Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

September 4, 2022

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

Greetings:

Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People: And also with you!

Special Music: “Holy, Holy, Holy”  Donna

Centering Words:

God is the potter; we are the clay. Rest in gratitude on the potter’s wheel, for we are being shaped according to God’s purposes. We are being molded into vessels of great beauty and infinite worth.

*Call to Worship:

Leader:   When we try to hide,

People:   God always finds us.

Leader:   When we crawl into the darkness,

People:  even there we don’t escape God’s eyes.

Leader:   Are you tired of running from the one who loves you?

People:  We are here at last, ready and eager to be made whole.

Leader:   Let us pray.

ALL: O Lord, you are the potter, we are the clay. Take our lives, O God, and remake us anew. Pour out your Spirit upon us, that we may be filled with living water. Fit us for your purposes, that we may be wholly yours. Amen.

Hymn: “Two Fisherman”

Two fishermen, who lived

along the Sea of Galilee,

stood by the shore to cast

their nets into an ageless sea.

Now Jesus watched them from afar,

then called them each by name.

It changed their lives,

these simple men;

they'd never be the same.

"Leave all things you have

and come and follow me."

And as he walked along the shore

'twas James and John he'd find,

and these two sons of Zebedee

would leave their boats behind.

Their work and all they held so dear

they left beside their nets.

Their names they'd heard as Jesus called;

they came without regret.

"Leave all things you have

and come and follow me."

O Simon Peter, Andrew,

James, and John beloved one,

you heard Christ's call

to speak good news

revealed to God's own Son.

Susanna, Mary, Magdalene

who traveled with your Lord,

you ministered to him

with joy for he is God adored.

"Leave all things you have

and come and follow me."

And you, good Christians,

one and all who'd follow Jesus' way,

come leave behind

what keeps you bound

to trappings of our day,

and listen as he calls

your name to come and follow near,

for still he speaks in varied ways

to those his call will hear.

"Leave all things you have

and come and follow me."

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

When we fall short in life, God puts us on the potter’s wheel and fashions us   into vessels fit for the kingdom.

This journey of transformation is rarely pleasant, but it is necessary for us to be made new and whole.

Thanks be to God. Amen

*Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 18:1-11

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” ³ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. ⁴ The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.

⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁶ Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, ⁸ but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. ⁹ And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, ¹⁰ but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. ¹¹ Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.

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: “Scrabble Letter ‘P’ ”

Hymn: “Take My Life, and Let it Be”

Take my life, and let it be

consecrated, Lord, to thee.

Take my moments and my days;

let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move

at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be

swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing

always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be

filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold:

not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use

every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it thine;

it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is thine own;

it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour

at thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be,

ever, only, all for thee.

Sermon: “Counting the Cost”  Luke 14:25-33

²⁵ Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

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,

Father Almighty, creator of

heaven and earth.

You formed us in your image and

breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed,

your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity,

made covenant to be our sovereign God,

and spoke to us through your prophets.

And so,

with your people 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 blessed is your Son

Jesus Christ.

Your Spirit anointed him

to preach good news to the poor,

to proclaim release to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

and to announce that the time had come

when you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry,

and ate with sinners.

By the baptism of his suffering,

death, and resurrection,

you gave birth to your church,

delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

and made with us a new covenant

by water and the Spirit.

When the Lord Jesus ascended,

he promised to be with us always,

in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

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."

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 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 be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

        By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory,

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,

all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and forever.   Amen

And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever.

Amen

Sharing of the Cup and Loaf

Moment of Prayer and Meditation

Prayer of Thanks

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for this holy mystery

in which you have given yourself to us. 

Grant that we may go into the world

in the strength of your Spirit,

to give ourselves to others,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

SENDING FORTH

Hymn: “Walk With Me”

Walk with me, I will walk with you

and build the land that God has planned

where love sines through.

When Moses heard the call of God

he said "Lord, dont send me."

But God told Moses, You're the one

to set my people free."

Walk with me, I will walk with you

and build the land that God has planned

where love sines through.

Now Peter was a most unlikely

man to lead the flock;

but Jesus knew his holiness

and he became the Rock.

Walk with me, I will walk with you

and build the land that God has planned

where love sines through.

Young Mary Magdalene was sure

her life could be much more,

and by her faith she dared to let

God's love unlock the door.

Walk with me, I will walk with you

and build the land that God has planned

where love sines through.

And when you share your faith with me

and work for life made new,

and witness of your faithfulness

calls me to walk with you.

Walk with me, I will walk with you

and build the land that God has planned

where love shines through.

Benediction