Crandall United Methodist Church

Worship Guide

February 12, 2023

Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

Greetings:

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

People: And also with you!

Special Music: “Do You Love Me?” Michael

Centering Words:

Surely God yearns, as any loving parent would, that we choose wisely. In this and in every moment, let us bring joy to God’s heart by choosing compassion for ourselves, our neighbors, and all of God’s creation.

*Call to Worship:

Leader:   Come, walk in the way that leads to life.

People:  It is better to be reconciled with another than to be proven right.

Leader:   Come, choose to live a genuine life.

People:  Life is too short for petty resentments.

Leader:   Come, walk in the way Christ invites us to travel.

People:  We give thanks for Christ’s way, and for the freedom to follow.

Leader:   Let us pray

ALL: Open our eyes, Holy Spirit, to your love in our midst. We give you thanks for the power of our minds to choose right over wrong. Guide us now, that this power may not overwhelm, but inspire us. Help us choose compassion for ourselves and others. Teach us to set aside old resentments and grudges. Lift us, with all earth’s children and all your creation, to aspire to the abundant life Christ brings. Amen.

Hymn: “Trust and Obey”

When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will, he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

but is blessed if we trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,

or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

what he says we will do, where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

Words of Assurance

God delights when we choose to leave self-destructive ways behind.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Thanks be to God!

*Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

¹⁵ See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. ¹⁶ If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. ¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, ¹⁸ I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰ loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

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: “Promises”

Hymn: “Make Me a Servant”

Make me a servant, humble and meek,

Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be:

Make me a servant, make me a servant,

make me a servant today.

Make me a servant, humble and meek,

Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.

And may the prayer of my heart always be:

Make me a servant, make me a servant,

make me a servant today.

Sermon: “But I Say” Matthew 5:31-37

³¹ “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

Hymn: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

Come thou Fount of every blessing,

tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing,

call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

hither by thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure,

safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

wandering from the fold of God;

he, to rescue me from danger,

interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor

daily I'm constrained to be!

Let thy goodness like a fetter,

bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love;

here's my heart, O take and seal it,

seal it for thy courts above.

Psalter: Psalm 119:1-8

¹    Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the Lord!

²    Blessed are those who keep God's testimonies,

who seek God with their whole heart,

³    who also do no wrong,

but walk in God's ways!

⁴    You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

⁵    O that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

⁶    Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your

commandments.

⁷    I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous ordinances.

⁸    I will observe your statues;

O forsake me not utterly!

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father

and to the son

and to the Holy Ghost;

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Amen.

Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

   Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

SENDING FORTH

Hymn: “Love the Lord”

Love the Lord, your God

with all your heart, with all your soul,

with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Love the Lord, your God

with all your heart, with all your soul,

with all your mind, and with all your strength.

With all your heart, with all your soul,

with all your mind, with all your strength

Love the Lord, your God

with all your heart, with all your soul,

with all your mind, and with all your strength.

I will serve the Lord

with all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind and with all my strength.

I will serve the Lord

with all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind and with all my strength.

With all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind, with all my strength

I will serve the Lord

with all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind and with all my strength.

I will love you. I will love you.

I will praise you. I will praise you.

I will serve you. I will serve you.

I will trust you. I will trust you.

With all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind, with all my strength

I will love you, Lord,

with all my heart, with all my soul,

with all my mind and with all my strength.

Benediction