sunday july 19, 2026

Fruitland United Methodist Church
July 19, 2026

Prelude: “Come, ye Thankful People Come” by George Elvey

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.
Welcome and Announcements Liturgist

Call to Worship
Leader: The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
People: We come to worship the Creator of heaven and earth.
Leader: God’s creation declares God’s glory day after day.
People: We join all creation in offering our praise.
Leader: Christ calls us to live as faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us.
People: Fill us with your Spirit, O Lord, that we may care for your world
and reflect your love.
*Sharing the Peace of Christ

*Opening Hymn: “Shout to the Lord” TFWS 2074

Opening Prayer: Creator God, every good and perfect gift comes
from you. Open our eyes to see your presence in the beauty of
creation and in the people around us. Teach us to live as faithful
stewards of all you have entrusted to us. Fill us with your Holy Spirit
so that our lives may reflect your love, our hands may serve with
compassion, and our hearts may rejoice in your goodness. Through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Official Announcement Rev. Jorge Rodriguez

Scripture Reading: Psalm 8 Read responsively. UMH 743 Liturgist

Children’s Time: Pastor Jorge

Community Expressions Leslie & Rev, Jorge
      Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy/ Santo, Santo, Santo” TFWS 2007
      Thanksgiving and Celebration.
      Prayers for healing and wholeness.
      Prayers for our community and the world. Let us pray.
      The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven . . . “

Invitation to Generosity Pastor Jorge
      Offertory: “Great is Thy Faithfulness” by William Runyan, arranged by Marianne Kim
      *Doxology: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . .UMH 95

*Prayer of Dedication: Gracious God, all that we have comes
from your generous hand. Receive these gifts and our lives as
offerings of thanksgiving. Use them to care for your people,
proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, and bring hope to
your world. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings: Romans 8: 12-25 (Pew bible 1757) Liturgist

Hymn: “Grace Alone” TFWS 2162

Sermon: “When Creation Groans” Pastor Jorge
Romans 8:12–25
There are some questions that sound very modern, but in reality they are deeply
spiritual. Why should I care about the environment? What difference does it make if
I recycle one bottle, turn off one light, or use a little less water? My small effort is
not going to change the world. Some people tell us that climate change is
exaggerated. Others say the science is still uncertain, so perhaps we should simply
wait and see. And besides, aren't we Christians? Shouldn't we be more concerned
about heaven than about earth? After all, this world is temporary. One day God will
create a new heaven and a new earth. So why worry about this one?

Those are honest questions. If anyone were going to tell us not to worry about this
world, it would probably be the Apostle Paul. After all, Paul constantly points us
toward eternity. He tells us to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, to press on toward the
goal, and to live for the Kingdom that is to come. So we might expect Paul to say,
"Don't spend too much time worrying about the earth."

But Paul surprises us. He writes these remarkable words: "For the creation waits
with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God... We know that the
whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."

The whole creation is groaning—not just people, not just believers, but creation
itself. The forests, the rivers, the oceans, the skies, and every living creature are
waiting with hope. They are not waiting for a new government, a scientific
breakthrough, or a technological invention. Creation is waiting for the children of
God to become who God created them to be.

This tells us something important. Salvation has never been only about getting our
souls into heaven. God's plan has always been much bigger than that. Through Jesus
Christ, God is reconciling, restoring, and redeeming all creation. Everything God
has made is included in His plan of redemption.

At the same time, we must be clear about something. We do not worship nature. We
are not tree worshipers or mountain worshipers, nor do we believe that the earth is
divine. We are disciples of Jesus Christ, and we worship the Creator alone. Yet
because we love the Creator, we honor His creation. Think about visiting an art
museum. No one would touch a priceless painting with dirty hands or intentionally
damage a masterpiece. We honor the artist by caring for the artwork. In the same
way, every mountain, every river, every forest, every flower, every bird, and every
sunrise bears the fingerprints of God.

Psalm 8 reminds us, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers...
what are human beings that you are mindful of them?" Whenever we stand before
the beauty and greatness of creation, we discover two truths at the same time. We
realize how great God is, and we realize how small we are. Yet the psalm continues
by saying that God has crowned humanity with glory and honor. Imagine that. The
God who created galaxies also knows your name.

Then we encounter a word that has often been misunderstood: dominion. For many
people, dominion has meant permission to exploit, consume, and destroy. But that is
not the biblical meaning. God exercises authority by loving, protecting, providing,
and caring. Therefore, when God gives humanity dominion over creation, He is
calling us to care for His world as He cares for us. We are not owners of the earth;
we are stewards. The world still belongs to the Lord.

Paul gives us another beautiful image when he says that creation is experiencing the
pains of childbirth. He does not describe the pains of death but the pains of birth.
There is an enormous difference. Birth pains announce that something beautiful is
about to happen. God has not abandoned this world. He is preparing its restoration.
Until that day comes, He invites us to participate in His work. Every tree we plant,
every stream we protect, every act of kindness toward God's creatures, every effort
to reduce waste, and every decision to live more simply becomes a small sign of
God's coming Kingdom. Not because we believe we can save the planet—only
Jesus Christ can fully restore creation—but because citizens of God's Kingdom are
called to live differently.

Someone may still say, "Pastor, I'm only one person." That is true. One person
cannot change the whole world, but each of us can make a difference in the small
part of the world God has entrusted to our care. A family can teach children to
respect creation. A church can reduce waste. A neighborhood can plant trees. A
believer can choose gratitude instead of endless consumption. The Kingdom of God
has always begun with small seeds, and Jesus never despised small beginnings.

Sometimes I imagine creation as one great choir. The mountains sing. The rivers
sing. The birds sing. The trees sing. Even the wind sings. Everything God has made
proclaims His glory. Yet Paul reminds us that today this choir sings through groans.
Creation is waiting for us to sing our part. When God's sons and daughters live
according to the Spirit, creation itself begins to breathe hope once again.

Brothers and sisters, our calling is not simply to wait for heaven. Our calling is to
bring a little bit of heaven to earth. We worship the Creator, and because we
worship Him, we care for what He loves. Every act of care becomes an act of
worship. Every responsible decision becomes a testimony of faith. Every thoughtful
choice proclaims that this world still belongs to the Lord.

For creation is still waiting—waiting for the revealing of the children of God. May
God help us to be those people.

Amen.

Prayer of Confession: Merciful God, we confess that we
have often taken your gifts for granted. We have failed to
love our neighbors as ourselves and have not always
cared for the world you created. Forgive us for our
selfishness, our wastefulness, and our indifference. Renew
us by your Holy Spirit so that we may live as faithful
disciples, honoring you by caring for your people and your
creation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Words of Assurance: Hear the Good News: In Jesus Christ
we are forgiven, renewed, and called to live as God’s beloved
children. Through the Holy Spirit, God gives us the strength to
walk in newness of life and to serve faithfully in God’s Kingdom.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

Closing Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth” – UMH #92
​
*Benediction: Go into the world as children of God, filled with
the Holy Spirit. Honor the Creator by caring for one another
and for the world God has entrusted to us. May your lives
reflect the hope of Christ until the day when all creation rejoices
in God’s glorious freedom. Go in peace to love and serve the
Lord. Amen.

*Song of Blessing: “Go Tell it on the Mountain” UMH 251

Postlude: “The Heavens are Telling” by Franz Josef Haydn

Pastor Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]