First Sunday after The Epiphany, January 8, 2023 bulletin

January 6, 2023 | Crissy Cook | Comment | Sermons and Bulletins

First Sunday after

The Epiphany

January 8, 2023

Welcome to Christ Cathedral

In the spirit of the Gospels, the mission of Christ Cathedral is to

“Meet people where they are, serve ALL, and live together in Christ’s love.”

It is the tradition of the Episcopal Church to maintain silence in the worship area so that people may pray. Please help us preserve an atmosphere of quiet reverence before

worship begins, remembering to turn cell phones off; let the music of the opening

prelude quiet your thoughts as you prepare to worship. We welcome children of all ages to worship with us. Children’s bulletins, books, and “fidget toys” are available as you

enter the Cathedral to help our children stay connected to the service.

The Holy Eucharist

Prelude Shall We Gather at the River arr. by John G. Barr

An Organ Carol for Epiphany by Franklin D. Ashdown

At the chiming of the bell, please stand and prepare to sing

Hymn 121 “Christ When You Were for Us Baptized”

Celebrant

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. 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.

All sing

Celebrant

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Please be seated

A Reading from Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the

dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

The reader pauses and then concludes by saying

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

All say

Psalm 29

Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name;
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders;
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe
and strips the forests bare.

And in the temple of the Lord
all are crying, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.

The Lord shall give strength to his people;
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

A Reading from Acts 10:34-43

Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The reader pauses and then concludes by saying

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

All stand and sing

Hymn 76 “On Jordan’s Banks the Baptist Cry”

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 3:13-17

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 reader pauses and then concludes by saying

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon The Rev. Canon Catherine Cox

Please stand

The Baptismal Covenant

Priest Do you believe in God the Father?

People I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and

earth.

Priest Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was

conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the

Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was

crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come

again to judge the living and the dead.

Priest Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the

communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the

resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Priest Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,

in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?