14. Year C - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

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VERSION: 9 April 2002

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY, YEAR C

In 2004: 1 Feb

In 2007: 28 Jan

In 2010: 31 Jan

In 2013: 3 Feb

In 2016: 31 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.

The Lord says: 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,

and before you were born, I consecrated you'. (Jer 1:5 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 God,

since you know that we are set in the midst

of so many and great dangers

that we cannot stand upright

because of the frailty of our nature:

Grant us strength and protection

to support us in all dangers,

and carry us through all temptations;

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 God,

you know that we are placed

in the midst of such great dangers

that we cannot stand upright

because of our human frailty.

Make us whole in mind and body.

Support us in all dangers

and carry us through all temptations.

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 for power to say and do what is right. [silence])

In all our doubts, dangers, and confusion,

teach us, Lord, what we ought to say and do.

Give to us,

who can do nothing good without you,

the power to speak the truth and do your will.

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 for the gift of love. [silence])

Everloving God,

we thank you that you sent your own Son

to bring us life,

and that through him you give us many gifts.

Teach us to desire your greatest gift,

the gift of love,

so that we love others as you have loved us.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Jeremiah 1:4-10 God appoints Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations

PSALM

Psalm 71:1-6

Antiphon:

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. (Ps 71:6 NIV)

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 The way of love

ALLLELUIA VERSE (Luke 4:21b NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

(Jesus said:) Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Luke 4:21-30 Jesus is rejected by his home town

(Begin: 'Then Jesus began to say to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: . . . ')

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus,

thank you for teaching with God's authority.

Lead us to accept your message of God's love.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Eternal God,

make us ready to tell and show others your love,

even if we are rejected.

Let your great love fill our lives,

so that we give ourselves and our possessions

in service to you and other people.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

In faith, hope and love, let us come before God our Father, and present our needs to him in prayer

The regular response, OR:

Lord, hear our prayer,

in Jesus' name.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Lord, you formed us in the womb, and before we were born you predestined us to be your own. Keep us in your love, and strengthen our faith and our hope. 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 p6), 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.

In all our doubts, dangers, and confusion,

teach us, Lord, what we ought to say and do.

As we have received

the body and blood of Christ

in this sacrament,

give us the power

to speak the truth and do your will.

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.

CLOSING SENTENCE

This sentence from the end of the second reading could be used as a responsive sentence before the blessing, or instead of the 'Give thanks to the Lord . . .' response in the Service with Communion.

And now faith, love and hope abide. [Hallelujah].

And the greatest of these is love. [Hallelujah].

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, and love one another.

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: Jeremiah 1:4-10

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 71:1-6

For musical settings of Psalm 71:1-6, see Music Packages 7 and 9. TIS 40, In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge, is a version of Psalm 71:1-4,6-8.

The following metrical paraphrase of Psalm 71:1-6 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune of ATN 84, I want Jesus to walk with me. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

I take refuge in you, O Lord.

Let me never be put to shame.

In your justice, come and save me,

bend to hear me, and rescue me.

Be a rock, Lord, where I can hide;

be a fortress to shelter me.

Only you can be my fortress,

and the rock where you set me free.

Rescue me, Lord, out of the hands

of the wicked and the unjust.

Since my youth, Lord, you have been my

only hope and my only trust.

Lord, I've always relied on you;

since my birth from my mother's womb,

you have helped me in my trouble.

So I always give praise to you.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

JEREMIAH 1:4-10: The calling of a prophet. The eternal all-knowing and almighty God knows the course of events that will unfold from beginning to end. Thus Jeremiah is shaped in detail even prior to his conception to be the agent and mouthpiece of God. His words are not to be his, but God's. His doubts and objections are overcome by God's assurance that though he will not escape trial and difficulty, God will be beside him to deliver him. Nations will come under Jeremiah's prophetic office. The word of God is initially destructive as it works ultimately to restore repentant people to God-pleasing obedience and blessedness.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13: In the last two Sundays' readings from the previous chapter we have heard how the Sprit distributes gifts in a congregation for the common good. Here (vv 1-3) Paul shows clearly the futility of these gifts if used simply for empty personal vanity, without love. The description of love at work in verses 4-7 shows characteristics which are almost a miniature portrait of the way our Lord Jesus lived. Paul points out in verses 8-13 the comparative temporary nature of gifts among Christians. Their purpose in the long term will pass away. They do serve now for people to grow into eternal life. When, though, the eternal day of our final salvation dawns in its glorious splendour, love will be the element which remains forever.

LUKE 4:21-30: The first part of the account of Jesus' visit to the synagogue at Nazareth was read last Sunday. He clearly interpreted the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the freedom and restoration of God's separated people in Babylon to be referring to his own ministry. While the people thought him to be talking politically they loved his 'gracious words'. When they realised he was actually talking about their own need for freedom through forgiveness they turned to criticism. The demand for proof of a miracle to demonstrate his messiahship showed their refusal to believe in him. This invited Jesus' comment about Elijah's miracles being done amongst the heathen, implying that God would turn from them to other nations. The angry and violent reaction foreshadowed the cross, but that time was yet to come.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be illustrated with a picture like that in the TEV Bible for Jeremiah 1:9. The second reading could be illustrated by two pictures like those in the TEV Bible for 1 Corinthians 13:12.

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 first reading could be read by three readers: narrator, the Lord, Jeremiah (verse 6); and the second reading could be read by two readers, A and B:

A: verses 1-3

B: verses 4-7

A: verses 8-10

B: verses 11-12

A & B: verse 13

The gospel could be read by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, one of the people.

CHILDREN

'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 is rejected at Nazareth (Luke 4:21–30)' (to be found in both the original and RCL editions, 4 Epiphany, year C).