June 14, 2026 Order of Worship
Listen, God Is Calling (setting by Anne Krentz Organ) – Geoffrey Liu
Welcome to Worship – Terry Bolender
Welcome (by Mark Burrows) – Children’s Choirs and Congregation
Wonderful Child of God (by Mark Burrows) – Children’s Choirs and Congregation
Opening Prayer – Morgan Walt
Leader: Thank you, God, for calling us to serve you by serving the needs of our neighbors and strangers.
People: Lord, help us to see the faces of those we can help today.
Leader: Forgive us for the times we turn away from the cries of the hungry and the lost.
People: Your love, O God, is shared through our actions and our words.
Leader: When we bless the children,
People: When we welcome strangers,
Leader: When we share our food, our wealth, our homes,
People: When we care for the sick and the broken hearted,
Leader: When we care for the earth and all its creatures,
People: When we make peace with justice and kindness,
Leader: When we challenge and change things that are not fair nor kind nor good,
People: We are faithfully serving you, God, by serving the needs of our neighbors and strangers.
All: Help us to love like Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen!
The Voice of God Is Calling – UMH #436
Celebration of Leaders in Children and Youth Ministries
Pastor Jim, Terry Bolender, Stephanie McIlwain Miller, and EJ Ragual
Like the Gentle Rain (by Mary Lynn Lightfoot) – Intergenerational Choir
Scripture Readings – Morgan Walt
Introduction to the Gospel Reading: This morning’s Gospel reading from Matthew 25:31-40 reminds us just how serious Jesus is about selfless love. When you care for those in need you are expressing your love for Jesus himself.
Matthew 25:31-40 (The Message)
Jesus says, “When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’’
Proverbs 19:17 (NRSVUE)
Our second reading is a great memory verse for Jesus’ parable. Proverbs 19:17 sums up nicely that God takes personally our love for one another. Here’s what the scripture says…
Whoever is kind to the poor and cares for those in need lends to the Lord. You will be repaid in full.
The Errant Knight (Story by Ann Tompert, Illustrations by Doug Keith) – Youth Arts Team
I’m Gonna Live so God Can Use Me – TFWS #2153
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Offering Our Gifts to God – Voluntary for the Cornet or Trumpet from An English Suite for Organ
(David P. Dahl) – Geoffrey Liu
Doxology – Many Gifts, One Spirit, UMH #114, refrain
Prayer of Dedication – Pastor Jim and Congregation
Leader: All that we have, we have from you, Creator and Preserver of all.
People: Accept these gifts which we now offer. Help us to make the whole of life an offering and every thought a prayer.
Here I Am, Lord – UMH #593
Blessing – Pastor Jim
Toccata in F Major, BuxWV 157 (excerpt) (Dietrich Buxtehude) – Geoffrey Liu
Resources for Worship
Opening Prayer is by Jim Head-Corliss for worship at Kent UMC, June 14, 2026.
The Message is from The Errant Knight, a Story by Ann Tompert with illustrations by Doug Keith (Bellevue: Illumination Arts Publishing Co., Inc, 2003).