Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: Come, all who long for a faith that is both rooted and renewed.
People: We come, bringing our history and our hunger for more.
Leader: God’s love has always made room for those outside the lines.
People: We are invited—not to conform, but to be transformed.
Leader: This is the God we worship: ancient and active, holy and here.
All: Let us worship in Spirit and in truth!
Opening Hymn
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty UMH 64
Why This Song:
Reverent and grounding, reminding us of God’s constancy amidst new movements.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, You are always doing a new thing, yet we confess that we are slow to see it. We are comforted by what we know, afraid of what change might cost us. We rely on our comfort rather than welcome the outsider. We build walls where You long to open doors. Forgive us for the ways we do not see Your Spirit. Stretch our hearts, widen our arms, and reshape our lives to follow where You lead. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: Hear the good news: The Spirit is still moving, and Christ still welcomes. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and called forward.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
Acts 15:1–21
Sermon:
New Wine in Old Wineskins? by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
In Christ There Is No East or West UMH 548
Why This Song:
Echoes Acts 15’s breaking of cultural and ritual barriers within the body of Christ.
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Offertory Prayer
Spirit of God, You stretch our hearts and challenge our comfort. Through giving, stretch our generosity too. Let our gifts be more than habit— Let them be signs of our trust in Your new thing. Bless these offerings to nourish welcome, widen justice, and echo Your grace to all who long to belong. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
My Hope Is Built UMH 368
Why This Song:
Emphasizes trust in Christ alone, echoing Peter’s message in Acts 15 that salvation is by grace—not ritual.
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