United Benefice of Altham and Clayton-le-Moors

Worship on the third Sunday of  Epiphany

Greeting

The Lord be with you
All        And also with you.

Opening Prayer

We are gathered to worship our God.

All        Send your Spirit upon us.
We come from many places, with many burdens.

All        Send your Spirit upon us.
We turn our hearts to you, O God.

All        Send your Spirit upon us, and make us your beloved family.

Hymn

To God be the glory
Great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
Come to the Father
Through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory
Great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see.

Prayers of penitence

All       Most merciful God,

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

we confess that we have sinned

in thought, word and deed.

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy

forgive what we have been,

help us to amend what we are,

and direct what we shall be;

that we may do justly,

love mercy,

and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,

Have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins,

confirm and strengthen you in all goodness

and keep you in life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

First Reading
Genesis 14:17-20

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.’

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

This is the word of the Lord

All        Thanks be to God

Second reading
John 2:1-11

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’

‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’

His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from eighty to a hundred and twenty litres.

Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him

This is the word of the Lord

All        Thanks be to God

Sermon

Affirmation of faith

All   I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

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,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

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.

Amen.

Prayers of intercession

Dear Father God, we welcome you this day.

You promised through your Son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith.

We pray for the witness of the Church, especially in places where the Christian faith is ignored, forgotten or repressed.

Strengthen all your clergy and all your Church in the service of Christ.  We pray for Toby and his family as he encourages and supports us.  We pray for Sarah, Linda, Elaine, Les, Sue and their families as they help Toby and our church communities during this time of uncertainty.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Merciful God, we pray for a world that continues to grapple with a relentless virus.

We express our gratitude for the light beginning to emerge at the end of a long and deadly tunnel.

We give thanks for all those who have worked tirelessly together to find a cure that has brought us to this day when the restoration of our communities to wholeness and health can become a reality.  We pray that the reach of these vaccines will encompass the whole world.

We continue to pray for healthcare workers around the world. Grant them strength, endurance, wisdom and courage for the living of these days.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for places in our world where nature has been harsh or conflict and violence are rife.  We have not always been true guardians of your creation.  We have not always shown true concern for one another.  Bring forth in us a joyful willingness to do and be much better.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for our community and for those who lead it.  Help us to make it a place where everyone can flourish.  Bless and guide Elizabeth our Queen.  Give wisdom to all in authority.  Direct this and every nation in the ways of justice and peace.  Do all this so that we may honour one another and seek the common good.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for those whom we love.  We thank you for those people who sustain us by their love and forgiveness.  Make us alert to each other’s needs and quick to serve and encourage oneanother.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for the frail, the fragile, the elderly and the sick. Sustain them in the days and weeks ahead with the knowledge that they can trust you and rest easily in faith in your love, knowing that nothing in life or death can separate them from your care and love.

We pray for the dying. May they experience the true life that can be found only in you. In the last days may their time be lived out with dignity and peace.  Watch over all who love and care for them and support them through the  community of faith.

We pray for the bereaved. May those who mourn receive comfort, support and understanding and begin to find healing and hope.

We remember those who have died in the faith of Christ.  According to your promises, grant us with them a share in your eternal kingdom.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We offer you these prayers along with our heartfelt gratitude for the birth ofyour dear Son.

Rejoicing in the fellowship of all your saints, we commend ourselves and all Christian people to your unfailing love.

Merciful Father,

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Acknowledgements to Roger Gench and the Church of Scotland’s Weekly Worship for the prayers

Collect

God of all mercy,

your Son proclaimed good news to the poor,

release to the captives,

and freedom to the oppressed:

anoint us with your Holy Spirit

and set all your people free

to praise you in Christ our Lord.

All       Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven…

Hymn

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

We are pilgrims on a journey,
fellow travellers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christlight for you
in the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
till we’ve seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.

Brother, sister, let me serve you;
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that l may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

Blessing

Christ the Son of God perfect in you the image of his glory

and gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom;

and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

be amongst you and remain with you always.

All        Amen!

Copyright

Common Worship is (c) Copyright Archbishops Council of the Church of England

Biblical texts are from the Holy Bible New International Version Anglicised (NIV-UK) is (c) Copyright Biblica, Inc

Brother, sister let me serve you by Richard Gillard is © Copyright 1977 Scripture in Song/Integrity Music

Copyright songs reproduced under CCL licence 206171 and streamed under CCL licence 71318