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Prophetic Magicians

January 3, 2021

The Second Sunday of Christmas

Worship Guide

Meditation:

The gifts that three Wise Men, or Kings, or Magi, brought to the manger in Bethlehem cost them plenty but seem hardly appropriate to the occasion. Maybe they were all they could think of for the child who had everything. In any case, they set them down on the straw the gold, the frankincense, the myrrh, worshiped briefly, and then returned to the East where they had come from. It gives you pause to consider how, for all their great wisdom, they overlooked the one gift that the child would have been genuinely pleased to have someday, and that was the gift of themselves and their love. The foolishness of the wise is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than by the way the three Magi went to Herod the Great, King of the Jews, to find out the whereabouts of the holy child who had just been born King of the Jews to supplant him. It did not even strike them as suspicious when Herod asked them to be sure to let him know when they found him so he could hurry on down to pay his respects. Luckily for the holy child, after the three Magi had followed their star to the manger and left him their presents, they were tipped off in a dream to avoid Herod like the plague on their way home. Herod was fit to be tied when he realized he'd been had and ordered the murder of every male child two years old and under in the district. For all his enormous power, he knew there was somebody in diapers more powerful still. The wisdom of the foolish is perhaps nowhere better illustrated.

~ Frederich Buechner Peculiar Treasures and Listening to Your Life

Words of Welcome

Call to Worship

Animals came to prepare your bed. 
Come, lord Jesus, Come! 
Shepherds stood guard, marveled and said: 
Come, lord Jesus, Come! 
Angels sang to calm your cries. 
Come, lord Jesus, Come! 
And all the world gave one great sigh: 
Ah, lord Jesus, you have come! 
We are gathered in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Spirit. 
Amen!

Gathering Hymn - God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, 

Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day, 

To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray: 

Refrain

O tidings of comfort and joy, 

Comfort and joy, 

O tidings of comfort and joy. 

From God our heavenly Father a blessed angel came, 

And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same, 

How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name: (Refrain)

Fear not, then, said the angel, let nothing you affright,

This day is born a Savior of a pure virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in him from Satan’s pow’r and might.” (Refrain)

Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place, 

And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace; 

This holy tide of Christmas all others now deface: (Refrain)

Greeting

Break forth together into singing,
    you waste places of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
    before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
    the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 52:9-10

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Confession Hymn

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins before God and one another.

God of love, all year long we pursue power and money, 
yet you come in weakness. All season long we covet great material gifts, when you alone offer what is lasting. 
Through the work of this Lord Jesus, who comes among us full of grace and truth, forgive us, heal us, correct us. Then open our lips, that we may sing your praise with the angels, and remake our lives, that we may bear witness to your transforming love. 
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Words of Forgiveness & Peace

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth... For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:14, 16

In Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven!

Thanks be to God!

Passing of the Peace

[Invitation for congregation to share a sign of peace with one another]

Hymns of Praise and Adoration

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak mid-winter

Frosty wind made moan;

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter

Long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him

Nor earth sustain,

Heaven and earth shall flee away

When He comes to reign:

In the bleak mid-winter

A stable-place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty — Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom Cherubim

Worship night and day,

A breastful of milk

And a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, whom Angels

Fall down before,

The ox and ass and camel

Which adore.

Angels and Archangels

May have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim

Thronged the air;

But only His Mother

In her maiden bliss

Worshipped the Beloved

With a kiss.

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part,

Yet what I can I give Him,

Give my heart.

Infant Holy, Infant Lowly

Good Christian Men Rejoice

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;

Give ye heed to what we say: Jesus Christ is born today.

Ox and ass before him bow, and he is in the manger now

Christ is born today!  Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;

Now ye hear of endless bliss: Jesus Christ was born for this!

He hath opened heaven’s door, and man is blessed forevermore.

Christ was born for this!  Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;

Now ye need not fear the grave: Jesus Christ was born to save!

Calls you one and calls you all to gain his everlasting hall.

Christ was born to save!  Christ was born to save!

Living Our Faith

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 84:1-8

1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *

My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2 The sparrow has found her a house

and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *

by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my King and my God.

3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! *

they will always be praising you.

4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *

whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.

5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *

for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

6 They will climb from height to height, *

and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *

hearken, O God of Jacob.

8 Behold our defender, O God; *

and look upon the face of your Anointed.

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.

Old Testament Reading

Jeremiah 31:10-14

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,

and declare it in the coastlands far away;

say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,

and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’

11 For the Lord has ransomed Jacob

and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.

12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,

and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,

over the grain, the wine, and the oil,

and over the young of the flock and the herd;

their life shall be like a watered garden,

and they shall languish no more.

13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy;

I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,

and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,

declares the Lord.”

The Word of the Lord:

Thanks be to God.

New Testament Reading

Ephesians 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

The Word of the Lord:

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew:

Glory to you, O Lord!

Matthew 2:1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ!

Sermon

Pastor Peter Rowan - Prophetic Magicians

Creed

Let us affirm the faith of the Church:

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 into hell;

on the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended to heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;

from there 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 life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

Offering of Prayers of the People

With the angels we sing and glorify your name, thankful for all that you have given us.

We are grateful for your presence in the world; for our nation; for our community and its leaders; and for the witness of your church celebrating around the world.

But today we are especially grateful for the gift of your Son, who gave up his heavenly home for a manger and a cross so that we might experience redemption, a gift that neither spoils nor fades.

With the angels we also desire peace on earth, a peace that is broader and deeper than the end of war. We pray for the restoration of this world, for the growth of your kingdom, for reconciliation, healing, and renewal. We bring before you our prayers.

For the nations of the world, especially [...]
For our nation and those in authority [...]
For our community and those who govern it [...]
For the church universal, its mission, and those who minister [...]
For those with particular needs on this holy day, especially [...]

Make your incarnate presence known in each situation, and may we as your servants be vessels of your peace.

We pray this in the name of the one who became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Offering of Gifts

Friends and members of Second City Church support the extension of God’s Kingdom with gifts of bread, wine, talents and resources. Guests are not expected to contribute. Tithes and offerings may be placed in the offering plates, boxes on the wall as you leave, or can be made electronically. Instructions for setting up online giving are available at the donation boxes.

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise him all creatures here below

Praise him above ye heavenly host

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

The Prayer of Great Thanksgiving

Invitation

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right for us to give thanks and praise.

Praise God for His Mighty Acts

Steadfast God, you alone are worthy of praise and thanksgiving. You created all there is and welcomed us to share in every detail with you; your persevering hold on all you have created never relents. Through Rachel and Joseph you shaped your people to be a blessing to the nations, in times of joy but also in sorrow and suffering. When the torment of slavery seemed unbreakable, your imagination unlocked unyielding shackles. When exile seemed endless, your mercies never failed. And when your Son came to be born in the midst of all you created, you did not spare him human sorrow and suffering, even the cross. He knew exile while still an infant. As he and his parents escaped to safety when so many other children went to death, years later in Jerusalem he went to death that all your children might live with you in resurrection glory. And so we give you thanks, praising you with angels and archangels as we join their unending hymn. 

Sanctus

Praise for Christ’s Sacrifice

Therefore we proclaim our faith as signed and sealed in this sacrament.

Acclamation

Calling on the Holy Spirit and Lord’s Prayer


We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us:

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, the power and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Invitation to the Table

For unto us a child is born,

Unto us a Son is given.

Sharing Holy Communion

Second City Church welcomes all baptized Christians who have made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ in a Christian church to join us in this sacrament. Non-communicants can come forward and ask for a blessing. If you need to receive communion in your seat, ask a fellow worshiper to let the communion servers know. If you are unable to receive wine, you will find a chalice containing non-alcoholic grape juice at the station the pastor is serving. The communion bread is gluten-free.

Closing Prayer

Benediction

Jesus is the Word made flesh in our midst. 
May his incarnation fill your hearts with joy and peace.
O Lord, give us peace!
Jesus is the promised Savior, born of Mary.
May his birth among us renew your hope.
O Lord, give us hope!
Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
May the gift of his presence bring forth rejoicing.
O Lord, give us joy!
Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever. Amen.

Closing Hymn - Nunc Dimittis

Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Amen.

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