SIXTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series III, Cycle A
CALL TO WORSHIP AND INVOCATION
Jesus had a choice -
His was the nomination for king
If he wanted it.
But he had other things to do -
Proclaiming God's Kingdom:
To serve instead of being served,
To rule people's heart,
And not the government.
O Jesus, we thank you
You chose not to be
Just another king.
But now, as on Palm Sunday,
You still proclaim God's Kingdom
Of service and love,
And lead our willing hearts
To live and share your peace. Amen.
(The Palm Sunday Choice, Dean R. Bembower, In Other Words.)
+++CALL TO WORSHIP AND INVOCATION
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
We thank you, Eternal God, that you have answered us and have become our salvation through the human pilgrimage of Jesus Christ, doing good, healing the sick, suffering unjustly, dying heroically, rising victoriously. Vicariously and in reality help us to join you in your suffering in conflict with evil that we may worship you here and hereafter. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Court of Last Appeal, we are too ready to judge others and to defend ourselves. We are impatient that you should set things right and vindicate our "good name". We are more prone to insult others than to accept slight and insult with patience. Rather than turn the other cheek, we lash out with as much vehemence as we can gather. Rather than keep silence, we resort to name-calling and other verbal abuse. Forgive our short tempers and abuse of others, for the sake of the forbearing Christ. Amen.
+/+++ DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The divine Child came in humility as a human to the lowliness of servanthood and the shame of a criminal's death, and for his obedience, God raised him to the heights and bestowed on him the Name above all names. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
+/+++EXHORTATION
Let your bearing toward one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus.
+PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign Jesus, after the excitement of the parade has passed, grant us pause to meditate on the majesty of your gentleness and the truth of what you teach and what you are, for we would become more like you as bearers of the name, Christian. Amen.
+++PRAYER OF THE DAY
Divine, Parent, whenever we think life is unfair to us or that we are given more than our share of suffering, remind us of the patience of Jesus and his trust, despite feelings of abandonment, so that our faith will not fail and our trust in you give evidence that we also are your children. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
God of glory, God of grace, we rejoice with humble hearts as we celebrate the condescension of the One who was your equal but left such glory for a while, to become human, in the lowliness of servitude, the pain of suffering and the indignity of death. We raise our voices in exultation that you exalt the Christ again in raising him to the heights and bestowing on him the supreme name in the whole universe, announcing that Jesus the anointed is Lord. All glory be given to you, in praise of your vulnerability and your victory, one God, great in grace and great in glory. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF DEDICATION
No offering that we bring, can compare, O God, with the offering of your Son Jesus, and the self-offering that he makes on the cross. Nevertheless, may that example move us beyond giving to the genuine offering of ourselves in obedient service at all costs,for Jesus' sake. Amen.
+PSALM 118:1-2, 19-29
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!
O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
+++PSALM 31:9-16
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many - terror all around! -
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
Jesus had a choice -
His was the nomination for king
If he wanted it.
But he had other things to do -
Proclaiming God's Kingdom:
To serve instead of being served,
To rule people's heart,
And not the government.
O Jesus, we thank you
You chose not to be
Just another king.
But now, as on Palm Sunday,
You still proclaim God's Kingdom
Of service and love,
And lead our willing hearts
To live and share your peace. Amen.
(The Palm Sunday Choice, Dean R. Bembower, In Other Words.)
+++CALL TO WORSHIP AND INVOCATION
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
We thank you, Eternal God, that you have answered us and have become our salvation through the human pilgrimage of Jesus Christ, doing good, healing the sick, suffering unjustly, dying heroically, rising victoriously. Vicariously and in reality help us to join you in your suffering in conflict with evil that we may worship you here and hereafter. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Court of Last Appeal, we are too ready to judge others and to defend ourselves. We are impatient that you should set things right and vindicate our "good name". We are more prone to insult others than to accept slight and insult with patience. Rather than turn the other cheek, we lash out with as much vehemence as we can gather. Rather than keep silence, we resort to name-calling and other verbal abuse. Forgive our short tempers and abuse of others, for the sake of the forbearing Christ. Amen.
+/+++ DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The divine Child came in humility as a human to the lowliness of servanthood and the shame of a criminal's death, and for his obedience, God raised him to the heights and bestowed on him the Name above all names. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
+/+++EXHORTATION
Let your bearing toward one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus.
+PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign Jesus, after the excitement of the parade has passed, grant us pause to meditate on the majesty of your gentleness and the truth of what you teach and what you are, for we would become more like you as bearers of the name, Christian. Amen.
+++PRAYER OF THE DAY
Divine, Parent, whenever we think life is unfair to us or that we are given more than our share of suffering, remind us of the patience of Jesus and his trust, despite feelings of abandonment, so that our faith will not fail and our trust in you give evidence that we also are your children. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
God of glory, God of grace, we rejoice with humble hearts as we celebrate the condescension of the One who was your equal but left such glory for a while, to become human, in the lowliness of servitude, the pain of suffering and the indignity of death. We raise our voices in exultation that you exalt the Christ again in raising him to the heights and bestowing on him the supreme name in the whole universe, announcing that Jesus the anointed is Lord. All glory be given to you, in praise of your vulnerability and your victory, one God, great in grace and great in glory. Amen.
+/+++PRAYER OF DEDICATION
No offering that we bring, can compare, O God, with the offering of your Son Jesus, and the self-offering that he makes on the cross. Nevertheless, may that example move us beyond giving to the genuine offering of ourselves in obedient service at all costs,for Jesus' sake. Amen.
+PSALM 118:1-2, 19-29
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!
O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.
We bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
+++PSALM 31:9-16
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horror to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many - terror all around! -
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
