Second Sunday of Christmas

January 3, 2010

1. As we enter a new year of God's grace, and as we prepare to celebrate the epiphany of our Lord, let us pray for the church, ourselves and the world, expressing our need, our concerns, and our thankfulness. In the prayer, "Incarnate God," you are invited to respond, "HEAR OUR PRAYER."

(Congregation may be invited to be seated for prayer.)

A brief silence

2. God revealed in your Word, send your Spirit into the church to enlighten, guide and encourage every leader, member and seeker.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

3. Inclusive God, open the hearts, minds, and doors of your church. Through the work of your Spirit, help each congregation and each member to create a wide welcome for all people.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

4. Incarnate God, we pray the blessing of your presence on our neighboring congregations and our sister congregations. In particular this morning we pray for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Coquitlam and their pastor, Eric Krushel; for King of Life in Lutheran church in Coquitlam and their pastor, Cathy Martin. And we pray for the faculty, the students and all the staff of seminaries which endeavour to prepare servants of our Lord. In particular we pray for Waterloo Lutheran Seminary and for the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. May all programs and all lives seek to reflect the Word that became truly human.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

5. God of grace upon grace, continue your creative work in the world. Give us eyes to see your creative work all around us, and enlighten our lives so that we would cherish and protect your creation.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

6. God the true light, shine your desire for peace and reconciliation in the many areas of war, conflict and hatred. Continue to raise up leaders who reflect that true light in their courage and their wisdom.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

7. God of rebirth , send the warmth of your healing and the comfort of your presence to all who are in need, especially those we name aloud or quietly in our hearts at this time…

Wrap each one in the embrace of your love and may our efforts in this coming week reflect your loving embrace of all your people.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

8. God of all goodness, we offer our prayers of thanksgiving to you who continue to surprise us with your daily blessings:

- We thank you for all who have the gift of another birthday or another anniversary, and for those who have known the gift of new life;

- we thank you that you have chosen to adopt us into your family;

- we thank you for that gift of faith;

- we name our special, personal reasons for thankfulness aloud or quietly in our heart at this time…

Lord God, as enter this new year, continue to help us to recognize signs of your daily love and presence.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

9. God of grace and of truth, bring comfort to all who grieve. May your presence and your promise shine the light of your love on all who mourn.

Incarnate God:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

10. Finally, in your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your never ending love and mercy, through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. AMEN.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 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, 4just as he chose us in Christ* before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,* having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this* is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,* and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.*

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,* and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son,* full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried out, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me." ') 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,* who is close to the Father's heart,* who has made him known.