Worship Elements — When An Unexpected Invitation Changes Me
Luke 19:1-10 (CEB) · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn · 152nd Birthday Sunday
These worship elements are an early draft being shared as a preview for the upcoming service. The final version used in worship may be adapted or revised. Pastors and worship leaders are welcome to use and adapt these for your own context.
Welcome
Sometimes an unexpected invitation changes everything. Today we meet someone whose whole life transformed when Jesus looked up and called his name.
Welcome to worship at McPherson First United Methodist Church! I’m [NAME], and I’m delighted you’re here this morning.
At McPherson First, we aim to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. Whether you’ve been part of this congregation for decades or this is your very first Sunday, you belong here.
Today we celebrate our church’s 152nd birthday and welcome Rev. Dr. Dustin Petz from the Kansas Methodist Foundation as our guest preacher.
Five membership promises shape how we grow in our faith and how we support one another on the journey: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. You’ll hear each of these named as we worship together today.
If you’re new or looking for your next step, visit mcphersonfirst.org/next or download the Church Center app — you can check in, request prayer, find ways to serve, or give. You can also text CONNECT to 620-241-3626 to stay in the loop.
Call to Worship
I invite you to join in our responsive call to worship as you see the words on display.
Leader: Jesus sees us before we even know we’re looking for him.
People: We come seeking the One who has already found us.
Leader: For 152 years, this congregation has gathered to worship.
People: Generations of faithful people have built what we inherit.
Leader: God’s unexpected invitations still transform lives today.
People: We open our hearts to whatever fresh start God offers.
Leader: Come down from your hiding places — Jesus calls your name.
People: We worship the God who welcomes everyone to the table.
Welcome Your Neighbor
Zacchaeus climbed a tree because he wanted to see Jesus. But the real miracle happened when Jesus saw him — and called him by name. That’s what happens when we practice witness: we help others see that they’re already seen by God.
Think about who in your life might need to know they’re seen. Who could you invite to experience this kind of welcome?
Please stand, welcome your neighbor, and then remain standing as we join together in song.
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, you called Zacchaeus down from a tree and changed his life forever. You have called this congregation for 152 years, and you call us still today. Open our eyes to see you. Open our ears to hear your invitation. Open our hands to respond with generosity. Transform us through this time of worship, we pray. Amen.
Invitation to Prayer and Pastoral Prayer
In a few moments, we’ll enter a time of prayer together. There will be space for you to bring your own concerns to God — moments of silence where you can name what’s on your heart.
Prayers is one of the five promises we make as members — both praying for one another and opening ourselves to God’s presence. If you have a prayer request, text PRAY to 620-241-3626, or text PRAYERTEAM if you’d like someone to pray with you this week.
Will you pray with me?
[Brief pause to center]
Holy God, we gather in this sanctuary where generations have gathered before us. For 152 years, your people have worshiped in this place — praying, singing, giving, serving, bearing witness to your love. We give thanks for every person whose faithfulness built what we now inherit.
We pray for our congregation today. For those celebrating milestones and those carrying grief. For families navigating change and individuals facing decisions. For the young people among us discerning their futures and the elders sharing their wisdom.
[Moment of silent reflection]
We confess that like Zacchaeus, we sometimes watch from a distance when you’re calling us closer. We calculate when you invite us to trust. We hold back when you offer abundance. Forgive us, and help us respond with the same joyful generosity Zacchaeus discovered.
We pray for our guest today, Dustin Petz, and for the ministry of the Kansas Methodist Foundation. Bless all who help your people think faithfully about resources and legacy.
We pray for our community — for McPherson and the surrounding area. Show us where you’re at work and how we can join you. Give us eyes to see people the way Jesus saw Zacchaeus: not by reputation, but by possibility.
All these prayers we offer in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray together, saying:
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.
Invitation to Give and Check-In
When Jesus entered Zacchaeus’s home, everything changed. The tax collector who had accumulated wealth through exploitation immediately pledged half his possessions to the poor. Encounter with Jesus transforms our relationship with money.
Gifts is one of our five membership promises — supporting God’s work through our financial resources. If you give regularly, thank you. Your faithfulness sustains this ministry week after week. If you’re considering giving for the first time, know that every gift matters and makes a difference.
You can give through the Church Center app, at mcphersonfirst.org/give, by texting GIVE to 620-241-3626, or through the offering plate.
We also want to know you’re here. Presence means showing up — for worship, for one another, for the work God is doing among us. Check in through the Church Center app, at mcphersonfirst.org/next, or sign the attendance pad in your pew and pass it down the row.
Ushers, please come forward to receive this morning’s offering.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We’ve given our offerings and marked our presence. Now we’re sent to practice service — to be God’s hands and feet in our community. Will you pray with me?
Generous God, you have blessed this congregation for 152 years through people who gave faithfully, served joyfully, and loved boldly. Receive these gifts as signs of our gratitude. Use them to continue the work of transformation — in our church, in our community, and in the lives of people we may never meet. As Zacchaeus discovered, giving freely brings more joy than holding tightly. Send us out to live with that same freedom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
152nd Birthday Celebration
On April 13, 1874, a small group of Methodists gathered in McPherson to establish what would become McPherson First United Methodist Church. One hundred fifty-two years later, we’re still here — still worshiping, still serving, still growing as disciples of Jesus Christ.
From circuit-riding preachers to livestreamed services, from kerosene lamps to LED screens, much has changed since 1874. But our mission remains the same: making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Every generation has passed the torch of faith to the next, and we’re honored to carry it forward.
Today we celebrate this milestone together. Birthday treats are waiting for you in the Serve Center after worship — stop by for sweets and fellowship as we give thanks for over a century and a half of faithful ministry.
Happy birthday, McPherson First!
Benediction
Go now to welcome the unexpected invitations God places before you. Love boldly. Serve joyfully. Lead courageously.
And may the God who sees you, the Christ who calls your name, and the Spirit who transforms your heart, bless you and keep you, this day and always. Amen.