Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

May 26, 2024

Trinity Sunday

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: “Hold On” Stefanie

Centering Words:

With strength and power, the Father comes to us. With arms stretched wide, the Son calls to us. With sighs too deep for words, the Spirit heals us. Thanks be to God, Mother and Father of us all.

Call to Worship:

Leader:    Who is like our God in glory and strength?

People:   The voice of the Lord thunders over the waters.

Leader:    Who is like the Lord in power and might?

People:   The voice of God breaks the mighty cedars.

Leader:    Who is like the Holy One in awe and wonder?

People:   The voice of the Almighty shakes the wilderness.

Leader:    God sits enthroned as King forever.

People:   Worship God in holy splendor.

Leader:    Come! Let us worship God as we pray.

ALL: Your Spirit calls us here, O God, to behold the glory of your majesty and power. For adopting us into your family and making us heirs with Christ, we thank you. For freeing us from the failing of the flesh, that we may be born anew with water and the Spirit, we praise you. Amen

Hymn: “We Fall Down”  

We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus;

the greatness of mercy and love at the feet of Jesus.

And we cry "Holy, holy, holy."

And we cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb."

We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus;

the greatness of mercy and love at the feet of Jesus.

And we cry "Holy, holy, holy."

And we cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb."

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

Rejoice that God heals our fear with a spirit of strength and truth.

Give thanks that we are God’s children and heirs with Christ.

In Christ, we touch God’s glory and victory.

Praises be to God! Amen

*Gospel Reading: John 3:1-17

¹ Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

¹¹ “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

¹⁷ “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

WORD AND RESPONSE

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”

Children’s Message:  “Send Me”

Hymn: “Blessed Assurance”

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

angels descending bring from above

echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

watching and waiting, looking above,

filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long.

Sermon: “All-Consuming Presence” Isaiah 6:1-8

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. ² Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. ³ And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

⁶ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. ⁷ The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

Hymn: “Freely, Freely”

God forgave my sin in Jesus' name

I've been born again in Jesus' name

And in Jesus' name I come to you

To share His love as He told me to

He said freely, freely You have received

Freely, freely give

Go in My name And because you believe

Others will know that I live

All power is given in Jesus' name

In earth and heaven in Jesus' name

And in Jesus' name I come to you

I come to you To share His power

as He told me to

He said freely, freely You have received

Freely, freely give

Go in My name And because you believe

Others will know that I live

Psalter: An Affirmation from Romans

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?

No!

In all things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us.

We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen

Prayers of the People: Joys and Concerns

   Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

SENDING FORTH

Hymn: “The Church’s One Foundation”

The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation, by water and the Word.

From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth,

her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;

one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder we see her sore oppressed,

by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed;

yet saints their watch are keeping,

their cry goes up, "How long?"

and soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war

she waits the consummation of peace for evermore;

till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blessed,

and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union with God, the Three in one,

and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we

like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.

Benediction