To find out about our covid protocols you can click here: https://www.tahlequahumc.org/tumccovid
9 a.m. Sunday. School for All Ages
10 a.m. Worship online on our Facebook Page and Youtube Channel
To Connect Online
For those with Facebook accounts:
Some of you are having difficulties in finding our videos of worship on Sunday mornings on Facebook. Here are a couple of tips. When you see a “get reminder” button on the video announcement. Click on that. Then whenever we go live, the reminder will pop up in your notifications and you can simply click on the notification to go straight to the video. OR….
The live video will be at the top.
REMEMBER: Our worship is also live on YouTube at the time and can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYNURhSqdwwZgpfzTWVJew
If you have questions please direct them to Pastor Matt at matt.franks@tahlequahumc.org
Welcome to Worship for 9.26.21
The Liturgical Sunday is 18th Sunday After Pentecost
Our Liturgical Color: Green
Thank You for Joining Us in Worship Today
UMH= United Methodist Hymnal 1987 (The Red Book)
TFWS= The Faith We Sing (The Black Hymn Book)
W&S = Worship and Song (The Green Book)
Prelude Music Welcome
· Thank you for joining us in worship today!
· For our online viewers: Let us know in the comments line that you have joined us in worship.
· For those joining us in person we ask that you fill out the binder info so that we can connect better with you.
· For prayer request you can fill out the yellow card in the pews and bring it up to the front to the prayer basket during the first hymn.
· For our online people please go to https://www.tahlequahumc.org/prayer-request before 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
· Now is the time to worship!
Opening Words We come to this prayer service for healing and wholeness. God works in mysterious ways. We often cannot know or understand the hows or the whys of the things that happen in our lives. But there are some certainties. We know that God is the source of wholeness. We also know that, according to today’s reading from the letter of James in the New Testament, those who are sick are invited to call for the “elders” of the church for prayer, the laying on of hands and anointing. And the “prayer of faith will save the sick,” we’re told. This service, then, is a specific response of obedience to this word from the Lord. It’s an opportunity for those who feel sick in body or in soul to take steps toward healing — and to leave that healing in God’s hands. Such a service isn’t unusual when placed in the church’s long history from ancient days. Services for healing and prayers for the sick are traditional and sacred practices. In more than one place in the Bible, we’re told that the divine Physician can and will touch us and make us whole. Following the New Testament pattern, we will anoint with oil, which is a symbol of God’s healing power, and we will ask the praying elders to lay their hands on the sick. Not only is this in keeping with the biblical pattern, but it’s well documented that touch has a power that channels comfort, strength and hope. If you don’t need healing for a physical infirmity, at the very least you can consider this service to be a sort of “wellness” checkup. Use this worship time for prayer and introspection. Ask God to place his hand over your heart to ensure that it’s healthy and responsive, to check for temperature, pulse and breathing patterns and to bring to your attention areas in which you may be spiritually ailing. We are here to worship the risen Lord, who, at the beginning of his ministry, quoted the prophet Isaiah, as a reference to himself: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1). Let us gather for worship. Hymn: Goodness is Stronger Than Evil TFWS 2219
Goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, victory is ours through him who loved us.
Victory is ours, victory is ours through him who loved us.
Call To Worship Liturgist
Leader: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. People: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all the Lord’s blessings. Leader: God forgives all our sins. People: God heals all our diseases. Leader: God redeems our lives from the Pit. People: God crowns us with steadfast love and mercy. Leader: As long as we live, God blesses us with good. People: We are renewed and made whole! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Invocation Liturgist Leader: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Leader: Let us pray. Great Healer, send your amazing Spirit into this place. Touch and heal our brokenness and lift us out of pain and despair. Dry the tears of our hurts. Comfort and nourish us with the many blessings of your powerful love. Lord God, may we flourish and blossom in the warmth of this community of faith. In Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Hymn: Sanctuary TFWS 2164
Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for you.
Litany (based on Psalm 30) Liturgist
Leader: I will praise you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. People: O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Leader: O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. People: Sing praises to the Lord, O you the faithful ones, and give thanks to God’s holy name. Leader: For God’s anger is but for a moment; God’s favor is for a lifetime. People: Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Leader: As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” People: By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. Leader: To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: People: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Leader: Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!” People: You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Call to Confession (based on 2 Corinthians 1:4-5) Rev. Matt Franks
Leader: God consoles us in all our affliction so we may be able to console those who are in affliction. For just as Christs sufferings are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. Let us bring confession of sin and brokenness before God.
Confession Liturgist People: Merciful God, we stand in need of your healing and transforming presence in our lives. We long for wholeness but too often cannot resist the demands to compartmentalize our lives. We desire true intimacy but are afraid to be transparent, lest others judge and reject us. We want health but don’t take care of our bodies and don’t give our souls Sabbath rest. We need authentic, loving community but struggle to commit ourselves deeply to others. Forgive us, we pray. Heal us of our shortsightedness, of our self-hatred and denial, of our illusions of control, of the fears and stresses and anxieties that keep us from living fully as children created in your image. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness Rev. Matt Franks
Leader: Jesus Christ heals the sick, mends the brokenhearted and forgives those who repent. Friends, in Jesus Christ we are made whole and new. People: To God be the glory! Amen.
Today we pray for…. Rev. Shana Dry
After each prayer request red: Pastor: God of Love, All: Hear our Prayer
The Pastor will lift any prayers that have been made known to the office. You can submit a prayer request by going to http://www.tahlequahumc.org/prayerrequest After each request the pastor will respond with Lord, Hear this prayer.
We Lift up: The United Methodist Church, Our Bishop Jimmy Nunn, and Our District Superintendent: Rev. Terry Koehn, Our Pastors Matt Franks and Shana Dry, The NSU Wesley Foundation, Our Little Sprouts Preschool, All of our Local Schools, All of our Health Care Workers, Our Teachers, Support Staffs, and School Administration, All our Assisted Living Church Members. All of our Government leaders, local, state and national.
Our Church Family: Barbara Chambers, Maddie Cochran, Ellen Mathews, , Monika Mann, John & Debbie Jensen, Cleo Hixon, Steve & Cindy Ullom, Pat and Vera Freeman, Kyle Rozell, George Foster, Bob Scarsdale, Mary Geasland, Mildred Carol
Our Military: Robert Isaacson, Seminary Student: Cody Robinson
Prayers of Intercession Rev. Shana Dry
Leader: Lord in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Let us pray for people who are suffering (pause). … O God, you forgive our sins and heal our diseases. According to your word, crown our lives with your steadfast love and kindness. Bring healing and relief to those who suffer; Lord in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Let us pray for recovery from sickness (pause). … O God, you are the power for the powerless, the strength for the weak and the hope for the hopeless. Hear us as we pray for those recovering from illness, that their affliction may be turned into blessing and their sorrow into joy; Lord in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Let us pray for a world broken by sin, hatred and strife (pause). … Gracious God, bring to the leaders of the nations a genuine desire for peace. Help them, and us, be able to see other people’s problems through their eyes that we might have understanding; Lord in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Let us pray for people who need financial healing (pause). … Lord, in our world banks collapse, house prices fall, businesses fail, jobs are lost and many people are suffering from financial pressures. Loving God, give us the virtue of perseverance fired by hope and the love and support of family and friends. Open up before us a dry path through the waters of the sea and bring us to safe, dry ground; Lord in your mercy, People: Hear our prayers. Leader: Let us pray for those seeking guidance (pause). … In confusing and troubling times, and when temptation besets us from every quarter, it’s easy to lose our way. But you, God, know where we are. With the psalmist we say, “Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You mark out my journeys and my resting place and are acquainted with all my ways.” Raise before us a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night as you did for your children in ancient days, thereby showing them your presence, and lead us in the path we should go; Lord in your mercy, People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Let us pray for those who will shortly request prayer and anointing (pause). …Lord Jesus, hear us as the elders pray and we lay our hands on your children. Send your healing touch into the bodies and souls of those seeking your help. Remove all fear and double-mindedness. Make them whole that they may glorify your name; Lord in your mercy,
People: Hear our prayers.
Leader: Amen.
Hymn: What A Friend We Have In Jesus UMH 526
1. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.
We Make Our Offering Together
Mission Moment
Thank you for your new or continued generosity towards God’s mission at Tahlequah UMC. When you give to Tahlequah UMC you are investing in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. TUMC has a global reach by helping various ministries locally and globally.
Giving Options:
• In-person offerings may be dropped in the offering box in the Sanctuary at the entry/exit on Sundays.
• Offerings can also be mailed or dropped off at the church office 300 W. Delaware, Tahlequah Ok 74464
• Online Giving at www.tahlequahumc.org/give
• Through your Bank or Credit Union via Auto Check
Offertory Prayer Liturgist
All: Lord God, who has given to us so many gifts, your generosity is sometimes even more than we can comprehend. We praise you for all your loving gifts. Now we bring to you our gifts. May these gifts that we bring now, and our lives, be dedicated by you for service and ministry. May all that we do show to all the world your great love for all humankind; in Christ’s name. Amen.
Special Music: Black revival spiritual “Witness”. Hal Johnson
Singers: Judy Young and Bob Daniel
We Hear The Word Proclaim
Sermon Series: James: A Love Letter Sermon Title: Final Thoughts
Scripture Base: James 5:13-20 given by Rev. Matt Franks Lead Pastor TUMC
We Respond To The Word
Hymn of Response: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying TFWS 2193
During this hymn if you want to come forward and spend some time at the kneeling rails to pray you are more than welcome to do so. If you need the Pastors to pray with you, please let them know. If you want to join our Church family today, please come forward and let us know so we can receive you into membership.
Lord, listen to your children praying, Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying, send us love, send us power, send us grace.
We are Sent Out To Love and Serve
Blessing of the Oil Rev. Shana Dry
Leader: And now, Almighty God, compassionate Lord and Savior and sanctifying Spirit, bless this oil for its intended use. As your holy apostles anointed many who were sick, so may those who in faith and repentance receive this holy anointing be made whole and know the fullness of your joy. Amen.
Invitation to Come and Receive Healing Rev. Matt Franks
The Scriptures are inviting. On almost every page of God’s word, God extends an invitation. In Matthew’s gospel, we’re invited to “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest” (11:28). In today’s reading, we’re asked to “call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord” (5:14). In Hebrews, we’re invited to “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16). Again in Matthew, Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find” (7:7).
For the prayer time, please remain seated and continue in prayer and meditation as music is played and prayers are offered. Feel free to join in singing when the musicians sing.
We invite all who desire prayer to come forward at this time. When you come forward, first light a votive candle with the taper and place it by the cross to symbolize the light and flame of faith with which you come for prayer and anointing. Then give your prayer-request card to the pastor or praying elder. It can be specific or as general, as you deem wise. If you think the pastor or elder may not know your name, please include it. [Note: You may include specific instructions as to how people come forward and return to their seats.] If you desire, you may remain at the altar in prayer following the laying on of hands and prayer. People who remain in their seats may use this time to reflect on why you would like to be prayed for and to ask God what he would like you to do. Prepare your heart before God. Ask God to reveal to you areas that need to be confessed. Confess your sin, claim God’s forgiveness and expect his healing and hope. If you feel led, you might leave your seat and go to a person sitting elsewhere and pray and comfort him or her.
Closing Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Shana Dry Pastor: Lord, we pray now for these who have been anointed that they are healed and restored in body and soul. Be a presence with them on their journey throughout the week to come. We offer our thanks and ask that you keep us from all evil and preserve us in all goodness. Bless us so that we may indeed bless others. We ask this in the name of Christ Jesus, who taught us to pray,
ALL: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Closing Hymn Healing Rain Michael W. Smith Worship Video
As the video plays come and receive your anointing and feel free to spend time in prayer at the kneeling rail. Then depart in peace.
If you are watching from afar you can find the Healing Rain Video here: https://bit.ly/tumchealingrain then use anointing oil and pray the following sentence. God of indwelling presence heal me of all illness of body, mind, spirit and relationships that that I may serve God with a love heart. Amen.
Postlude Ramona Frazier
Thank you for joining us today in worship.Thank you for joining us today in worship.
This week’s Discipleship Opportunities
Office Hours 9- 12 p.m. & 1-3:00 p.m.
Monday-Thursday
Sunday September 26th
8:30 a.m. TUMC Worship Walkthrough
9 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages
10 a.m. Celebration Worship in Sanctuary
11:30 a.m. Mission and Service Teams
4 p.m. Youth Group in the Activities Building
6 p.m. DMT Meeting
Monday September 27th
6:30 p.m. Zoom Adult Bible Study
Tuesday September 28th
1 p.m. Care Team
4 p.m. Sew Blessed quilters
Wednesday September 29th
4:30 p.m. Bell Choir
6 p.m. Adult Choir
Thursday September 30th
10 a.m. Open Minds Book Study
12 p.m. Noon Zoom Prayer you can register on the website at tahlequahumc.org
5 p.m. Feed My Sheep Meal in Activities Building
Sunday October 3rd
8:30 a.m. TUMC Worship Walkthrough
9 a.m. Sunday School for All Ages
10 a.m. Celebration Worship in Sanctuary
4 p.m. Youth Group in the Activities Building
Apportionment Balance as of 9.1.21
District Apportionments $3,686/$3,686
Conference Apportionments $10,409/$31,685
Mission and Ministries 0/$7,239
Building Debt as of 9.1.21 $165,323.12
Online Ministry Groups
When the pandemic hit, we shifted and created some ministries to happen via zoom and other platforms as we begin to return we will shift to more of a hybrid approach for ministry. You can find those groups here: https://www.tahlequahumc.org/onlinegroups
Monday Night Zoom Bible Study
Starting September 13th at 6:30
They will be studying the book
In Reading the Old Testament Through Jewish Eyes, Rabbi Moffic explores the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and highlights points of interest to Christians. He describes the role of the Torah in Jewish worship and practice and explores the key themes of each book guided by the wisdom of Jewish interpreters through the centuries. Join Rabbi Moffic in this study of the Torah and find rich new insights into the biblical story. Discover how the Torah can be a source of wisdom, truth, and transformation in your life. Register for the zoom study by going to https://www.tahlequahumc.org/onlinegroups
Next Steps???
October 24th at 7 p.m. Zoom
Are you looking for your Next Step in your spiritual journey? Join us on Zoom on October 24th at 7 p.m. as Pastor Matt talks about next steps here at TUMC. You can register at https://www.tahlequahumc.org/onlinegroups
If you are unable to attend online and want to attend in person, please let Pastor Matt know. Matt.franks@tahlequahumc.org
Our Thursday Noon Zoom Prayer is a time where we pray for each other, our community, and the world. You can register for it (here)
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