August 30, 2026
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Aug. 30, 2026 Livestream Worship Online Bulletin
Bringing in the Light of Christ
Chiming of the Trinity
Prelude
Open My Eyes, That I May See arr. Rick Robertson
Welcome
Call to Worship
Jesus calls us to follow.
Though the path is not always easy.
Love requires courage.
Grace requires commitment.
Come, let us worship God.
Hymn
God of Grace and God of Glory UMH#
A Reading from the Old Testament
Jeremiah 2:4–13
Psalm of Response
Psalm 27 UMH pp. 758&759
D
Grace Carolyn Hamlin
Paula Dempsey and John Jalocha
A Reflective Reading from a Modern-Day Prophet
Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist ― A Memoir about the Worker Movement and Spiritual Conversion
May we hear the Spirit's invitation through these words.
Thanks be to God.
A Reading from the Gospels
Matthew 16:21–28
Sermon
The Way of the Cross
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
Where Charity and Love Prevail UMH#549
Blessing and Sharing of Christ’s Light
Postlude
Would I Have Answered When You Called arr. David Cherwien
Today’s worship participants
Our Pastor: Rev. Kelly Dotson
Music Director: Dr. Joel Reed
Worship Arts Associate: Patty Higgins
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