12. Year C - Second Sunday after Epiphany

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VERSION: 9 April 2002

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, YEAR C

In 2004: 18 Jan

In 2007: 14 Jan

In 2010: 17 Jan

In 2013: 20 Jan

In 2016: 17 Jan

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Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Epiphany season and time after' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isa 62:2,5 NRSV)

OR, use the standard Epiphany Sentence in the document 'Epiphany season and time after', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Almighty and eternal God,

ruler of all things in heaven and earth:

Mercifully hear the prayers of your people,

and grant us your peace

all the days of our life;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Almighty and eternal God,

you rule over everything in heaven and on earth.

In mercy listen to the prayers of your people,

and give us your peace in our times.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray that God will keep us true to our calling as his followers.[silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

it is by your loving kindness alone

that you accept us

and call us to serve you.

Strengthen us by your Holy Spirit

and make us worthy of our calling.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray that we receive God's gifts with joy. [silence])

Generous God,

we thank you for all the good gifts

you lavishly pour out on us.

Teach us to enjoy what you have given us

to the full,

and bring us at last

to feast with you in eternal joy.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 62:1-5 God will restore Zion and rejoice in her

PSALM

Psalm 36:5-10

Antiphon:

(For with you is the fountain of life, and) in your light we see light.

(Ps 36:9 NRSV)

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Gifts of the Spirit

ALLELUIA VERSE (John 2:1a,11b NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

On the third day Jesus revealed his glory,

and his disciples believed in him.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

John 2:1-11 Jesus at the wedding in Cana

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for revealing your glory

at the wedding feast in Cana.

Help us to trust in your generous love.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Thank you, loving God,

for all the good things of life,

and for your Spirit and his gifts.

Lead us to use the gifts we have

in loving service to others,

and for the common good.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

God is more ready to give good gifts to us than we are to ask for them. Let us come before him and pray for ourselves and others.

The regular response, OR:

Lord God, in your grace,

hear the prayer of your people.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Lord, your Son showed his glory at the wedding feast in Cana. Grant that we may be gathered together at your table in glory to celebrate the marriage feast that has no end. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

PREFACE

For these non-festival Sundays after Epiphany, either no seasonal preface is used, as in the Service with Communion (LHS p 6), or the following Epiphany preface may be used.

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You have sent your only Son

to appear among us as a human being,

and through him

you have fully revealed

the light of your presence to us.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

The following Epiphany invitation or one of the two general invitations below may be used.

Epiphany

Jesus says:

'The bread that God gives

is he who comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

General

1  Jesus says:

'I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

2  Jesus says:

'My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood

remain in me, and I in them.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

If the third prayer listed above under 'Prayer of the day' has not already been used, it may be used in this modified form as a post-communion prayer.

Almighty and merciful God,

it is by your loving kindness alone

that you accept us

and call us to serve you.

Strengthen us by this sacrament

and make us worthy of our calling.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, rejoicing in the gifts that God gives you.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Isaiah 62:1-5

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: John 2:1-11

LHS

AT

TIS

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PSALM 36:5-10

For musical settings of Psalm 36:5-10, see Music Packages 7 and 8.

The following metrical paraphrase by David Sch¸tz could be sung to the tune 'Bethany' (LH 257). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

Lord, your love extends to heaven

      and your truth draws to the sky;

Lord, your judgments and your justice

      reach the depths and scale the heights.

Precious is your loving kindness,

      caring for all living things;

Everyone who truly seeks you

      finds protection 'neath your wing.

In your presence they are feasted

      with the riches you provide;

from the stream of your good pleasures

      all their thirst is satisfied.

For in you is life's pure fountain;

      in your light we see the light.

Show your love to those who know you;

      guard the righteous with your might.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ISAIAH 62:1-5: This section has its setting in despondency amongst the people of God. Many of the promises of restoration from slavery in Babylon to rebuilding and inhabiting Jerusalem with its temple worship had not yet come true. Surrounding heathen peoples could taunt them contemptuously for their helplessness. Yet God insists that he cannot be accused of hiding from them in silence (v 1). He will uphold the people in righteousness and justify their faith in him ('vindicate' them), so that neighbouring peoples will be forced to acclaim their wondrous status. The Lord will establish his people from his absolute selfless gracious love, just as a bridegroom treasures his bride, rejoices over her and establishes her desired requirements for wellbeing.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11: The background to this reading needs to be borne in mind. The Corinth congregation was beset by human rivalry, division, envy and dissension despite its prominent gifts. A veiled reference to Father, Son and Spirit (vv 4,5,6) implies the purpose of unity behind these gifts. The primary and essential gift of the Spirit, of course, is common to all Christians (vv 1-3), that is, personal saving faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. This attestation or manifestation of the Son's headship in the body of believers is accompanied by God's production of differing and divergent spiritual abilities in individual believers. These, though, are not for personal aggrandisement, but achieve a shared benefit and blessing one to the other, according to the Spirit's plan and purpose, apportioned as he wills. Christ's body is to be built up with a unity of purpose which serves his headship.

JOHN 2:1-11: St John calls this miracle of Jesus 'the first of his signs' (v 11). The miracles in John's gospel are termed 'signs' because they are actions which have significance in manifesting the Christ's authority and glory (compare also v 11). Here he 'reveals his glory' for the first time at this wedding at Cana through a sovereign act which brought something into being (namely high quality wine) over and above the natural created order. We can note that this points forward to an infinitely greater manifestation of his glory through his substitutionary death for all people and his triumphant resurrection to seal this central truth of salvation.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the gospel may be illustrated with a picture like that in the TEV Bible for John 2:7.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the gospel could be read by four readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus' mother, Jesus, steward. The gospel could also be mimed as it is read.

CHILDREN

CHILDREN AND THE READINGS

Children could take part in miming the gospel.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is: 'Jesus changes water to wine (John 2:1–11)' (to be found in both the original and RCL editions, 2 Epiphany, year C).