Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

February 1, 2026

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Creating Disciples of Jesus

who Transform the World

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

Greeting:

Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People: And also with you!

Special Music: Stefanie

Centering Words:

Those who walk blamelessly, speak truthfully, and live gently are able to kneel before the Lord and not be put to shame.

*Call to Worship:

Jim:        What does the Lord require of us?

People:   To do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

Jim:         With what shall we come before the Lord?

People:   With speech that is gentle, and words that build up.

Jim:         How shall we live our faith?

People:   With actions that bring peace, and works that lift up the lowly.

Jim:        Come and worship God in spirit and in truth.

Leader:    Let us pray.

ALL: The hills hear your voice, O Lord. The mountains quake before you. As we call on your name, help us walk in the ways of righteousness and speak in tones of peace. As we seek to be blameless and do what is right, may our hearts be free from guile and deceit, that we be known as peace makers, the blessed children of God. Amen.

Hymn: “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I’ll be satisfied as long

as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

daily walking close to Thee,

let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,

if I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

daily walking close to Thee,

let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o’er,

time for me will be no more;

guide me gently, safely o’er

to thy shore, dear Lord, to thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

daily walking close to Thee,

let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

 PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

God is stronger than our weaknesses, and greater than our failings.

Even when we fall short, God’s love embraces us and sets us on the path of life once more.

Amen.

*New Testament Reading: Matthew 5:1-12

¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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: “Great Treasures”

Hymn:    “What Does The Lord Require”  

What does the Lord require of you?

What does the Lord Require of you?

Justice, Kindness,

walk humbly with your God.

To seek justice and love kindness

and walk humbly with your God.

To seek justice and love kindness

and walk humbly with your God.

What does the Lord require of you?

What does the Lord Require of you?

Justice, Kindness,

walk humbly with your God.

To seek justice and love kindness

and walk humbly with your God.

To seek justice and love kindness

and walk humbly with your God. 

Sermon: “What Is Good” Micah  6:1-8

¹ Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. ² Hear, you mountains, the case of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a case against his people, and he will contend with Israel. ³ “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! ⁴ For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. ⁵ O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.” ⁶ “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? ⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” ⁸ He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

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, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting, you alone are God.

You created light out of darkness and brought forth life on the earth,

You formed us in your image and breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign God, and spoke to us through your prophets.

In the fullness of time you gave your only Son Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and at his birth the angels sang glory to you in the highest and peace to your people on earth.

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, in whom you have revealed yourself, our light and our salvation.

You sent a star to guide wise men to where the Christ was born; and in your signs and witnesses, in every age and through all the world, you have led your people from far places to his light.

By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. 

When the Lord Jesus ascended, he promised to be with us always, in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

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."

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 mighty 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 be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.   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:  “Be Thou My Vision”          

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;

thou and thou only, first in my heart,

great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Great God of heaven, my victory won,

may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O Ruler of all. 

Benediction

Hymn: “As We Go”

As we go, may your Spirit go before us.

As we go, may we follow where you lead.

May we live what we have learned,

share the message we have heard,

and be a light unto the world as we go.