Epiphany 2 - January 17th, 2021

Remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Collect

 Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Old Testament 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) 

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The LORD called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” [Then the LORD said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him.” As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.] 

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

1 LORD, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up; 

you discern my thoughts from afar. 

2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places * 

and are acquainted with all my ways. 

3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, * 

but you, O LORD, know it altogether. 

4 You press upon me behind and before * 

and lay your hand upon me. 

5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; * 

it is so high that I cannot attain to it. 

12 For you yourself created my inmost parts; * 

you knit me together in my mother's womb. 

13 I will thank you because I am marvelously made; * 

your works are wonderful, and I know it well. 

14 My body was not hidden from you, * 

while I was being made in secret 

and woven in the depths of the earth. 

15 Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb; 

all of them were written in your book; * 

they were fashioned day by day, 

when as yet there was none of them. 

16 How deep I find your thoughts, O God! * 

how great is the sum of them! 

17 If I were to count them, they would 

be more in number than the sand; * 

to count them all, my life span 

would need to be like yours. 

The Epistle 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.” But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 

The Gospel John 1:43-51 

Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! 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.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” 

A Sunday Litany honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gracious Creator, we a re made in your image

your formed us each in the mysterious time

you breathe life in to every heart and mind

and you know us all as your very children.

Empower us to live as the beloved community of love.

You called disciples from hidden places

from all nations, tribes, cultures and clans,

you forgive and remake us daily for service

calling us daily to be compassion and care.

Empower us to live as the beloved community of peace.

We remember Martin and all who stood for love

the ancestors, the saints who fought for us here

who did not put their freedom above others

they sacrificed their all so that we might be one.

Empower us to live as the beloved community of compassion.

We are crippled by fear and threats to our nation

our selfishness and greed has infected the whole

we are worn down by disease and broken by death

yet still you call us to join together as one.

Empower us to live as the beloved community of hope.

Light of our darkness

Set us free to love again.

Hope of the downtrodden

Let freedom ring again.

Creator and source of all goodness

Make our hearts loving again.

You held waters at bay

So your people could be free.

Draw near, dearest Lord and Savior

restore this land and all her people. Amen.