SIXTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series III
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Blessed in the name of the Anointed One are all who come; we
bless you from the house of Christ.
*CALL TO WORSHIP
If you saw him in the street, would you turn quickly away? Or
would you welcome him, saying, "I put my trust in you. You are
my God."
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of covenants, old and new, carved in stone and written in
heart, we confess that we have broken our agreements with you as
with others and need your forgiveness for our wrongdoing. Forget
our sins and continue your patience to us. We avoid learning
because it often entails suffering and to avoid suffering we seek
the way of ease, forgetting that even Jesus learned by the things
that he suffered. Forgive us, we pray in his saving name. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF CONFESSION
All-seeing God, all-loving God, all-encompassing God, we confess
that we can ignore what we see, that we can be indifferent to
what is too painful to acknowledge, that we can push aside what
intrudes on our personal comfort. Forgive such self-
centeredness, our lack of compassion, our lack of involvement.
Pardon our reluctant and partial imitation of the suffering
servanthood of Jesus Christ. Amen.
* +DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for
all who obey him. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus
Christ, we are forgiven.
* +++ DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The curtain of the temple was torn in two
from top to bottom signifying our ready access to the mercy seat
of God. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are
forgiven.
* +EXHORTATION
Learn obedience and gain maturity by humble submission in prayer
to the will of God.
* +++EXHORTATION
Be humble in your attitude toward one another and in that way
show that your life is like that of our humble Savior, Christ
Jesus.
* +PRAYER OF THE DAY
Patient Teacher, when we are stubborn as mules, show us a docile
donkey, so that when we are willing to bear the burden you place
on us, we may find ourselves bearing the Christ. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF THE DAY
Crucified One, we need your humble spirit if we are to face the
ridicule of the unbelieving without retaliation and accept
persecution with resignation. So empty us of pride and we will
be more like you. Amen.
* +PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
We praise you, O God, for the one who comes in your name. We
hail the humble Sovereign who comes in the nobility of
servanthood and suffering rather than in pomp and circumstance.
We welcome the coming reign of the gentle giant who blesses
children but conquers evil as our champion. Hallowed be the name
of Jesus, your anointed One, and the One we choose to follow.
Glory to God in the highest. Glory to God in the lowest. Glory
to the Spirit who lives in us. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
What a stake you have struck into the earth, O God! What a
gruesome but gracious tree you have planted on Calvary! How can
we find the words to express our thanksgiving for the gush of
life that flows from the death of your crucified Son? The
hallowed symbol of the cross and the bread and cup of the table
of the new covenant will be our sacrament to the end of time and
the everlasting feast of eternity! Amen.
* +PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Eternal One, though our gifts may wither like palms, and our
persons age and grow weak, yet receive what we give to you in
money and in service, and accomplish what will survive with us in
eternity. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF DEDICATION
All the earnings of my lifetime, magnanimous God, are miniscule
beside the offering of your Bethlehem Child and Calvary Son, so
may I offer myself, my lifetime, my eternity in worship and
servanthood. 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
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.
Blessed in the name of the Anointed One are all who come; we
bless you from the house of Christ.
*CALL TO WORSHIP
If you saw him in the street, would you turn quickly away? Or
would you welcome him, saying, "I put my trust in you. You are
my God."
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God of covenants, old and new, carved in stone and written in
heart, we confess that we have broken our agreements with you as
with others and need your forgiveness for our wrongdoing. Forget
our sins and continue your patience to us. We avoid learning
because it often entails suffering and to avoid suffering we seek
the way of ease, forgetting that even Jesus learned by the things
that he suffered. Forgive us, we pray in his saving name. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF CONFESSION
All-seeing God, all-loving God, all-encompassing God, we confess
that we can ignore what we see, that we can be indifferent to
what is too painful to acknowledge, that we can push aside what
intrudes on our personal comfort. Forgive such self-
centeredness, our lack of compassion, our lack of involvement.
Pardon our reluctant and partial imitation of the suffering
servanthood of Jesus Christ. Amen.
* +DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for
all who obey him. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus
Christ, we are forgiven.
* +++ DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! The curtain of the temple was torn in two
from top to bottom signifying our ready access to the mercy seat
of God. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are
forgiven.
* +EXHORTATION
Learn obedience and gain maturity by humble submission in prayer
to the will of God.
* +++EXHORTATION
Be humble in your attitude toward one another and in that way
show that your life is like that of our humble Savior, Christ
Jesus.
* +PRAYER OF THE DAY
Patient Teacher, when we are stubborn as mules, show us a docile
donkey, so that when we are willing to bear the burden you place
on us, we may find ourselves bearing the Christ. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF THE DAY
Crucified One, we need your humble spirit if we are to face the
ridicule of the unbelieving without retaliation and accept
persecution with resignation. So empty us of pride and we will
be more like you. Amen.
* +PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
We praise you, O God, for the one who comes in your name. We
hail the humble Sovereign who comes in the nobility of
servanthood and suffering rather than in pomp and circumstance.
We welcome the coming reign of the gentle giant who blesses
children but conquers evil as our champion. Hallowed be the name
of Jesus, your anointed One, and the One we choose to follow.
Glory to God in the highest. Glory to God in the lowest. Glory
to the Spirit who lives in us. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
What a stake you have struck into the earth, O God! What a
gruesome but gracious tree you have planted on Calvary! How can
we find the words to express our thanksgiving for the gush of
life that flows from the death of your crucified Son? The
hallowed symbol of the cross and the bread and cup of the table
of the new covenant will be our sacrament to the end of time and
the everlasting feast of eternity! Amen.
* +PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Eternal One, though our gifts may wither like palms, and our
persons age and grow weak, yet receive what we give to you in
money and in service, and accomplish what will survive with us in
eternity. Amen.
* +++PRAYER OF DEDICATION
All the earnings of my lifetime, magnanimous God, are miniscule
beside the offering of your Bethlehem Child and Calvary Son, so
may I offer myself, my lifetime, my eternity in worship and
servanthood. 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
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.
