Welcome to Worship at the McPherson Church of the Brethren
We invite your active participation in the life of this congregation, as together we continue to grow in grace and seek justice for God's creation.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Welcome Video
♫Gathering Music | “Be Thou My Vision” | arr. Robert Thygerson
Ellen Gilbert, organ
Sharing Time – Joys and Concerns | Tricia Hartshorn
♫Centering Music | “Blessed” | Valerie Showers Crescenz
Worship Choir; Becky Snell, Director
Blessed the poor in spirit are for the kingdom of heaven is theirs
and those who mourn will be comforted for their sorrows will be shed.
Blessed are those who are gentle and meek for the earth shall be their prize
and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful for mercy shall they receive
and blessed are the pure in heart for the Lord himself, they will see.
Blessed are the makers of peace as God’s children they shall be known
and those who suffer for the sake of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is their own.
Blessed are you and men revile you when they taunt and denounce
and say all manner of slanderous things against you and lie about.
Rejoice and be glad your reward is great in heaven may you find rest
with all the prophets and all who have gone before forever shall you be blessed. X2
Opening Words | based on Isaiah 58:1-9 | Rev Joanna Harader
ONE: With us and through us; God is at work in the world:
ALL: to bring justice to the oppressed, to share food with the hungry,
to provide shelter for the homeless, to set all people free.
ONE: We gather as a community of faith, where we might;
ALL: be reminded of God’s justice, be nourished by God’s presence,
feel welcomed and at home with God; worshipping with grace and in joy.
ONE: When we seek, God will answer
ALL: because God’s light breaks forth and God’s love is in our midst.
Listen! God is whispering, shouting, proclaiming - “HERE I AM!”
♫Opening Song | “Onyame wo mu o” (sing twice) | #585
(In Your Sickness)
In your sickness, your suff’rings, your trials, and pains, God is with you all the time.
Onyame wo mu o, wo mu o, wo mu o. Biribiara beye yie.
Persecution, temptations, and loneliness, God is with you all the time.
Onyame wo mu o, wo mu o, wo mu o. Biribiara beye yie.
God is there with you, always there with you, God is with you all the time.
Onyame wo mu o, Onyame wo mu o. Biribiara beye yie. X2
Message for the Kids | Dawn Hoffman
Invitation to Give
You may Give online or send a check made payable to "McPherson Church of the Brethren,"
200 N. Carrie, McPherson, KS 67460
♫Offering Music | “Blessings” | Laura Story
Melia Jones, vocals; Kevin Jones, piano
We pray for blessings. We pray for peace; comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity. We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering.
And all the while, You hear each spoken need, yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.
REFRAIN
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear. We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near.
We doubt Your goodness. We doubt Your love as if every promise from Your Word is not enough.
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea and long that we'd have faith to believe. REFRAIN
When friends betray us and when darkness seems to win, we know that pain reminds this heart
that this is not - this is not our home - It's not our home.
REFRAIN 2
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life;
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy.
And what if trials of this life; the rain, the storms, the hardest nights are Your mercies in disguise?
Scripture Focus | Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
♫Scripture Song | “Blest are they”
Message | “Blessed are ….. “ | Kathryn Whitacre
♫Sending Song | “Beauty for Brokenness”
Please be seated for the Sending Words and Sending Music
Sending Words | based on Isaiah 58:9-11, 13-14 (lightly edited) | Rev Joanna Harader
If you remove the yoke from among you; the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom shall be like the noonday.
God will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please,
if you call the Sabbath a delight and God’s holy day honorable, and
if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in God, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your forebearers. For the mouth of God has spoken!
♫Sending Music | “Sound the Trumpet, Praise the Lord” | Mark Williams
Ellen Gilbert, organ
Videography and Editing: Eric Goering
Music Coordinator: Ellen Gilbert
Choir Director: Becky Snell
Technical Crew: Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Shane Kirchner, Steve Lolling & Chris Whitacre
Chancel Decoration Team: Jill Brax, Colleen Gustafson, Janette Hess, Michele Johnson, Shane Kirchner, Marie Neher & Lara Schoming
