January 3, 2016 "WHAT IS EPIPHANY ANYWAY?"

AN AFFIRMATION FOR EPIPHANY
We believe in God, the creator of all things, the giver of life and breath.
We believe in Jesus Christ, born Emmanuel, God with us, baptized and revealed
the most beloved Son of God. He sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness
upon himself, suffering for us, and ultimately dying for us.
God raised Jesus from the dead for our sake, and for the sake of all the world.
We believe that he will come again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, continually poured forth from our Creator as true
refreshment for the soul.
The Spirit leads us into the new day, ever-birthing believers and transforming the church,
to serve as the body of Christ for the healing of the world.
This Spirit is our soul companion and counselor of truth reminding us of the gift of faith,
the ever-presence of God and the promise of eternal life.
By this faith we are reborn, refreshed and renewed.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Dearest Lord, we enter into this New Year, asking for your help to be people of hopeful hearts. Already in the midst of the holidays we have been struck by the tragic and traumatic loss of friends and loved ones, news of serious illness, and compounding health challenges. However, we are also reminded, on this first Sunday of the New Year, to give thanks for each occasion, each moment of joy and laughter spent on this earth, knowing that your greatest desire for us is to know joy. These moments are gifts from you leading us from darkness into light, and from mourning into gladness. Embrace us in your loving arms, O God, and give us the will to build a strong faith. In the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.
OFFERING INVITATION
Many of us start the New Year in a financial sweat, because of the money we spent on Christmas gifts. In an effort to get some relief from the compounding interest on unpaid credit card balances, some folks will accept the offers from credit card companies to transfer those balances onto a spanking new credit card with no interest for 6 months. That usually turns into another black hole of debt. Generally we won’t skip mortgage, utility, cell phone or car payments. However, unless it is an automatic payment made by our bank, we may well put off the weekly, bi-weekly or monthly offering to the church, with a plan to make it up at the end of the year. So it is time for me to share with you the church’s bottom line for the coming year. To pay the staff and current bills (by the way we don’t have credit cards) the church needs an income of $7873.61 per week. That works out to be about the same amount as my annual pledge to the church. So, just 51 more like that and we’re covered. Whose ready?
UNISON OFFERTORY PRAYER
O Most Love God, accept our gifts and empower them to do great things in your name. They are offered with grateful thanks from the depths of our soul. We are awed by the blessings you bestow and long only to put them to use for the healing of your world. Amen.