Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 ~ June 7, 2026
Call to Worship:
Rejoice in God’s goodness, people of God!
We will sing praises to our God.
God loves righteousness and justice;
We will serve God faithfully.
The earth is full of God’s steadfast love.
We come to worship and offer our love and loyalty
Music: #683 I know not why such wonderous grace
Prayer of Approach and Confession:
Creator, Christ and Spirit,
you are overflowing with love,
infinite in kindness, incomparable in glory
and the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
In you, all things work together for good and are redeemed.
Your presence breaks into our lives in transformative ways
and you touch us with wonder.
In response to your goodness and glory,
we offer you thanks with our prayers,
praise with our hearts,
and honour with our lives,
this day and every day, now and always.
In confidence of your grace and kindness, O God,
and out of a desire to begin again
with you and one another, we confess that while your loving kindness endures forever,
we confess that often we have failed
to receive and give love;
to care for others as we care for ourselves;
to pardon and to accept pardon.
We remember
good intentions that were not put into actions;
harsh words said in anger;
selfish purposes that caused pain and
persistent pride that would not yield.
Hear us, O Lord, and forgive us and wash us clean
So we can be your faithful people now and forevermore. Amen,
Assurance of Pardon:
God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Know that you are forgiven and be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another.
Music: #478 To Abraham and Sarah
Anthem:
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-9
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.
Meditation: “God’s Call”
I once read an article about the most ridiculous requests received by rangers in national parks. People have asked questions like, “What time do the bears come out?”
But people who spend a lot of time outdoors, like hikers, backpackers, mountain climbers, and so on, do need to pay attention to several things. Things like keeping warm and dry, drinking enough fluids, eating the right kind of foods, trip planning, map, and compass skills, and what to do if you are lost or even suspect you are lost.
Now imagine you’re Abraham without modern advantages such as a map and compass. God comes and calls you, telling you to travel hundreds of miles to a new land. God promises you three things: many descendants, great wealth, and land. You see a few problems, however. First, you don’t have any kids after so many years of marriage. Descendants? You gotta be kidding! Second, you and Sarah are both old, interest rates are down, so there’s not much time to build up a nest egg. Third, the land God has promised you is already occupied. What do you do? Do you stay put and live in the security of what you have? Or do you go to the land God would show you and be overwhelmingly blessed?
God’s call and Abraham’s response are important. It is the flagship for all later calls. As we study Abraham’s call, hopefully it will help us to understand and accept our own call from God.
Notice that Abraham wasn’t searching for God – God called out to Abraham. God initiated the relationship. God reached out to Abraham and called him to a greater future than Abraham could provide for himself. God wanted to know him and be a part of his life on a deep and personal level. And God wants to have that kind of relationship with each of us.
What did God call Abraham to do? The same thing Jesus called Matthew to do. “Follow me.” That’s it. “Follow me.” The rest of God’s call to Abraham was a promise – what God would do for Abraham. All that Abraham had to do was to gather his family together in faith and follow God to the place God would show him.
That same invitation is given to each of us: “follow me.”
Each one of us as Christians have been called. That is a big part of what we, as Presbyterians, believe. We have been called to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. We have been called to claim God’s promise of love, eternal life, and forgiveness. We have been called to have a relationship with the living God.
And like Abraham, we are called to begin a life that is different than our past. We too are called to begin a journey that will be unfamiliar to us. A journey that may be long and difficult. A journey that may become uncomfortable at times. But we have to step out in faith, like Abraham stepped out in faith. I know how hard that is for us to do.
A young boy wanted to join a church. So, the Minister asked, “How did you get saved?” His answer was, “God did his part, and I did my part.” The Minister thought there was something wrong with his doctrine, so he questioned further, “What was God’s part, and what was your part?” His explanation was a good one. He said, “God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning. I ran from him as fast as my sinful heart and rebellious legs could take me. He took off after me until he was finally able to catch me.”
Which of the 10 commandments was Abraham most concerned to obey? The answer…none. There weren’t 10 commandments in Abraham’s day. They came centuries later. So, obviously Abraham wasn’t in relationship with God for obeying them. Abraham was in relationship with him because of God’s persistent grace. God ran after Abraham. God works the same way with all of us.
So what does it mean to follow God? What does it mean to hear “the Master’s call?” The Bible says, “Many are called but few are chosen”. To really understand that statement, we could say that many are called but few answer the call. Too many resist God’s call. Jonah, Moses, us. When God calls, we want to hand the phone to someone else and say, “It’s for you.”
But if we answer the call, we will be transformed. We will be empowered. Only when we answer the call do we gain that power. That is how we move the mountain. Only by looking first to God can we move the mountain. It’s not by looking at the mountain, but by looking to the One who can move it, that it will be moved. Therein lies the real power. I learned in one of my college classes that we should work smarter, not harder. Working smarter means allowing God’s grace to take control. That’s the neat thing about God’s grace. When you’re centered in God’s grace, everything else falls into place. God’s grace is what will make your business or home or marriage or ministry what it ought to be. Give time to him. Pray faithfully. Read the word faithfully. Be called, chosen and faithful.
I know how hard it can be to answer God’s call. It can be extremely hard to take that first step. I know how uncomfortable the journey can be. Sometimes things along the journey can be difficult, depressing, downright disheartening. You will have to leave your comfort zone. I remember when I started on my journey, I used to say I was here and my comfort zone was waaayyy over there.
When you feel called to do something you don’t think you can do, just remember, God will give you what you need when you need it. So, answer the call because it is for you. Amen.
Music: #624 Blest are they
Invitation of Offering
God offers us a future in Christ Jesus, sometimes through comfort and sometimes through challenge. We present our gifts to God in gratitude for God’s faithfulness to us in every situation.
Doxology: #830 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer of Dedication
God of healing and hope, you offer us what we need in Christ Jesus, not always what we want. Bless our gifts and use them to meet needs in lives touched by the outreach of our church. Give each of us courage to reach out in Jesus’ name whenever you call. Amen.
Prayers of the People:
God of our past and our future,
we come with grateful hearts,
trusting that you walk with us through all the seasons of our lives.
You create a future for us,
calling each of us to use our individual abilities and opportunities
to make a difference.
Thank you that we all have a place and a purpose in your world.
Guide all who are graduating this year to use their knowledge,
learning and lives in service to you and your world.
Let them hear your call
and find their calling.
We pray today for those who face danger and despair in these times:
We remember before you those living with hunger,
and all those caught up in unrest and violence beyond their control.
We pray for all those working to relieve suffering in these lives
and bring justice and peace.
We pray for your church in this place,
in this region/town/city and around the world.
Guide it so that it is clear in its proclamation,
gracious in its service,
bold in its advocacy
and humble in its discernment.
Especially, we pray for the General Assembly
that begins its deliberations today.
Give its moderator, commissioners and all who serve the Assembly
a strong sense of your guidance.
We pray for all those facing fear or frustration,
wrestling with sorrow or discouragement in any area of their lives:
For those who live with illness or pain….
For those bearing chronic conditions or disability….
For those who know the grief and change of bereavement….
And we pray for all those who work to bring healing and comfort
and agencies that offer support and care to those who suffer:
We pray for all who feel helpless or hopeless in this present time:
For those around us facing unemployment, struggling to make ends meet…
For those caught up in the pain of misunderstanding or broken relationships…
And for those working through situations of conflict at home or at work…
We pray for all who offer guidance and support in the midst of such difficulties
and for those who have skills in reconciliation or mediation:
God of healing and hope,
Guide our congregation to engage each day with faithfulness.
Where we need correction, show us a new way;
where we need love and encouragement, inspire us.
Unite us as we travel into the future you are creating for us as followers of Jesus, as we pray the words he taught us:
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.
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.
Music: #634 Will you come and follow me
Benediction:
Go in the strength of the Spirit, to greet those we meet with understanding, loving service and care. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Now may the LORD keep us and bless us,
May the LORD make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious unto us,
Now and for ever more, AMEN.
May 24, 2026
https://pccweb.ca/knox-goderich/files/2026/05/Jesus-Prays.docx