sunday february 1, 2026

Fruitland United Methodist Church
February 1, 2026

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Prelude: “Softly and Tenderly,” arranged by Charles Callahan

Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.
Welcome and Announcements Pastor Jorge and Reece

*Call to Worship Reece
God has shown us what is good.
We seek to live a faith that does justice.
God calls us to love mercy.
We choose compassion as a way of life.
God invites us to walk humbly with Him.
We respond with our lives. Amen.
*Sharing the Peace of Christ.

Opening Hymn: “Song of Hope” TFWS 2186

Scripture Reading I: Micah 6:6-8

Time with Young Christians Rev. Jorge Rodgriguez
Please write prayer concerns and celebrations on yellow notepads, to be collected.

Community Expressions Pastor Jorge & Reece
     Sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy” TFWS 2007
     Thanksgiving and Celebration
     Prayers for Healing and Wholeness
     Our Community and World
Let us pray.

*Hymn: “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” TFWS 2223

Invitation to Generosity Pastor Jorge
Offertory: “The Old Rugged Cross,” by George Bennard
*Doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . .” UMH 95

Scripture Reading II: Matthew 5:1-12 – The Beatitudes

*Hymn: “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” TFWS 2171

Sermon: “God’s Proposal” Rev. Jorge Rodriguez
Some years ago, I heard the story of a student who prepared intensely for a final
exam. He read every book, memorized facts, and reviewed concepts. He arrived
confident, certain he was ready.

When he received the exam, he read it… and fell silent.
The questions were not about memorization.
They were not asking what he knew, but how he would live what he knew.
It was not an exam of information. It was an exam of coherence.

Something similar often happens in our faith. We assume God evaluates us by what
we offer, by what we say, by how religious we appear. So, we prepare ourselves
with rituals, words, and offerings. But again and again, God changes the question.

God does not ask us:
—How much did you give?
—How many prayers did you repeat?
God asks something deeper:
—Were you just?
—Were you merciful?
—Did you walk humbly with me?

We live in a world with a broken order. A world where justice does not reach
everyone, where the poor and vulnerable carry the heaviest burdens, and where
those who raise their voices for human dignity are often questioned or persecuted.
In the midst of this reality, an unavoidable question arises:

What does God expect from us today?

1.God’s proposal according to Micah
In the time of the prophet Micah, the people knew how to be religious. They knew
how to offer sacrifices and follow rituals. When God confronts them, their response
is immediate:

—What more do you want us to do?
—More offerings?
—Greater sacrifices?
But God answers with disarming clarity:

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

God is not looking for more religion. God is looking for coherent lives.
 To do justice means refusing to be indifferent in the face of injustice.
 To love mercy means choosing compassion as a way of life.
 To walk humbly with God means recognizing our dependence on God’s
guidance.
 This is God’s proposal: a faith that is lived, not merely spoken.

2. Jesus reaffirms the proposal from the mountain
Centuries later, Jesus goes up a mountain and proclaims the Beatitudes. He does not
speak of power or religious success. He speaks of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus calls blessed:
 the poor in spirit,
 those who mourn,
 the meek,
 those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
 the merciful,
 the peacemakers,
 and even those persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Here we see three clear axes:
1. Living with humility
2. Working for justice and peace
3. Accepting the cost of discipleship

​Jesus does not promise an easy path, but he does promise a meaningful one.

3. One voice, then and now
Micah and Jesus are saying the same thing, in different words.
Micah says: do justice → Jesus says: blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness.
Micah says: love mercy → Jesus says: blessed are the merciful.
Micah says: walk humbly → Jesus says: blessed are the poor in spirit.
God’s proposal has not changed.

4. God’s proposal for today
Today, God does not ask for greater religious sacrifices.
God asks for an embodied faith.
A faith that:
 defends human dignity,
 works for justice,
 practices mercy,
 builds peace,

and if suffering comes for doing what is right, embraces it with dignity and hope.
This is not a comfortable faith. It is a courageous faith.

Conclusion
The question is no longer what God requires of us. That is clear.
The question is whether we are willing to accept God’s proposal.
Not a faith of words, but a faith of life.
Not a comfortable faith, but a faithful one.
May we say today, as a community:
Lord, we accept your proposal.
And we will walk with you, whatever the cost.
Amen.

*Prayer of Confession:
We confess that too often we have chosen a comfortable faith instead of a faithful one.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us in your ways.

Words of Assurance:
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and made new.
Thanks be to God.
(A brief silence to reflect on God’s call to justice, mercy, and humility.)

The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also, with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pastor continues with blessing the elements...
The Lord’s Prayer : “Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . .”

Sharing the bread and the cup. All are welcome at Christ’s table.

During Communion: “Let Us Offer to the Father” TFWS 2262

Prayer Following Communion: Gracious God, we thank you for this
holy meal. Strengthen us to live your proposal in the world—doing justice,
loving mercy, and walking humbly with you. Amen.

Benediction: Go to live a faith that does justice, loves mercy, and
walks humbly with God. God in peace . Amen.

* Song Of Blessing: “ Halle, Halle, Hallelujah” TFWS 2026

Postlude: “For All the Saints,” by Ralph Vaughn Williams

                                                 Pastor Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]