August 16, 2026
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Aug. 16, 2026 Livestream Worship Online Bulletin
Bringing in the Light of Christ
Chiming of the Trinity
Prelude
Standing on the Promises arr. James Koerts
Welcome
Call to Worship
God's love reaches farther than we imagine.
God's grace welcomes more than we expect.
Christ breaks down every dividing wall.
We come to worship the God of abundant mercy.
Hymn
O Church of God, United UMH#547
Please sing stanzas 1, 2, 3
A Reading from the Old Testament
Jeremiah 1:4–10
Psalm of Response
Psalm 67 UMH p. 791
Duet
If You Search with All Your Heart Craig Courtney
Scott Sprinkle, baritone and Jane Patterson, piano
A Reflective Reading from a Modern-Day Prophet
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“World House,” a chapter in the book Where Do We Go From Here
Leigh Guth
A Reading from the Gospels
Matthew 15:21–28
Sermon
Who Gets Included?
Joys and Concerns
Holy One, Source of life, love, and hope,
May your dream for the world take root among us.
May your Kin-dom grow where justice is practiced,
where mercy is offered,
and where every person is welcomed as your beloved.
Give us today what we need to nourish both body and spirit. Teach us to share generously,
trusting that there is enough when love leads the way.
Forgive us when fear has made us silent,
when comfort has kept us from compassion,
when prejudice has narrowed our vision,
or when despair has tempted us to give up.
As we receive your grace,
help us extend that same grace to others,
choosing reconciliation over resentment,
understanding over judgment, and hope over bitterness.
When the world feels uncertain, give us courage.
When injustice seems overwhelming, give us perseverance.
When we are weary, renew our strength.
And when we cannot see the way ahead,
help us trust the One who walks beside us.
Make us prophets of hope—people whose words heal,
whose actions seek justice, whose lives welcome the forgotten, and whose love reflects the compassion of Christ.
For the future belongs to you, the hope is found in you,
and your love is stronger than every fear, now and forever.
Amen.
Blessing of the Tithes and Offerings
UMH#87
Hymn
My Life Flows On TFWS#2212
Please sing stanzas 1 & 4
Blessing and Sharing of Christ’s Light
Postlude
The Servant Song TFWS#2222
Please sing stanzas 1, 2, 3
Today’s worship participants
Our Pastor: Rev. Kelly Dotson
Music Director: Dr. Joel Reed
Worship Arts Associate: Patty Higgins
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