08/23/2026
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August 23, 2026 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Welcome to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
PRELUDE – Keith Gallion
“You Are” by Mark Roach
“Christ Exalted Is Our Song” by Nathan Stiff
GREETING & OPENING PRAYER
CALL TO WORSHIP (responsively)
Leader: Amid the forces of death and destruction,
People: it takes a village to save us.
Leader: Amid the rivers that would carry us out to sea,
People: it takes willing souls to pull us from the water.
Leader: Amid the fear and hatred in our world.
People: it takes ordinary people to reveal God’s mercy.
Leader: Come, let us worship.
PRAISE & WORSHIP SONGS – led by the Praise Team
“Hear Our Praises” by Reuben Morgan
“Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)” by Newton, Tomlin & Giglio
THOUGHTS FOR CHILDREN – Debbie Panchisin
SHARING OF CONCERNS
Prayer requests that have been emailed to [email protected] will be shared. Viewers may also share Joys and Concerns with each other through the Facebook comment feed.
UNISON PRAYER
Gracious God, we present our very lives as holy and living sacrifices to your purposes. During this time of worship, we seek the renewal of our minds and the strengthening of our spirits. Show us your will, that we may know what is good, acceptable, and perfect in your sight. Amen.
PASTORAL PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SHARING OF JOYS
THE SCRIPTURE LESSON – Sandy Morelli
Matthew 16:13-26 (NIV)
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
GLORIA PATRI (UMH #70)
THE APOSTLES’ CREED (UMH #881)
HYMN OF PREPARATION
“He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought” (UMH #128)
THE MESSAGE – Ken Copeland
“Following in His Footsteps”
TITHES & OFFERINGS INVITATION
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St. Mark’s UMC
1700 Limestone Road
Wilmington, DE 19804
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• Text GIVE to 302-204-2499
SPECIAL MUSIC – Keith Gallion
“Holy Ground” by Geron Davis, arr. Bryce Inman
DOXOLOGY & THANKSGIVING (UMH #95)
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE – Keith Gallion
“Triumph and Thanksgiving” by Franklin Ritter
Permission to stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license -732996 and CCLI with license #20257085.