January 4, 2026

WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE                                                                        “Prelude for Epiphany”                                   arr. Ronald A. Nelson

INTROIT                          “We Three Kings of Orient Are”                      John Henry Hopkins 

WELCOME                                                                    Rev. Trip Porch

One: This is the day that the Lord has made

All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                 

One: On Epiphany, we gather not because we have everything figured out,

Many: but because something has drawn us here.

One:    A nudge. A question. A quiet invitation to come closer.

Many: We come carrying our curiosity, our doubts, our hope that God might still surprise us.

All: We come to see. We come to listen. We come trusting that God is already at

          work in the meetings, the moments, and the mysteries of our lives.

One: Come and see what God is doing among us.

All: Let us worship God together.

*HYMN 152                       “What Star Is This, with Beams So Bright”                         PUER  NOBIS NASCITUR

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                           Karen Crockett

   God of light and revelation, you meet us in ordinary encounters and unexpected relationships. And yet we confess that we often miss you. We are slow to notice the ways your Spirit is moving around us. We resist interruptions. We dismiss people too quickly. We cling to certainty when you are inviting trust. We confess that we judge what cannot possibly be good, that we doubt what comes from unfamiliar places, that we close ourselves off from being changed.

Forgive us for the ways we guard our hearts when you are inviting us into connection. Open our eyes to see one another as you see us. Open our lives to the holy coincidences you place before us. Teach us again how to follow curiosity, how to say yes to invitation, how to believe that meeting one another is one of the ways we meet you.

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON                                                          Rev. Trip Porch

*RESPONSE OF PARDON 583            “Gloria, Gloria” 2 times                                 GLORIA (TAIZE)

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                                                  

One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

All:      And also with you.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

ANTHEM                  "Bright Star, Where Are You Leading?”                                  French Carol

                                                                                                                                                                           Text: Chris Shelton

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE                                                                  Jeremy Carroll

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION                                                                   

SCRIPTURE    John 1:35-51   CEB

“The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?” He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ ). He led him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). 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.””

One: Holy wisdom, Holy Word,
All: Thanks be to God                                                                                                                                                                                         

SERMON                                                                                 Rev. Trip Porch

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 721                       “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”        PESCADOR DE HOMBRES

TIME OF OFFERING  Receiving Tithes and Estimates of Giving

                                       online giving is available at  www.indianolapres.org/give   

OFFERTORY                            “Star of the East”                             arr. Janice Joy Nelson                            

COMMUNION

INVITATION TO THE TABLE

GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING 

     SHARING OF BREAD AND CUP                #523      “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”                                BICENTENNIAL

  PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION                   

*HYMN 726                              “Will You Come and Follow Me”                                                  KELVINGROVE

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING

CHARGE & BENEDICTION

CHORAL RESPONSE          “Lord, Bid Your Servant Go in Peace”          American Folk Melody

POSTLUDE                              “We Three Kings of Orient Are”                      arr. Craig Curry 

 Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452