Pastor: David Range
July 27, 2025
Miramar United Methodist Church
in the heart of Miramar, a place for gathering, healing, and sending out friends, helping to create a sense of family to find new life in Christ.
Part of the United Methodist family where we make disciples for the
Transformation of the world.
Order of Worship for
July 27, 2025 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. services
Please see the end of the bulletin for some additional important information
CALL TO WORSHIP
Children of God, when the journey ahead seems long and hard, full of unknown dangers and all-too-real risks, remember:
Keep the faith. God, who made us alive, is our Guardian and Guide.
When the voices on the side of the road tempt us with their misinformation full of unearned certainty, simple solutions, and quickness to blame and shame those who disagree with them, remember:
Stay the course. God, who made us alive, is our Wisdom and Judge.
When those in power place barriers in our way, making it harder to share the love of God in our communities, trying to convince us it is easier to do nothing than remain firm in God’s call to act for the flourishing of all our neighbors, remember:
Do not be afraid. God, who made us alive, is our Strength and our Advocate.
Children of God, come! Let us worship God, whose persistent love empowers us to persevere, to stay the course, to live by faith and not fear.
Come, let us worship God, who makes us alive, through grace to love and serve God and one another.
Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, February 2025.
*HYMN 77 How Great Thou Art+
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
2. When thru the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
3 And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
he bled and died, to take away my sin;
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
4 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee;
how great thou art, how great thou art!
WORDS: Stuart K. Hine, 1953 MUSIC: Stuart K. Hine, 1953
PRAYER
*PRAISE AND WORSHIP
Every time I Feel the Spirit
Every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
1 Upon the mountain, my Lord spoke,
out his mouth came fire and smoke.
All around me, looks so shine,
ask my Lord if all was mine.
Every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
2 Jordan river, runs right cold,
chills the body, not the soul.
Ain’t but one train on this track,
runs to heaven and right back.
Every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart, I will pray.
WORDS: Afro-American spiritual MUSIC: Afro-American spiritual; adapt. and arr. by William Farley Smith, 1968
Spirit Song (Sing once)
Oh let the Son of God enfold you with His spirit and His love,
Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul;
O let Him have the things that hold you, and His Spirit like a dove
Will descend upon your life and make you whole.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs
O come and sing this song with gladness as your hearts are filled with joy.
Lift your hands in sweet surrender to His name.
O give Him all your tears and sadness; give Him all your years of pain,
and you’ll enter into life in Jesus’ name.
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs
Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs
WORDS: John Wimber, 1979 MUSIC: John Wimber, 1979
Spirit of the Living God (Sing twice)
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
WELCOME: Visitors, you are invited to stand and introduce yourself or be introduced by a friend. Please receive the information card that the usher offers and when you have filled it in please return it to the usher.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
ANNOUNCEMENTS—CALL TO ACTION
TONIGHT: Church Prayer meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom
NEXT SUNDAY: Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
If you would like to make a contribution to the preschool please see Phyllis Abel.
The Mission Offering today is for Apportionments
Next Sunday our Mission Offering goes to Good Samaritan Fund
The only gift that is too small is the one that is never made at all.
For Sharing of the Spirit, please wave at the YouTube camera and say, “the peace of the Lord be with you,” and then wave at your neighbor in the sanctuary and say, “and also with you”
Please stand for the reading of the Gospel of Luke 11:1-13
CHILDREN’S TIME Deaconess Dr. Judith Pierre-Okerson
HYMN 405 Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God+
Seek ye first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness
And all these things shall be added unto you
Al-le-lu, al-le-lu-ia
Ask and it shall be given unto you
Seek and ye shall find
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you
Al-le-lu, al-le-lu-ia
WORDS: Karen Lafferty, 1972 MUSIC: Karen Lafferty, 1972
RECEPTION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
WAYS TO GIVE
1. Click the ‘Donate’ icon on http://www.miramarumc.org/
And follow the prompts
2. Give by text, using the number 833-931-1791.
Text the donation amount, press send, and you will be prompted
to register by giving your name and card information
3. You may also donate with cash or check to MUMC
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise him all creatures here below,
praise him above, ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
TIME OF SHARING JOYS & CONCERNS
(please email miramarpastor@gmail.com)
PRAYER HYMN 496 Sweet Hour of Prayer+
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father's throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter's snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
WORDS: William Walford, 1845 MUSIC: William B. Bradbury, 1861
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION Deaconess Dr. Judith Pierre-Okerson
AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
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, the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
SERMON A Passport for Perilous Times Grace Emmanuelle Okerson
*HYMN OF SENDING FORTH 130 God will Take Care of You+
1. Be not dismayed whate'er betide,
God will take care of you;
beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
2. Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
when dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
3. All you may need he will provide,
God will take care of you;
nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
4. No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
lean, weary one, upon his breast,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
through every day, o'er all the way;
he will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
WORDS: Charles Wesley, 1739, MUSIC: Thomas Campbell, 1835
BENEDICTION Grace Emmanuelle Okerson
All music under ccli #24249
A Prayer for the Nation from Bishop Tom Berlin
Our hearts are burdened by the violence unfolding before us.
As bombs fall in Iran and fear rises, we cry out to You.
We pray for the people of Iran who have no influence or say in the actions of their government but this morning, live in fear.
We remember the people of Israel, who over and over have been wounded by war and are weary of conflict.
We pray for those in the United States who fear repercussions and know the cost of conflict.
Bring protection to the innocent,
Peace to those who live in fear,
And justice rooted in compassion.
We lift before You the men and women serving in the U.S. military,
Those who walk into danger in the name of duty.
Guard their lives, steady their spirits,
And bring them home in peace.
In this critical moment, we lift before You the leaders of the world—
Presidents, prime ministers, Ayatollah, imams, generals, diplomats, and all who hold power and influence.
Surround them with wise counselors.
Speak to them by the power of your Holy Spirit.
Quiet every voice that speaks out of pride, fear, vengeance, or greed.
Enable them to work to end conflict before it spirals into further harm.
Open their ears to hear the cries of the innocent,
And their hearts to the cost of war.
May they choose the narrow path of peace
Over the wide road of destruction.
Give them the courage to pause before violence,
The imagination to seek alternatives.
We pray especially for the leaders of the United States, Iran, Israel,
And every nation drawn into this spiral of conflict.
Let no decision be made in haste or hatred.
Let no life be treated as expendable.
Lord, enable us to one day beat swords into plowshares,
And stir a holy unrest in every leader who dares to believe
That peace is not weakness but wisdom.
We, Your people, commit ourselves to prayer, to accountability, to vigilance, and to the hard work of peace. Help us not to fall into despair or continued division.
Guard our minds and mouths from hateful speech—online, in our communities, and in our hearts.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Rule in every heart.
Reign in every place.
And lead Your world in the ways of justice and peace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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We are always happy (and look forward) to have you join us in the sanctuary, but for those who would like to continue to participate from home, we will continue to live stream the services on youtube.com.
To join us on youtube.com simply type Miramar UMC in the search bar and then you should see the service live streamed. If you subscribe to our service through youtube.com you can set up reminders for the day before or 15 minutes before, whatever you like.
Please email your prayer requests for uplifting on Sundays by sending them to miramarpastor@gmail.com. It is best if you send them by Saturday NOON if possible.
Our church prayer meeting is online on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. and you may contact Marvia Aitken or Vinessa Edwards for the link.
WAYS to give:
1. Online giving is available through our website
www.MiramarUMC.org. On the home page the ‘Donate’ icon (a hand with a dollar sign above it) is located at the top left corner and on the right under “Contact Us” you will see the same icon along with “Donate Online.” Click on either location for instructions. If you need help call the church office at 954-989-4711. Thanks to all who have signed up for this. The regular tithes and offerings of the church are a great source of blessing.
2. You can also mail a check to Miramar United Methodist Church. If you have your offering envelopes you will see that the address of the church is printed for mailing purposes and your offering can be mailed in this envelope when you apply a stamp. You may also use a regular envelope and address it to: MUMC, 2507 Utopia Drive, Miramar FL 33023. Just put your check inside, mark which funds you would like to support, put a stamp on and let the United States Postal Service do the rest! Or bring it by after the Sunday services, someone will be in the church for one hour after the worship finishes as well as Mon-Thurs 1-5 pm. We trust God will keep us strong.
3. Also, we have the option of giving by text! Use 833-931-1791 to GivePlusText and when you text any amount, by putting that number in the message, you will be prompted to register, then fill out the details of your name, address and means of payment, and the contribution will go in! If you enter an email address you will get an immediate receipt. It is easy! If you have an Apple phone you may also get Vanco’s GivePlusMobile by downloading the app from the App Store. You may also look up YouTube videos to show how all this is done.
Thank you for your prayers! Grace and peace, Pastor David
