A New Year's Covenant

Nicholas J. Connolly
Pastor of First and Grace United Methodist Churches

Epiphany Sunday
January 3, 2010

The names of the Sundays are taken from
The Bible Through the Seasons: A Three-Year Journey with the Bible


Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

"The Adoration of the Magi" - Leonaert Bramer 1628-30
   Oil on panel, 43 x 53 cm    Institute of Arts, Detroit
Visit The Web Gallery of Art.
In the search window, write "The Adoration of the Magi."

We enter this New Year and Epiphany Sunday with "The Wesley Covenant Service" (Click on the title to download this service). We link ourselves with the early Methodists who rededicated themselves to the Lord at the beginning of the New Year. The strong contrasts of the Magi and Herod offer examples of how to renew our covenant with the Lord…and how anything of Herod in us blocks the way to rededication.

You can download the audio files to save and listen off-line
by right clicking "Save Target As"  while hovering over the links
Simply copy the title in the file window and save in the folder of your choice.
You can then download the sermon into an mp3 player or burn a CD.
Permission is given to make copies for personal or church use.


Listen to the Meditative Prayer of Confession

Listen to the Gospel and the Sermon
Due to an error in editing, the complete sermon at First Church is not available.
In its place is the sermon given at Grace Church.