This bulletin includes the order of service for the Season of Lent. The items in bold italics are intended for audience response.
Opening Hymn #H149
Opening Sentence & Prayer
Bless God, who forgives all our sins.
God’s mercy endures through everything.
God of growth and transformation, you promise us abundant new life. Teach us to welcome the discomfort and challenge of growth as part of the meaning of picking up our cross to follow you. Help us to carry our share of the world’s burden so all may know your liberating love. Amen.
(Silent Reflection)
Kyrie
Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and one another, that we may turn towards God and begin our effort towards repentance.
Holy God, have mercy on us and forgive us. We have set our customs above your law and have placed our faith in authorities other than you. We have insisted on our own comfort to the neglect and indifference of our neighbors. We have acted to preserve our own self-interest in the face of suffering. We have lacked creativity and compassion when envisioning solutions to the challenges many of your children face.
We are sorry. We humbly repent. Grant us the gift of hearts that grieve injustice, greed, hatred, and fear. Make us steadfast in faith and give us the courage to follow you, carrying our cross. Amen.
Hear the promise of God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist: you are saved by faith and your sin is forgiven. Through God’s love, mercy, and justice, and by God’s choosing, you have been set free from sin. Now, with renewed hearts, let us serve others and honor the world God made, knowing the good news we have received is for all people. Amen.
Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Ministry of the Word
Old Testament
Jeremiah 31:31-34
A reading from the book of Jeremiah
31-32 “That’s right. The time is coming when I will make a brand-new covenant with Israel and Judah. It won’t be a repeat of the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant even though I did my part as their Master.” God’s Decree.
33-34 “This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They’ll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I’ll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I’ll forget they ever sinned!” God’s Decree.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm
We follow the responsive recitation method for the Psalm, where the leader alternates verses with the congregation. The items in bold italics are intended for audience response.
Psalm 51:1-13
1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
my sins are staring me down.
4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I’ll let loose with your praise.
Epistle
Hebrews 5:5-10
A reading from Pauls’ letter to the Hebrews
4-6 No one elects himself to this honored position. He’s called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you!” In another place God declares, “You’re a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.”
7-10 While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
The Third Reading
John 12:20-33
The third reading is from John.
20-21 There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?”
22-23 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24-25 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
26 “If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.
27-28 “Right now I am shaken. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’”
A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.”
29 The listening crowd said, “Thunder!”
Others said, “An angel spoke to him!”
30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God..
Sermon
The Prayers
A Contemporary Creed
We believe in one God, the Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
Source of all life and all love.
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
Fully God, fully human,
Savior of the world,
The risen King of kings.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The very breath and power of God,
Sustainer of our life in Christ.
We believe in the church, Christ’s body,
God’s family for the spiritually homeless,
Called to be Love and Light,
To pursue justice and show mercy,
To proclaim the Good News of Christ,
To work for the common good of humanity.
Amen.
Prayers of the People
At this time of great crisis for so many of your children and for our precious planet, we come to you God, imploring your help and inspiration.
In Lent, we remember how Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to pray. We pray that during this Lent we, too, take the time to look into our own values and our relationship with God. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We are all tempted to do wrong from time to time. We pray that we, like Jesus, have the strength to resist temptation and to do what is right. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Loving Father, we pray for the people of Ukraine and others afflicted by violence, for those suffering or afraid, for the wounded and the refugee. Be close to them and protect them. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for world leaders, that compassion, strength and wisdom guide them in their decision making. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the better-off nations of the world, that in this and every moment of need, they may reach out in solidarity to their brothers and sisters. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for this beautiful Earth, that an unstoppable movement arise in a spirit of determination to protect it. We pray to the Lord.
Lord hear our prayer.
We bow our heads, close our eyes, and remember our own personal intentions, for those who have asked for our prayers, for those sick or suffering, for those that we now name silently or aloud. (Silence) We pray to the Lord.
Lord hear our prayer.
We remember those who have died – those whom we love, all those we do not know but who are precious in God’s sight, and those that we now name silently or aloud. (Silence) We pray to the Lord.
Lord hear our prayer.
We pray, Lord, that these our prayers, joined with those of people around the world, help guide those waging war on people and planet alike bring an end to this meaningless destruction and restore peace. We make these prayers through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
Announcements
The Holy Communion
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
During the Offertory, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung.
Doxology
(Words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748), para. of Psalm 117; Music: Old 100th, melody from Pseaumes octante trois de David, 1551, alt.; harm. after Louis Bourgeois (1510?-1561?); Licensed for Use: CCLI Copyright License 20716203; CCLI Streaming License 20716210
Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money or other gifts, to the deacon or celebrant. The people stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, in the words that Jesus taught us, we pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven. hallowed be thy name. Thy Kindgom 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, and deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Breaking of the Bread
These are the gifts of God for you, the people of God.
The congregation receives communion.
(AT THE COMMUNION: We encounter the Real Presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this Sacrament of Holy Communion. All who desire a closer relationship with God are encouraged to come forward: for a Blessing or, if you are baptized, for the Bread and Wine.)
Prayer after Communion
Holy God, through your death, we are fed with the bread of life. Let us follow your way to the cross, to be for others a sign of your compassion and life. As you have fed us, let us go out to be part of feeding the world. Amen.
Blessing
May God lead you to openness that grants understanding. May God guide you to accountability that begins restoration. May God inspire you to transforming love that celebrates all people and all creation.
Closing Hymn #LV28
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Credits
Disrupt Worship Project, adapted by Fletcher Harper https://www.disruptworshipproject.com/lent-2021-christ-have-mercy/
Contemporary Creed – https://brandonacox.com/modern-creed/Prayers of the People – https://acireland.ie/prayers-of-the-faithful-4-2-2/