Appointed as a Light to the Nations

Epiphany's claim on the Christian life is straightforward and urgent: light is not an object to admire but a gift to give away. The voice of Isaiah is summoned to show that vocation is not earned by achievement but bestowed in belonging—called before birth and equipped even when results seem absent. Weariness and the sense that labor is in vain are honestly named, yet God reframes that fatigue by widening the horizon of purpose: the servant is not merely for a single people but appointed as a light to the nations. John the Baptist models humility in pointing others toward the Lamb; Jesus answers seekers with an invitation—"come and see"—which begins relationship rather than prescribes a formula.

Discipleship appears as relational contagion: Andrew finds his brother and brings him to Jesus, not with a tract but with testimony and hospitality. Evangelism is reframed away from rote scripts, toward patient, embodied accompaniment—sharing presence more than performance. The light entrusted to the community must spill into public life; private piety divorced from justice betrays the Gospel. Martin Luther King Jr.'s witness is read as a prophetic echo: biblical light must confront systems of injustice, even at cost, because God's dream for humanity outlasts short-term failure.

Ultimately the summons combines comfort and conviction. Belonging grounds the exhausted, divine appointment enlarges the task, and the church's vocation is to refract Christ's light through relationships and public witness. The invitation to "come and see" remains central: proximity to Christ deepens recognition and fuels a witness that is humble, persistent, and communal. The liturgy and prayers anchor this call, naming guilt and grace, commissioning the people to go into the streets and neighborhoods as signs of a God who does not hoard light but gives it away until all flesh sees salvation.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Belonging precedes visible accomplishment God's calling lands first as inclusion: the servant is claimed before productivity or public success. This makes vocation an identity to live from, not a task to prove worth. When ministry feels fruitless, remembering belonging sustains further obedience and resists performance-driven faith. [37:10]
• 2. God reframes weary service Discouragement often signals a narrowed imagination about purpose; God expands the mission from a single people to the ends of the earth. This reframe transforms "wasted labor" into participation in a longer, communal work of salvation. The faithful are invited to persist not for immediate results but for the faithful unfolding of God's intent. [39:41]
• 3. "Come and see" over scripted answers Jesus responds to seekers with invitation, not an algorithm—relationship precedes formula. Evangelism becomes shared presence: walking with another into the light instead of reciting predetermined words. This honors human complexity and trusts the Spirit to work through authentic encounter. [35:29]
• 4. Light must be public and costly True discipleship resists privatizing faith; God's light confronts injustice in the public square. Bearing witness can demand courage and sacrifice, aligning gospel fidelity with social accountability. The church's witness should reclaim prophetic risk, reflecting God's love into systems that need transformation. [50:24]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:15] - Opening Prayer and Call to Worship
• [18:48] - Reading Introduced: Isaiah 49
• [19:05] - Isaiah 49:1–7 Read Aloud
• [21:35] - Children's Moment and Invitation
• [23:36] - Philip and Nathaniel: "Come and See"
• [28:13] - Children's Song: This Little Light
• [34:07] - Gospel Reading: John 1:29–42
• [36:31] - Sermon Begins: Epiphany's Question
• [39:41] - God Reframes the Calling
• [44:13] - "Come and See": Discipleship as Relationship
• [48:24] - Evangelism, Humility, and Witness
• [50:24] - MLK, Prophecy, and Public Justice
• [58:58] - Commissioned as a Light to the World
• [67:29] - Prayer of Confession and Renewal
• [76:19] - Sending, Benediction, and Song

{'input_documents': [Document(metadata={'source': "13:47"}, page_content="Let us stand together as we join in our call to worship this morning. The grace of our lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Behold the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world. We proclaim god's faithfulness and saving power. Let us lift our hearts in praise to the one who gives us life. Let us pray together. Holy God, [14:15] you sent your son to be the light of the world so that all may know the brightness of your love. Fill us with your grace this day that we too may bear witness to this light and serve your coming rain. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Let us join our voices this morning in I will follow. Please be seated. [18:48] And our first reading this morning comes from Isaiah chapter 49 verses one through seven. Let us hear what the spirit is saying to the church. Listen to me coastlands, pay attention peoples far away. [19:05] The Lord called me before my birth, called my name when I was in my mother's womb. He made my mouth like a sharp sword and hid me in the shadow of God's own hand."), Document(metadata={'source': "19:19"}, page_content="He made me a sharpened arrow and concealed me in God's quiver saying to me, you are my servant, Israel, in whom I show my glory. But I said I have wearied myself in vain. I have used up my strength for nothing. [19:30] Nevertheless, the Lord will grant me justice. My reward is with my God. And now the Lord has decided, the one who formed me from the womb as his servant, to restore Jacob to God so that Israel might return to him. Moreover, I'm honored in the Lord's eyes. My God has become my strength. [19:54] He said, it is not enough since you are my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the survivors of Israel. Hence, I will also appoint you as a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. The Lord, redeemer of Israel and its holy one says to one despised, rejected by nations, [20:24] to the slave of rulers. Kings will see and stand up. Commanders will bow down on account of the Lord who is faithful. The holy one of Israel"), Document(metadata={'source': "20:37"}, page_content="who has chosen you. This is the word of God for the people of God. [20:39] Thanks be to God, and all the children present this morning may come forward at this time. Good morning. How are you all this morning? Good. And their We're we're the [21:35] to Joseph's son from Nazareth, Nathaniel responded, can anything from Nazareth [21:49] be good? And Philip said, come and see. So when something happens to you, it's the most natural thing in the world to tell something about someone about it. Right? Whether it's good or bad, you want to share the news of what's happened to you. [22:11]"), Document(metadata={'source': "22:12"}, page_content="It may be something like making a good grade on a test, maybe getting stung by a bee. Think that's why I love winter. I don't like to worry about bees. Anyway, a good grade on a test, or perhaps [22:29] you made the winning goal in a soccer game or the winning run-in a baseball game. Whatever the case may be, when something good happens to us, we can't hold it in, and we want to go and tell maybe our mom and dad, but especially also our friends about it. So I want to know, did anything good happen to you this week? [22:51] Yes. You got to see your friends. That is good to spend time with friends. Anybody else have anything good happen? Yeah. Your cousin? Got to hang out with your cousin? So [23:18] isn't it great to share when something good happens in your life?"), Document(metadata={'source': "23:27"}, page_content="Well, when you get a chance to tell someone about the good things in life, don't miss out on the opportunity because we can say that all of our blessings, [23:36] all the good in our life comes from who? God. That's right. And Jesus. So Philip, in our verse this morning, meets Jesus. But Jesus [23:51] asked him to follow him and become one of his disciples. And what was the very first thing on Philip's mind when Jesus asked him to come and be a disciple. Did you did you hear it? [24:04] He went to Nathaniel, and he said that he had met the one that's talked about in the old tenant and the law and the prophets, the one that would come save Israel. And he said to Nathaniel"), Document(metadata={'source': "24:32"}, page_content="to come and [24:35] learn about this man that he had met. And then Nathaniel said, well, what good can come from Nazareth? Because Nazareth was a small little town that hardly anybody even thought about. I don't know. [24:52] Maybe around here, it would be like Central Pakhalat. Yeah. Pakhalat would be the big city, and the Central Pakhalat is just on the edge. It's a very small place. They both are. So what Nathaniel [25:12] is asked by Philip is to come and see. He offers an invitation. So as they approach, Jesus says, now here is a genuine son of Israel, a man of integrity. And Nathaniel asked, [25:30]"), Document(metadata={'source': "25:32"}, page_content="how do you know about me? And Jesus replied, I could see you sitting under the fig tree before Philip found you. And then Nathaniel recognizes Jesus as the son of God. [25:47] So something good happened to Philip. He met Jesus, and the first thing he had to do was to share that with Nathaniel. He shared it with his friend, [26:01] and he met Jesus too. So if Jesus has brought happiness into our life and we trust Jesus and we love Jesus, we don't wanna keep that to ourselves. Right? We want other people to have that same relationship with Jesus [26:18] and to feel the love of God for them like we do."), Document(metadata={'source': "26:27"}, page_content="So this week, I want you to think about a way maybe that you can show the love of God to someone else. Maybe it's someone who is feeling a little left out [26:39] at school or maybe it's just an overwhelmed parent. But be sure to love on them and help them any way you can and remind them by treating them well that God loves them too. Let us pray. Repeat [27:01] after me. Father Father. We are thankful for the happiness that Jesus For the happiness that Jesus brought into our life. Has brought into our life. May we share it with our friends May we share it with our friends. So that they might also [27:14] they might also know the happiness that Jesus brings. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Amen."), Document(metadata={'source': "27:37"}, page_content="Amen. So [27:38] in a little bit, some of y'all won't be in here, but we're gonna sing a song called this little light of mine. Do you all know that song? Yes. Well, you do. Let's have an impromptu concert. How about that? This little light of mine, [27:55] I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. [28:13] Let it shine. And remember to share that love that God has shown you with others, and that's how your light can shine. Alright. Get a piece of candy, and y'all may go to children's church. [28:30]"), Document(metadata={'source': "28:41"}, page_content="You're welcome. Thank you. And let us stand together as we sing this morning. And our gospel reading this morning comes from the gospel of John the first chapter verses 29 through 42. Let us hear what the spirit is saying through these words of holy scripture. The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one about whom I said, he who comes after me [34:07] is really greater than me because he existed before me. Even I didn't recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel. John testified, I saw the spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and it rested on him. Even I didn't recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, [34:40] the one on whom you see the spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the holy spirit. I have seen and testified that this one is God's son. 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. [35:05] And the two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. And when Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, what are you looking for?"), Document(metadata={'source': "35:20"}, page_content="And 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 04:00 in the afternoon. [35:29] And 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, and Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, son of John and you will be called Cephas, [35:55] which is translated Peter. This is the word of God for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God. Please be seated. Gracious god, open our hearts and minds to receive the word that you have for each of us today. Guide us by your holy spirit [36:31] to be vessels of your light, sharing your glory and your grace in the world. And all this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen."), Document(metadata={'source': "36:48"}, page_content="Epiphany, the season of Epiphany keeps putting a question before us [36:49] week after week. What do we do with the light we've been given? Not just how we admire it or talk about it, but how do we live it? How do we embody it? In Isaiah 49, it opens with a voice that knows its calling. [37:10] It says, the Lord called me before my birth, called my name when I was in my mother's womb, and he made my mouth like a sharp sword and hid me in the shadow of God's own hand. This servant doesn't earn their purpose. [37:32] It's gifted to them. Before productivity, before success, before spiritual growth, before public recognition, there is belonging [37:48]"), Document(metadata={'source': "37:49"}, page_content="for the servant. And yet just a few verses later, the servant admits something painfully honest. Jeremiah also mentions this, but Jeremiah talks about himself being too young [38:07] to serve God. Isaiah, the servant, says, I have wearied myself. I have grown tired [38:19] doing all this work, and I've used up all my strength, and there's no results. Anybody been there? You've worked so hard. You've done everything you thought you were supposed to do or you knew you were supposed to do, and yet and yet, [38:43] it didn't seem like it was enough. Something still fell apart,"), Document(metadata={'source': "38:52"}, page_content="something still felt lost that just didn't seem like enough. Now if you haven't experienced a feeling like that, you're probably a new Christian that just hasn't been on the journey long enough. [39:01] You will. Many of us know what it feels like to do the right thing and feel invisible, to show up, to speak truth, to act with compassion, and wonder if anything [39:21] is changing in the world because of it. It just seems like the same old, the same old, and the same old brokenness each and every day. And into that discouragement, God speaks a word. [39:41] God speaks a word that reframes the entire calling. It is not enough since you are my servant. I will also appoint you as a light to the nations."), Document(metadata={'source': "39:58"}, page_content="Now think about that. You feel like an utter [39:59] failure doing what you've been sent to do and then God says, that's not enough. You're not gonna do this just for Israel. I'm gonna send you to all the world. If he wasn't overwhelmed [40:19] with Israel, I'm sure the prospect of being sent everywhere to everyone was a bit overwhelming. And for the purpose, so that [40:32] my salvation may reach the end of the earth. Here in Isaiah, God is already making a way for the salvation of God to enter all the world and to save all things in it. [40:52]"), Document(metadata={'source': "40:55"}, page_content="Notice what God doesn't say in this passage. God doesn't say, carry the light carefully and keep it to yourself. Protect it. God says, I will appoint you. God doesn't hold on to the light. God gives it away to someone who didn't feel worthy to accept it. [41:18] He says, I will appoint you as a light. Your life, your witness, your truth, your presence, everything that you are, everything is part of the light. [41:42] It's part of the story. Light isn't something you control, though. It's something that is given and works through us. So [42:02] that same dynamic unfolds later in John's gospel."), Document(metadata={'source': "42:10"}, page_content="We have John the Baptist who points to Jesus and declares, look, look, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is good news. Right? [42:20] He's got a few disciples with him, and then in humility, he says, even I, John the Baptist, didn't recognize [42:37] him. Didn't recognize him. So this tells us that even the greatest of prophets, even the prophets throughout time, [42:50] sometimes don't recognize the light immediately when it's standing right in front of them. Sometimes clarity comes with proximity when you are in the light,"), Document(metadata={'source': "43:05"}, page_content="when you begin to really look at the light, as some translations say, behold [43:09] the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. When we behold the light, this is when we start to recognize just who Jesus is. Now at first, the Isaiah passage is pointing to Israel. [43:29] Israel as a nation, as a people together, is to be a light for all the nations. Jesus comes on the scene, and Jesus is now the light of the world. But it doesn't stop there. You see, it doesn't stop there. It goes to the church. Jesus blesses the church [43:53] then to carry on his ministry and to be the light of the world. So Jesus turns to the two would be disciples and asks a simple question, [44:13]"), Document(metadata={'source': "44:16"}, page_content="what are you looking for? Not, what do you believe? Not, do you think you're worthy? But, what are you seeking? [44:30] What do you hope to find? And their answer is just as revealing. Where are you staying? In other other words, where does the light of the world live? Where does the light reside? And Jesus says, [44:52] come and see. He doesn't give them all the answers, but he invites them into a relationship, into an understanding that they might grow in their understanding of who Jesus is and what Jesus has been sent to do for them and for all the world, for us. [45:16] And when Andrew encounters the light, he immediately goes"), Document(metadata={'source': "45:25"}, page_content="and preaches a crusade. No. When Andrew is in the presence of [45:33] the glory of God, in the presence of Jesus, the first thing he does is he goes and he finds his brother. And he says, you will never guess. You will never guess who I've been in the presence of. [45:53] Jesus, the Messiah, the lamb of God. And that's how discipleship works. That's how evangelism [46:06] works. It doesn't include a tract. It doesn't include a book. It doesn't include anything but you and another person entering into a relationship where you can guide them and what they can guide you."), Document(metadata={'source': "46:26"}, page_content="So often evangelism and discipleship, [46:27] the way we've done it throughout the years has been so one-sided as if we own the light, as if we, without God, [46:42] could ever be the light of the world. And we get all of these things together. We we come up with a sinner's prayer, and you gotta pray the exact words of that prayer as Billy Graham first read it or you're going straight straight to hell. That's not in scripture. It's just not there. It's good to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it's good to repent of your sin. There is not one script for how one does that. [47:08] There is not one right way to pray that prayer, and it's not about us. I once was listening to a lady, she was giving her testimony, and she was talking about how many people she had saved. [47:35]"), Document(metadata={'source': "47:40"}, page_content="And I said, well, this is backward, isn't it? I happen to know this woman, and and she has a hard enough time saving herself. And yet she has saved 13 people, Taylor Swift and my lucky number. 13 people. And it made me wonder [48:02] how often do we take credit for what God is doing through us. It's not about us. The light is never meant to terminate with us. It's meant to be shared, passed on, and passed on, and passed on through relationship. [48:24] That's what evangelism is, sharing the good news with another person. That's what it is. It's about entering into a relationship with somebody else even if you don't understand their customs, and you don't understand their language, and you don't understand the way they live. [48:46] The most important thing to a believer, a child of God, is that they tell another person"), Document(metadata={'source': "48:57"}, page_content="that it's not about getting a checklist right. It's not about fire insurance to stay out of hell when you die. It's not. It's about a savior who came into the world to love us, [49:11] to hold us, and to carry us into the arms of a loving father who will never turn his back on us. Even when the church turns its back on people, god never does. God never does. God never turns his back. And what the scripture this morning is asking us to do [49:37] is not let the light end with us. As if as long as we get to heaven, everything's fine. We are to reflect and refract and multiply that light and pass it on so that it spreads through the world to the end of the earth. [50:03] And this morning, being a holiday weekend, I felt like this is the point in our story this morning where Martin Luther King Junior speaks so powerfully"), Document(metadata={'source': "50:21"}, page_content="into the scripture today. Doctor King understood that light is not private spirituality. [50:24] It must be lived out in community, and that community must be brave enough and courageous enough to stand up to the powers that be when they are wrong. It might mean your death. It might mean extreme discomfort. [50:49] But we're about the business of joining God in the salvation of the world and everyone in it. That doesn't happen in here. It doesn't happen in any church building. [51:11] It happens when the church, the people, bind together and go out into the world and speak truth into the darkness of this world, that every person is endowed with certain rights, [51:27]"), Document(metadata={'source': "51:30"}, page_content="that every person is created by the one true God to be a beautiful child of God, that every person is called to love and live in this world with compassion and grace and mercy. And when we don't agree, we learn to disagree well. [51:47] Because I'm not God and you're not God, but we're sent on behalf of god. And that's very real business because that means somebody [52:08] is going to be around us, They're not gonna know a thing about God and the love of God for them. And depending on how we treat that person is what that person is going to think about God. Individuals, parts of that body of Christ, [52:42] it's very important that our witness show people"), Document(metadata={'source': "52:50"}, page_content="who God really is. Not who we think God is, not who we want God to be, but who God is. First John tells us that God [53:04] is love. God is love. Before God is anything else, before God is justice, before God is peace, before God is anything else, God is love. [53:18] And so we're called to live that story out in our lives. King and his I had a I have a dream speech on 08/28/1963 [53:38] spoke many great words. Some would say, looking at our world today, it didn't work too well."), Document(metadata={'source': "53:55"}, page_content="I would say King's [53:58] dream was something he learned from God's dream, And God's dream is always at work and always transforming and never dies. [54:14] He said, I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and women. That wasn't just a political statement. It was political, but it was a prophetic one. [54:39] King was holding America up to the light of its own creed, of its own hopes, of its own desires. And [54:54]"), Document(metadata={'source': "54:55"}, page_content="up to god's justice and light. Later in the speech, he declared, I have a dream that one day every valley the light of the lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Those aren't just doctor King's words. Those are Isaiah's [55:20] words. He wasn't inventing a dream, inventing a new way of life. He was calling people, especially those people who already said they were Christian people, back to the truth of their calling, [55:41] back to working for what they said they believed in. He was borrowing the light of scripture and letting it shine on injustice and inequality and moral complacency. So King also knew that Isaiah [56:04] names so honestly the feeling of laboring in vain."), Document(metadata={'source': "56:14"}, page_content="I wonder how it felt when it seemed like the more sermons he preached, the more stages he stood on, the more people he addressed, and people were still being shot in the street, and there was still animosity. I wonder if he got to the point, and I'm sure he did, that he said, this is all for not. I'm going home. [56:31] I'm giving up on this. That went through his mind several times, and because of his mentors, he stayed. He stayed in it. And he spoke scripture, and he spoke truth, and he shed light [56:50] where there was nothing but darkness. But friends, it seemed that darkness won yet again, but did it? [57:13] Here, years after his death, we still hear"), Document(metadata={'source': "57:27"}, page_content="the dream. We still hear the prophet's words through the millennia [57:31] calling us to live and work for this dream. And that's what epiphany is all about. Keeping the dream alive and sharing the good news that Jesus is born into this world not just for one nation, not just for one people, but so that to the ends of the earth, [57:58] all people may know the salvation of our God. God is still saying to the church today, it is not enough. It is not enough since you [58:18] are my servant. It is not enough to keep quiet faith. It is not enough to separate worship from justice, worship from the things that are happening in the world right outside the doors. It is not enough to shine only when it feels safe, [58:37]"), Document(metadata={'source': "58:41"}, page_content="Sometimes when it is the most dangerous time is when the world really needs to hear the truth of God's love and light. So remember that you are given, you are appointed [58:58] as a light to the world, not because you are perfect, but because Christ is present in you. Like Andrew, you are called to point and say, come and see. [59:11] And like Isaiah's servant, you are called to trust that no faithful labor is ever wasted even when it seems like you're talking to a brick wall. Even when you've invited that person to come and see ten, twenty, 30 times. Times. There's enough pain in this world that has been caused by people of faith [59:45] to understand why some people are very hesitant to ever walk into the doors of a church"), Document(metadata={'source': "59:57"}, page_content="no matter its brand or denomination. And that's why I think we're living in a time more so than probably any generation before us [01:00:09] that is more like the first century when Paul was conducting his missionary work. Paul wasn't talking to people that just got ticked off at a at a church council meeting and left and went to another church. He's speaking to a world that is filled with division [01:00:38] and multiple religions and multiple ways, and he is calling people back, people that have fallen away, to the truth. To the truth [01:00:55] that, yes, Paul says it, we're all created equal."), Document(metadata={'source': "01:01:09"}, page_content="We're all given the spirit. [01:01:11] We're all a part of God's dream. So today, I want us to remember doctor King. And like doctor King, remember that you are called to believe that God's dream is bigger than any fears that we have [01:01:33] about our lives, about our nation's life, about our world's life. We are invited to come and see the light so that we are empowered to go and be the light. Not because the world is ready. [01:01:55] Just turn on the news. You can see that the world isn't ready. It's no more ready today than it was when Jesus was crucified and when king was executed and when the countless shootings [01:02:15]"), Document(metadata={'source': "01:02:16"}, page_content='in our streets of this nation happen again and again and again. The world is not ready, but do it because the world is still longing, waiting to see. [01:02:33] Be the light because the world is waiting to see the salvation of our god. Immigrants are craving hope. Children are just hoping to be noticed. [01:02:54] Soldiers, police, firefighters, first responders are putting boots on the ground to stamp out some of the darkness, [01:03:20] but it will not happen if the church'), Document(metadata={'source': "01:03:32"}, page_content="does not stand up, speak up, and show up and be a light to every man, woman, and child in this world. [01:03:48] King ended that speech with the words of a African American spiritual. Free at last. Free at last. Thank god almighty. [01:04:10] I'm free at last. Maybe one day, instead of just saying we're free, We will be, [01:04:29] and we will experience a love and a care beyond measure. That's my dream,"), Document(metadata={'source': "01:04:43"}, page_content="and I hope it's yours too. In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. [01:04:45] Amen. And let us stand together as we affirm our faith this morning using a statement of faith of the United Church. We are not alone. We live in God's world. We believe in God who has created and is creating, [01:05:11] who has come in Jesus to where we're made flesh, to reconcile and make new who works in us and others by the spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the church, to celebrate God's presence, [01:05:27] to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. [01:05:40]"), Document(metadata={'source': "01:05:46"}, page_content='Thanks be to God, and let us sing together this little light of mine. Please be seated and let us bow our hearts as we go to God in prayer. Holy and gracious God, giver of light and source of every good gift, we thank you that in this season of epiphany, your glory is not hidden from us, but revealed in Christ, [01:07:29] the light of the world, the lamb who bears our brokenness and the one in whom your spirit abides. You have called us by name. You have claimed us in love and you have given us as a light for the sake of the world. And yet, oh God, we confess that we do not always live as people of that light. We confess that we often choose comfort [01:07:52] over calling, silence over truth, and caution over courageous love. We confess that fear, [01:08:04] tiredness, and distraction'), Document(metadata={'source': "01:08:09"}, page_content='condemn the light you have placed within us. We have sometimes turned inward when your grace was sending us outward. Forgive us, oh god. Forgive us when we hoard the light instead of sharing it freely, and forgive us when we judge rather than love, when we cling to what feels familiar [01:08:23] instead of trusting where your spirit leads us. By your mercy, restore us. By your grace, renew us. And by your spirit, rekindle the light within us that we might reflect the love of Christ with humility, courage, and joy. We lift before you today the leaders of your church, those who serve in visible ways, and those whose faithfulness is often unseen. Bless pastors and teachers, musicians, [01:08:57] staff, and caregivers. Bless lay leaders, council members, ministry teams, and all who give their time, energy, and hearts to guide, nurture, and serve your people. Grant them wisdom beyond their own, patience rooted in love, [01:09:15] and courage shaped by hope. And when leadership feels heavy, give them rest. When decisions feel unclear, give them discernment.'), Document(metadata={'source': "01:09:31"}, page_content="And when the work feels thankless, remind them that their labor in you is never in vain. [01:09:34] Shape all of us, leaders and congregation together, into a community that listens deeply, serves generously, and follows faithfully wherever your light leads us. We pray for those among us who are weary, those who are grieving, and those who feel lost or unseen. May your light be comfort for the hurting, strength for the discouraged, [01:10:01] and peace for all who long for healing. Send us from this place forgiven and renewed, ready to live as people of the light, not for our own glory, but so that your love may be known in the world. And we pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, the light [01:10:15] who has come into the world and who sends us to shine for others. And all God's children said, amen. Amen. Amen. Beloved, [01:10:35]"), Document(metadata={'source': "01:10:37"}, page_content="we are forgiven in Christ, the lamb who bears our sin. Happy are those who put their trust in God and delight to do God's will, for God makes our footing sure upon the rock of Christ, the Psalms say. So may the peace of Christ [01:10:55] be with you all. And let us share a sign of Christ's peace to those near to us in our seats this morning. Thank you. God is good [01:12:09] All the time. And all the time. Our god has done wondrous things too many for us to count, and so as people of faith, we are called to return a good and right portion because we trust in what God is doing and what God is accomplishing in this world, the transformation of all things in Christ. And so let us worship God this morning with our tithes and with our offerings [01:12:38] as we give those as well as the gifts of ourselves to God"), Document(metadata={'source': "01:12:48"}, page_content="to partner with him in mission and We give you thanks, oh loving God, that you have placed in the hearts of your faithful people the gift of generosity and the desire to do your will. Use these gifts to proclaim good news to every nation and restore all people to Christ [01:15:40] who taught us to pray saying our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses [01:16:00] as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. And now as we're sent out into the world to be the light of the world, let us join our voices together in I love to tell [01:16:19] the story. Go now in peace to share that message of salvation. It's not just about me or you."), Document(metadata={'source': "01:20:52"}, page_content="'s about the salvation of the whole world and everyone in it. [01:20:56] So may the way that we live, the way that we love, and the way that we care for one another and the world show the light of God's grace always with us. [01:21:10] And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us and keep us this day and forevermore. And all God's children said, amen.")], 'output_text': ''}