• Who We Are
    • Who We Are
    • Mission
    • History
    • General Synod
    • Leadership and Ministry
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • 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
          • Past General Synods
        • Abuse Prevention
    • Column
      • Structure
        • Conferences
        • Affiliated Ministries
    • Column
      • Team
        • Elected Officers
        • Staff
        • United Church of Christ Board of Directors
          • Board Minutes
    • 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
  • What We Do
    • Column
      • Office of the General Minister & President
        • 3 Great Loves
        • 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
          • Faith Forming Publications & The Pilgrim Press
          • Faithful Action Ministries
            • Environmental Justice Ministries
            • Economic Justice
            • Racial Justice
          • 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
          • Washington DC Office
            • Justice and Peace Action Network
            • Our Faith Our Vote 2020
            • Justice Training Resources
            • Action Center
    • Column
      • Justice & Local Church Ministries
        • Local Church
          • Faith INFO
            • Weekly Seeds
            • Youth & Young Adults
          • Worship Resources
            • Worship Ways
            • Sermon Seeds
            • Music and Liturgical Arts
          • Ministerial Excellence, Support & Authorization (MESA)
            • History, Polity, and Theology
            • Search & Call
            • Ministerial Profiles
            • Ministry Opportunities
            • Manual on Ministry
    • Column
      • Wider Church Ministries
        • Global Ministries
        • Global H.O.P.E.
          • Volunteer Engagement
          • Refugee and Migration Ministries
          • Disaster Ministries
          • Recovering Hope
        • Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations
  • 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
    • Column
      • Upcoming Events
      • Changes & Deaths
  • Giving
    • Column
      • Donate Now
      • Ways to Give
        • Our Church’s Wider Mission
          • Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support
          • One Great Hour of Sharing
          • Strengthen the Church
          • Neighbors in Need
          • Christmas Fund
          • 5 for 5
        • Disaster Relief
    • Column
      • Ways We Give
        • Scholarships & Grants

  • Home
  • Worship Ways
  • Epiphany 5 – February 9

Epiphany 5 – February 9

Salty, Bright and Good:
Service Prayers for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany
February 9, 2020

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)  •  Psalm 112:1-9 (10)  •  1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)  •  Matthew 5:13-20

Call to Worship

Let the Mystery of God draw us in:
Beautiful, Just, Merciful!

Let the Wisdom of God surprise us:
Vulnerable, Powerful, Searching!

Let the Glory of God shine through our work:
Salty, Bright and Good!

In the Mystery, the Wisdom, the Glory of God
Let us worship!

Invocation

Wonderful God,
We gather today to celebrate your presence
in the lives of faithful people.
Send your Spirit to meet us here
and guide us into your depths
that we may begin to glimpse your grace:

what eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived–
all you have prepared for those who love you.

We pray this in the name of Jesus,
your Mystery, your Wisdom, your Glory.

Confession

Isaiah reminds us that our prayer, fasting and pious ritual
must be lived out in compassion and justice:

When we forget the fast you desire—
To do justice, and stand up for the powerless:
Lord, have mercy.

When we forget the prayer you love—
To show compassion, and care for those in need:
Christ, have mercy.

When we forget the rituals you require—
To create relationships of righteousness and peace:
Lord have mercy.

Assurance of Grace and Peace

Friends, the love of God revealed in Jesus
forgives us, heals us and sets us free
to rebuild, restore, and
raise up foundations for new generations.

With thanksgiving, let us offer one another a sign of Peace.

Passing of the Peace

Offering Call

Christ calls us to let our lives and our work
—salty, bright, and good—
give witness to the reign of God in our midst.
Let us generously offer our gifts
of time, talent and treasure,
that the glory of God
may be recognized and celebrated in our world.

Dedication

O God, please take these gifts and multiply them;
let them be a means to create the justice and peace
you long for in this world.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Benediction

Let the Mystery of God send us into the world:
must be lived out in compassion and justice:
Beautiful, Just, Merciful!

Let the Wisdom of God surprise us in the world:
Vulnerable, Powerful, Searching!

Let the Glory of God shine through our work in the world:
Salty, Bright and Good!

In the Mystery, the Wisdom, the Glory of God
Let us rejoice!

Salty Bright and Good:  Service Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany were written by the Rev. Susan A. Blain, Minister for Worship and Gospel Arts, UCC.

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
  • Column
    • Contact
    • News
    • Store
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Subscribe on YouTube

Donate Now


UCC Crest
© United Church of Christ 2021. Privacy Policy.
Crafted by Cornershop Creative