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ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET,
SUNDAY 18TH JANUARY 2026 11.00 A.M.,
MORNING WORSHIP
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 30 I waited for the Lord my God (Ballerma)
1 I waited for the Lord my God,
and patiently did bear;
at length to me he did incline
my voice and cry to hear.
2 He took me from a fearful pit,
and from the miry clay,
and on a rock he set my feet,
establishing my way.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
our God to magnify:
many shall see it, and shall fear,
and on the Lord rely.
4 O blessèd are all they whose trust
upon the Lord relies;
respecting not the proud, nor such
as turn aside to lies.
Prayers of Approach and 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 for ever, Amen.
Theme for the day
Hymn 339 Sing of Andrew, John’s Disciple (Hyfrodol)
1 Sing of Andrew, John’s disciple,
led by faith through ways untrod,
till the Baptist cried at Jordan,
‘There behold the Lamb of God.’
Stirred by hearing this new teacher,
Andrew, freed from doubt and fear,
ran to tell his brother Simon,
‘God’s Anointed One is here!’
2 Sing of Andrew, called by Jesus
from the shores of Galilee,
leaving boats and nets and kindred,
trusting in that ‘Follow me.’
When a boy’s small meal fed thousands,
when inquiring Greeks found care,
when the Spirit came in blessing —
Andrew faithfully was there.
3 Sing of Andrew, bold apostle,
sent to make the gospel known,
faithful to his Lord’s example,
called to make a cross his own.
So may we who prize his memory
honour Christ in our own day,
bearing witness to our neighbours,
living what we sing and pray.
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7
Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God.’
And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’
Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
‘Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’
New Testament Reading: I Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord* and ours:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my* God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of* Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Anthem: O magnum mysterium (Victoria) (1548-1611)
viderent Dominum natum jacentem in praesepio: O beata Virgo, cui us viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Jesum Christum. Alleluia.
O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manger! O blessed is the Virgin, whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia.
Gospel Reading: John 1:29-42
The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’*
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter*).
Hymn 552 Oh, for a closer walk with God (The Flower o’ the Quern)
1 Oh, for a closer walk with God,
a calm and heavenly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!
2 Where is the blessedness I knew
when first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
of Jesus and his word?
3 What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
the world can never fill.
4 Return, O Holy Dove! return,
sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made thee mourn,
and drove thee from my breast.
5 The dearest idol I have known,
whate’er that idol be,
help me to tear it from thy throne,
and worship only thee.
6 So shall my walk be close with God,
calm and serene my frame;
so purer light shall mark the road
that leads me to the Lamb.
Sermon: The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett,
Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral
Anthem: Cum natus esset Jesus (Morales)
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go, and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Dedication of our Offerings
{If able, please stand as the offering is brought forward and the congregation sings}
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (CH4 807, Old 100th)
Prayer of Dedication:
Minister: Father, Son, and Spirit Holy,
we give you thanks and praise:
Congregation: We dedicate to you
our thoughts, our words,
our gifts, our deeds,
the working of our hands,
the thinking of our minds,
the loving of our hearts. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intercession
Intimations
Hymn 522 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising (The Bard of Armagh)
1 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising,
knowing they’re wanted and loved by their Lord.
The Church is wherever Christ’s followers are trying
to live and to share out the good news of God.
2 The Church is wherever God’s people are loving,
where all are forgiven and start once again,
where all are accepted, whatever their background,
whatever their past and whatever their pain.
3 The Church is wherever God’s people are seeking
to reach out and touch folk wherever they are —
conveying the Gospel, its joy and its comfort,
to challenge, refresh, and excite and inspire.
4 The Church is wherever God’s people are praising,
knowing we’re wanted and loved by our Lord.
The Church is where we as Christ’s followers are trying
to live and to share out the good news of God.
Organ Postlude: Allegro maestoso in C by Mendelssohn
Retiring Offering for the continuing life and ministry of St Columba’s. It is possible to donate via the website. We are most grateful for all that we receive.
