Call to Worship for the New Year

A new day has dawned, a new year begun
O Lord, call us so we may hear Your voice

The world turns to hopes and dreams of the future
O Lord, keep us in Your ways and on Your path

We enter this new year with hope and excitement
O Lord, remind us that You lead us
O Lord, guide us as [we] look to You and worship You.
Amen.

Written by Rev. Mindi and posted on her Rev-o-lution website. http://rev-o-lution.org/. reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/12/call-to-worship-for-new-year.html.

Call to Worship: God’s Promises for a New Year

(Based on 2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

Here we are on the first Sunday of a new year. For many, a new year means a fresh start. We may have made promises or resolutions for [2023], or perhaps we are hoping to break some bad habits. Maybe we’ll succeed, maybe we’ll fail.

Let us be reminded that we are here to worship a God who always makes good on His word. In Jesus Christ, God has promised us renewal, freedom from the hold of sin and eternal salvation. Stand with me as we read God’s word together:

All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ
with a resounding “Yes!”
And through Christ,
our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
He has anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us,
and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come. Amen!

Written by Jamie Barnes; as used by the Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. Posted on The Open Sourcebook website. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-year-call-to-worship.html.

Opening Prayer

(based on Isaiah 60:1-6, Matthew 2:1-12)

God of all time,
we praise and adore you for breaking into the darkness of this world
with the glorious light of your presence.
A light which made your love for the world visible
in the babe born in Bethlehem—
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour.
A light which guided those gift-bearing travellers from afar
to find and worship the Christ-child.
A light which leads us to you, now revealed in Jesus Christ.
We pray that you will accept our worship
for it arises from hearts and minds
in awe over the enormity of your gift to us of pure love.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Moira Laidlaw, on Liturgies Online. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/12/opening-prayer-epiphany.html.

Prayer for Epiphany

Radiant Morning Star,
you are both guidance and mystery,
Visit our rest with disturbing dreams,
and our journeys with strange companions.

Grace us with the hospitality
to open our hearts and homes
to visitors filled with unfamiliar wisdom
bearing profound and unusual gifts. Amen.

Written by Kris, and posted on RevGalBlogPals website. http://revgalblogpals.org. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/12/epiphany-prayer-morning-star.html.

Prayer of Intercession for Epiphany

In the silences throughout these prayers, you are invited to hold up to God, either silently or aloud, the names of those you remember especially today.

Bathed in starlight, we pray together
to the One who created all things, saying,
Show us your child, O God,
For we observed a new star at its rising
and have traveled far, bearing gifts.

Make your wisdom in its rich variety known through all faithful people,
and give your holy church grace to bear the gifts of truth and love
to all your children on earth.

[silence]

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in faith.

Give your justice to the nations and their leaders,
and give your mercy to all whose decisions
affect the peace and well-being of the world.
Where we have power ourselves,
open our ears to the cries of the weak, the poor, and the needy,
and open our hearts to answer their call.

[silence]

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in hope.

Bless this community,
that in your light we may each become a servant, one to the other.
Bring us together in story, song, joy, and sorrow;
and let every daughter and son who comes among us
find kinship in this place.

[silence]

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together in love.

Have mercy on those among us
who journey in sickness, fear, or any kind of trouble.
Meet them on your road with rest, peace, and good cheer.

[silence]

Show us your child, O God,
For we walk together by your side.

We remember those who have died.

[silence]

Your star goes before them. Show them your child, O God,
For they have traveled far to be with you.

Dear God, with longing and thanksgiving,
knowing that you hold this world and all its children dear in your heart,
we pray this night for the grace to receive your gifts,
to lift up our eyes and look around,
and to offer back those same gifts to you and your world, with love.

Show us your child, O God,
For we observed a new star at its rising and have traveled far, bearing gifts.

To the One who is the road on which we travel,
our companion along the way, and our journey’s end,
we pray in boldness and confidence through faith in Christ Jesus,
Amen.

Written by Margaret D. McGee, and posted on In the Courtyard. www.inthecourtyard.com. Reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/11/prayers-of-people-for-epiphany.html.