Worship Outline and Sermon 

Worship Outline: February 9, 2025 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany (Service of the Word)


Introduction to the day

The fifth Sunday after Epiphany continues to highlight unlikely instruments and circumstances appointed to reveal God’s glory. “Who will go for us?” God asks. A person of unclean lips, a former persecutor of the church of God, and three fishermen who couldn’t catch a thing. More surprising still, perhaps, is that we are also called.

 

(*=stand, as able)

 

Time for Quiet Reflection and Prayer

 

Prelude

 

Welcome and Announcements

 

*Opening Song Beautiful Saviour (# 838, st.1-2, 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RguqLdAzMcg

Beautiful Saviour,

King of creation,

Son of God and Son of Man!

Truly I’d love thee,

Truly I’d serve thee,

Light of my soul, my joy, my crown!

 

Fair is the sunshine,

Fair is the moonlight,

Bright the sparkling stars on high;

Jesus shines brighter,

Jesus shines purer,

Than all the angels in the sky.   


Beautiful Saviour,

Lord of the nations,

Son of God and Son of Man!

Glory and honour,

Praise, adoration,

Now and forever more be thine!

 

(Text: ‘Gesangbuch’, Münster, 1677; tr. Joseph A. Seiss. Music: Silesian folk tune, 19th cent. Text and music: public domain.)

 

*Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

*Prayer of the Day

Most holy God, the earth is filled with your glory, and before you angels and saints stand in awe. Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world, and by your grace make us heralds of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

 

First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 

Through a vision in the temple, the eighth-century prophet Isaiah is called by God to announce judgment against Israel. Aware of his sinfulness and shortcomings, Isaiah is initially hesitant. But when God calls, Isaiah responds, “Here am I; send me!”

     1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said,

 “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
 the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

 

Hymn Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound (# 779)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjVlfRYdxOs

Amazing grace! – how sweet the sound –

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

 

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed!

 

Through many dangers, toils, and snares

I have already come;

‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

 

The Lord has promised good to me;

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures.

 

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun.

 

(Text: John Newton, alt., sts.1-4; anonymous, st. 5. Music: W. Walker, ‘Southern Harmony’, 1835; arr. Edwin O. Excell, alt. Text and music: public domain.)

 

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Paul delivers in a nutshell the story of the gospel that was given to him. In the lineage of the Christian faith, we have received the good news of God’s love from generations of believers before us, and we continue to tell this story to the world.

   1Now I want you to understand, brothers and sisters, the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

3For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received:

that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures 4and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you believed.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

 

*Gospel Acclamation (said)

Alleluia. Jesus says, Follow me, and I will make you fish for people. Alleluia. (Matt. 4:19)

 

*Gospel:  Luke 5:1-11

The holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus’ teaching of God’s word has begun to draw great crowds. For Simon, James, and John, Jesus’ teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk. After Jesus’ creative power is revealed, fear and amazement leads these three fishermen to leave everything behind to become apostles.

  1Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

      The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Sermon – Pastor Matthew 

 

*Hymn of the Day Take, Oh, Take Me as I Am 

# 814, sung twice)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhXxhlIrwAo

Take, oh take me as I am;

Summon out what I shall be;

Set your seal upon my heart

And live in me.

 

Take, oh take me as I am;

Summon out what I shall be;

Set your seal upon my heart

And live in me.

 

(Text and music: John L. Bell. © 1995, WGRG c/o Iona Community, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. Reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net #A-714392. All rights reserved.)

 

*Prayers of Intercession

With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

God of surprising abundance, you call your people to enter deeply into the world. Help us to be in dialogue with people of other faith traditions, so that we might better learn to live in harmony. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

God of creation, provide protection from the elements and other hazards to all whose work brings them outside; for all who struggle with the challenges of winter, especially those without stable housing or heat and those who experience seasonal affective disorder. Guide us to live carefully alongside the wonders of the land and waters. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Open the hearts of all leaders, that they respond with wisdom and patience. We pray for an end to all war and armed conflict. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Fill with your compassionate presence all who are suffering from addiction, mental illness, injury, or illness of any kind. Draw helpers to their side so that they find relief from their burdens. Those we remember include … God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Listen to the silent prayers of our hearts … God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Call our faith communities to do marvelous things. As this congregation meets for our Annual Meeting, bless us in the year ahead, that we may be a sign of your presence in the world. God of grace, hear our prayer.

We thank you for those who have courageously gone before us in the faith .... May we too show a deep trust in you throughout our lives. God of grace,

hear our prayer.

We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people. Amen.

 

Our Offerings are brought forward (please be seated)

Offerings can be placed in the plate at the entrance to the sanctuary, before or after worship. As the gifts are brought forward, please join in singing:

 

Offertory In Christ Called to Baptize (# 575, st. 3-4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUZ4xB7R2qw

In Christ called to witness, by grace we will preach

The lifegiving gospel, God’s love we will teach.

By grace may our living give proof to our praise

In costly compassion reflecting Christ’s ways.

 

Unite us, anoint us, O Spirit of love,

For you are within us, around us, above.

Equip us for service with gifts you bestow.

In Christ is our calling, in Christ may we grow.

 

(Text: Ruth Duck, © 1995, The Pilgrim Press.   Reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net #A-7154392. All rights reserved. Music: Welsh traditional; arr. John Roberts, alt., public domain.)

 

Offering Prayer

God of grace, your love reaches to the heavens, and your abundance to the depths of the seas. Bless what we offer to your service: our gifts, our abilities, and our hearts. Let us overflow with gratitude and generosity, now and always. Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.

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, forever and ever. Amen.

 

*Blessing

The Spirit of the triune God  bless you with joy, anoint you with compassion,

and send you in love. Amen.

  

*Sending Song Go, My Children, with My Blessing (# 543)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5an1z69GWmY

“Go, my children, with my blessing,

Never alone.

Waking, sleeping, I am with you,

You are my own.

In my love’s baptismal river

I have made you mine forever.

Go, my children, with my blessing,

You are my own.”

 

“Go, my children, sins forgiven,

At peace and pure.

Here you learned how much I love you,

What I can cure.

Here you heard my dear Son’s story,

Here you touched him, saw his glory.

Go, my children, sins forgiven,

At peace and pure.

 

“Go, my children, fed and nourished,

Closer to me.

Grow in love and love by serving,

Joyful and free.

Here my Spirit’s power filled you,

Here my tender comfort stilled you.

Go, my children, fed and nourished,

Joyful and free.”

 

(Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, alt. © 1983, Concordia Publishing House. Music: Welsh traditional; arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams. © Oxford University Press. Text and music reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net #A-714392. All rights reserved.)

 

*Dismissal

Go in peace. Live in hope. 

Thanks be to God!

 

Postlude

 

From sundaysandseasons.com. Copyright © 2025 Augsburg Fortress.

Sermon: February 9, 2025 - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Isaiah 6:1

       In her recent column on our reading from Isaiah, Lutheran professor Helen Chukka highlights the portions of it which are often repeated in our songs: Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory”, and ‘Here I am; send me”. Even “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” sounds similar to what we sang in ‘Amazing Grace’. (WP) These words give us a grandiose picture of the call of the prophet Isaiah, and a response to such a call from God that all of us might dare to embrace. Chukka also encourages us to understand that there is more to this reading than first meets the eye and the ear. As we prepare for our annual meeting, its message of transformation invites us to renew our commitment to responding to God’s call as a community of faith in these challenging and changing times.

       Putting Isaiah’s vision in the context of his political and social world reveals that, like our own times, it was an era of much change, conflict, and instability. King Uzziah had just died. Many were arguing that his 52-year reign had been successful, bringing  economic and political stability for Judah. However, others pointed out that while Uzziah first did what was right in the sight of God later in his career when he became powerful he had become proud and had been unfaithful to God.  Because of this, there was uncertainty about what the next king would bring to the people of God’s promise. Added to this, even though the new king wished to be an ally of Assyria, it had its sights set on taking over this land and its inhabitants and even throwing them out. While no ancient plans existed for next building the Riveria of the Middle East, this sounds like that eerily familiar and equally unsettling scenario being suggested, both for that same region, and for the so-called 51st state.

       In answer to this time of death, transition, and uncertainty, we receive the image of one “sitting on a throne, high and lofty, and the hem of his robe filling the temple”. Chukka points out that with this ‘one cannot escape the contrast between a mortal earthly king and the Lord of Hosts, whose reign is characterized as eternal, with the divine creatures, the seraphs, attending and singing praises'.

Chukka asserts that through “seeing God and hearing seraphs and witnessing the “pivots of the thresholds” shaking and smelling the incense and smoke that filled the room, it all leads Isaiah to a greater awareness of his inner self and the people among whom he lives. In a combination of awe, fear, and humility, he confesses, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”. Immediately, the seraphs fly to Isaiah with live coals and touch his mouth. Just as the high priest would utter the words of absolution, the seraphs do: “Your guilt has departed, and your sin is blotted out”.

This dual transformation of the heart and lips leads Isaiah to respond to God’s call: “Here am I; send me!”  In these days, we too “live amidst challenges, anxieties, failures, disappointments, discouragement, and loss". Today, in the Word, we likewise hear of the promises of the sovereignty of God amid these times. As for Isaiah, God’s Spirit invites us and empowers us to respond, individually and as a community of faith. We continue to be called, and equipped, to share God’s Word for these times.

The announcement of my intention to resign my call to this congregation at the end of June 2026, in order to retire, comes near the end of my annual report.  Yet, it doesn’t come at the very end. I wanted to finish with my sense of God’s continuing call for this congregation, and for our ongoing witness together over the next 16 months. God’s Spirit is still at work in Our Saviour’s and in our individual lives. Through our established ministries, God empowers us to speak words of hope, justice, grace, and peace, in challenging, changing, chaotic, times.  Called to ministry, together, we go out in the presence of God. We go to invite others to share community, life, in Our Saviour’s name.  Creator hears our cries, our confessions, of inadequacy, and of confusion, and listens, and helps us to discover answers.  God’s Spirit enables us to dream and to plan together about new ways God’s good news and gifts can be shared, both by us, and by those still to receive the call.

In the year of a new American president, in the midst of a provincial election, and expectations of a federal one, amid continuing conflict in Ukraine, Gaza, Congo, Sudan and elsewhere, facing the fear of tariffs, rising prices and job and housing insecurity, with pessimistic predictions for the future of the global and local church, God is present.  With a touch less fanfare than for Isaiah, this morning God comes to us, calls us, and raises us together in love and community to reach out to a world in need. Called to ministry in these times, especially in these times, God transforms us to serve, along with Isaiah and with all the company of saints.  “Here I am, Lord; send me.” Amen.