Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: We come from different places, carrying different experiences, questions, and hopes.
People: Yet we are called together by one Lord, Jesus Christ.
Leader: We do not always think alike, and we do not always agree.
People: But God's love invites us to be of one heart.
Leader: We are many people, with many gifts, joined together in Christ.
People: May our worship strengthen our love and our witness.
Leader: Come, let us worship the God who makes us one.
People: Together, we lift our hearts in praise!
Opening Hymn
Build Your Kingdom Here
Why This Song:
An energetic invitation to participate in God's work, establishing that the church exists for something greater than itself.
Prayer of Confession
You have called us together in the love of Jesus Christ, yet too often we allow our differences to separate us. We are quick to defend our opinions and slow to listen. We sometimes value being right more than being loving, and forget that those who disagree with us are also your beloved children.
Forgive us when our words and actions obscure the good news we are called to share. Teach us to hold our convictions with humility, to speak the truth with compassion, and to recognize your presence in those who see the world differently.
Bring us together in your love, so that through our lives, others may come to know the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: Our unity does not depend upon our perfection, but upon the grace of Jesus Christ. Even when we fall short, God does not abandon us. Through Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and called again to live in love. Hear the good news: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
People: Thanks be to God! Amen.
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
1 Corinthians 1:10–18
Sermon:
Is Christ Divided? by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
Blest Be the Tie That Binds UMH 557
Why This Song:
Emphasizes the shared bond in Christ that remains even when Christians disagree.
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gracious and generous God, We give you thanks for the many ways you have blessed our lives. For the gift of your love, the grace that welcomes us, and the hope we find in Jesus Christ, we are grateful. We thank you for the gifts and abilities you have entrusted to us, for the people who walk alongside us, and for the opportunities we have to serve.
Help us to use all that you have given us, not simply for our own benefit, but for the work of your kingdom. Where there is division, make us instruments of reconciliation. Where there is suffering, lead us to offer compassion. Where there is brokenness, invite us to participate in your work of healing and restoration.
May our words, our actions, and the ways we share our gifts reflect your love, so that through us, others may come to know the hope and grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love TFWS 2223
Why This Song:
Sends the congregation out with the central message of the sermon.
Benediction
Said Each Week as A Communal Prayer:
Send to us all the people who feel unwanted and unloved in other places, and if they can't come to us, send us to them.
Postlude