Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

August 18, 2024

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: “Psalm 13” Stefanie

Centering Words:

A discerning mind is more to be desired than great wealth or long life. A heart that distinguishes good from evil is more to be sought than earthly power and prestige.

*Call to Worship:

Leader:    Rejoice, seekers of wisdom and truth,

People:   God’s wisdom calls us here.

Leader:    Behold, followers of godly direction and guidance,

People:   Christ’s love shows us the way.

Leader:    Sing, children of thanksgiving and praise,

People:   the Spirit’s presence gathers us together.

Leader:    Let us pray.

ALL: God of steadfast love, you granted young Solomon the wisdom to rule your people with judgment and understanding. When we turn to you for answers, you grant us the wisdom to discern good and evil and bestow the courage to live in your ways. Be with us in this time of worship, as we seek to grow in your wisdom and abide in your grace. Amen.

Hymn: “Great Is the Lord”

Great is the Lord, he is holy and just;

by the power we trust in his love.

Great is the Lord, he is faithful and true;

by his mercy he proves he is love.

Great is the Lord and worthy of glory!

Great is the lord and worthy of praise.

Great is the Lord; now lift up your voice,

now lift up your voice:

Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord!

Great is the Lord, he is holy and just;

by the power we trust in his love.

Great is the Lord, he is faithful and true;

by his mercy he proves he is love.

Great is the Lord and worthy of glory!

Great is the lord and worthy of praise.

Great is the Lord; now lift up your voice,

now lift up your voice:

Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord!

Great are you, Lord, and worthy of glory!

Great are you, Lord, and worthy of praise.

Great are you, Lord; I lift up my voice,

I lift up my voice:

Great is the Lord! Great is the Lord!

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find.

For the Lord is full of wisdom and grace, offering new life in Christ.

Amen.

*Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58

⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵ for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

WORD AND RESPONSE

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”

Children’s Message: “Choices”

Hymn: “Take Time to Be Holy”

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

abide in him always, and feed on his Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,

forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;

thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let him be thy Guide;

and run not before him, whatever betide.

In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,

and, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,

each thought and each motive beneath his control.

Thus led by his spirit to fountains of love,

thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Sermon: “Benediction” 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14

¹⁰ Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. ¹¹ The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ¹² So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

^3:3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. ⁴ The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” ⁶ And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. ⁹ Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself   understanding to discern what is right, ¹² I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. ¹³ I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. ¹⁴ If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

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: “Make Me a Servant”

Make me a servant, humble and meek,

Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be:

Make me a servant make me a servant,

make me a servant today.

Make me a servant, humble and meek,

Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be:

Make me a servant make me a servant,

make me a servant today.

Benediction

Hymn: “God Be with You till We Meet Again” 

God be with you till we meet again;

by his counsels guide, uphold you,

with his sheep securely fold you;

God be with you till we meet again.