Westminster Worship Notes

Worship Notes Archives

January 20, 2007

2^nd Sunday after Epiphany

Preparation for Worship

Rethinking and reconstructing evangelism is a task that must be taken up in every era and in every part of the world where the church takes seriously its calling to "announce peace" and to bear faithful, public and embodied witness to God's reign in its own context... ironically, it may be that it is precisely from a position of marginality that the church is best able to announce peace and to bear witness to God's peaceable reign in such a way as to invite others to take seriously the subversive implications of that reign.

We continue in the season of Epiphany with its emphasis on light and revelation. Our music selections this morning reflect this emphasis as our beginning hymn "As With Gladness Men of Old" contains the image of the light that brings joy leading us onward. The hymn following the sermon is a prayer for the Spirit to descend upon our hearts and make them altars for God's flaming love. The final hymn invites us to come and "Live in the light!"

The central text for worship is taken from the Prophet Isaiah who speaks of God's people being a "light to all nations." The gospel of John reminds us that our light is rooted in one who is referred to as the Lamb of God. The profession of faith is taken from a section of the Confession of 1967 and highlights our calling to witness to the light through our actions in the world.