Come as you are! Everyone welcome … In-person or on Zoom.
R E A D I N G S
🔆James 2:1-9 🔆Ephesians 2:8-22 🔆Matthew 3
S E R M O N
“Peace to Those Who are Far and Near” The Reverend Dr. Max Lynn
M U S I C
PRELUDE … Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993), arr. Daniel Light
INTROIT … In Love You Summon, Words & Music by John Bell (b. 1949)
HYMN … My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
ANTHEM … Psalm 40, Claude Goudimel (1514-1572)
HYMN … Lift Every Voice and Sing
OFFERTORY … Melody, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
HYMN … Beautiful Differences
POSTLUDE … Hymn to Freedom, Oscar Peterson (1925-2007)
Join us for Coffee Hour immediately after the service.
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A N N O U N C E M E N T S – – – – – – –
Calendar Notes
Jan. 18 – Sunday Forum: Dr. Eugene Park
Jan. 25 – Sunday Forum: Dr. David Hollinger
Jan. 31 – Memorial Service for Barbara Taylor
Upcoming Sunday Forums
Take a break after worship for 5-10 minutes, then come back for a conversation:
Jan. 18 – The Gospel According to Jesus?
The word “gospel” was a technical term with specific connotations both in ancient Israel and ancient Greece. The Hebrew Bible contains passages that indicate an evolution of the term “gospel” from the monarchical period to the Persian colonial times. Eugene Park’s presentation will trace the semantic changes of this highly loaded word in broad strokes, and will venture an informed guess as to how the historical Jesus would have understood its meaning.
Eugene Eung-Chun Park is a New Testament scholar, a Professor at the San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union. He teaches the Gospels and Pauline Epistles, the Parables of Jesus, and reading in Classical Greek. He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and as a Korean-American he maintains a close relationship with the theological and ecclesiastical communities in Korea.
Jan. 25 – A Conversation About Christianity’s American Fate
There is a paradox of an increasingly secularized society dominated by conservative, white evangelical Christianity. How did we get here? David Hollinger will present a 30,000-foot view of the history he details in his book, Christianity’s American Fate, that traces the roots of the ecumenical church’s challenges in the US today.
David A. Hollinger is the Preston Hotchkis Professor of History, emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in American intellectual history and American ethno-racial history. He is the author of many published papers and books that carefully chronicle intersecting social, political, cultural, ethnic, and religious movements in American history.
Memorial Service scheduled for Barbara Taylor
Barbara Becker Taylor passed away on December 10, 2025, at the age of 95. Barbara joined St. John’s in March 1975. Her legacy is evident through her work on SJ commissions, as a Deacon, and her years of working in the church office. A Celebration of Life service will be on Saturday, January 31, at 2pm at St. John’s. Please join us in person as we gather to celebrate her life.
Report on M&J’s Berkeley Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center Donations 2025
Thanks to the efforts of our church community and advance advertising, the collection for the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center many items were brought down the aisle during the Offertory on December 14.
The drop-off to the Center on December 18 included nine boxes, ten medium-sized bags, and a ginormous waist-high heavy-duty bag filled with items donated by members and friends of our church community. The St. John’s community also contributed over $435 in Safeway and Target gift cards, over and above the items donated from the “wish list”. These gifts, as well as the dozens of others not mentioned here, were gratefully received by Drop-in Center staff members.
We thank everyone who made this Mission and Justice Commission project so successful. The St. John’s community has made a positive difference in the lives of many of our Berkeley neighbors and their families once again this year. – Cynthia Simon and Lisa Blampied
QR Code for Giving Money to St. John’s
One can now donate via PayPal for weekly giving and special events. Simply scan the PayPal QR Code in our bulletin or church lobby. All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you for your continued support.
Senior Resources Fair on February 7 at St. John’s
The Realtors Resource for Seniors Committee is hosting the third annual Senior Resource Fair on Saturday, February 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. John’s. This community event is free, open to the public. The fair will have speakers and 50+ information tables. The speaker topics include Geriatric Care Management, Elder Financial Issues, Senior Moves Management, and Connective Horse for those with Alzheimer’s and their Caregivers. The tables will have information provided by cities, the county, senior centers, local nonprofits and businesses serving seniors and their families. The fair is sponsored by local realtors and mortgage brokers. For more info, contact Joann Sullivan at srsresfair@gmail.com