Monthly Archives: September 2024

A few years ago, as our Worship Design Team took the time to look over our worship service and discuss what should be included or excluded, with more emphasis or less emphasis, we came to a decision that we should bring back into our worship service the Apostles Creed. It was decided that, when possible, every 3rd Sunday of the month we would make one of the Creeds that we find in our United Methodist Hymnal our opening prayer and statement of faith. As United Methodists, over the years we have come to some common points that our worship service should meet. First of all, we want to see the Holy Spirit flow throughout our worship service. We want those attending worship to be engaged and comfortable with the worship service. We want our prayers, music, preaching and liturgy to come together in a positive movement with those attending our service. Over the years because of the things that we add, at times we must subtract from the worship format because we need to meet a number of qualifications and one being the length of our service. So, we as United Methodist like to meet for worship for about an hour’s period of time. There are many reasons an hour seems to be acceptable for most. To meet that requirement, the Worship Design Team and I look at each Sunday possible, my message is shorter, the hymns we select are usually fewer in verse, And The Great Thanksgiving of which we have a number of liturgies we can choose from are enhancing our worship experience.

Back to our Affirmations of Faith. One of the things that I noticed as I have gone through the number of Affirmations of Faith contained within our hymnal is that they may vary quite extensively in professing what “I” or “We” may believe. For that reason, our worship design committee has determined that we should only use the Affirmations of Faith included in The United Methodist Hymnal or possibly others that have been approved for use by our United Methodist Denomination.

In looking over each of the Affirmations that we used, I noticed something recently that I had not seen before. Some of the affirmations begin with “We believe” while others begin with “I believe.” As I started to ponder why the difference, I came to these thoughts and conclusions: When we say, “I believe” and then begin to list those things which we believe in, we must be comfortable repeating the creeds we identify for ourselves as in part or the total faith and experience of not only the church but ourselves as well. Trusting that as our Christian life experience continues to develop, we may grow into a fuller understanding of our walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. No one Christian can apprehend it all and indeed the original form of the creeds stating with “We believe” allows us to grow in our belief. We are blessed when on our faith journey,  we can look at each one of the Affirmations of Faith whether it starts out as “I believe” and as I recite that Creed, the more that I can say I believe the more intense and the greater the distance I have added to my faith journey.

By saying “We believe” we can include the church as a whole being, the whole company of God’s worshipping people. So, it is particularly important that in our creeds we can say ”I” believe” for our individual salvation and to be able to say “We believe” places us among our sisters and brothers and makes us a family of God. So, when you look at our Creeds contained in the United Methodist Hymnal, some will start with “We believe” and others will start with “I believe.” It is important that we recognize that our own faith journey and the journey of our sisters and brothers in Christ can be individual and I can be on  a journey as the community of believers.

May God say it is so. Amen.

Pastor Gary

Claybanks United Methodist Church
Sunday, September 22, 2024
10:30 a.m. –  11:30 a.m.                                      
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Welcome and Announcements

*Praise Song
”Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”…………UMH 402

Prelude

*Processional

In this place, among these people
God is worshipped, God is praised.
We have seen the signs and wonders;
The lost are found here, the dead are raised.
We are living the Gospel story;
lives are changed, and mountains moved.
Won’t you come and work among us?
You are welcomed, you are loved.

*Call to Worship
Leader: Sing to our God a new song,
All: For God has done wonderous things.
Leader: The Holy One’s might is not found in destruction,
All: But in steadfast love and constant faithfulness.
Leader: These gifts are not for us alone,
All: They are for one and all.
Leader: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
All: Let all creation praise the Lord.

*Gloria Patri………………………………………UMH  70

*Affirmation of Faith from 1 Timothy…………..UMH 889

*Hymn
”Just a Closer Walk with Thee”…………….TFWS 2158

Prayers of the People – Joys and Concerns

The Offering of our Gifts and Ourselves

*Doxology………………….…………………………..…UMH 95

*Prayer of Dedication

*Hymn
”I Surrender All”……………………UMH 354

Sharing of the Word

Old Testament Reading
Psalm 1…….…….……………………………………………….Page  424
*Gospel Reading
Mark 9:30-37……………………………………..…….Page 821

Message by Pastor Gary Peterson
“First in Line or Last in Line”

Prayer

*Hymn
”Pass It On”……………..…..UMH 572

Benediction

Postlude – Please be seated

Pianist – Char Boerema
Liturgist – Kelly White
Ministers – All People As We Live The Good News

Claybanks United Methodist Church
Sunday, September 15, 2024
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.                                      
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost
Guest Worship Leader: SK Osborn
Guest Music Leader: Cheryl Lohman

Welcome and Announcements

*Praise Song
”Morning Has Broken”………………UMH 145

Prelude

*Processional
In this place, among these people
God is worshipped, God is praised.
We have seen the signs and wonders;
The lost are found here, the dead are raised.
We are living the Gospel story;
lives are changed, and mountains moved.
Won’t you come and work among us?
You are welcomed, you are loved.

*Call to Worship
Leader: The heavens shout of God’s glory!
All: There is so much beauty in this earth and in the heavens!
Leader: Day by day we are reminded of Gods creative love.
All: Day by day we are blessed with large and small visions of God’s glory.
Leader: Come, let us praise the God of creation.
All: Let us sing and shout our praises of thanksgiving and joy to God. Amen.

*Gloria Patri……………………………………UMH  70

*Opening Prayer

*Hymn
”Trust and Obey”…………………………UMH 467

Prayers of the People – Joys and Concerns

The Offering of our Gifts and Ourselves

*Doxology……………………………………….…UMH 95

*Prayer of Dedication

*Hymn
”The Church’s One Foundation”…………UMH 545

Sharing of the Word

Epistle Reading
1 Corinthians 3:10-17…….…….………………………..….Page  927

Message by Pastor SK Osborn
“Building a Sacred Lodge”

Prayer

*Hymn
”My Hope Is Built”……………..UMH 368

Benediction

Postlude – Please be seated

Pianist – Cheryl Lohman

Liturgist – Art Grumm

Ministers – All People As We Live The Good News