Second Sunday afer Epiphany
Greetings!

Come and see!  God's grace is poured out on everyone, God’s hope is freely shared in every moment. We are surrounded by God’s love and mercy.

Let us praise the Lord!
Opening Hymn - Open My Eyes, That I May See
Call To Worship
In the silence of a lonely night,
in the songs children sing in the morning,
God calls to us.
We are here, God who is always with us,
listening for your words of life and love.

When we would decide to go it alone,
when we think no good can be found anywhere,
Jesus calls to us.
We are here, Friend who knows our longings,
ready to come and see where you would lead us.

When we think we have license to do whatever we want,
when we are convinced we need no map,
the Spirit calls to us.
We are here, Peace we are longing for,
so that we might help others find the way to life.
The Opening Prayer

When the good news
is hard to find, Knowing God,
you swaddle us 
in your comforting hope,
   so that we may decide 
   to go wherever
   you call us to serve.
 
When the good news
is seen as fake,
Brother of our journey,
you call us to speak 
of the truth that God
   offers grace to
   a world which has decided
   to believe in lies.
 
When the good news
seems out of fashion,
Spirit of wisdom,
you weave kindness
into a shawl for the lonely,
   you knit comfort 
   for all who grieve.
When your good news
seems so rare,
may we decide to share it
more and more,

God in Community, Holy in One,
even as we pray as we are taught,
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Praise Hymn:
I Am Thine O Lord
Praise Hymn: Take My Life and Let It Be
Time For Our Children - Jesus knows each and every one of us. He knew Nathanael before they had met face to face.
The Jewish Scripture: 1 Samuel 3: 1-10
Now the boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. The Lord’s word was rare at that time, and visions weren’t widely known. One day Eli, whose eyes had grown so weak he was unable to see, was lying down in his room. God’s lamp hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was lying down in the Lord’s temple, where God’s chest[a] was.
The Lord called to Samuel. “I’m here,” he said.
Samuel hurried to Eli and said, “I’m here. You called me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go lie down.” So he did.
Again the Lord called Samuel, so Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?”
“I didn’t call, my son,” Eli replied. “Go and lie down.”
(Now Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord, and the Lord’s word hadn’t yet been revealed to him.)
A third time the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “I’m here. You called me?”
Then Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down where he’d been.
Then the Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel said, “Speak. Your servant is listening.”

L: This is the word of the Lord
P: Thanks Be to God
Special Music: Here I Am, Lord - Mary and Tom Kovoor, singers; Miles Walter, piano
The Gospel Lesson: John 1: 43-51
The next day Jesus wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph’s son, from Nazareth.”
Nathanael responded, “Can anything from Nazareth be good?”
Philip said, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are God’s Son. You are the king of Israel.”
Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these! I assure you that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up to heaven and down to earth on the Human One.”

L: This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.      
P: Thanks be to God.
The Message - The Arc of Justice - Do you feel that life can be unfair or unjust? As we remember Dr. King's dream this weekend, it's good to remember that "the arc of the moral universe is bending toward justice".
Joys and Concerns of the Community
Briarcliff-Ossining Ministerial Association
Join us for an evening of inspiration and reflection as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This virtual celebration will feature special music, sacred readings, poetry, and tributes. Our Keynote Speaker is the Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO of the Children's Defense Fund.
The Morning Prayers

God of Love and Grace, you have called us into radical discipleship in the name of your son Jesus. To you alone belong all of our heart and our devotion. You freed us from the burden of sin and by your Spirit enabled us to serve you and our neighbor. Help us as we pray...

Heavenly Father, we continue to pray for our nation. We pray for our leaders who lead us day by day. We pray for all in authority who face difficult decisions that affect the lives of many; grant them wisdom and courage.

We pray for those who are thirsty for truth, love and grace; those who seek God and his life with earnest hearts. We pray for misinformation to be curbed that fear may take no hold in hearts and minds.

We pray for those who are experiencing the consequences of death, the bereaved and those who are mourning the loss of loved ones, whether recently or some time ago.

We pray for those who are in pain, suffering from illness either physical or mental, both at home and in hospital, or hospice. We think of the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes. And we pray for all who care to their needs, both professionally and in the family.

For our friends working the Covid19 front lines: Alayne Snyder, Drs. Johnny and Riny Kovoor. and Erik Lindholm.

God, protect our vulnerable populations and our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially the uninsured. For those sick with Covid19. God, heal and sustain their bodies and spirits

Help all hospital workers as they deal with overwhelming numbers of patients and give them strength to carry on when all seems hopeless and they are weary.

We pray for our families, for every relationship most dear to us, that you would guard our time, and our lives together. For our friends, family and colleagues where ever they may be throughout the country and world.

We thank you for the vaccines currently being distributed as we set a record for deaths in the US every day.

We pray for those who are crying; the sad, the depressed and the anxious. We hope in the promise that God will wipe every tear from our eyes.

We pray for the homeless, the unemployed, the asylum seeker, the addict, the ex-prisoner. Lord Jesus who became a refugee from oppression be with all those who find themselves struggling.

Teach us to pray for our brothers and sisters aright; that we be so consumed in love for them that we may feel their needs as much as our own. Enable us to give as freely as we have received from you so that the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified.  Amen.
The Benediction
God sends us out, 
so that grace will not be rare in our time.
Here we are, ready to go and share
love and mercy with those around us.
Jesus calls us to go out,
so that justice will not be rare in our time.
Here we are, ready to speak truth to power,
walking with those on oppression’s mean streets.
The Spirit fills us with compassion,
so that peace will not be rare in our time.
Here we are, offering hope to those living in fear,
working for reconciliation in brokenness.
Closing Hymn - He Leadeth Me O Blessed Thought
Valhalla United Methodist Church | 200 Columbus Avenue, Valhalla NY 10595
914-949-6252 | valhallaumc@verizon.net