• Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • Mission
    • History
    • General Synod
    • Leadership and Ministry
    • Staff
    • United Church of Christ Board
  • What We Believe
    • What We Believe
    • Worship Ways
    • Daily Devotional
  • What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Office of the General Minister & President
    • Justice & Local Church Ministries
    • Wider Church Ministries
  • News
  • Church Finder
  • Donate Now
  • Search
UCC Logo United Church of Christ
  • Church Finder
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Frontline Faith Portal
  • Donate Now
  • Search
  • Who We Are
    • Column
      • About
        • Mission
        • Constitution and Bylaws
        • History
          • UCC Archives
        • UCC Brand Guidelines
        • General Synod
          • Synod 33 Worship Videos
          • Past General Synods
        • Abuse Prevention
    • Column
      • Structure
        • Conferences
        • Affiliated Ministries
          • The Pension Boards
          • Cornerstone Fund
          • Insurance Board
          • The Council for Health and Human Services Ministries
          • Church Building & Loan Fund
          • Convergence
    • Column
      • Team
        • Elected Officers
        • Staff
        • United Church of Christ Board
          • Board Minutes
        • Office of General Counsel
        • UCCOSSN
    • Column
      • Career Opportunities
      • Annual Reports
  • What We Believe
    • Column
      • Worship
        • Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ – La Declaración de Fe de la Iglesia Unida de Cristo
        • Worship Ways
        • Daily Devotional
        • Sermon Seeds
  • How We Serve
    • Column
      • Office of the General Minister & President
        • Welcome to Human Resources
          • Employee Relations Resources
        • Center for Analytics, Research & Development and Data (CARDD)
          • General CARDD FAQs
          • About The Center for Analytics, Research & Development, and Data (CARDD)
          • Authorized Minister Opt Out
          • Access UCC
          • Archived Reports
          • Assessment Resources
          • Information Policies and Requests
          • Faith Communities Today (FACT) Survey
          • MissionInsite
          • Statistics and Reports
          • Vital Signs and Statistics Blog
          • Data Hub FAQs
          • Data Hub
          • Yearbook and Directory
    • Column
      • Justice & Local Church Ministries
        • Justice
          • Faithful Action Ministries
            • Environmental Justice Ministries
            • Economic Justice
            • Racial Justice
          • Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington D.C.
            • Justice and Peace Action Network
            • Our Faith Our Vote
            • Justice Training Resources
            • Action Center
          • Health and Wholeness Advocacy
            • Disabilities and Mental Health Justice
            • Encuentros Latinx
            • UCC HIV & AIDS Network-UCAN
            • LGBTQ Ministries
            • Our Whole Lives
            • Overdose and Drug Use Ministries
            • Scouting
            • Wellness Ministries
          • The Pilgrim Press & Stillspeaking Publications
    • Column
      • Justice & Local Church Ministries
        • Local Church
          • The Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (Faith INFO)Team
            • Weekly Seeds
            • Youth & Young Adults
          • Worship Resources
            • Worship Ways
            • Sermon Seeds
            • Synod 33 Worship Videos
            • Music and Liturgical Arts
          • Stewardship & Generosity Resources
          • Ministerial Excellence, Support & Authorization (MESA)
            • History, Polity, and Theology
            • Search and Call
            • Ministerial Profiles
            • Ministry Opportunities
            • Manual on Ministry
    • Column
      • Wider Church Ministries
        • Global Ministries
        • Global H.O.P.E.
          • Volunteer Ministries
          • Refugee and Migration Ministries
          • Disaster Ministries
          • Recovering Hope
        • Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
  • Resources
  • News
    • Column
      • News
        • United Church of Christ News
    • Column
      • Columns
        • Witness for Justice
        • Into the Mystic
        • Getting to the Root of It
        • The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog
        • UCC Roots
        • Encounters at the Well
        • Reflexiones
    • Column
      • Upcoming Events
        • Webinars
      • Subscriptions at the United Church of Christ
      • Changes & Deaths
  • Giving
    • Column
      • Donate Now
      • Ways to Give
        • Giving Tuesday
        • Disaster Ministries: How to Give
        • Our Church’s Wider Mission
          • Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support
          • Strengthen the Church
          • One Great Hour of Sharing
          • Neighbors in Need
          • Christmas Fund
          • 5 for 5
    • Column
      • Ways We Give
        • Scholarships & Grants

  • Home
  • Worship Ways
  • Levine, Marilyn K.
  • Epiphany 2 – January 19

Epiphany 2 – January 19

Polished Arrows
Service Prayers for the Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2020

Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-11 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42

Call to Worship  (based on Psalm 40)

ONE: I waited patiently for GOD; who turned to me and heard my cry,
who lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
and set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

ALL: We sing a new song!  Our mouths are full of the praise of God. 

Blessed are we when we make the Lord our trust; 
when we do not turn aside to false gods.

We sing of all your many wonders, O God, too many to declare them
all.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, 
but our ears you have pierced and a body you have prepared for us.

We sing, “Here I am, I have come—

I desire to do your will, O my God; 
your law is in my heart.”

Invocation (based on Isaiah 49)

O God, you have singled us out.
Our ears have been pierced by your call,>br/>Our bodies are made like polished arrows to serve you,

Our voices to sing your praises.
We acknowledge that you have chosen us.
Meeting you here on this day in this time,
We will listen and walk with you,
As we worship together in the beauty of holiness.

Prayer of Confession

God, we confess that you have sung to us but we have not heard your voice.
You have played the flute for us,
but we have refused to dance.
You have chosen us to pierce the night,
and we have hidden our lights.
Help us to accept our calling,
to find strength and grace
in your constant presence and encouragement.
May we be eager to serve, to fill your quiver,
to be your bright arrows in the work of praise and reconciliation.
We pray in the name of the one
who came to show us who we really are, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (congregation singing)TNCH 775

Refrain from On Eagle’s Wings  adapted to address God, and refer to the
community:

O God, you raise us up on eagles’ wings….
https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0168189&gclid=CjwKCAiAzanuBRAZEiwA5yf4ugUzaq0VWL9oEOQCsae0RcPpGnQUO9ozlpDyqUpujEk9mxGSqdV8YRoCU4sQAvD_BwE

Offering Invitation

We are so grateful, God,
for the loving designs you have on our lives.
We give today because we are given.
Yes.
We are ourselves given as your polished arrows in your world.
May we generously reflect back your gift –
with love for you and for one another.

Dedication

Small and large gifts, we give back to you,
O Lord of All Given Things.
May they be blessed.
May we use them to keep our promises to you,
Promises given from us who are given,
uniquely designed for your calling.

Benediction

Jesus said: “You ought always to pray and not to faint.”
We do not pray, Lord, for easy lives,
but to be stronger women, men and children.

Jesus said:  Ask and you shall receive,
seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
We do not pray, Lord, for tasks equal to our powers,
but for power equal to your tasks.

May our work be no miracle
But may Christ be the miracle in our work.  Amen!

Polished Arrows: Service Prayers for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Year A, was written by the Rev. Marilyn K. Levine of the Northern Plains Conference. 

Copyright 2020 Justice Local Church Ministries, Faith INFO Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.

Download the RTF

  • Column
    • Local Church and Conference Resource Directory
    • Mission
    • Justice & Local Church Ministries
    • Wider Church Ministries
    • General Synod Resolutions
    • How can I find local churches near me? Click here!
  • Column
    • Contact
    • News
    • Store

Content on ucc.org is copyrighted by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ and may be only shared according to the guidelines outlined here.

1300 E. 9th Street, Suite 1100
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Subscribe on YouTube

Donate Now


UCC Crest
© United Church of Christ 2023. Privacy Policy.
Crafted by Cornershop Creative