Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

November 6, 2022

Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost

All Saints 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: “Amazing Grace” Meagan

Centering Words:

God saves the faithful and hears the cries of the despairing. God comforts our hearts and strengthens our souls in every good work and word.

Call to Worship:

Leader:   Praise the Lord our God.

People:  Praise God’s holy name.

Leader:   Proclaim Christ’s greatness in the sanctuary.

People:  Sing of Christ’s mighty deeds among the people.

Leader:   Extol the Spirit’s protection from the storm.

People:  Proclaim the Spirit’s grace and mercy.

Leader:   Praise the Lord our God.

People:  Praise God’s holy name.

Leader:   Let us pray.

ALL:       God of new beginnings, it is a joy to sing your praises. Your glory blesses our souls with hope. Your majesty fills our lives with splendor. Your Spirit makes all things new, blessing creation with healing and wholeness. Shake the heavens and earth once more, that we may see your power and hold fast to the source of our hope. For you are greater than our fears, and mightier than our failings. Call us from death to life, Holy One, for you are God of the living, not the dead. 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

Through the Holy Spirit, who is always with us, our lives bear the fruit of salvation.

Through the love of Christ, who is always faithful, our sins are forgiven and our lives are made whole.

Amen.

New Testament Reading:  2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

¹ As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is   already here. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. ⁴ He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

¹³ But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. ¹⁴ For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵ So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

¹⁶ Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

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: “The Sad-You-Sees”

Hymn: “Hymn of Promise”

In the bulb there is a flower;

in the seed, an apple tree;

In cocoons, a hidden promise:

butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter

there’s a spring that waits to be,

Unrevealed until its season,

something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence,

seeking word and melody;

There’s a dawn in every darkness,

bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future;

what it holds, a mystery,

Unrevealed until its season,

something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning;

in our time, infinity;

In our doubt there is believing;

in our life, eternity,

In our death, a resurrection;

at the last, a victory,

Unrevealed until its season,

something God alone can see

Sermon: “Band of Puzzlers” Luke 20:27-38

²⁷ Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him ²⁸ and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; ³⁰ then the second ³¹ and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. ³² Finally the woman also died. ³³ In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

³⁴ Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; ³⁵ but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. ³⁶ Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. ³⁷ And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ³⁸ Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

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 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.

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 might 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 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 whose lives are a part of the Kingdom of God, both here and in heaven.

Roll Call of the Saints

Alpha and Omega, Beginning and Ending, Spirit of new beginnings, we praise your holy, eternal, triune name. 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: “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound,

and time shall be no more,

And the morning breaks,

eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved on earth shall gather

over on the other shore,

And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

On that bright and cloudless morning

when the dead in Christ shall rise,

And glory of His resurrection share;

When His chosen ones shall gather

to their home beyond the skies

And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.

Let us labor for the Master

from dawn till setting sun;

Let us talk of all his wondrous

love and care.

Then when all of life is over,

and our work on Earth is done

And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder

When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there

Benediction