Crandall United Methodist Church - Worship - Worship Guide

Worship Guide

March 15, 2026

Fourth Sunday in Lent

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: Charles

Centering Words:

Open the eyes of my heart, O God. Help us see more clearly, think more openly, feel more deeply, and love more abundantly.

*Call to Worship:

Jim: Come into the light of God.

People: Christ’s brightness will guide our way.

Jim: Come into the wisdom of God.

People: The Spirit’s insight will reveal new truths.

Jim: Come into the praise of God.

People: Worship opens new doors in our hearts.

Jim: Let us pray.

ALL: Shepherd of love, guide our steps,
open the eyes of our hearts,
and fling wide the doors of our minds
to perceive as you perceive.
Open our lives to love as you love.
Open our world to become the world you envision for your creation.
In the light of your love, we pray. Amen.

Hymn: “He Leadeth Me”

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!

Whate’er I do, where’er I be

still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,

by his own hand he leadeth me;

his faithful foll’wer I would be,

for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,

sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,

by waters still, o’er troubled sea,

still ’tis his hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,

by his own hand he leadeth me;

his faithful foll’wer I would be,

for by his hand he leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in thine,

nor ever murmur nor repine;

content, whatever lot I see,

since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,

by his own hand he leadeth me;

his faithful foll’wer I would be,

for by his hand he leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,

when by thy grace the vict’ry’s won,

e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,

since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,

by his own hand he leadeth me;

his faithful foll’wer I would be,

for by his hand he leadeth me.

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

Surely goodness and faithful love follow us all the days of our lives.

For these gifts are already ours through the grace and the power of Christ Jesus. Amen.

*Old Testament Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

⁸for once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light, ⁹for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. ¹⁰Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly, ¹³but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, ¹⁴for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Sleeper, awake!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on 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: Shine Your Light

Hymn: “Light of the World”

You are the Light of the World, O Lord,

and you make your servant shine.

So how could there be any darkness in me

if you are the Light of the World?

You are the Light of the World.

You are the Bread of Life, O Lord, broken to set us free.

So how could there be any hunger in me

if you are the Bread of Life?

You are the Bread of Life.

You've overcome the world, O Lord,

and given us victory.

So why could I fear when trouble is near

if you've overcome the world?

You've overcome the world.

Sermon: “Journeying in Grace” - Psalm 23

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;^,

³he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

my whole life long.

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: “Since Jesus Came Into My Heart”

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought