Worship Guide
March 26, 2023
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World
ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE
Greetings:
Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
People: And also with you!
Special Music: “Be Still My Soul” Michael
Centering Words:
In this sacred moment, we look for God and find the promise of hope, steadfast love, and new beginnings.
*Call to Worship:
Leader: Come, all who are weary.
People: Here, we wait for the Lord.
Leader: Come, all who have turned away from God.
People: Here, we find forgiveness and healing.
Leader: Come, all who look for hope.
People: Here, we embrace God’s steadfast love.
Leader: Come, and fill your hearts with praise and thanksgiving.
People: Let us praise God!
Leader: Let us pray
ALL: Great God of comfort and healing, we come today with many questions: “How will we survive the challenges of this day? Can we get through our moments of loss and grief? Will we be comforted when our tears flow like mighty streams?” In the midst of our questions, we hear voices of assurance and comfort. “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live. With the Lord there is steadfast love. The Spirit of God dwells in you. You will see the glory of God.” May these voices remind us of your abiding presence, and your steadfast love. Thank you for walking with us throughout our days. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Hymn: “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”
I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
I want to see the brightness of God.
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path,
and show me the way to the Father.
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
I'm looking for the coming of Christ.
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
we shall know the joy of Jesus.
In him there is no darkness at all.
The night and the day are both alike.
The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
Words of Assurance
People of God, the steadfast love and redeeming power of God is with you today and always.
You are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
*Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.
Leader: This is the Word of God, for the People of God
People: Thanks be to God!
WORD AND RESPONSE
Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me”
Children’s Message: “Pray for Waiting”
Hymn: “Cares Chorus”
I cast all my cares upon you,
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet,
and anytime that I don't know what to do,
I will cast all my cares upon you.
I cast all my cares upon you,
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet,
and anytime that I don't know what to do,
I will cast all my cares upon you.
Sermon: “Who Could Stand” John 11:1-45
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
RESPONSE TO THE WORD
Hymn: “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
daily walking close to Thee,
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
if I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but thee, dear Lord, none but thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
daily walking close to Thee,
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o’er,
time for me will be no more;
guide me gently, safely o’er
to thy shore, dear Lord, to thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
daily walking close to Thee,
let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Psalter: Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
that you may be worshiped,
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
in the Lord's word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
with the Lord is plenteous redemption.
8 And the Lord will redeem Israel
from all iniquities.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father
and to the son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Amen.
Prayers of the People Joys and concerns
Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer
SENDING FORTH
Hymn: “Days of Elijah”
These are the days of Elijah,
declaring the Word of the Lord.
And these are the days
of your servant, Moses;
righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trials,
of famine and darkness and sword,
still we are the voice in the desert crying
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord."
Behold he comes riding on the clouds,
shining like the sun at the trumpet call.
So lift your voice, it's the year of Jubilee.
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
These are the days of Ezekiel,
the dry bones becoming as flesh.
And these are the days of your servant, David,
rebuilding the temple of praise.
And these are the days of the harvest;
the fields are as white in the world.
And we are the laborers in your vineyard
declaring the Word of the Lord.
Behold he comes riding on the clouds,
shining like the sun at the trumpet call.
So lift your voice, it's the year of Jubilee.
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
Behold he comes riding on the clouds,
shining like the sun at the trumpet call.
So lift your voice, it's the year of Jubilee.
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
Behold he comes riding on the clouds,
shining like the sun at the trumpet call.
So lift your voice, it's the year of Jubilee.
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
So lift your voice,
it's the year of Jubilee.
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.
Benediction
