4th Sunday After Epiphany: Teaching With Authority

Sunday, January 28, 2024
10:30 AM 11:30 AM 10:30 11:30

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

Google Calendar ICS

This morning we witness the gospel of Mark’s first account of a healing: Jesus casting a demon out of an unnamed man. Note how the crowd responds!

Join us for worship in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship videos are available here or on Youtube following the service. You are invited!

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Teaching With Authority

Psalm 111; Mark 1:21-28

Union Presbyterian Church

January 28, 2024

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

Liturgist: Joan Kellam Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube

Welcome

Announcements Joan Kellam

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“For the Beauty of the Earth,” Lee Dengler

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.   

Call to Worship (responsive) Joan Kellam

Holy Spirit, you have created us children of God:

You make us the living temple of your presence.

Holy Spirit, you intercede with us for sighs too deep for words.

You teach us to pray, to expand our hearts before God.

Holy Spirit, in you are the gifts of God, bestowed at baptism.

You hover over us in baptism; we hear God’s Words:

You are my beloved child.

Hymn # 559 W & R

“Here I Am, Lord,” Dan Schutte

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.   

I, the Lord of sea and sky,

I have heard my people cry.

All who dwell in dark and sin

My hand will save.

I who make the stars of night,

I will make their darkness bright.

Who will bear my light to them?

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,

I have borne my people’s pain.

I have wept for love of them,

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone,

Give them hearts for love alone.

I will speak my Word to them.

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of wind and flame,

I will tend the poor and lame.

I will set a feast for them,

My hand will save.

Finest bread I will provide

Till their hearts be satisfied.

I will give my life to them.

Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

I will hold your people in my heart.

Call to New Life

Prayer for Wholeness and Peace

Merciful God, in Jesus we have seen your glory. Yet our habits, our ways of being in your world can block out the light of Christ. We are quick to accuse and slow to confess. We find faults easily in others while ignoring our own shortcomings. We have squandered your gifts. We have turned from your ways. We have ignored your Word. Break our hearts of stone, compassionate God, and give us hearts for love alone. Pour out your Holy Spirit as a balm upon our lives. Wash us with your love and cleanse us with your grace, that day by day we would move closer to the people you would have us be. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Words of Assurance Psalm 139:7-10

Where can we go from your Spirit, O God?
    Or where can we flee from your presence?

If we ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if we make our beds in Sheol, you are there.

If we take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead us,
    and your right hand shall hold us fast.

By your relentless love, O God, you insist on your mercy,

and pour out your boundless grace.

We are forgiven, healed, and made free.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

May the peace of God be with you. 

And also with you.

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

Scripture Psalm 111 

Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are your works, O Lord,
    pondered by all who delight in them.

Majesty and splendor mark your deeds,
    and your righteousness endures forever.

You cause your wonders to be remembered;
    you are gracious and full of compassion.

You give food to those who fear you,
    remembering forever your covenant.

You have shown your people the power of your works,
    in giving them the lands of the nations.

The works of your hands are faithfulness and justice;
    all of your precepts are sure.

They stand fast forever and ever,
    because they are done in truth and equity.

You sent redemption to your people
    and commanded your covenant forever;
    holy and awesome is your name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all who practice this have a good understanding.
    God’s praise endures forever.

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “Thy Holy Wings,” Jane Holstein

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.   

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism: Aaron Michael DeLap

Parents: Colin and Angel DeLap; Big Sister Clara Faith DeLap

Pastor: Hear these words from Holy Scripture:

People were bringing children to Jesus in order that he might touch them, and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. ~Mark 10:13-16

Clerk of Session Cyndy Vosburgh:

There is one body and one Spirit,

just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Pastor: Obeying the word of our Lord Jesus, and confident of his promises,

we baptize those whom God has called.

In baptism God claims us,

and seals us to show that we belong to God.

God frees us from sin and death,

uniting us with Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection.

By water and the Holy Spirit

we are made members of the church, the body of Christ,

and joined to Christ’s ministry of love, peace, and justice.

Let us remember our own baptisms as we celebrate this sacrament.

Clerk of Session Cyndy Vosburgh:

On behalf of the Session I present Aaron Michael DeLap,

the child of Angel and Colin DeLap,

to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.

Pastor: Colin and Angel, do you desire that Aaron Michael be baptized?

Colin and Angel: We do.

Pastor: Colin and Angel, relying on God’s grace, do you promise to live the Christian faith, and to teach that faith to your child?

Colin and Angel: We do.

Pastor: Will you, by your prayers and witness, grow along with your child into the full stature of Christ?

Colin and Angel: We will, with God’s help.

Pastor (to the Congregation): Do you, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture Aaron Michael by word and deed, with love and prayer?

Congregation: We do.

Pastor: Will you encourage him to know and follow Christ, and to be a faithful member of his church?

Congregation: We will.

Profession of Faith

Pastor: God has made the baptismal font

the womb through which we are reborn in the waters of life.

Through the Sacrament of Baptism

we enter the covenant God established in Jesus Christ.

Through this covenant, God gives us new life,

strengthens us to resist evil,

and nurtures us in love.

Through this covenant, we choose whom we will serve,

by turning from evil and turning to Jesus Christ.

Trusting in the gracious mercy of God,

do you turn from the ways of sin

and renounce evil and its power in this world?

Colin and Angel: I do.

Who is your Lord and Savior?

Colin and Angel: Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.

Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple,

obeying his word and showing his love?

Colin and Angel: I will, with God’s help.

Will you devote yourself to the church’s teaching and fellowship,

to the breaking of bread and the prayers?

Colin and Angel: I will, with God’s help.

With the whole church let us confess our faith.

Pastor: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty?

All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Pastor: Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

All: I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Pastor: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?

All: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Thanksgiving Over the Water

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Pastor: We thank you, God, for the gift of creation called forth by your saving Word. Before the world had shape and form, your Spirit moved over the waters. Out of the waters of the deep, you formed the firmament and brought forth the earth to sustain all life.

In the time of Moses, your people Israel passed through the Red Sea waters, from slavery to freedom, and crossed the flowing Jordan to enter into the promised land.

In the fullness of time, you came in Jesus Christ, who was nurtured in the waters of Mary’s womb. Jesus was baptized by John in the water of the Jordan, became living water to a woman at the Samaritan well, washed the feet of the disciples, and sent them forth to baptize all the nations by water and the Holy Spirit.

By your Holy Spirit, bless this water, gracious God. Create new life in the ones baptized this day, that they may rise in Christ. Glory to you, eternal God, the one who was, and is, and shall always be. Amen.

The Baptism

Pastor: Colin and Angel, by what name do you call this child?

Angel and Colin: Aaron Michael

Pastor: Aaron Michael, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

O Lord, uphold Aaron Michael by your Holy Spirit.

Give her the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord,

the spirit of joy in your presence,

both now and forever. Amen.

Aaron Michael, child of the covenant,

you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism,

and marked as Christ’s own forever. Amen.

Welcome

Pastor: Aaron Michael, you have been received into the Church of Jesus Christ through Baptism. By the Holy Spirit’s power, you have become members of the household of God, to share with us in the ministry of Christ and the priesthood of all believers.

Congregation: With joy and thanksgiving

we welcome you into the body of Christ.

Pastor: The peace of Christ be with you.

Congregation: And also with you.

Hymn #680 W & R

“I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry,” John Ylvisaker

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.    

I was there to hear your borning cry,

I’ll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized

To see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child

With a faith to suit you well;

In a blaze of light you wandered off

To find where demons dwell.

When you heard the wonder of the Word

I was there to cheer you on.

You were raised to praise the living Lord

To whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time,

And you join your hearts as one,

I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme

From dusk till rising sun.

In the middle ages of your life,

Not too old, no longer young,

I’ll be there to guide you through the night,

Complete what I’ve begun.

When the evening gently closes in

And you shut your weary eyes,

I’ll be there as I have always been

With just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry,

I’ll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized

To see your life unfold.

Scripture Mark 1:21-28

A reading from the Gospel according to Mark, beginning at chapter 1, verse 21.

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Response  Holy Wisdom, Holy Word: 

Thanks be to God! 

Sermon “Teaching with Authority”

Anthem Choir

“Healer of Our Every Ill,” Ken Medema

Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847

Healer of our every ill,

Light of each tomorrow,

Give us peace beyond our fear;

Hope beyond our sorrow.

You who know our fears and sadness,
grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts.

In the pain and joy beholding
how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision, God of love.

Healer of our every ill,

Light of each tomorrow,

Give us peace beyond our fear;

Hope beyond our sorrow.

Give us strength to love each other,
every sister, every brother;
Spirit of all kindness, be our guide.

You who know each thought and feeling,
teach us all your way of healing;
Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.

Healer of our every ill,

Light of each tomorrow,

Give us peace beyond our fear;

Hope beyond our sorrow.

Prayers of the People   

The Lord’s Prayer   

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.     

Come with the vision and the strength I need   

To serve my God, and all humanity;   

Fulfillment of my life in love outpoured—   

My life in you, O Christ, your love in me.   

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  #248 W & R “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light,” Kathleen Thomerson

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE,

I want to walk as a child of the light;  

I want to follow Jesus. 

God set the stars to give light to the world;  

The star of my life is Jesus. 

In him there is no darkness at all;  

The night and the day are both alike. 

The Lamb is the light of the city of God:  

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. 

I want to see the brightness of God;  

I want to look at Jesus. 

Clear Sun of righteousness, shine on my path,  

And show me the way to the Father. 

In him there is no darkness at all;  

The night and the day are both alike. 

The Lamb is the light of the city of God:  

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. 

I’m looking for the coming of Christ;  

I want to be with Jesus. 

When we have run with patience the race,  

We shall know the joy of Jesus. 

In him there is no darkness at all;  

The night and the day are both alike. 

The Lamb is the light of the city of God:  

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus. 

Benediction

Postlude  Chris Bartlette

“All People That on Earth Do Dwell,” Lloyd Larson

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.   

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

“Call to New Life,” “Prayer for Wholeness and Peace,” and the final four lines of the “Words of Assurance” all adapted from prayers written by the Rev. John Wurster for the Presbyterian Outlook.