Worship Elements — When the End Comes
John 19:23-30 (CEB) · Witnesses: Encountering Jesus When It Matters Most (Holy Thursday)
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
Some nights change everything. Tonight we remember the night Jesus gathered his closest friends for one final meal—and what happened after they left that table.
Welcome to worship at McPherson First United Methodist Church! I’m [NAME], and I’m delighted you’re here this evening.
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 time with us, you belong here.
Tonight we’ll share Holy Communion together—all are welcome at Christ’s table, and if you’re worshiping online, you may want to have bread and juice ready.
We grow as followers of Jesus through five practices: prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. You’ll hear each of these named as we worship together tonight.
If you’re new or looking for your next step, visit mcphersonfirst.org/next or download the Church Center app. You can also text CONNECT to 620-241-3626 to stay in the loop.
I invite you to join in our responsive call to worship as you see the words on display.
Call to Worship (Responsive)
Leader: On this holy night, we gather as Jesus gathered with his friends.
People: We come to the table where all are welcome.
Leader: Some who shared that meal would scatter. Others would stay.
People: We are learning what it means to stay.
Leader: Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
People: We practice love by showing up when it’s hard.
Leader: From the table, Jesus went to the cross.
People: We worship the God who stays with us to the end.
Opening Prayer
Faithful God, you call us to be present—to you and to one another. On this night when Jesus gave himself for us, open our eyes to see what faithful presence looks like. Give us courage to stay close when it costs us something. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Welcome Your Neighbor
One of the five ways we grow as disciples is through witness—welcoming others as Christ welcomes us and inviting others to experience this community. As you greet those around you, consider who’s not here—who might you invite to worship next week?
Take a moment now to welcome your neighbor. Introduce yourself to someone sitting nearby, especially someone you don’t know yet.
If you’re worshiping online, say hello in the comments.
Invitation to Prayer and Pastoral Prayer
We’ve remembered what Jesus did at the table. Now we bring our hearts before God together. One of the five ways we grow as disciples is through prayers—building a real relationship with God through honest conversation.
If you have a prayer request, share it through the Church Center app or at mcphersonfirst.org/next. You can also text PRAY to 620-241-3626. Will you pray with me?
Faithful God, you are the One who stays. When everyone else scatters, you remain. We praise you for your steadfast presence that meets us in our darkest hours. You do not abandon us. You do not look away. You stay close enough to hear our cries and speak words of love.
We confess that we have not always stayed. We have been physically present but mentally elsewhere. We have avoided hard conversations, hospital rooms, and grief that made us uncomfortable. We have chosen our own comfort over costly presence. Forgive us.
[Moment of silence]
We thank you for Jesus, who stayed with us to the very end—who saw those who showed up and spoke words of love even from the cross. Thank you for every person who has stayed with us when leaving would have been easier. Thank you for the bread and cup that connect us to that night and to every generation who has remembered.
Now we bring before you those keeping vigil with someone who suffers—families at hospital bedsides, caregivers worn thin, friends sitting in silence because there are no words. Strengthen them to remain. We pray for those who feel abandoned, who wonder where everyone went. Send your people to stand near. We lift up our world, where so many suffer alone. Make us witnesses who show up when it matters most.
We offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray and who meets us at the table. Amen.
Invitation to Give and Check-In
Tonight we remember Jesus giving himself completely for us. Our giving is a response to that gift—a way of saying that we, too, want to offer what we have for the sake of others.
Now we practice gifts—one of the five ways we grow as followers of Jesus. You can give through the offering plates, the Church Center app, or at mcphersonfirst.org/next. Thank you to those who give regularly—your generosity sustains our mission.
We also practice presence—showing up and participating actively. Whether you’re here in person or online, check in through the Church Center app or at mcphersonfirst.org/next. Your presence matters to this community.
Ushers, please come forward to receive our offerings.
Great Thanksgiving Preface
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth.
On this holy night, we remember how Jesus gathered his friends for a final meal. He knew what was coming—the betrayal, the arrest, the cross. Yet he stayed at the table. He broke bread. He poured wine. He loved them to the end. And when the end came, a few stayed with him. His mother, the women, the beloved disciple—they stood near the cross. They witnessed both his thirst and his completed work. They heard his final words: “It is finished.”
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Prayer After Holy Communion
We’ve been fed at Christ’s table. Now we’re sent to practice service—to be God’s hands and feet in our community. Will you pray with me?
Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Send us into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Will you please stand as we sing together?
Benediction
From this table, Jesus went to the cross. From this place, we go into the silence of Good Friday. This week, stay close—to God and to one another. The story isn’t over yet.
Go now to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
—
These worship elements are part of the Witnesses: Encountering Jesus When It Matters Mostseries at McPherson First United Methodist Church. New worship resources are published every Tuesday.
New here? Subscribe to receive weekly worship resources, daily devotionals, and more.