Grace Presbyterian Church
Meeting in the Chapel at Union Congregational Church
Serving people, through Christ, to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the community and the world around us.
Welcome
Prelude “Praeludium from Partita no. 1” Johann Sebastian Bach
Call to Worship
One: Jesus comes to proclaim good news to us all!
All: Jesus releases those who are captive, gives sight to the blind, helps the oppressed, and declares the year of the Lord’s favor!
One: May we go and do likewise, offering hope to a hurting world.
All: And may it all begin with our worship of God.
Opening Prayer
Hymn * “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m 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
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below
Will be forever mine, will be forever mine,
You are forever mine.
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Lesson (in Unison) Luke 4:14-21
Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Time With Children
Call to Confession
Unison Prayer of Confession
Forgive us, Lord, for our pride and selfishness. Forgive us the ways we self-justify and then without-skipping-a-beat, can be unforgiving and condemning towards others. May we own our hypocrisy and live in loving humility. May your Spirit convict us, never give up on us, and never let us go!
Assurance of Forgiveness
Praise Be To God in Song “Gloria Patri”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.
Passing of the Peace
Scripture Lesson Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Message Living (the) Word The Rev. Robin Miller Currás
Hymn 332 * “Live into Hope”
Affirmation of Faith (in Unison) 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect, whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Choral Anthem “Lord Send Your Spirit” Raymond Wise
Call to Offering
Offertory
Doxology Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below;
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Pastoral Prayer/The Lord’s Prayer
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn 423 * “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”
Announcements and Benediction
The liturgy today was created by Pastor Robin and Tara Bulger writing for Presbyterian Outlook. Pastoral prayers are often informed by the World in Prayer, an online ministry resource.Welcome
The Grace Presbyterian Church Annual Meeting of the congregation and corporation will take place today, immediately after the worship service. The purposes of the meeting are to elect Elders and Deacons, elect members of the Nominating Committee and Personnel Committees, receive reports from ministry leaders, and approve minutes of past meetings. All are welcome; members are especially encouraged to attend.
Mark your calendars:holiday
Sunday, January 26, Annual Meeting following worship service
Wednesday, January 29, Special Session Meeting to accept officer nominations, 7:30 PM
Thursday, January 30, Church Rebuild Meeting, 10:00 AM, Online and at the Manse
Thursday, January 30, Choir Rehearsal, 7:30 PM, in the Chapel of UCC
Saturday, February 1, Combined gospel choir rehearsal 1- 4 PM in Union Cong sanctuary
Daily Devotionals online Monday-Friday 9:00 AM. Check out www.gracemontclair.org for more information.
Food for the Little Pantry: Please consider picking up non-perishables on your next grocery trip. Food may be dropped off at the Manse or placed in the basket as you enter or leave the chapel on Sunday.
Fill out an Estimate of Giving Form for 2025 on Tithely! For those of you who already give online, please use your current login information to fill in your estimate of giving card. If you are new to Tithely, you may put in your information and you do not need to sign up for giving online when you do so. Feel free to also use the printed forms or to let the office know what you will be giving for 2025.