Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: We gather in the presence of the God whose love never fails.
People: We come with grateful hearts, carrying both joys and sorrows.
Leader: Through every season of life, God has walked beside us.
People: In times of celebration and times of uncertainty, God's love remains.
Leader: Faith, hope, and love abide, these three.
People: And the greatest of these is love.
Leader: Come, let us worship the God whose love never ends.
All: Let us worship God together!
Opening Hymn
O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go UMH 480
Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, you have called us to love one another as you have loved us. Yet too often we have placed our own desires above the needs of others. We have valued being right more than being kind, held tightly to what is familiar, and struggled to trust you when the future is uncertain. We have sometimes measured faithfulness by what we accomplish rather than by the love we share. Forgive us, Lord. Give us patient hearts, generous spirits, and the courage to love even when the way forward is unclear. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: Hear the good news: God's love is patient and kind, and God's mercy is greater than our failures. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and called once again to live in love.
People: Thanks be to God. Amen.
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
1 Corinthians 13:1–13
Sermon:
The Most Excellent Way
Hymn of Response
Open My Eyes, That I May See UMH 454
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Generous and loving God, We give you thanks for the many ways you have blessed our lives and for the love you have shown us through the people and communities around us. We are grateful for the gifts of time, talent, and resources that have supported the ministry of this congregation and touched the lives of our neighbors.
Remind us that our greatest offering is not simply what we give or accomplish, but the love with which we serve. Bless the gifts shared in support of your work, and guide us in using all that you have entrusted to our care to bring hope, healing, and restoration to your world.
As we look toward an uncertain future, help us to hold fast to what matters most: faith, hope, and love. May our lives continue to reflect the most excellent way that Christ has shown us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
How Firm a Foundation UMH 529
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