PRELUDE/ENTRANCE
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
*OPENING SONG
"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" UMH 400
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Liturgist: We gather to listen to the voice of Jesus say, “Come, follow me!” But will you follow when Jesus also calls you to release the hold wealth has on you? People: We want to follow Jesus anywhere he leads, and we can with God’s help.
Liturgist: We gather to remember all that God has taught us through scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. But what about when we have to put what we know into action? People: We want to put our faith into action, and we can with God’s help.
Liturgist: We gather to live into God’s economy of abundance, recognizing the riches of the prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness that surround us. But what about when the world tempts us back into scarcity? People: We want to turn away from scarcity and choose God’s abundance, and we can with God’s help.
Liturgist: We gather to shine as a beacon of a new way of living where following Jesus means sharing in God’s abundant gifts together. But will you keep shining when others try to pull you astray, putting the pursuit of wealth before the pursuit of God? ALL: With God’s help, we will resist the pull of wealth and the fear of scarcity and pursue the way of love, abundance, and flourishing for all creation. Amen.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024.
OPENING PRAYER
God of infinite patience and wisdom, we come to you with so many things that claim our time, our energy, our resources, our very lives. We are easily drawn away from serving you by the enticements of the world for wealth, ease, and comfort. Just like the young man in the scriptures, we are owned by our possessions, held captive by our treasures. You continue to offer to us healing and hope. You seek to transform our lives from captivity to freedom in witness and service. We look at the world in which there is so very much warfare and strife, anger and hatred, and we easily become overwhelmed by the needs and the stresses. Help us to place our lives and our trust in you, knowing that with your help, many wonderful things can be accomplished which will provide hope and peace for others and ourselves. Give us courage and strength to truly be your disciples. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Written by Nancy C. Townley on the Ministry Matters website.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
SHARING GOD’S PEACE
JOYS AND CONCERNS
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
A TIME FOR CHILDREN
SPECIAL MUSIC
*FIRST SCRIPTURE Mark 10:17-31
*Glory Be to the Father UMH 71
SECOND SCRIPTURE Hebrews 4:12-16
MESSAGE “Purpose and Priest”
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
*SONG OF RESPONSE
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" TFWS 2129
*OFFERING OF OURSELVES
*”The Apostles’ Creed” UMH 881
*DOXOLOGY UMH 95
*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
SENDING FORTH
*SONG OF DISMISSAL
"When We All Get to Heaven" UMH 701
*BENEDICTION
*PEACE
"God Be with You till We Meet Again" UMH 672
Verse 1