Order of Worship

Dear Church Family,

As we celebrate this joyful Easter season, we invite you to continue gathering with us in prayer. Our Simple Prayer Service will begin at 7 PM on Wednesday and is open to all — whether you have been with us from the beginning or are joining us for the first time. We will be worshipping in person and by phone, and we want everyone to have the opportunity to be a part of this meaningful time together.

We have attached the Order of Worship and look forward to worshipping with you as we celebrate this season of resurrection and new life.

Wishing you a joyful Easter season. Welcome to St. Matthew’s UMC!

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Simple Prayer for MAY 13, 2026
Wednesday OF THE SIXTH Week OF EASTER

Greeting and Welcome

*Lucenarium:  Lighting of the Christ Candle

Leader:      Jesus Christ is the light of the world

All:           A light no darkness can extinguish.

Leader:     The Lord is risen!

All:           The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Leader:     The Lord be with you.

All:          And also with you.

Leader:     Lift up your hearts.

All:           We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader:     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All:           It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Leader:     Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory forever.

All:           As once you ransomed your people from Egypt
and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us
from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation,
rejoice in the new life you have given us,
and praise you for your mighty acts.

Leader:      Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

All:           Blessed be God for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn:  Christ Is Risen                     UMH 307

Epistle Reading:   Acts 11:19-26

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place after the death of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. 20 But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”

       The Word of the Lord.  THANKS BE TO GOD.

Congregational Response  Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,
“God’s steadfast love endures forever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
the Lord has become my salvation.

15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
16  the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has chastened me sorely,
but he did not give me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

GOSPEL LESSON:  John 15:26–16:4a

35 Jesus said to them: 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

16 “I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.”

                The Gospel of the Lord.  THANKS BE TO GOD.

MUSIC FOR MEDITATION

REFLECTION:  New Life —Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932–1996),
from The Selfless Way of Christ

Jesus reveals to us that the Spirit is the fullness of God’s being. It is the fullness that Jesus calls “the truth.” When Jesus says that the Spirit will lead us to the complete truth, he means that the Spirit will make us full participants in the divine life, a life that makes us into new people, living with a new mind and in a new time: the mind and time of Jesus Christ.

In and through the Spirit of Christ, we become others’ Christs living in all places and at all times. In and through the Spirit, we come to know all that Jesus knew, and we are able to do all that he did. This is the great wisdom of God, the wisdom that none of the masters of this age has ever known, the wisdom which has remained hidden from the learned and the clever but has been revealed to mere children, the wisdom which comes to us through the Spirit and can only be taught to us spiritually.

Thus, discipleship is the life of the Spirit in us, by whom we are lifted up into the divine life itself and receive new eyes to see, new ears to hear, and new hands to touch. Being lifted up in God’s own life, we are sent into the world to witness to what we have seen with our own eyes, have heard with our own ears, and have touched with our own hands. It is a witness to the life of God’s word in us.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:

As candles are lit and prayers are lifted up from the silence of our hearts by those assembled, all may sing as the musicians lead
Alleluia, alleluia  UMH 186

THE LORD’S PRAYER

CLOSING PRAYER (all in unison):
Lord, You have arisen forever in my heart.
May the sunrise remind me to shine in Your light.
May the caress of a gentle breeze
remind me of Your compassion.
May the fragrance of a flower
remind me to blossom in Your love.
May the singing of birds
bring a song of joy to my lips.
And in the closing of each day
may I remember to quietly pray.
Wherever I am, whatever I do,
may my thoughts in joy return to You.  Amen.
                          —Susan Helene Kramer

Benediction

Response:            Triple Amen                 UMH 898