Bethel 01/10/21 Service

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Epiphany Season
Ordinary Time
Baptism of Jesus
Renewing waters: a UMC video
Candlemas
Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
Massacre of the Innocents
Flight into Egypt
Return from Egypt
Herod the Great

Guidance from UMC Discipleship Ministries

This is the first Service of a 6 service Worship Series from the Discipleship Ministries. The graphics at the top of this page list the topics for the weeks of the Series.

Worship Series: "Follow Me"
from umcdiscipleship.org

There’s nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time anymore. But then it was never really “ordinary.” The season of Epiphany has always been about seeing the light that is Jesus the Christ breaking forth into the world in which we live. Seeing is only the first step, however. We don’t see the light of Christ the same way we see the beauty of the Grand Canyon, for example, or a particularly beautiful sunset. While there is beauty in the presence of Christ, it is a beauty that calls forth a response. There are many ways to respond to the presence of Christ. In this series, we focus on the invitation to follow. It is the mission of the church to make disciples, even as we are being made disciples. It is an ongoing process to follow Jesus; a transformation that continues through every stage of our lives.

This Week's Theme: "Tearing Apart the Heavens"

Worship should be a celebration; this is the beginning of a new year. We survived 2020, and while there might still be lingering effects of the pandemic and the unrest, it is time to embrace a new possibility, a new hope. The heavens have been torn open. But this isn’t a threat; it’s a promise of something new, something better. Let us commit ourselves to a closer walk with Christ. Let the waters of baptism renew us and cleanse us for our mission and ministry as followers of Jesus.

Worship Planning Notes
Preaching Notes

Lectionary Scriptures: