Grace Presbyterian Church/Union Congregational Joint Service
Serving people, through Christ, to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the community and the world around us.
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – Joint Communion Worship
You are invited to join in the liturgy in bold type.
Please wear a name tag so we can greet one another by name
(There are blank name tags in the back of the sanctuary).
About Communion: Della Smith bakes the ceremonial loaf and Michele Sionas bakes nut-free, gluten-free bread cubes for distribution.
PRELUDE Dave Malyszko, Music Director of Grace Presbyterian
WELCOME Rev. Katrina Forman
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 147: 1-11, 20c and Isaiah 40: 21-31)
Rev. Katrina Forman and Rev. Robin Miller Curras
Leaders: To whom can we compare you, O Holy One?
We lift up our eyes,
We wait upon the Eternal our God.
How good it is to sing praises to our God.
A song of praise is fitting!
All: Let us worship God together.
*OPENING HYMN #84 (Black Hymnal) – This Is the Day (vs 1 & 3)
THIS IS THE DAY Words & Music: Les Garrett
PRAYER FOR TRANSFORMATION Rev. Robin Miller Curras
One: God invites us to come to worship as our whole selves. God offers us a new beginning day by day and week by week. Trusting in God, we pray for transformation and new life:
All: Holy One, we hope in your steadfast love, bringing our broken hearts and our wounded spirits. Make us aware of the hearts we break, the spirits we wound, of those we treat as outcasts, of those we tread down. Renew us in your grace, renew us in your strength. Amen.
MOMENT FOR SILENT REFLECTION
ASSURANCE OF GRACE
One: Have you not known? Have you not heard? God does not grow weary with us, but loves, forgives, and renews us. Go with renewed strength in your walk of faith.
All: Alleluia! Amen!
PASSING THE PEACE
SCRIPTURE READING John 1:1-5 Norma Prescott
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, [ a ] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
MESSAGE FOR ALL AGES Rev. Katrina Forman and Rev. Robin Miller Curras
SCRIPTURE READING Mark 4:1-20 Maggie Barbetta
(Using the Women’s Lectionary Translation)
And again Jesus began to teach beside the sea and there gathered around him such a
large crowd of women, children, and men that he boarded a boat sitting there on the sea
while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them much in
parables, and then in his teaching he said to them: 3 ”Listen up! Look, a sower went out to
sow. 4 And as the sower sowed, some fell on the path and birds came and devoured. 5 And
the other fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and immediately it
sprang up because it did not have deep soil. 6 Now when the sun rose, it was scorched and
since it had no root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell into good soil and brought forth
grain, growing up and increasing and producing thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 Then
Jesus said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 10 Now when Jesus was alone, those women and men who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the majesty of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables.; 12 in order that they: ‘Look well, but do not understand listen well, but do not comprehend;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the [rest of the] parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are on the path where the word is sown; when they hear immediately Satan comes and takes away
the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are on rocky ground; when they hear the word, they immediately with joy receive it. 17 Yet they have no root in them and endure only for a while; then, when there is affliction or persecution on account of the word, immediately they stumble. 18 And those sown among the thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the word and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes fruitless. 20 And these are sown on the good soil: they hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION – All Good Gifts from Godspell Combined UCC & GP Choirs
Words: Matthew Claudius Music: Stephen Schwartz, arr. John Leavitt
We plow the fields and scatter the good
seed on the land.
But it is fed and watered by God’s
almighty hand.
They send the snow in winter, the
warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft
refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above.
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for
all their love.
We thank thee then, Creator, for all
things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest, our life,
our health, our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love
imparts.
But that which thou desirest, our humble,
thankful hearts!
All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above.
So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for
all their love.
SERMON Rev. Katrina Forman
*HYMN #181 (Black Hymnal)– You Are Salt for the Earth, O People BRING FORTH
Words & Music: Marty Haugen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Rev. Katrina Forman
Joys and Concerns
From Grace Pres: Ken, Gail, Eli, David, Indra, Damian, Chris, Bob, Ingrid, Grace,
Lila, Barbara, Marian, Don, Natalie, Erica, Daniel, John, Michelle, Sherry, Desi
Judy Nesbit
Clarissa Schoch
Rev. Bill Lutz
Bob Trump, stepfather of Todd Landis
Liz Kaplan
Chris Manning, nephew of Suzanne Tuck
Reyes Berrios, spouse of Charl Louw
Ethan Balogh, friend of Lydia (Fabend) Connelly
Dick Olson
Ina Isobe’s niece, Kelly
Rev. Cindy Reynolds
Rev. Bob Cassels
Dawn Ermler-Fischer
Pastoral Prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Our {name for God}, 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. Amen.
COMMUNION Revs. Robin Miller Curras and Katrina Forman
Invitation
One: The Holy One be with you
All: And also with you
Open your hearts to the One who is Love
We open our hearts to you, O God
Let us give thanks to God, our life-breath
To the One who sustains us, we rejoice in your presence!
Words of Remembrance/Communion Prayer
Sharing of the Bread and Cup
All are invited to the communion table. We share gluten-free, nut-free bread and grape
juice. The ushers will invite you forward. You can take a piece of bread from the plate
and dip it in the cup to partake. If you would like to be served in your seat, just
indicate so to the ushers.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
OFFERTORY
Invitation Rev. Katrina Forman
Music for Meditation Dave Malyszko
*Response of Thanksgiving – Doxology OLD HUNDREDTH
Words: Thomas Ken, adapt. William B. Abernathy Music: Louis Bourgeois
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done;
Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One.
*Prayer of Dedication Rev. Robin Miller Curras
*HYMN (insert) – Be a Sower BE A SOWER
Words & Music: Anneli Loepp Thiessen
*BENEDICTION Rev. Robin Miller Curras
*CHORAL BENEDICTION “God Has Work for Us to Do”
Words: Carl P. Daw, Jr. Music: Mark A. Miller
God has work for us to do, God has work for us to do,
‘til God’s will is done and all things are made new,
God has work for us, work for us to do!
POSTLUDE Dave Malyszko
THANK YOU for joining us for worship this morning. Please sign a welcome card if you
are visiting and put it in the offering plate. Please stay for coffee hour in the Assembly
Room immediately following the service.
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announcements:
After Worship:
Book Club at the Manse
Youth Group at Toni’s Kitchen 3-5pm
Tuesday, February 6
8 am Men’s Breakfast at St John’s, 55 Montclair Ave.
7:30 pm PNC Meeting at the Manse
Wednesday, February 7
10:30 am Caregiver’s group at Union Congregational
2:30 pm Robin’s Women’s Bible Study at the Manse.
Thursday, February 8
10:00 am Church Rebuild online
7:30 pm Choir Rehearsal at Union Congregational Chapel
Saturday, February 10
Crafting at the Manse 1-3pm
Daily Devotionals online Monday-Friday 9:00 AM. Check out www.gracemontclair.org for
more information.
● Food for the Little Pantry is always welcomed. Non-perishables only please. Food
may be dropped off at the Manse or given to a Friends of Grace team member at
church on Sunday.
● Donations of socks, hats, gloves and new or gently used and washed blankets are
wanted for Friends of Grace. They can bring them to church on Sundays and we will
bring them to the manse for storage. We are set for now with containers and small
stuffed animals.
● The Next Friends of Grace community meal will be on February 11, at 5pm at St
John’s, 55 Montclair Ave. We are all set for food. If you can help, please let a
Friends of Grace committee member know.