Epiphany: Hope for the World

Sunday, January 4, 2026
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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We all know the story so well—astrologers—or are they kings?—come from the East to worship the Christ child, and are met by a scheming king. But not all kings are schemers… there is still hope for the world.

Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM in our beautiful sanctuary at 200 East Main Street, Endicott. Or, you can join our livestream by clicking on the Youtube Video right here. We would love to walk the Advent journey together.

Epiphany Sunday

Hope for the World

Hosea 11:1-4; 7-9; Matthew 2:1-12

Union Presbyterian Church

January 4, 2026

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

Liturgist: Kathy Sullivan Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube

Welcome  

Announcements          Kathy Sullivan

Prelude Chris Bartlette

“He Is Lord / O Come, Let Us Adore Him,” Mark Hayes

Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847

* Call to Worship

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

The mystery of the ages is revealed;

the eternal plan of God is known to all.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

Let us offer him the treasures

of our hearts and our lives.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

* Hymn # 151

“We Three Kings of Orient Are”

(Public Domain)

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain,
Gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a deity nigh;
Prayer and praising gladly raising,
Worshiping God Most High.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Sounds through the earth and skies.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

* Call to New Life

God judges the nations with righteousness, and answers the oppressed and poor with justice. Trusting in God’s grace, let us open our hearts to God’s healing.

* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace (responsive)

God of glory, you came among us in Jesus as the light of the world, to reveal your love for all people. We confess that our wandering hearts hide and forget the brightness of your light. We turn away from the poor. We ignore cries for justice. We do not strive for peace.

~ Silence ~

And we pray,

In your mercy, bring our wandering hearts back to your own heart. Pour out the gifts of your Spirit that, forgiven and renewed, we may show forth your glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen.

* Words of Assurance

The mercy of the Lord is like rain,

like showers that water the earth.

In the name of the Prince of Peace, we are forgiven,

For God’s love is from everlasting to everlasting.

Thanks be to God!

* Sharing of the Peace

The Star that never fades

is the Prince of Peace among us.

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 Hosea 11:1-4

A reading from the prophet Hosea, beginning at verse 1.

When Israel was a child, I loved them,

and out of Egypt I called my child.

They, the Baals, called to them,

they went out to the Baals;

they sacrificed, and to idols

they offered incense.

Yet it was I who walked toddling Ephraim,

taking them by their arms;

yet they did not know that I healed them.

I led them with human ties,

with bonds of love.

I was to them like those

who lift babies to their cheeks.

I bent down to them and fed them.

Time for Young Disciples Rev. Pat Raube

Music: “In the Heavens Shone a Star” (Hymn #131)

Used by Permission. CCLI License #CSPL068847

Anthem Chris Bartlette

“Lead Us to Peace By Your Light,” Hans Peterson

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

The nations, they rage, babies cry through the night.

Your people seek shelter, this world needs your light.

Like farmers who first heard good news of Christ’s birth,

We yearn for your “peace on the earth.”

O great star shining above

Guide us home to the birthplace of love.

On this cold winter night your people still fight;

Lead us to peace by your light.

You challenge our notion of true liberty.

The rich are brought low so that everyone’s free.

The proud come to understand humility.

The blind point the way and we see.

O great star shining above

Guide us home to the birthplace of love.

On this cold winter night your people still fight;

Lead us to peace by your light.

Not born in the comfort of wealth but instead

You enter what’s messy, a lowly cow shed.

Our rock through the ages and song through the years,

You’re met in our hopes and our fears.

O great star shining above

Guide us home to the birthplace of love.

On this cold winter night your people still fight;

Lead us to peace by your light.

Scripture Matthew 2:1-12

Now Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod; suddenly sages from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the one born king of the Judeans? For we have seen his star at its ascent and have come to reverence him.” When King Herod heard this, he was shaken, and all Jerusalem with him; then calling together all the chief priests and religious scholars of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah would be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

by no means are least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called for the sages and learned from them the time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go, search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word so that I may go and reverence him.” When they had heard the king, the left, and there suddenly, was the star that they had seen at its ascent going before them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they rejoiced; their joy was exuberant. On entering the house, they saw the child along with Mary, his mother; and they fell down and reverenced him. Then, opening their treasure, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word: 

Thanks be to God! 

Sermon “Hope for the World”

* Affirmation of Faith Colossians 1:15-20

Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

* Hymn # 144 (verses 1-3)

“In the Bleak Midwinter”

(Public Domain)

In the bleak midwinter,
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen,
Snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold him,
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign:
In the bleak midwinter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there;
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air;
But his mother only,
In her maiden bliss,
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

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 # 144 (verse 4) “In the Bleak Midwinter” (Public Domain)

What can I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give him: give my heart.

Call for Offering     

* Doxology # 584 “Glory, Glory, Glory”

Glory, glory, glory,

Glory be to God on high!

Glory, glory, glory,

Glory be to God on high!

And on earth peace to all people

In whom God is well pleased.

And on earth peace to all people

In whom God is well pleased.

* Dedication of Offering 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

The Invitation

The ancient Middle East welcomed travelers with beautiful hospitality. The Magi would, no doubt, have been invited to a table with the best the family could offer. In this sacrament, God invites us to this table, where we can partake of the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Let us approach God’s table with joy.

The Great Thanksgiving

The Light of the World has dawned; come, let us adore him.

We have seen the star in the East; let us bow before

Emmanuel, God-With-Us.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Thanks and praise for the beginning,

For mysteries to which only you know the answers:

For heaven and earth,

For the ordering of deep darkness, formless and void,

For light, for morning, and sky,

For flower and fruit, for humankind,

For the creatures of the land and sea.

Thanks and praise for the splendor and goodness of creation;

Your promises—

A bow in the clouds,

A baby born.

Thanks and praise for the answer of your Son;

For a star over a manger,

And a lost boy already teaching,

For lessons drawn in sand,

And sermons on the Mount,

For precious perfume gone un-wasted,

And a woman’s action in proclaiming the gospel.

Thanks and praise for his feeding

5000 with the bread of life;

And miracles worked:

From bread alone,

For water into wine,

And wine into blood,

And blood into salvation.

Thanks and praise for his healing

Hemorrhaging women,

Daughters of men and mothers,

And brothers out of tombs,

And from your tomb,

Earthquakes and angels,

The tearing of cloth,

And stones rolled away.

… Remembering in this place, in this time, and waiting for this simple loaf, this overflowing cup, the merest and the most: Our thankful praise.

Sanctus

“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,” Marty Haugen

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Holy, holy, holy Lord, 

God of power, God of might, 

Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. 

Hosanna in the highest. 

Blessed is He who comes  

In the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest, 

Hosanna in the highest. 

Words of Institution

We remember:

A blessing on the night of betrayal,

A loaf of bread, Jesus our Lord: blessing, breaking, sharing, speaking from the heart:

“This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

We remember:

The same way, after supper

A cup of the fruit of the vine, Jesus our Lord: blessing, thanking, sharing, speaking from the heart:

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”

As often as you share it,

A loaf of bread, a cup of overflowing,

Proclaim the death, until he comes again

Jesus our Lord.

The Hovering Spirit

Holy Spirit, Enter like wind over water
Ripple over this cup
Tear this bread
Baptize us with your fire
Gather us with the church of Pentecost
And send us out in song
Into a world filled with blood and fire
Blood that is not yours,
Fire that knows not your name

Our lives, this day and always,
Show us how to walk with you
Show us how to live for you
Show us how to preach you

Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit,
Show us how to praise you and pray to you
Until you come again, for it is through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, that all Glory and Honor are yours, Mighty God, forever and ever. Amen.

The Communion

Music during Communion: “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” (Hymn #142) [piano]

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

Prayer of Thanksgiving (unison)

We praise you God that you turn us loose to go with you

to welcome the new, to see our possibilities, to accept our limits,

even as we strive to do the work of sharing the light of Christ every day:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among all, and

To make music in the heart. Amen.

* Hymn # 152

“What Star Is This, with Beams So Bright?”

(Public Domain)

What star is this, with beams so bright,
More lovely than the noonday light?
’Tis sent to announce a newborn king,
Glad tidings of our God to bring.

’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a star proceed;"
And lo! the eastern sages stand
To read in heaven the Lord’s command.

While outward signs the star displays,
An inward light the Lord conveys
And urges them, with tender might,
To seek the giver of the light.

O Jesus, while the star of grace
Impels us on to seek your face,
Let not our slothful hearts refuse
The guidance of your light to use.

* Benediction 

Postlude Chris Bartlette

Toccatina on “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” Douglas E. Wagner

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.     

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

Scripture Translations are from A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A, by Wilda C. Gafney, unless otherwise noted.

Liturgy taken and/ or adapted from the PCUSA Book of Common Worship (2018).

Service of the Lord’s Supper: Rev. Katy Schneider Halliburton

Prayer of Thanksgiving After Communion: Rev. Ted Loder

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Epiphany: Hope for the World