"When the Lord returned the captives of Zion we were like those who dream" Psalm 126:1
Worship with us Sundays 10:00 am.
For those unable to come in person,
we stream online on YouTube
Sunday, January 11th
Baptism of our Lord,
First Sunday of Epiphany
%20(Baptism%20of%20Our%20Lord)%20Epiphany%20-%20Natalya%20Rusetka%20Background%20Removed.png)
Epiphany, Natalya Rusetska,
Opening of Worship //
Call to worship the Lord
[Leader:] The Lord be with you!
[ALL:] And also with you!
​
[Leader:] In the beginning, at creation, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the deep. (Genesis 1:1-2)
[ALL:] In the waters of the flood, God cleansed the earth and humankind. (Genesis 7:7)
​
[Leader:] God caused the waters to part so that Israel could cross from slavery to liberation. (Exodus 14:21)
[ALL:] God formed Jesus in the waters of Mary's womb. (Luke 1:42)
​
[Leader:] Jesus taught us how to live by washing his disciples feet in water. (John 13:5)
[ALL:] Drinking water from a well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman, the first person to recognize that he was the Christ. (John 4:29)
​
[Leader:] Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, the Christ.
[ALL:] God meant for Jesus to be the firstborn in a large family. Praise be! (Romans 8:29)
​
[Leader:] Let us pray...
God of life and new life, you are splendid and strong! Your voice thunders above the sounds of loud waters. You sit enthroned above the floods of life. As Jesus heard you speak to him in his baptism, may we also hear you calling us your beloved, through Jesus Christ, your son, our brother. Amen.
The First Testament //
The Law & the Prophets
Isaiah 42:1-9 (NLT)
“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”
God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens.”
The Psalms // Sacred Songs
Psalm 29 (NLT)
Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings; honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea.
The God of glory thunders.
The Lord thunders over the mighty sea.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning.
The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.
In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
The Lord rules over the floodwaters.
The Lord reigns as king forever.
The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace.
Collect for Sunday //
The Baptism of our Lord,
First Sunday of Epiphany
Eternal Father, at the baptism of Jesus you revealed him to be your Son, and your Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove: Grant that we, who are born again by water and the Spirit, may be faithful as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
"The Holy Trinity", Ulyana Tomkevych
Prayer for Tithes and Offerings
Because God first loved us, we are made to love one another. For the sake of the life of the world, offer yourselves, your time, and your possessions as signs of love.
Generosity & Giving
The tithes and donations you make to DreamHouse Church make a difference to our church, our community, the people of Newport News, and world missions.
There are various ways you can donate. We pass a collection plate during services and electronic giving is available for 24/7 donations. “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops” (Proverbs 3:9).
The Second Testament // The Epistles
Acts 10:34-43 (NLT)
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.“
​
And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Prayers from the Cloud of Witnesses //
Aquinas (ca. 1225-1274)
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downward;
give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out;
give me an upright heart,
which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
Bestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you,
and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you.
Amen.
The Second Testament // The Gospel
Matthew 3:13-17 (NLT)
Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
"Drink all of it, for it is My Blood",
icon art by Ulyana Tomkevych;
Medium: egg tempera, Material: gessoed wood, 2021, LINK
The Lord's Supper // Communion
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
​
Holy are you and blessed is Jesus Christ your Son, for he is Immanuel, God with us.
​
Fulfilling the expectations of the prophets he healed the blind and the lame, cleansed the lepers, opened the ears of the deaf, raised the dead, and brought good news to the poor. Through his life, death, and resurrection you manifest your new covenant with humankind, and through the church of your disciples you give the testimony to the power of your salvation for the world.
​For on the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
When the supper was over, he took the cup and gave thanks, saying, "Drink this, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.”
​
Therefore in remembrance of all God's mighty acts, we give ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a living sacrifice in union with Christ's offering for the world as we declare:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
​​
Send your Holy Spirit upon us, gathered here out of love for you,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Let the bread we break be a true fellowship in the body of Christ.
Let the cup we share be a true participation in the new covenant in his blood.
By your Spirit empower us to be Christ for the world, serving in his name until the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Through your son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
​
all glory and honor is yours, almight God, our Heavenly Father, now and forever. Amen.
​
The body of Christ, given for you.
Thanks be to God.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Thanks be to God.
Doxology and Benediction // The Sending & the Blessing
As you leave this place this day,
may God’s love sustain you,
and may you love those who surround you.
May God’s Spirit empower you,
and may you empower all those you meet.
May God’s joy fill your hearts,
and may this joy overflow
to the ends of the earth for God’s glory, now and forever. Amen