Fourth Sunday in Lent
**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.
Introduction to the Day
God promises Jeremiah that a “new covenant” will be made in the future:
a covenant that will allow all the people to know God by heart. The church sees
this promise fulfilled in Christ, who draws all people to himself when he is
lifted up on the cross. Our baptismal covenant draws us to God’s heart through
Christ and draws God’s love and truth into our hearts. We join together in
worship, sharing in word, song, and meal, and leave strengthened to share God’s
love with all the world.
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
the keeper of the covenant,
the source of steadfast love,
our rock and our redeemer.
Amen.
God hears us when we cry, and draws us close in Jesus Christ. Let us return to the one who is full of compassion.
Fountain of living water,
pour out your mercy
over us.
Our sin is heavy, and
we long to be free.
Rebuild what we have
ruined
and mend what we have
torn.
Wash us in your
cleansing flood.
Make us alive in the
Spirit
to follow in the way
of Jesus,
as healers and
restorers of the world you so love.
Amen.
Beloved, God’s word never fails. The promise rests on grace: by the saving love of Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God, your sins are ☩ forgiven, and God remembers them no more. Journey in the way of Jesus.
Amen.
Gathering Song – Word of God, Come Down on Earth (ELW #510)
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Canticle of Praise
Prayer of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
O God, with steadfast love you draw us to yourself, and in mercy you
receive our prayers. Strengthen us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,
that through life and death we may live in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour
and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
Amen.
Readings
A reading from the Book of Jeremiah 31:31-34
The days are surely coming, says the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of
Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt – a covenant that
they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I
will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another,
or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the
least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their
iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 51:1-12
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast
love;
according to your
abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my
transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your
sight,
so that you are
justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived
me.
You desire truth in
the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret
heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.
Let me hear joy and
gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed
rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my
iniquities.
Create in me a clean
heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy
spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy
of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Hebrews 5:5-10
So also Christ did not glorify himself
in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered
up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was
able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent
submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he
suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal
salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest
according to the order of Melchizedek.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Children’s Message
Gospel Acclamation
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John 12:20-33
Glory to you, O Lord.
Now among those who went up to worship
at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida
in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told
Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The
hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you,
unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single
grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it,
and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be
also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say – ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Amen.
The pain and joy of Easter is almost here, but before that we must accompany Jesus in his Passion.
The Fifth Sunday of Lent, which we celebrate today, is often known as “Passion Sunday” and marks the beginning of a special sub-season called Passiontide, which extends up until Holy Saturday.
Traditionally the final two weeks of Lent are used as an immediate preparation for the sorrowful events of the Easter drama.
It is a period of time to focus more and more on the Passion and death of Jesus and to accompany him on his way to Calvary. It is a time to reflect on why God sent Jesus to us, and on what we gain in our lives by following Jesus and knowing God.
In today’s first reading, Jeremiah speaks of God’s changing covenant.
The promise of a new covenant, a new relationship with God, is given to a dispirited people in exile. Jeremiah looked at the people in exile, with all their doubts about a God who loves them, and said to them, “the days are coming”.
Days of restoration of their homeland.
Days of rebuilding their community.
Days of returning to hope, faith, and joy.
Israel will now be constituted as the people of God in a new way. God will give them a new heart so that they will know the Lord. So that they ALL know the Lord, including those who had been exiled.
More than just giving back their lives, Jeremiah’s message was that God had in store a whole new relationship with God, one that no longer relied on acts but instead depended only on God’s unfailing love and unshakeable faithfulness.
Everyone, from whatever class or status, from priest to peasant, from king to commoner, from child to adult will know the Lord. That ALL will know the Lord and that ALL will be forgiven is at the center of this new covenant.
From a Christian perspective, it is believed that this new covenant was sealed in the suffering and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But has this text truly been fulfilled? Does everyone know the love of God, know that they are loved by God no matter their circumstance, no matter their history, their income, their sexual orientation, their culture? I wonder…
The singer in the Psalm is in emotional and spiritual turmoil. They are in despair, feeling as if they are beyond mercy, and yet utters a prayer of desperation to the one from whom mercy is assured, as per the covenant spoken of in Jeremiah.
The speaker of the psalm pleads for mercy from within the fold of God’s never-ending compassion. It is as if the psalmist is saying “look at me! see me! your beloved! not the treachery that I have committed.”
The words of Psalm 51 are the desperate words of one who feels completely cut off from the presence of God. The psalmist is broken by guilt and sin, and is pleading for God for restoration.
As with the people exiled from Israel, and as with many of us, there is a belief that there is a justification for God’s abandonment; that our sin has rendered us unworthy of a communion with God, that we are unworthy of God’s love.
Lent is the season of calling us back to right relationship with God. The words that Psalm 51 offers is the reiteration of God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy. The God who is everlasting love will never abandon us, no matter what we have done, what we have left undone, whom we love, and in spite all of our doubts.
An underlying thought of these readings is doubt.
Doubt of God’s existence, of God’s love and acceptance.
Doubt that we deserve forgiveness and mercy.
Faith is understood in terms of a continually tested belief in God’s goodness and mercy. Doubt, then, is the mirror image of faith.
Doubt is not disbelief in the existence of God, but the suspicion that God’s mercy is not to be found.
We are not alone with our doubt. Even Jesus had his doubts.
In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus recognizes that the hour has come, that his death is nearing, but he’s not sure he’s ready, saying “my soul is troubled”. There’s a sense of uncertainty; Jesus’ human side is showing itself.
At the same time, he knows that there is no alternative. He must stay true to his destiny and he invites his disciples, and us, to consider our own destiny.
In Jesus’ final public discourse, he calls us to know him, to serve and follow him by doing the works he did, to feed and tend his sheep, and to testify on his behalf.
As we bring Lent to a close, we hear an appeal: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”. It is not only a call to see Jesus in this passage, but a desire for the very real presence of Jesus that needs to be experienced by any and all of our human senses.
A desire to know Jesus in every sense, and in turn to know God.
The request of the Greeks voices the longing inside the mind and heart of any Christian; not to be told about Jesus but the desire to encounter Jesus. As Christians, we want to know this man who gave up his life for us.
He, who was sent by God to seal the new covenant made with humankind.
He, who was mocked, spat at, and crucified.
He, who, in order for us to have eternal forgiveness, had to suffer a horrible end.
To be witness to Jesus’ journey to death is to know God. As we heard last week, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”
While their request sets the transition to Jesus’ passion in motion, John leaves us hanging in the sense that we have no idea of the Greeks ever did get to see Jesus.
What John is clear about is what kind of Jesus we will see if we really look. Upon hearing the request to be seen, Jesus immediately looks ahead to the cross. The fulfillment of his mission and his destiny all resolves around his cross and his obedient embrace of sacrificial love to the point of death.
It is on the cross that we will see Jesus.
Faith in Jesus isn’t just faith, or comfort, or satisfying spiritual desires. Jesus reveals the heart of our loving God by going to the cross.
Following Jesus draws us deeper into the kingdom of God through our love for, service to, and sacrifice on behalf of those around us.
Jesus comes to demonstrate God’s strength through vulnerability, God’s power through what appears weak in the eyes of the world, and God’s justice through love, mercy, and forgiveness.
And God calls those who would follow Jesus to the very same kind of life and love.
During this last week of Lent, through the sadness and the darkness that will envelope us as we move towards Palm Sunday and Holy Week, I pray that you know in your heart that you are meant to walk with Jesus as he makes his way to his destiny.
Embrace your fears and your doubts; carry them in the faith that you will see Jesus on the cross, will be able to hand over those fears and doubts to him, and know the eternal love of God.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – As the Sun with Longer Journey (ELW #329)
Creed
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in
God, the almighty,
creator of
heaven and earth.
I believe in
Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin
Mary,
suffered under
Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried;
he descended
to the dead.*
On the third
day he rose again;
he ascended
into heaven,
he is seated
at the right hand of the Father,
and he will
come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in
the Holy Spirit,
the holy
catholic church,
the communion
of saints,
the
forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and the life
everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Relying on the promises of God, we pray boldly for the church, the
world, and all in need.
Silence
You wash us through and through and remember our sin no more. Make your church a community of forgiveness throughout the world. Give your people courage to forgive; through them show the world new possibilities. Bless ministries of repentance and reconciliation.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
You fill the earth – from tiny grains of wheat to the mighty thunder – with your presence, and you call us to attend to your will for all creation. Grant weather that prepares the soil for seeds; protect all from violent storms, flooding, and wildfires.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
You promise to write your law on our hearts. Guide citizens throughout the world to shape communities that reflect your mercy, justice, and peace, and give them creativity to work for the welfare of all.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
You sustain us with your bountiful Spirit. Restore the joy of all who need to know your presence: those who are lonely or feel unforgivable, those who need healing of mind or body, those who are dying, and all who grieve (especially Debbie Mathers, Donald McKenzie, Darcy Oliver, Louis-Paul Poirier, Ron Snider, the family of Pastor Stan Richards as they mourn, and for all those we name aloud or in our hearts, and for all those known only to you).
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Jesus calls us to follow him in life and death. Empower this congregation in discipleship. Equip children and teachers in Sunday school, confirmation, and learning ministries. Give us your truth and wisdom and teach us to follow Jesus.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In the cross of Christ, your name is glorified. We praise you for those who have given us words to worship you. With all those who have died in Christ, bring us into life everlasting.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.
We entrust ourselves and all our prayers to you, O faithful God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Hymn of Thanksgiving – Lamb of God (ELW #336)
**Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking place.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our
way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken
us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast;
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy
Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus 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;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Blessing
You are what God made you to be: created in
Christ Jesus for good works, chosen as holy and beloved, freed to serve your
neighbor.
God bless you ☩ that you may be a blessing, in the name of the holy and life-giving Trinity.
Amen.
Sending Song – Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross (ELW #335)
Dismissal
Go in peace. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God.
