The Real Little Brown Church in the Vale
Welcome to the First United Methodist Church of Grants
The service will start at 11:00
A large collection of links to music videos such as used in this service is available at
mounttaylor.com
Hymn 177
He Is Lord
Hymn 418
We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
Call to Worship
Good Morning! Welcome to a celebration of God’s love for us!
We surely need to see that love; stresses weigh us down.
You’ve come to the right place. This is a place where all of us can seek God’s presence and share our deepest inmost concerns with God.
We are glad to hear that, for we wrestle with our faith far too often.
Don’t fear! God is with you always, loving and transforming your lives.
Lord of mercy and compassion, be in our hearts this day. Help us to reach out with love to others. AMEN.
Opening Prayer
In the darkness of night and the brightness of day, you, O Lord, are present to us. As we wrestle with situations which seem to drain us of our energy; as we struggle to find out who you call us to be, you reach out to us with reassurance of empowerment and courage for the days ahead.
Calm our spirits and prepare our hearts and lives to receive your awesome grace. It is in Jesus’ name that we pray. AMEN.
Affirmation of Faith: *
We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.
DOXOLOGY (stand, singing together)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and 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.
Genesis 32:22-31
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,
because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
Romans 9:1-5
9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel.
Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
Hymn FWS 2210
Joy Comes With the Dawn
Hymn FWS 2226
Bind Us Together