Communion Sunday 

GATHERING FOR WORSHIP 

As the bell sounds, may we quiet ourselves and allow the music of the  prelude to lead us into a worshipful place in our hearts and minds. 

* Please stand in body or in spirit 

Prelude Of the Father's Love Begotten

13th c. Plainsong, arr. Mark Hayes 

Welcome and Announcements 

Choral Introit 

Call to Worship  

Leader: Shout to the Lord your praises! 

People: Sing to the Lord the joy of this day! 

Leader: For God’s might and power are established in the universe! People: God’s transforming love beckons us. 

Leader: Come, let us worship God whose Light bursts forth into our  darkness! 

People: Let us praise the God of salvation who brings us home. 

*Opening Hymn # 172 We Three Kings (verses 1 & 5) 

Prayer of Confession  

 We come to you this day, gracious Lord, exhausted from all the activi ties of the season. It seems that we spend so much energy, time, and  resources in preparation, and then when it is over, we collapse. We  wonder what happened to all the enthusiasm we had. Lord, forgive us  for placing our energies in getting and gathering. Give us peace and  strength to renew our commitment to you. Remind us again to look  around at the many ways in which we can be of service to you by serv ing others. Help us move forward in our compassion for we ask this in  Jesus’ Name. AMEN 

Silent Confession 

Words of Assurance 

 Though the world swirls around us and exhaustion threatens to overtake  us, rest your spirits in the great God of all creation, who is with us now and  forever! God will give us strength and restore our spirits. 

SHARING GOD’S WORD 

Scripture Reading Matthew 2:1-2, 5-6, 9-12

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.  

People: Thanks be to God. 

Musical Interlude 

 THE COMMUNITY AT PRAYER 

Sharing of Joys and Concerns 

Call to Prayer Emmanuel, Emmanuel 

Emmanuel, Emmanuel, his name is called Emmanuel.  

God with us, revealed in us, his name is called Emmanuel.

Pastoral Prayer 

*Hymn of Preparation As with Gladness 

 SERMON Star Light, Star Bright 

THE SERVICE OF OFFERING 

Collection and Offertory  

*The Doxology (#46) 

* Unison Prayer of Dedication 

 God of hope and light, your good news has been emblazoned across  the skies, the great starry night of Jesus’ birth, sung by angels, cele brated by shepherds, witnessed by animals. You have given to us a new  chance, a reminder of your continual love for us. Be with us in this  worship, we pray. Guide our thoughts, our lives, our spirits. Heal and  restore us. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

THE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION 

*Communion Hymn Let Us Break Bread Together

Invitation 

Prayer of Consecration 

The Lord’s Prayer 

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And  lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the  kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Sharing of the Elements 

Unison Prayer of Thanksgiving 

 We thank you, God, for inviting us to this table where we have wit nessed the light, have known the presence, and have received the gifts  of Christ our Lord. In this New Year, strengthen our faith, increase our  love for one another, and enable us to show forth your light in our lives;  through Jesus Christ our savior. Amen. 

WE GO FORTH TO SERVE 

*Hymn of Parting Another Year Is Dawning 

1. Another year is dawning! Dear Father, let it be, in working or in  waiting, another year with thee; another year of leaning upon thy loving  breast, another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest. 

2. Another year of service, of witness for thy love; another year of  training for holier work above. Another year is dawning! Dear Father, let it  be on earth, or else in heaven, another year for thee. 

*Benediction (Numbers 6:24-26) 

 May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine  upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon  you, and give you peace.  

All: And now, may we bear fruit as we go forth in peace to love and  serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen. 

Congregational Response Go Now in Peace 

Go now in peace. Never be afraid, God will go with you each hour of every  day. Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true. Know He will guide you in  all you do. Go now in love, and show you believe. Reach out to others so all  

the world can see. God will be there, watching from above. Go now in  peace, in faith, and in love. 

Postlude Behold That Star 

Thomas W. Talley, arr. Mark Hayes

I open with a very famous saying, which I didn’t realize is also a children’s song:

Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight

I wish a may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.

Today we find ourselves on the 11^th day of Christmas, as the tradition goes.  Tomorrow, January 6, the 12^th day of Christmas, is known on our Christian calendar as Epiphany, meaning manifestation or “to make visible" - as in God’s love being made visible in Christ.  For the Eastern Orthodox churches like the Greeks, Armenians and Ukrainians, tomorrow is their Christmas.  In our tradition it is also related to the visit of the wise men from the East.  

Following the season of Advent, leading us to the birth of Christ, through the season of Christmastide, these last two Sundays, we begin tomorrow the season of Epiphany where, in studying the life of Christ, we explore the nature of God.

We'll begin next Sunday with his baptism.

For today, we've just come through a unique season where, in true holiday fashion, the whole mood around us changes. 

As Judy and I were heading back to the car after our New Year's Eve stroll through the breath-taking lights at New England Botanical Gardens in Boylston, everyone was so friendly and talkative and it was almost as if we weren't so much strangers any more - all of us transported to another realm, sharing a mutual awe-inspiring, spiritual experience.

A feeling of hope was visible that night, all around us - for just a little while.

  What is it to feel hope?  More than a wish, a dream, more than optimism, hope can lift us to a higher plain.

  Webster describes a wish as “to have a desire for" eg, I wish I had this, I wish I could go there.  We make wishes all over the place, at the extinguishing of  birthday candles, the discovery of an eye-lash, or a four-leaf clover; we, too wish upon stars.

As Dorothy sings in Wizard of Oz:

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.  Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me.

As the nursery song goes (3-year old Oliver's favorite):

Twinkle, twinkle, little star; how I wonder what you are.  Up above the sky so high, like a diamond in the sky.  Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

As Jiminy Cricket sings in Pinocchio:

When a star is born they possess a gift or two, one of them is this - to make your dreams come true. When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are - anything your heart desires will come to you

  Hope also differs from optimism.  The optimist believes it will be sunny this afternoon, or that everything will turn out all right, a positive attitude that is stagnant, almost blind in its most severe application.

These feelings we have around the holidays do, indeed involve Optimism and dreams & wishes.

But hope must lead the way.

  These wise men, studying the stars, probably had some dreaming, some wishing, some optimism, too -.  And yet, they must have known something more in order to make the journey to a foreign land following a bright light in the sky that led them eventually to Bethlehem, 

from (whom) shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.

  Hope contains an added dimension within us.

As Webster described wish as “to have a desire for", hope comes in as: “to have a desire for, with the expectation of fulfillment."

“expectation of fulfillment" - in a word: faith.

  In hope, we hang our futures not upon a star or a dream or an attitude - our hope depends on God.

  And the sobering reality within hope is that hope can embrace a certain element of uncertainty and cope with disappointment.  Hope can withstand failure.  Hope commits us to action: reaching, stretching toward doing what is good, what is right, quite apart from whether or not the effort meets with success.

  Hope brings us fulfillment and a deep, profound satisfaction beyond what wishes, dreams or optimism can.

  The wise men: 

When they saw the star had stopped (over the place where the child was), they were overwhelmed with joy.

Hope is not illusive or fickle; the faith that spawns hope is not just a feeling that departs when an emotion changes.  We are called to a deeper understanding of hope, beyond wish, dream or attitude: one that involves seeing and trusting, expecting and receiving; then comes acting, perseverance and patience..

  Sustaining hope is made all the more possible through revisiting Bethlehem every year, through watching that new year roll around every year.  How many of us have said, “this year has got to be better than last year!"  Hope is God's gift within us.  Even the smallest glimmer is God alive in our hearts and souls.

Most of us have a Bethlehem in our lives that is a sacred place or time that speaks to us fo God's faithfulness in keeping promises. There are many opportunities that will come our way as do-overs.

Return again, as often as is necessary, beyond the star, simply pointing to the birthplace of Love - a new chance to begin again!

Like the wise men of old, hope calls us into a future that holds great promise for a better world.  Wishing, dreaming, optimism keep us smiling and can give us direction, but hope pulls us through.  Follow the star light, star bright to the hope, joy, peace and love that await just over that next challenge.

I leave you with this image.

Hope is like dealing with the physical challenges of aging.

Still dealing with my knee replacement surgery, now nearly 2 years ago. Back into physical therapy yet again. From last week’s session came this advice: “Always keep your shoulders ahead of your lower torso when you stand up.  ‘Nose beyond Toes’ - Gravity becomes your best friend.”

Hope keeps one shoulder ahead of doubt - not blindly denying doubt, but rather leaning forward with faith, standing up and moving forth. 

Hope simply leans us toward the direction faith calls us; there, but for the grace of God.

May this meal we are about to celebrate remind us of the hope that sees through the rain to the glory that awaits.