Cranford United Methodist Church

o Prelude
o The Candle Lighting
o Welcome
o Call to Worship
Leader: My people are hungry.
People: There are too many to feed.
Leader: Give them something to eat.
People: We have only five loaves and two fish.
Leader: You have everything you need.
People: It would take a miracle.
Leader: With God, all things are possible.
People: In Christ, new hope has dawned.

o Hymn: #61 Come, Thou Almighty King
o Opening Prayer:
Even when our faith falters, O Lord, we will not let you go. Even though we are battered and
bruised, O God, we will not let you go. Even when our bellies are empty, we know your
presence will satisfy us. We need your blessing, O God, and we will not let you go. In Jesus’
name we pray, Amen.
o Affirmation of Faith: UMH #881
o Gloria Patri:
o Prayers of the People
o Congregational Response: Lord, Listen to Your...
o Scripture Readings
Old Testament: Genesis 32:22-31
New Testament: Romans 9:1-5
Liturgist: The Word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God.
o Dismissal to Children’s Church
o Hymns of Praise:
o Scripture Lesson: Matthew 14:13-21
o Sermon: “The Compassionate Lord at Work”
o Hymn: #581 Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service
o Communion:

THE COMMUNION LITURGY (P 8)

<INVITATION> Christ, our Lord, invites to His table all who love Him,
who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one
another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
<CONFESSION AND PARDON>
Prayer in silence: (Let us pray in silence for a moment)
Leader: Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet
sinners; that proves God’s love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
People: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
All: Glory to God. Amen.
<The Peace> Greeting w/ Peace of Christ be with you!
<THE GREAT THANKSGIVING>
The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give
thanks to you, Father Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
You formed us in Your image and breathed into us the breath of life.
When we turned away, and our love failed,
Your love remained steadfast.
You delivered us from captivity, made covenant to be our sovereign
God, and spoke to us through Your prophets.
And so, with Your people on earth and all the company of heaven
we praise Your name and join their unending hymn:
People: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the
highest.
Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ.

Your Spirit anointed Him
to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
and to announce that the time had come when You would save Your
people.
He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and ate with sinners. By the
baptism of His suffering, death, and resurrection,
You gave birth to Your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and
death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
When the Lord Jesus ascended, He promised to be with us always,
in the power of Your Word and Holy Spirit.
On the night in which he gave himself up for us, He took bread,
gave thanks to You, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over, HE took the cup, gave thanks to You,
gave it to His disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is My blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living
sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.
People: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of
bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for
the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in
ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast
at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy
Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,
now and for ever. Amen.

BREAKING THE BREAD
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all
partake of the one loaf. The BREAD which we break is a Sharing IN the
Body of Christ. The CUP over which we give thanks is a sharing IN the
Blood of Christ.

o Tithes and Offerings:
o Offertory
o Doxology UMH #95
o Offertory Prayer
Source of Compassion, all You have given us is Yours. May our gifts become loaves and
fish for those who hunger. May our offerings become love and light for those who feel lost

and afraid. Help us share our abundance with those in want, that the world may be fed and
made whole again. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
o Benediction
o Extinguishing of the Candles
o Announcements
o Postlude