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.
He was baptized by John and anointed the most beloved Son of God.
Jesus sought to heal humanity by taking our brokenness upon himself.
Suffering for us, he was crucified, died and was buried.
We believe God raised Jesus from the dead for the sake of all people,
and the promise of eternal life.
We believe the risen Lord will come again, one day.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the inspiring counselor of truth breathed into us and poured out upon us; sent to guide our lives.
We believe in the church, Christ’s body at work in the world.
We believe God is leading us into a new day, ever onward toward the Kingdom of God.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
O most Gracious and Merciful God, today we focus our attention on a day 30 years after Jesus’ birth. It was the day of his calling when he took a very intentional step toward self-discovery, by partaking in John’s baptism to wash away sins. Often we have tended to think of Jesus as one who knew what direction his life would take from the moment of he took his first human breath. But then, we realize that like us, he had to learn how to crawl, walk, and run just as he had to learn how to get up again after falling down. His divinity was not some kind of special immunity protecting him from sorrow, or disappointment, anxiety or distress. Recognizing that his human experience was fraught with the same stresses and strains, along with moments of doubt and uncertainty, strengthens our resolve, and shores us up along our own spiritual journey. Help us dearest Lord to walk in his footsteps for they are the footsteps of promises fulfilled. We give you thanks and praise in the name of the Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
Are you superstitious, believing that if you miss a step in a certain ritual whether it is a pre-game ritual, a pre-getting out of bed ritual, a getting dressed ritual, or a pre-coffee ritual, your entire day may well be thrown off kilter. I learned a great deal last Saturday about football game rituals, and was very glad I had the necessary cap to participate in the cap waving ritual. Someone else must have fouled up a ritual, because our team ended up losing the game. Our traditional worship service contains rituals that, if changed or even tweaked a bit can, and have upset people’s sense of spiritual balance. The tradition of giving financial support to the church has not changed, but because we live in an era when few people carry cash or checks anymore, the ways for giving must be updated and adapted to the times. So soon PSUMC will have an app for that. Until then the ushers will come forward to collect the offering.
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