Sunday, January 5, 2025
Second Sunday after Epiphany
John 2:1-11  | "Fill, Draw, Taste"

Call to Worship (Inspired by Psalm 36)
One: Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Many: For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!
One: Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; your judgments are like the great deep.
Many: For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!
One: O continue your steadfast love to those who know you and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Many: For with you is the fountain of life. Fill us with life!

Invocation
Magnificent God, we come to draw near to you. Your presence among us sustains and challenges us. In you, we find strength and surprises. May the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, the word proclaimed, and the lives touched honor your name. We give you glory and honor. We welcome you and pray that your spirit shapes us with fresh wind, power, and compassion. Amen.

Prayer for Transformation and New Life
Gracious God, we live in the tension between expectation and reality. Sometimes, we navigate that tension with hope and clarity. At other times, we fester in doubt, disappointment, and uncertainty. Help us to release our need to control and enable us to embrace the possibilities. May our trust in your goodness and the power you have poured into us embolden our faith. Amen.

Words of Grace
Beloved, know that God's grace meets us at our point of need with encouragement. Circumstances change, and that's the nature of God's creative work. Receive the gift of new life with the unexpected experiences it brings. God is with you and equips you for the journey. 

Invitation to Generosity
Whatever gifts we bring may be transformed like water to the best wine. Trust God with what we have to offer. Our trust can sow miracles, reveal Jesus in the world, and magnify joy in our communities. Give with peace that the kindom overflows with abundance and with hope that our collective efforts make the world new.  

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication
Holy One, may our gifts declare your glory and benefit the common good. Receive them with our gratitude for your generosity and the opportunity to participate in your kindom on earth. Amen.

Benediction
May you be filled by the presence of God
May you draw from the wells of justice, peace, and righteousness
May you taste the fruit of the Spirit
As you make the way of Jesus your path in the world
And you make the name of God known in word and deed.
Go, in peace and power to love and serve God and neighbor/

Fill, Draw, Taste: Service Prayers for the Second Sunday after Epiphany was written by the Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Minister for Worship and Theology for the United Church of Christ.