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A Warm Welcome to All! We seek to be an inclusive church,

and to show love and compassion in many ways. If you are a visitor, we invite you to worship with us often

and to consider joining our congregation.

If you’d like to become more connected, please contact Pastors Scott Paczkowski or Jan Scott at 274-1534.

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Order of WorshipSecond Sunday after the Epiphany January 17, 2021Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday

Gathering the Community of Faith

PRELUDE He Comes to Us as One Unknown Juli Bey - Organ Music: C. Hubert H. Parry Arr. Robert J. Powell WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Scott Paczkowski

Please let us know you are worshiping with us by filling out the “Attendance Form,”

found on the livestream page.

Celebrating God’s Presence

CALL TO WORSHIP (Psa. 82, Amos 5) Choral Scholars A Voice: God said, “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? A Voice: God said, “Give justice to the weak and the parentless child; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.” A Voice: God said, “Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” A Voice: God said, “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Take away the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice rolldownlikewaters,andrighteousnesslikeanever-flowing stream.” All: Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you! *OPENING HYMN #404 Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Music on pg. 8 of worship bulletin.) Tune: George N. Allen Arr. and Text: Thomas A. Dorsey *PRAYER OF CONFESSION Most Holy and Merciful God: we have condemned racial injustice in our pronouncement, yet we cling to the privileges derived from social inequalities. All too often we are blind to our complicity in maintaining systems of oppression and deferring the hopes and dreams of the oppressed for freedom.

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Give us the courage to name our sin, give us the strength to claim responsibility for our actions. Give us the grace to pay the price for changing our behavior. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

*DECLARATION OF PARDON (Psa. 139) One: God searches us, knows us, loves us, and forgives us. All: God’s love shelters us and keeps us safe. *SUNG RESPONSE #579 Gloria Patri GLORIA PATRI(Music on pg. 9 of worship bulletin.)

Join with the Westminster Virtual Choir.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen, Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE/THE LORD’S PRAYER When the pastor says, “God of Mercy,” please respond with, “Hear our 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.

DedicatingOurLivesandOfferings

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING

OFFERTORY Song for the New Year Music: Rob Roy Peery Juli Bey - Organ *OFFERTORY RESPONSE #592 Doxology OLD 100TH (Music on pg. 10 of worship bulletin.)

Join with the Westminster Virtual Choir.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

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Proclaiming God’s Word

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 (NRSV) Gary Hartsock

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end—I am still with you.

ANTHEM Worthy to Be Praised! By: Byron J. Smith Westminster Choral Scholars NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: John 1:43-51 (NRSV) Scott Paczkowski

The next day 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 sawyouunderthefigtreebeforePhilipcalledyou.”Nathanaelreplied,“Rabbi,

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you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believebecauseItoldyouthatIsawyouunderthefigtree?Youwillseegreater 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.”

SERMON “Can Anything Good Come Out of…” Scott Paczkowski

LITANY OF CELEBRATION One: The ideals of justice and freedom and the belief that all are created equal in the eyes of God are noble principles. But they are meaningless unless they become the personal possession of each one of us. All: For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent. I will struggle with myself. I will not rest until the dream of justice and freedom becomes my personal dream. I must realize that I am not an innocent bystander. I can help realize the dream by my action or delay it by inaction. One: Martin’s dream was of a day when people from all races and nations, eventheoffspringofslavesandformerslaveowners,cansitatatable withbrothersandsistersandfindwaysoftransformingtheir differencesintoassets.ThatwasMartin’sdream.Whatisyourdream? All: My dream is that one day soon I will find a way to stop just celebrating the dream and start living it. It must become a part of my daily life; or nothing much will change. One: The dream is not about an ideal world; it is about the real world. Martin Luther King Jr.’s poetic refrain, “I Have a Dream,” is a call for us to remember the real world where injustice abounds. All: When I am in the shelter of my home, I must remember the homeless. When I eat, I must remember the hungry. When I feel secure, I must remember the insecure. When I see injustice, I must remember that it will not stop unless I stop it. One: I have a dream! All: I also have a dream. I have a dream that the Holy Spirit will arouse in me that very flame of righteousness that caused Martin Luther King Jr. to become a living sacrifice of freedom and liberation for all of God’s Children. Then I will be able to resist racial injustice everywhere I see it, even within myself.

Sending the Faithful into God’s World

*CLOSING HYMN #354 Guide My Feet African-American Spiritual(Music on pg. 11 of worship bulletin.)

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*BENEDICTION Scott Paczkowski One: Go and reap the harvest of God’s love. All: We go and continue to sow seeds of justice, peace, and love. One: Go and nourish and to be nourished, knowing that God is ever a part of our lives. All: Amen!

*CHORAL AMEN SPIRITUAL AMEN (Westminster Virtual Choir 1st time, Congregation 2nd time)

POSTLUDE Hail to the Lord Who Comes Music: Este’s Psalter Juli Bey - Organ Arr. David Thorne

* All who are able, please stand.

Participating in Worship this morning…Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski, Senior Pastor Scott@westpres.orgRev.Dr.BillEkhardt,AssociatePastor,ChiefofStaff Bill@westpres.orgRev. Jan Scott, Associate Pastor, Pastoral Care JScott@westpres.orgAaron Schultz, Director of Music and Art ASchultz@westpres.orgJuli Bey, Organ Juli@westpres.orgGary Hartsock, LiturgistWestminster Choral Scholars: Lauren Bailey, Claudia Sloat, Krister Strandskov, Everett ReedWestminster Virtual ChoirDrew Robertson, Youth Director - Media Engineer DRobertson@westpres.orgLaura Sherlock, Communications & Children’s CE Director - Media Engineer LSherlock@westpres.orgGreg Shane, Austin Shane and Lance Routson - Media EngineersWestminster Chancel Guild

Church Music/Streaming LicensesCCLI: #11161622CCS: #12829

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* Or “God.”

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InCLUSIVITY STATeMenTWe welcome all persons as participants in our congregation, regardless of age,

race, gender, marital status, physical condition, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, or any other human condition.

Westminster AnnouncementsAdult Confirmation - StartingonJanuary31stwewillbeoffering“AdultConfirmation”foradulteducationatWestminster.Theclasswillmeetonceaweek – on Sundays – at noon – for 8 weeks – on Zoom – with an expectation that the participants commit to the whole experience. The class is designed to help participants establish a context to inform, discuss, and make a personal statement of faith that will be written by each participant at the end of the class.Ifyouareinterested,pleasecalltheofficeoremailDrewRobertsonatdrobertson@westpres.org to sign up.

Joy Offering-Ourdenomination’sJoyOfferingisbeingcollectedthisweek.BygivingtotheJoyOffering,youareprovidingassistancetocurrentandretiredchurch workers in their time of need, and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.

Prayer Requests - If you have a prayer request that you’d like to share with your church family, please select the Prayer Request button on the website’s livestream worship page, or contact Susan Denton at sdenton@westpres.org.

Virtual Choir Participants needed - You are invited to join members of the Westminster Chorale to prepare an anthem for an upcoming live-stream worship service. Please email Westminster Music Director Aaron Schultz, aschultz@westpres.org, for more details.

How Can I Contribute My Offering or Pay My Pledge? ● Online - At www.westpres.org/donate ● Mail - Westminster Church, 4114 Allison Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310-3398 ● Text - WPCDSM to 73256 ● Call the Church Office - 515-274-1534 for credit card or ACH contribution,

ask for Ruth Bloxham, accountant. Thank You!