Order of Service / World Food Sunday / October 18, 2026

# Gathering Hymn For the Fruit of All Creation (#227 VU)

Welcome & Land Acknowledgement

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship

One: From soil and seed, from rain and sun, life rises around us.

  All: We gather to worship the God who gives life to all creation.

One: Around the world, hands plant and harvest, prepare and share, yet many still wait for enough to eat.

  All: God calls us to notice, to care, and to seek a world where all may flourish.

One: So let us bring our gratitude, our hunger for justice, and our hope for the world.

  All: Together, we worship God and open ourselves to the work of love.

Opening Prayer

*Opening Hymn Come, Let Us Sing (#222 VU)

Prayer of Confessional and Renewal (Unison)

God of life and love, you have entrusted us with a world where the earth brings forth food and every living being depends on the gifts of creation. Yet we confess that we have not always cared for these gifts wisely. We have grown comfortable with having more than we need, while others struggle to find enough for each day. Forgive us when our concerns become too small and when we turn away from suffering. Make room within us for understanding, for compassion, and for the courage to act. In silence, we bring to you our own confessions and our hope for a new beginning. (a time of silent confession) Amen.

Words of Assurance

One: God's love is greater than our failures, and God's grace opens the way to new beginnings. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and welcomed into the fullness of life.

  All: Thanks be to God. May God's love take root in us and bear fruit in a world where all can live with dignity and hope.

Announcements and Minute for Mission

Time for God’s Children (Hymn – Like a Rock, #92 MV)

Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet

Like the starry night sky, God is over our head

Like the sun on the horizon, God is ever before

Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.

Prayer for Illumination

Proclaiming the Scriptures

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 We always give thanks to God for you.

Psalm 99 (VU p.819) God is a ruler who delights in justice.

Matthew 22:15-22 Give to God the things that are God’s.

This is the Good News from the Bible.

  Thanks be to God.

Anthem

Sermon

*Hymn Take My Life and Let It Be (#506 VU)

*Offering

*Offertory Hymn (#542 VU, We Give You But Your Own)

We give you but your own, whate’er the gift may be,

all that we have is yours alone, we give it gratefully.

*Offertory Prayer (Unison)

Baker God, you bless us with eternal bread as we open our spirits to the one we call the Bread of Life. Around the world, may hunger be satisfied and thirst be quenched in the assurance of everlasting mercy. Let these offerings be like nourishing bread-deeply satisfying to all whose lives they touch. They are presented in deep gratitude. Amen.

*Laura J. Turnbull. Gathering Pentecost 2 2026. Page 46.

Prayers of the People and Lord’s Prayer

*Closing Hymn When We Are Living (#581 VU)

*Commissioning

One: May God's hope take root in our hearts and grow through the love we share.

All: May we be bearers of kindness, voices for justice, and companions in hope.

One: May the Spirit lead us toward a world where no one goes hungry and all creation flourishes.

  All: Trusting in God's abiding love, we will share the bread of life and work for a world where all have enough. Amen.

*Commissioning Song Peace Be with You (#215 MV)

Peace be with you, peace forever, peace be with you my friends.

Till we meet again, may God be with you. Peace, peace, peace.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Message: Make the Way Straight / Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,      “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:      ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,      make his paths straight.      Every valley shall be filled,      and every mountain and hill shall be made low,      and the crooked shall be made straight,      and the rough ways made smooth;      and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” Today, on the se...
Read more

Message: An Empty Manger / Luke 2:1-19

My name is Phatne. I am a manger, more than a hundred years old. I have lived my whole life in a stable behind an inn in Bethlehem. My job was simple. I held hay for the horses and cows. For a long time, I thought that was my whole purpose. But time was not gentle. My wood grew rough and cracked. Old nail holes darkened, and splinters began to show everywhere. Then one day, everything changed. My owner replaced me with a new manger. It was big and sturdy, and it held water and hay perfectly. I was moved to a corner of the stable. At first, I told myself, “It’s okay. I’m old. It’s time to rest.” But as time went by, I began to feel lonely. No one came to me anymore. They all went to the new manger. I was forgotten. I sat empty and cold. Sometimes I even thought it would be better if the owner took me apart and used me as firewood. Still, I had one old friend. She was an old horse named Mal. She was very wise. She listened to the other horses and the people, learned what was new, and the...
Read more

Message: One Thing at A Time / Luke 10:38-42

Today’s Gospel reading tells a well-known story about two sisters, Martha and Mary. This story is often understood as drawing a sharp line between those who serve and those who listen, with the suggestion that the listener holds a higher place. But if we look more closely, we see that this story is not really about choosing one way over the other. It does not say that working hard is wrong or that listening is always better. Rather, it helps us understand the importance of recognizing what matters in each moment and focusing on one thing at a time. When Jesus came to their home, Mary chose to sit and listen to him. She wanted to know more about him. She was excited to hear about what he had done and what he was going to say, so she gave him her full attention. Meanwhile, Martha chose to work and serve. This was important, as Jesus and his disciples likely needed food and drink after their journey from another village. But Martha’s serving was driven by worry and pressure.  For her,...
Read more