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours,
and grant that we may serve Christ in them,
and love one another as he loves us.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer
in body, mind, or spirit;
give them courage and hope in their troubles,
and bring them the joy of your salvation.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died,
that your will for them may be fulfilled;
and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
(The People may add their own petitions.)
SILENCE.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
For yours is the majesty,
O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
yours is the kingdom and the power,
and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
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Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
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Almighty God have mercy on you,
forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,
strengthen you in all goodness,
and by the power of the Holy Spirit
keep you in eternal life. Amen.
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THE PEACE
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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THE HOLY COMMUNION
Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations
of our life and labor to the Lord.
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HYMN
Blessed Martin, Pastor, Prophet
(#46, The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)
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The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Christ, your only Son, to be born for us; who, by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, was made perfect Man of the flesh of the Virgin Mary his mother; so that we might be delivered from the bondage of sin, and receive power to become your children.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosana in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days, you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.
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(A prayer for those who cannot physically be in the Church today.)
My Jesus,
I believe that you are truly present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things,
and long for you in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,
come spiritually into my heart.
As you have already come,
I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you;
never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
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O Lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us. (2x)
O Lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
grant us thy peace.
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The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
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HYMN
Amazing Grace
(#181, The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)
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Let us pray.
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us
as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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THE BLESSING
May Almighty God, who sent his Son to take our nature upon him,
bless you in this holy season, scatter the darkness of sin,
and brighten your heart with the light of his holiness. Amen.
May God, who sent his angels
to proclaim the glad news of the Savior’s birth,
fill you with joy, and make you heralds of the Gospel. Amen.
May God, who in the Word made flesh
joined heaven to earth and earth to heaven,
give you his peace and favor. Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
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HYMN
We Shall Overcome
(#227, vs 1,2,4; The Lift Every Voice And Sing Hymnal)
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