Third Sunday after Epiphany

January 24, 2010

1. Drawn to the light of Christ, made bold in the waters of our baptism, and touched by the spirit of God, we lift up our prayers in confidence that God listens to our prayers.

"Lord, in your love," you are invited to respond, "HEAR OUR

PRAYER."

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

A brief silence

2. O God, you have gathered us into the body of Christ. Help us to honor and affirm one another's gifts just as we are called to recognize and honor our God-given gifts. Lord, fill us with the power of your Spirit.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

3. O God, you have filled the world with wonder; help us daily to be good stewards of your precious handiwork. Fill us with the power of your Spirit.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

4. O God, your world is full of abundance, yet too many go with so little food, so little health care, so little shelter and so little security. Give us the personal desire to share with others, just as we insist that our political leaders make decisions on our behalf to share with others.

Lord, in your love: HEAR OUR PRAYER.

5. O God, you proclaim liberty to all those who suffer; be a presence of comfort to those in our midst who are oppressed by poverty, by breakdown of relationships, by addictions, by loneliness or by illness. We pray especially for those we name aloud or quietly in our heart at this time…

Through the power of your Spirit, comfort and strengthen all in need, and may our words and our deeds be agents of your Spirit in the coming week.

Lord, in your love: HEAR OUR PRAYER.

6. Lord we pray the blessings of your Spirit on our neighboring congregations and on our sister congregations. In particular this morning we pray for Hills of Peace Lutheran church in Kamloops and their pastor, Brian Krushel; and for Christ Lutheran Church in Kelowna and their pastor Patricia Giannelia. We pray also for our missionaries: for Brian Rude and his wellness workshops in prisons and his Aids ministry in El Salvador; for Fran Schmidt serving the Peruvian Evangelical Lutheran Church; and for Lori Endress in her teaching ministry in Thailand. Fill all faith communities and all ministries with the power of your Spirit.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

7. We give you thanks for all your blessings both earthly and spiritual that you give daily to all people.

- 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 for the variety of gifts you have given to your communities;

- we thank you for the willingness of many to use their gifts for the benefit of others;

- we thank you for the opportunities you have given us to serve others through our special gifts;

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

Lord God, continue to touch our hearts with the gift of daily gratitude.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

8. O God, you promise us resurrection! Help us reach out to those who weep and mourn with the assurance of your promise that we will all share in the joy you have prepared for all your saints. Fill us with the power of your Spirit.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

9. Good and gracious God, we ask all these things and whatever else you see that we need with a sure and certain hope in your goodness and your love. AMEN.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Luke 4:14-21

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.'