The Lamb of God

Sunday, January 15, 2023
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

Union Presbyterian Church 200 E Main St Endicott, NY, 13760 United States (map)

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Who is Jesus? This morning, Baby Jesus has grown up, and is ready to begin his ministry. We meet him today along with John the Baptist, and a few disciples of John’s who are looking Jesus over. And we hear words people are already applying to Jesus:

Rabbi (teacher)…

Chosen One…

Messiah (Anointed)…

Lamb of God…

Join us for worship this morning in our beautiful sanctuary or here, online, if you are at home or on the road. You are invited! We will follow the burgeoning ministry of Jesus together.

The Lamb of God

Isaiah 49:1-7; John 1:29-42

2nd Sunday After Epiphany

January 15, 2023

Union Presbyterian Church 

Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 

Liturgist: Laura Keibel Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube  

Prelude Colin DeLap 

“Lamb of God,” Mark Hayes.

 Used by permission, CCLI license #CSPL068847   

Welcome Rev. Pat Raube

Call to Worship from Psalm 63 Laura Keibel

O God, you are our God.

Eagerly we seek you!

Our souls thirst for you,

our flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

Therefore, we have gazed upon you in your holy place.

O God, let us see your power and your glory!

* Hymn “O Jesus, You Were Born to Be”

Tune: "Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates" (Public Domain)

O Jesus, you were born to be
God's gift to save humanity;
And one great day we're moving toward,
All life will bow and call you Lord!

You taught the people every day
As Rabbi, Teacher of the Way;
O Master, may we learn from you
To love both God and neighbor, too.

O Son of God and Son of Man,
You trusted and obeyed God's plan;
The poor, the sick and those in need
Cried, "Son of David, set us free!"

You are Messiah, you are Christ,
Anointed One, God's sacrifice.
In you, God's mercy is revealed:
We're saved from sin, forgiven, healed.

O Jesus, you're the living Way,
The Resurrection, God's new Day.
You give us hope and make us new;
How wondrous is our life in you!

* Call to New Life

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (unison)

God of every year, and every day, every hour, and every breath: You are with us. You came in your Son Jesus to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. This is life-changing Good News for us. But are we there yet? Do we live in the knowledge of your love for us? Do we have lives of gentleness, or lives of desperation? Do we live in hope and gratitude, or flounder in helpless anxiety? Does our life show your abundant goodness, or signal that we aren’t quite buying it? Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Eternal, show us your Way. Give us the peace that passes understanding, so our lives might show forth your love. We pray in the name of Emmanuel. Amen.

* Words of Assurance

Let our spirits be content,

Let our mouths praise God with joyful lips:

For the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting.

The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger,

and abounding in steadfast love.

We will bless the Lord as long as we live.

We will rest in the knowledge that God loves us,

claims us, and never leaves us.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

With spirits content, we acknowledge God’s everlasting love.

Though it may last only a moment, only a day--

For now, this is our perfect peace.

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.

Scripture Reading Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands;
    pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born;
    while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
    in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord
    and my reward with my God.”

And now the Lord says,
    who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
    and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—
he says,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord,
    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
    the slave of rulers,
“Kings shall see and stand up;
    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “He Came Down,” public domain

Scripture Reading John 1:29-42

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Holy Wisdom, Holy Word

Thanks be to God!

Sermon “The Lamb of God” Rev. Pat Raube

Affirmation of Faith From “A Brief Statement of Faith,” PCUSA

In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father. In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments. we violate the image of God in others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature, and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation. In everlasting love, the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth. Hearing their cry, God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage. Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant. Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child, like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home, God is faithful still.

Anthem “O For a Thousand Tongues,” Craig Courtney

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.      

O for a thousand tongues to sing

My great Redeemer’s praise,

The glories of my God and King,

The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,

Assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad

The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

And bids our sorrows cease;

‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,

‘Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

He sets the prisoner free;

His blood can make the foulest clean,

His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and listening to His voice,

New life the dead receive;

The mournful, broken hearts rejoice;

The humble poor, believe.

To God all glory, praise, and love

Be now and ever given

By saints below and saints above,

The Church in earth and heaven.

Prayers of the People

The Lord’s Prayer (Traditional Version)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 

Prayer Response  #475 W & R      “Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ”

Frank von Christierson  

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.      

Eternal Spirit of the living Christ,  
We know not how to ask or what to say;  
We only know our need, as deep as life,  
And only you can teach us how to pray.  

Call for Offering

Doxology    “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” Brian Wren   

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;  

Praise God, all creatures high and low.  

Praise God, in Jesus fully known:  

Creator, Word, and Spirit one.  

Prayer of Dedication

* Hymn # 535 PH “Go With Us, Lord,” Mary Jackson Cathey

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Go with us, Lord, and guide the way
Through this and every coming day,
That in Your Spirit strong and true
Our lives may be our gift to You.

* Benediction From Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals,

by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro

May the peace of Christ go with you: wherever he will send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.

Postlude Colin DeLap

“In Christ Alone,” Glenda Austin.

Used by permission, CCLI license #CSPL068847   

Where an * is indicated, please rise in body and/or in spirit.     

“W & R” ~ the red Worship and Rejoice hymnal.    

“PH” ~ the blue Presbyterian Hymnal 