Confess

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as Lord, in union with the church Christ opens to people of all ages, nations, and races? By the grace given you, will you remain faithful member(s) of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representative(s) in the world?

ENTRANCE

“All Who Are Thirsty” CCLI #2489542
“Tear Down the Walls” CCLI #5372144 OR

“Jesus Shall Reign,” st 1-3 UMH 157
“Fill My Cup, Lord,” st 1-2 W&S 3093
“Jesus Shall Reign,” st 4-5 UMH 157

Pastor (standing by the font):
Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
put your whole trust in his grace,
and promise to serve him as Lord,
in union with the church Christ opens
to people of all ages, nations, and races?
And by the grace given you
will you remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church
and serve as Christ’s representatives in the world?

People: We do,
and we we will continue to do so
personally,
in our families and small groups,
and together,
by attending upon all the ordinances of God.

WORD AND RESPONSE

Solo/Choir/Band “Come to the Water,” Refrain W&S 3114

Reading John 4:5-15, 25-29, 39-42
Translation by Taylor Burton-Edwards
Reader 1: Narrator
So Jesus comes into the city of Samaria called Sychar, near the region which Jacob gave to Joseph, his son. The well of Jacob was there.

Worn out from travelling the roads, he was sitting down upon the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman from Samaria comes to draw water. Jesus says to her:

Reader 2: Jesus
Give me to drink.

Reader 1:
(His disciples had gone off into the city to purchase some food).

So the Samaritan woman says to him:

Congregation:
How is that that you, a Jewish person, are requesting from me, a Samaritan woman, something to drink?

Reader 1:
(Jewish people do not associate or share dishes with Samaritans).
Jesus answered and said to her:

Reader 2:
If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, “Give me to drink,” you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

Congregation:
Sir, you do not have anything to draw with, and the shaft is deep. So from where do you have living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this shaft, and who himself drank from it along with his his sons and his flocks?

Reader 2:
Everyone drinking from this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks from the water I will give them will not thirst [from now] into the age to come, because the water I will give them shall become for them a well of water leaping up into eternal life.

Congregation:
Sir, give me this water so I will neither thirst nor come back here to draw.

Solo/Choir/Band “Come to the Water,” Stanza 1 W&S 3114

Congregation:
I know Messiah is coming, the one the Hellenists call Christ. Whenever he comes, he will announce everything to us.

Reader 2:
I am he, the one speaking to you.

Reader 1:
Just then, his disciples came, and they were astonished that he was speaking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

(All) “Come to the Water,” St. 2 W&S 3114

Reader 1:
So this woman let go of her water jar, and went away into the city, and starts saying to the people there:

Congregation:
Come with me. See the person who has told me everything I have done! Mightn’t this be the Christ?

(All) “Come to the Water,” Pre-Chorus (2X, up to first “love”) W&S 3114

Reader 1:
From that town many of the Samaritans believed into [Jesus] because of the word of the woman testifying, “He told me everything I’ve done!” So when Samaritans came to him, asking him to stay there among them, he stayed there two days. And many more believed through his word. And they said to the woman:

Congregation:
It’s no longer because of what you said that we believe. For we have heard and we know that this man is truly the savior of the world.

(All) “Come to the Water,” Coda W&S 3114

Sermon “Confess”

Call to Confess, Trust, Serve, Unite, and Represent

People may be invited to write on cards at least one example of confessing Jesus Christ as Savior, trusting fully in his grace, serving him as Lord, and uniting with people of all ages, nations, and races to serve as Christ’s representatives they will commit to pursue during the coming week. Invite them to make two copies of these items, and give one copy to one other person with whom they will check in during the coming week to share progress and offer mutual support. As they live the call this week, ask them to document times when they’ve successfully acted in each area, as well as times when they’ve failed and needed to ask for more help. Midweek formation groups will be another opportunity to check in, pray for one another, and encourage one another.

Music during Call to Confess
“Beautiful Things” CCLI #5665521 OR
“O Church of God, United” UMH 547

Prayers of the People

Confessing Jesus Christ as Savior of the World, we let go our false hopes of salvation in any other name, and all false saviors, and we pray for your saving love and power to be revealed:
In all persons kept in poverty or slavery,
in all who are in fear from abusers, terrorists, and oppressors,
in all who face addiction of any kind,
and in all who are targeted for unjust treatment because of who they are;

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Putting our whole trust in Christ’s grace, we forgive those who have harmed us, we bless those who have persecuted us, and we seek mercy, peace, justice, and reconciliation for all people and all of your creation, and we pray for all empowered to seek or impede the freedom, safety, and dignity of every human being and the good of all creation:
For leaders in religious, political, economic, and social life;
and for all who work to sustain and protect our lives
as military, civilian workers, and first responders;

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Serving Jesus as Lord who unites us with people of all ages, nations, and races, and sends us as his representatives into the world, we seek healing and wholeness for all people, and we pray:
with families, friends, and neighbors,
near and far, like us and different from us;
with all who need your healing power,
and for all who offer healing through their skill and presence;
and for all whom we have harmed by our action or inaction;

Silence

Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Pastor:
Receive the prayers of your people, most merciful God.
In your compassion, forgive our sins,
and drive us to lives of faithful service
in and through the one and diverse community of your church.
through Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. Amen.

Silence

Pastor:
In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven.

People:
In the name of Jesus, you are forgiven.

All: Glory to God! Amen!

THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION

Pastor:
Forgiven, restored, and united with Christ,
let us offer the peace of Christ to one another
and our gifts to God.

The people exchange the peace of Christ as the offering is collected. If Communion is celebrated, the gifts are presented during the offertory music. If Communion is not celebrated, the gifts collected are presented during the Act of Thanksgiving.

Music during the Offering and Peace
“We Are One” CCLI# 7040700 OR
“Here, O Lord, Your Servants Gather” UMH 552

Act of Thanksgiving (if Communion is not celebrated)

Thank You Lord (2x) UMH 84

The pastor, a deacon, or a lay leader offers these words of thanks between each stanza, and the congregation responds by singing.

Jesus, you have given us living water,
so we need never thirst again.
(All) “Thank You, Lord” UMH 84

You know everything about us and still draw near to us!
“Thank You, Lord” UMH 84

Your love inspires us to tell everyone we know about you.
“Thank You, Lord” UMH 84

Your word and your presence draw all people to you.

“Thank You, Lord” UMH 84

Your Spirit sends us into places we’d never think to go.
“Thank You, Lord” (2X) UMH 84

OR

The Great Thanksgiving BOW 60-61

Music during Communion
“Welcome” W&S 3152 OR
“Christ, from Whom All Blessings Flow” UMH 550

Thanksgiving after Communion
Pastor and People:
Jesus, thank you!
You have fed us with yourself
that we may may be united in you,
who breaks down every dividing wall of hostility
and makes of your church one body
from every language, people, nation and tongue.
In the power of the Holy Spirit,
send us forth as servants to all,
and representatives of your saving love
wherever we go. Amen.

SENDING FORTH

Invite the congregation to face the back of the sanctuary, toward the exits.

Hymn/Song
“Draw the Circle Wide” W&S 3154 OR
“Go to the World” W&S 3158

Deacon or Lay Leader (from the back of the worship space)

Go into a world that offers many paths to short-lived pleasure.
We confess Jesus Christ as Savior.
Go into homes, workplaces, and communities with little mercy.
We put our whole trust in his grace.
Go into systems that demand your allegiance, or else.
We promise to serve Jesus Christ as Lord.
Go into social media, meetings, and other groups
that will seek to pit you
against other sisters and brothers in Christ
because of how old they are, where they are from, or who they are.
We are united and will stay united
with people of every age, nation, and race
in Christ’s holy church,
and represent Christ in the world.

Pastor
Go then, with the blessing of our Triune God.
We go to live our baptismal calling. Amen.

Postlude Variations on Draw the Circle Wide