September 13, 2026 Order of Worship
Sarabande from Suite for Organ (Gerald Near) – Geoffrey Liu
Welcome to Worship – Richard Thomas
Opening Prayer – Ella Corsilles
Leader: God of love and power, we know that you blessed Sarah and Abraham
People: So that they would be a blessing to the whole world!
Leader: We know, God, that you blessed their descendants
People: So that they would be a blessing to the whole world!
Leader: Your son, Jesus, was blessed by your Holy Spirit
People: So that he would be a blessing to the whole world!
Leader: Mary and Martha, Joanna, Susanna, Salome, Peter, James, John, Zaccheus and Paul – and all the followers of Jesus – were also blessed
People: So that they would be a blessing to the whole world!
Leader: Lord, now, in our time, you are blessing us to be a blessing to the whole world.
People: Jesus said that if we only believe in him, streams of living water will flow out from our lives.
Leader: Our lives were never meant to be buckets of blessing that we hoard and hold on to.
People: We’re not buckets. We’re rivers of living water!
Leader: God make us biblical, practical, real-life blessings for our neighbors!
People: God use us, today and every day, to love and serve and share the blessings you’ve so freely given to us!
Leader: Let your kingdom and your will be done in us, and among us, and through us,
All: As we serve on our knees, now and forever. Amen!
Lift High the Cross – UMH #159
Time with Young Disciples – Stephanie McIlwain Miller
10,000 Reasons (arr. by David Williamson) – Sanctuary Choir
Scripture Readings – Ella Corsilles
Introduction to the Epistle Reading
Philippi was the first Christian community Paul started in Eastern Europe. That story is told in Acts 16. Philippi was a Roman colony known for its patriotic nationalism. So, Paul got a lot of resistance there to his message that Jesus was the true King of the world. It wasn’t easy but the Christians in Philippi remained faithful to proclaiming the selfless message of serving others in Jesus’ name. Listen to what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:1-5 to encourage them to continue living counter-cultural lives of Christian service…
Philippians 2:1-5 (The Message)
If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand – serve your neighbors. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
Introduction to the Gospel Reading
The Gospel of Mark is one of the very earliest accounts of the life of Jesus. John Mark was a co-worker with the Apostle Paul and a close associate of Peter. At the center of this gospel story is the amazing and confusing claim that Jesus is the Son of God whose glory is revealed through suffering, sacrifice, and selfless service. Mark is clear, Jesus is Lord not because he is above others but because he stops to kneel and serve others. Today’s gospel reading comes from Mark 10:42-25…
Mark 10:42-45 (NRSVUE)
When his followers were arguing about who was most important and most loved among them, Jesus said, “You know that among the gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man, I myself, came not to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many. I came to serve and set people free!”
The Quickest Way to a Changed Heart – Serving Others – Pastor Jim
The Servant Song – TFWS #2222
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Offering Our Gifts to God – Scottish Legend (by Amy Beach) – Geoffrey Liu
Doxology – Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, UMH #94
Prayer of Dedication
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.
The Summons – TFWS #2130
Blessing
Fanfare (Psalm 81:1-3) (John Cook) – Geoffrey Liu
Resources for Worship
Opening Prayer is by Jim Head-Corliss worship at Kent UMC, September 13, 2026 sparked by an idea from B.L.E.S.S. – 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Ferguson and Ferguson (Washington, D.C.: Salem Books, 2021).