Spiritual Reflection
​Opening Prayer: Collect for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany (BCP 215)
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
 
How Does God Communicate with us?
There are many passages in scripture when the “veil” is lifted between God and God’s people, whether God speaking directly to someone like Abraham, through angels or dreams, or through God’s Word Jesus Christ.

Gathering Song:  “He’s got the whole world in his hands…”  

​He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the sun and the rain in His hands,
He's got the moon and the stars in His hands,
He's got the wind and the clouds in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the rivers and the mountains in His hands,
He's got the oceans and the seas in His hands,
He's got you and he's got me in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got everybody here in His hands,
He's got everybody there in His hands,
He's got everybody everywhere in His hands,
He's got the whole world in His hands.

Leader:            Alleluia.  Christ is risen.
People:            The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia.
Leader:            God raised Jesus from the dead,
People:            And enthroned him at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Leader:            We set our minds on things above.
People:            When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, we too will be revealed with him in glory.
Leader:            Let us pray. 
 
God of life, your love is generous and reaches out to hold us all in your embrace.  Fill our hearts with tenderness and thanksgiving this day that the eyes of our faith may be open to behold you in all your abundant grace and plentiful redeeming work.  Through Jesus Christ our Savior who lives and reigns with you and the life-giving Spirit, One God, forever and ever.  AMEN.

Almighty God, by your grace alone we are accepted and called to your service. Strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and make us worthy of our calling as servants and leaders of your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  AMEN.
 
Romans 12:2-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
 
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

​Questions for Reflection
What strikes you in this passage? How does this passage connect to and encourage the mission and work of your congregation?

Together: Lord Jesus Christ, take our minds and think through them. Take our lips and speak through them.  Take our hearts, and set them on fire.  AMEN.

A Reading:  John 1:1-14 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Word Became Flesh
 
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth.

Reflection Questions

• What words, phrases, concepts particularly speak to you from John’s Prologue?
• How are you particularly aware of the Word becoming flesh and living among us in your own life and that of your congregation?
• Where does the Word have power and purpose in your conversations as a disciple and leader?

​Leader:  God is love, God gives us life,
People:  We love because God first loves us.
Leader:  Day by day, God declares that love;
People:  In Christ God calls us to respond.

Leader:  Hear God’s Word as we gather together this day.
 
Reader:  So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,[d] not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

​Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

A Short Definition of Leadership – “Opening our eyes to see things as they really and truly are, and then responding to what we see faithfully and effectively.”

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.