Crandall United Methodist Church

Special Music: “Beulah Land”  Charles

 

Centering Words:

Rejoice, saints of God. Death is swallowed up in everlasting life.

 

*Call to Worship:

 

Leader:    Lift up your heads, O gates.

People:   The King of glory has come.

Leader:    Mourning and death shall be no more.

People:   Feast on rich food and fine wine.

Leader:    Come! Let us worship the God of our salvation.

Leader:    Let us pray.

 

ALL: God of new beginnings, wipe away our tears, that we may come before your throne with hearts full of song and with souls on fire. Help us live as those who are prepared to die, so when our time to depart comes we may go forth as those who are prepared to live. Whether living or dying, O Lord, our hearts will always belong to you. Amen.

 

Hymn: “Shall We Gather at the River”

 

Shall we gather at the river,

where bright angel feet have trod,

with its crystal tide forever

flowing by the throne of God?

 

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

the beautiful, the beautiful river;

gather with the saints at the river

that flows by the throne of God.

 

On the margin of the river,

washing up its silver spray,

we will talk and worship ever,

all the happy golden day.

 

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

the beautiful, the beautiful river;

gather with the saints at the river

that flows by the throne of God.

 

Ere we reach the shining river,

lay we every burden down;

grace our spirits will deliver,

and provide a robe and crown.

 

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

the beautiful, the beautiful river;

gather with the saints at the river

that flows by the throne of God.

 

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,

soon our pilgrimage will cease;

soon our happy hearts will quiver

with the melody of peace.

 

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

the beautiful, the beautiful river;

gather with the saints at the river

that flows by the throne of God.

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

 

Words of Assurance

 

The vision of a new heaven and a new earth is sure.

The one who prepares a banquet before us, a feast of rich food and fine wine, will wipe away our tears.

Rejoice and be glad. The King of glory is the author of our salvation.

Sing Praise to God our King.

 

*New Testament Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

 

¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

⁴     he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.”

⁵ And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

 

Leader:    This is the Word of God for the people of God

People:   Thanks be to God.

 

WORD AND RESPONSE

 

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”

 

Children’s Message: “Jesus Wept”

 

Hymn: “It Is Well with My Soul”

 

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

when sorrows like sea billows roll;

whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

 

It is well, with my soul,

it is well, with my soul,

it is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

let this blest assurance control,

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

and hath shed His own blood for my soul.

 

It is well, with my soul,

it is well, with my soul,

it is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

 

It is well, with my soul,

it is well, with my soul,

it is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

even so, it is well with my soul.

 

It is well, with my soul,

it is well, with my soul,

it is well, it is well, with my soul.

 

Sermon: “The Home of God” John 11:32-44

 

³² When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴ He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus began to weep. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

³⁸ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

  Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

 

THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION

 

Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:

 

Christ our Lord invites to his table

       all who love him,

who earnestly repent of their sin

and seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God

and one another.

 

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you

with our whole hearts.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the

cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

that proves God's love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Glory to God. Amen

 

The Great Thanksgiving

 

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending of all creation.

In the days of Isaiah, you promised to lead all the nations to your holy mountain, and swallow up death forever. You have revealed the coming of a new heaven and new earth, in which every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and all will feast at your heavenly banquet.

 

And so, with your saints now on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,

God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

 

Holy are you, and holy is your Son Jesus Christ.

When he raised Lazarus from the grave, he showed us all your glory, giving thanks only to you and praising your name.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

 

This day we gather around the table with a great cloud of the saints, those who have gone before us, those that we share in communion with today and those who are yet to come, to once again remember His body that was given for us.

 

When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Drink from this all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it

in remembrance of me."

 

And so,

in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves along with all the saints of your church in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith

 

Christ has died;

Christ is risen;

Christ will come again.

 

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may become one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until all things are made new.

As we share in the body of Christ and the cup of salvation, let us also share in the legacy and memory of those saints who lives are a part of the Kingdom of God, both here and in heaven.

 

Roll Call of the Saints