Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: We are a people called by grace,
People: Forgiven by grace, and growing in grace.
Leader: We are the Church—not by our own strength,
People: But by the love of God poured into our hearts.
Leader: Come, let us worship the One who is still making us whole,
People: And still sending us out to live grace in the world.
Opening Hymn
Maker, in Whom We Live UMH 88
Why This Song:
This hymn beautifully centers us in the life of the Triune God—Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer—whose grace calls us into worship. It reflects the Methodist emphasis on love divine as both the source and goal of our lives in Christ.
Prayer of Confession
Holy God, You are forming us into your Church—a people of love and justice— but we confess that we are still far from who you call us to be. You meet us with kindness when we expect judgment. You offer healing when we cling to hurt. You draw us close, even when we push you away. Still, we confess that we forget your grace. We live as if love must be earned, and we carry burdens you never asked us to bear.
In this time of silence, hear the silent confessions of our hearts as we seek a renewed sense of your grace.
(Silent Prayer)
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: God’s grace is never withheld, even when we forget it. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven, renewed, and invited to begin again.
People: Thanks be to God, who meets us with mercy and calls us into life!
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
John 1:1-5, 9-14
Sermon:
Why Be a United Methodist Christian? by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
Amazing Grace UMH 378
Why This Song:
“Amazing Grace” is the heart-song of our Wesleyan faith—a testimony to God’s unearned, transforming love that seeks, saves, and sanctifies. As we respond to God’s Word, this hymn invites us to remember that grace is both our foundation and our future.
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Offertory Prayer
Generous and gracious God, You have poured out blessing upon blessing— grace we did not earn, mercy we do not deserve, and love that will not let us go. As we offer these gifts, we do so not to earn your favor, but in response to your goodness. Use what we bring—our time, our resources, our hearts— to shape us into a people who reflect your love and share your justice. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
God Be with You till We Meet Again UMH 672
Why This Song:
This hymn offers a tender blessing as we part, reminding us that the grace of God goes with us from worship into the world. Rooted in faith and community, it echoes the Methodist assurance that we are never alone—God’s love surrounds and sustains us always.
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