An Easter Sunrise Service (John)

Download this service here.

GREETING
In the darkness of our sin, the grace of God rises like the dawn.
In the coldness of our hearts, hope rises like the sun.
Into all that is dark and cold in our lives, the light of God shines.
From the sleep of sin and the dust of our death
a new day rises, and with it our hearts.
O God of grace, shine your light upon us!
Come to us, and renew us, O God of life!
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 20. 1-10

SONG Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises
Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!

OLD TESTAMENT READING From Exodus 14.10 – 15.1

PSALTER Psalm 107.1-2, 10-15
O give thanks to Yahweh, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom God has redeemed from trouble.
We sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for we had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Our hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
we fell down, with no one to help.
Then we cried to God in our trouble,
and God saved us from our distress.
God brought us out of darkness and gloom,
and broke our bonds asunder.
Oh God, we thank you for you steadfast love,
for your wonderful works to humankind.


GOSPEL John 20.11-18

SONG (Tune: Now the Green Blade Rises)

So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.

Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.

We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,.
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!

ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!
O God, on the cross we have assaulted you with all of our evil.
And you have overcome our evil with forgiveness,
and overcome the dealing of death by the giving of life.
Christ, on the cross you have shared our suffering and shame,
received our sin and died our death.
But the God of Life has raised you up, free from death and sin!
Christ, in your rising, we are brought to life.
All Creation awakens. The earth begins a new song.
May we, too, blossom forth with new life in your Spirit.
Victorious Savior, have mercy on us all!

NEW TESTAMENT READING 1 Peter 1.3-9

MEDITATION

SONG

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

PRAYER OF BLESSING
Loving God, we thank you for your grace. Raise us to new life with Christ. Forgive our sin, heal our sorrows, transform our despair, strengthen us in our struggles, and create us anew. Receive our death and give us life eternal, life in you. Grant that we may live new lives in Christ, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. God, you are our life, which is eternal. Sustain us with your mercy, fill us with your love, and bless us that we may serve you for the sake of healing, justice and joy in the name of Christ. Amen.

SONG

BLESSING
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

SENDING FORTH & PASSING THE PEACE

Easter Sunday

April 9, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Acts 10.34-43 Peter tells the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Psalm 118. A
song of God’s victory. What we thought was failure God has made triumph: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Colossians 3.1-4 . We have died and been raised with Christ: be mindful that your life is “hidden in God.”

Matthew 28.1-10. T
he women come to Jesus’ tomb and find that he has been raised.

Preaching Thoughts

The Gospel readings
If there is both a sunrise service and a regular one, I recommend using one Gospel at each. The John reading lends itself to two scenes that may be separate readings: verses 1-10, Mary at the tomb; and 11-18, Jesus and Mary. I like to begin the service with the gospel reading (Mt 28.1-11, or Jn. 20.1-10) followed by a response as a call to worship.

Preaching Resurrection
It’s common to preach stuff that’s almost Resurrection but not really. For some folks Easter is some kind of victory party as if our team won the championship. Easter is about victory, yes, but not ours. It’s God’s victory over our sin, over our judgment of others, over our injustice and violence. It’s love’s victory over death and over our fear of it.

Resurrection is not just happy endings. Resurrection isn’t the same as “bouncing back.” There’s no “back” to it It’s about being plunged forward, into a new life that’s not just more of the old one. Resurrection is more like an unexpected beginning than a happy ending. God miraculously creates life where there was none—and no potential—before. Resurrection is not the same as near-death. It’s actual death. Failure. Surrender. It’s out of our brokenness that resurrection comes. Resurrection is not “return;” it’s transformation. (I think that’s why Jesus’ friends didn’t recognize him on Easter: he was changed.) Resurrection is the transformation that happens when we surrender to love. When we give our lives in love God gives us new ones.

It’s tempting to make resurrection the doorway to the afterlife, but it’s not only that, either. Resurrection is the doorway to this life. “Unless a seed dies and is buried it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn. 12.24). Jesus wasn’t interested in the afterlife—that is, being dead—but in living this life with love. “Eternal life” doesn’t mean immortality. (Are you kidding? People act as if they want to live forever but they can’t even abide a worship service that goes a few minutes over an hour—and they want to live for millions of years? No way.) Eternal life doesn’t mean life that’s long; it means life that’s infinitely deep. It means life with infinite life in it, with God in it. It means life that can’t be taken from us—not by what happens to us, not by our own actions, not even by death. It means harmony with the infinite love of God. When we abandon the selfish desires of our egos, and the illusion that we are separate individuals instead of members of one Body we enter into life that is greater than our own physical survival (see Romans 7 and 8).

Resurrection is also about the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone. Again, I don’t mean the triumph of the underdog. I mean the Divine Presence in places we don’t see it, in situations we discount and people we reject. It’s about God’s justice that comes about even if we miss it.

We proclaim the resurrection of the body. Resurrection after this life is not just that we “live on” in people’s memories. It’s that the essence of who we are is embodied in a way that outlives our earthly bodies. What does this mean, exactly? Well, maybe it means we have a body like our old one… or a new one (Paul talks about an earthly body and a resurrection body)…. or we become part of the Body of Christ, which is a real, physical earthly body… But this is all speculation, and it drives people away if we pretend it’s fact. I think it’s important to both affirm that resurrection is both a reality and a mystery. Overall, I’d rather focus on resurrection not as the portal to the afterlife but transformation in this life.

Call to Worship

1.
As I mention above, I like opening worship with the Gospel proclamation—either Matthew 28.1-10 or John 20.1-10, followed by an Acclamation:

Leader: Jesus emptied himself, shared in our sufferings, and received our scorn. All: In humility and trust he became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
God has raised the Crucified One to new life!
Death no longer has dominion!
God has rescued us from the power of darkness,
and brought us into the dominion of God’s Beloved.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

2.
In love Christ became empty.
All: and obedient to death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Christ is raised from the dead by the love of God!
The Crucified One is risen!
Christ has conquered by the cross!
All our hope is in him! Alleluia!
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not,
will not,
can not overcome it.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
ALLELUIA!

* I like to do this with two readers, to provide for a sense of crescendo, like this:


Reader 1: In love Christ became empty.
All: and obedient to death on a cross.
Reader 2: But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
Both readers in unison: Christ is raised from the dead by the love of God!
The Crucified One is risen!
Reader 1:Christ has conquered by the cross!
All our hope is in him! Alleluia!
Reader 2:The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not,
Both readers: will not,
can not overcome it.
Reader 1:Alleluia! Reader 2:Alleluia! Both: Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA!

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Holy God, we thank you and praise you for the mystery of your grace.
For on the cross Jesus your Christ bore all that separates us from you and from life;
yet sin and oppression and suffering and death were unable to defeat him.
By his glorious resurrection you have delivered us from the power of death.
Gracious God, make us die every day to sin.
Birth us anew, so that we may walk in newness of life with Christ,
in the joy of eternal life and the life-giving power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Holy Mystery, Sunrise of Love,
Daybreak of Justice, Miracle of Life, we praise you.
Into the grave of fear and death you have shone your light;
you have transformed our shadows into joy.
All that defeats and diminishes life you have laid in the tomb,
and emptied that tomb by your grace.
Christ has borne our sin into the earth, and risen, free and joyful.
Christ has borne our death into the grave,
and risen, living and radiant.
You have raised us with Christ, and we thank you.
We praise you. We worship you. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

3.
God of Love,
you have changed death into life.
You have changed our fear into courage.
You have changed despair into hope.
Change our hearts, that being raised with Christ
we may live brand new lives,
in the mystery and the power of your love. Amen.

4.
God of resurrection, we thank you,
for you have raised Christ from the dead.
To the poor in spirit you have given your Realm.
Those who mourn you have comforted with great joy.
Those who hunger for justice you have fed with grace.
To the merciful you have given tender mercy.

5.
To those who are persecuted you have given victory.
To the gentle now belongs the world.
We praise you for your grace.
May your spirit of resurrection guide and uphold us
now and always, in the company of the living Christ. Amen.

6.
The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, for Christ, our life, has risen. We give abundant thanks and praise to you, O God! In your victory, O Christ, help us shed all sin and death. In your rising, help us receive new life. In your power, direct our lives as your new creation. Grant that we may live new lives in Christ, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. Sustain us with your mercy, and bestow upon us your abiding peace and gladness, so that we may find joy in serving you. O Christ, you are our life, which is eternal. We thank you. Grant us grace to receive the gift of life, and by your Spirit to live as fearless servants of your love. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

God of Mystery, God of Glory, God of Life,
as Mary stood weeping at the tomb,
not seeing yet the living Christ beside her,
we enter the stillness of the garden
and gaze into the empty grave,
and listen in the hovering silence.

Response / Creed / Affirmation

1. (1 Pet. 1.3; Eph. 2. 4-6 Rom. 6.4; Col. 3.3 Ps. 51.10)

Alleluia! Blessed be the God and Life-Giver of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Mercy God has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
God, rich in mercy, out of great love for us, has made us alive together with Christ,
and raised us up and seated us with Christ.
We have been buried with Christ by baptism into death,
so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God,
we too might walk in newness of life.
Gracious God, we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in you.
Spirit of Life, create us anew!
Create in us a clean heart, and put a new and right spirit within us.
Forgive our sin, and wash us clean in the water of new birth.
Heal us, redeem us, and set us free.
Spirit of Blessing, be our freedom and our life!
Through your risen Son grant victory over the enemies of life.
May your spirit of resurrection overcome all violence, injustice, hatred and greed.
Through your crucified and risen Christ, we pray for your church,
that, committing our spirit into your hands,
we may die and be raised to newness of life.
Grant us the joy of your life-giving resurrection,
and make us by your grace a new and holy people. Amen.


2.
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Eucharistic Prayer

Click here for eight settings of the Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen to familiar tunes appropriate for the Easter season.

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]
1.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you, God, for in the beginning you brought light out of darkness.
From the dust of the earth you made us, lifted us, and breathed life into us.
You make us your people, and promise to be our God.
You walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death.
You condemn the forces of injustice and oppression, and set free the imprisoned.
You set us free from what binds us and go with us toward your new world.
You raise up what is dead and lift up those who are without hope.
Light out of darkness! Hope from despair! Life out of death!
This is your way. We give thanks, and with all Creation we praise you.
            [Sanctus, spoken:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
                     —or—
[sung, to the tune of “Joyful, Joyful”]
     Holy, Holy, Holy Yahweh, God of mercy, God of light,
     all Creation’s ra-diant with your loving presence shining bright.
     Blessed is the one who_ comes_ in your_ holy name, O God.
     Praise to God! Hosanna in the highest! Alleluia!


Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He loved and blessed, healed and taught.
Spurning privilege and exclusion
he created a community of love and reconciliation
whose power stood against the forces of empire and violence.
For this he was crucified—but you have raised him from the dead!


[The Blessing and Covenant … ]

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.
As often as we break this bread and share this cup,
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
                     —or—
             [sung, same tune]
Christ has died and Christ is risen. Christ will come again in love.
Praise to God! Hosanna in the highest. Alleluia!


Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be the Body of Christ,
who have died and have been raised to new life,
to serve you in love without fear,
in the power of your Holy Spirit
and the strength of eternal life.

     [Spoken:]
Amen
.
                     —or—
             [sung, same tune]

By your mercy you have raised us up with Jesus from the dead.
In your Spirit re-create us as your new, life-giving Bread.
Send us out to die with Christ in love, and raise us up again,
serving you, with praise and glory. Alleluia. Amen.


__________

2.
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all things,
ruler of the world and all that is to come.
You brought light out of darkness, Creation out of chaos.
By mighty acts you delivered your people from slavery,
and brought them back from exile.
In the fullness of time you sent your Son, Jesus Christ.
By the baptism of his death and resurrection
you made with us a new covenant,
that neither sin nor suffering nor death
shall ever separate us from your love in Christ Jesus.
You have doomed the powers of injustice and oppression,
and granted your children the freedom of eternal life.
Therefore with all Creation we sing as one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
                     —or—

(sung; tune: Christ the Lord is Risen Today)
Holy God, thou source of life, Alleluia!
All Creation bears your Light! Alleluia!
Praise, Hosanna! God above! Alleluia!
Blessed is the one who bears your love! Alleluia

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who is the resurrection and the life
In your Spirit he preached good news to the poor,
brought sight to the blind and release to the captives,
set at liberty those who were oppressed,
and proclaimed the time of pardon.
Though divine, he emptied himself
and took the nature of a servant; and in human form
he humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death.

[… The Blessing and Covenant …]

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion.
We have died with Christ; we shall also live with him.

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
                     —or—
                                          [sung, same tune]
Dying, Christ destroys our death. Alleluia!
Rising, Christ restores our life. Alleluia!
Christ in glory shall return. Alleluia!
Raise us; make our living new. Alleluia!

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
Grant that by the grace of resurrection imparted in this meal
we may die to sin and be free of all evil.
Set us free from all fear, oppression and idolatry,
that we may live anew each moment,
according to your will, to your eternal glory.
Establish your gracious Dominion in us,
that we may be the Body of Christ, crucified and risen:
one in your love, one in your Spirit,
and one in ministry, for the redemption of the world.

     [Spoken]
Amen
.
                     —or—
     [Sung, same tune]God, we give to you our hearts. Alleluia!
May your church your love impart. Alleluia!
Raise us up with Christ anew, Alleluia!
As Christ’s Body, serving you. Alleluia!

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.


Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May the Resurrection of Christ, the Bread of eternal life, be food for our souls. Send us into the world to proclaim the good news; to live lives of love and healing, made new by your grace; and to devote ourselves to the healing of the world, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Christ is risen. As members of the Body of Christ, crucified and risen, may we embody love, embody resurrection, embody your victory over death and fear, over sin and injustice. May we embody your everlasting joy, to your glory, in the name and the spirit and the eternal companionship of Jesus. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May the Resurrection of Christ be food for our souls. May the living presence of Christ be light for our feet. Having fed upon the eternal life of Christ, we give thanks that death no longer has dominion over us. Send us into the world to proclaim the good news; to live lives of love and healing, made new by your grace; and to devote ourselves to the healing of the world, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Communion Songs for Easter set to familiar tunes(
Nine songs of invitation to the table, set to these melodies:
All Creatures of Our God and King,
Infant Holy, Be Thou My Vision, HOLY MANNA,
The Gift of Love / Water Is Wide, Finlandia,
Morning Has Broken, Fairest Lord Jesus, Joyful Joyful.


Easter Eucharistic Responses
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and Amen set to:
All Things Bright and Beautiful
(Includes Preface)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Fairest Lord Jesus
Finlandia
, HOLY MANNA, Joyful Joyful, Morning Has Broken
Now the Green Blade Rises, Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us


Children of the Resurrection (Tune: HOLY MANNA. Alternate: Ode to Joy)

Christ is risen! Baptized in his death and rising, so are we.
Children of the resurrection, we are one now; we are free.
Fear no longer holds us, and we live with love courageously,
giving gifts and sharing love for God, who loves eternally.

* In this feast we greet the risen Christ, who calls us all in grace,
gathered into one and fed with love, we now are mercy’s face.
Now we are Christ’s risen Body; for the world we now are light,
children of the resurrection, radiant with eternal life.

* Without communion: “With glad hearts we greet the risen Christ …”


Christ Is Our Sunrise (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ is now living— Alleluia!—
wondrously giving life out of death,
hope gently spoken when we were hopeless,
when we were broken, life-giving breath.

God, you have sought us deep in our suffering,
and you have brought us out of our fear,
gently revealing your presence in us,
tenderly healing, drawing us near.

Christ, in your rising you are our sunrise,
drawing surprising green from the seed.
Still your light finds us, wrapped in our grave clothes;
from all that binds us, now we are freed.

God, your grace gives us brand new tomorrows.
As Christ forgives us we are made new.
Now liberated from sin and sorrow,
newly created, we follow you.


Like the Sun Rising (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Christ, we surrender all of our living
into your tender, merciful grace
Baptized in you, we join in your dying,
and rising, too, in your life’s embrace.

Christ, you are living in us in mercy,
faithfully giving life that is true.
Like the sun rising, fresh every morning,
free and surprising, we are made new.

Great Holy Spirit, live in us daily,
free from the fear that once bound us in,
free now to love our neighbors with courage,
rising above our death and our sin.

Blest and forgiven and resurrected,
set free for living by grace alone,
may we live lives of gentle compassion,
with the same light that in you has shone.


Morning is Breaking (Tune: Morning Has Broken)

Morning is breaking, sorrowful morning,
as we are making haste to the tomb:
cold and despairing, numb and defeated,
painfully bearing darkness and gloom.

But in the dawning we see the grave now,
empty and yawning, bright like the sun.
Angels in glory say he is risen!
“Go tell the story: Death is undone!”

We came to grieve our crucified Jesus,
but, loving God, you opened his grave!
Jesus is living! Yours is the victory,
great in forgiving, mighty to save.

God, you have greeted sin with forgiveness;
you have defeated evil and fear.
Light of his rising, shine in our courage,
pure, energizing, radiant and clear.

Morning is breaking bright in our hearts now,
as we are waking, light in our eyes.
With him we offer love without fear, for
with him we suffer, with him we rise.


Resurrection Light (Tune: Joyful, Joyful)
[There are additional verses in the downloadable document, especially for a sunrise service]

Holy God, we sing your praises, and we give our thanks to you!
On this day of resurrection all things are created new!
Sin and death you have defeated, raising Christ from death to life.
All of life now shines, transfigured by your resurrection light.

In your mercy you have shattered every tomb we cannot flee.
From whatever binds and traps us, you have set your children free:
free to live in every moment life that is a gift from you,
life unfettered, in your Spirit, life unbounded, always new.

Help us to receive this life that rises up and soars above.
Grant us courage for self-giving; grant us trusting, fearless love.
Help us lose the lives we cling to; with compassion and delight
give our lives, receiving new ones, bright with resurrection light.


Spring Now Blooms (Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises)

Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!

Verse 2, Synoptic version:
* Then an angel greets us, speaking to our fear,saying “Christ is risen. See, he is not here.”Now our despair itself has passed away,and we feel new life rise in the dawning day.

Verse 2, John version:
So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.

Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.

We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,.
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!

Good Friday Liturgy # 3

This service focuses on intercessory prayers.
Click here for this service in a downloadable .doc file.

Good Friday Liturgy

INTRODUCTION (Philippians 2. 5-11)
Though Christ was by nature divine,
Christ did not cling to equality with God,
but in utter self-emptying, took the form of a slave,
and was born as a human.
God have mercy.
Appearing in human form,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Christ have mercy.
Therefore God has highly exalted Christ,
with a name above all others,
that every knee should bend, and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ reigns supreme, to the glory of God the Giver of Life.
God have mercy, and grant us your peace.

KYRIE or other MUSIC

PRAYER
God of love, look with mercy upon your beloved people, for whom Jesus was willing to suffer. Delivered into our hands, he bore our sin in his body and our anguish in his soul. In him we behold the fullness of our human weakness and your divine grace. In your vulnerability for us, in your forgiveness, in your life-giving love, may we, and all who remember this day, find healing, liberation from our sin, and new life in you, that we may walk in your ways, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to your eternal glory. Amen.

SILENT PRAYER

OLD TESTAMENT (Isaiah 52.13 – 53.12)
My servant, you shall prosper;
you shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at you—
so marred was your appearance, beyond human semblance,
and your form beyond that of mortals—
so you shall startle many nations;
rulers shall shut their mouths because of you;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

Who would have believed what you have just heard?
And to whom has the arm of the Holy One been revealed?
For you grew up before God like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
you had no form or majesty to impress us,
nothing in your appearance that we should desire you.

You were despised and rejected;
one who knew suffering and was familiar with pain;
people despised you and looked away,
and considered you worthless.

Surely you have borne our weakness and carried our diseases.
We thought you were being stricken by God,
punished and humiliated—
but you suffered because of our sins,
and were wounded by the evil we have done.
You were punished, and yet we are made whole;
for in your suffering we find healing.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way;
in you God has exposed our violence.


SILENT PRAYERS OF CONFESSION

You were oppressed and afflicted,
yet you did not open your mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so you did not open your mouth.
By a perversion of justice you were taken away.
Who could have imagined your future?
For you were cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people.
They made your grave with the wicked
and your tomb with the rich,
although you had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in your mouth.

Yet God delights in you, who were crushed with pain,
You shall see your offspring,
and shall prolong your days;
through you God’s will shall prevail.

Through your anguish you shall see light;
and knowing the truth, you will find peace.
O righteous one, God’s servant,
you hall make many righteous,
as you suffer for their sins.

Therefore God will allot you a portion with the great,
and you shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because you poured out yourself to death,
and were numbered with the transgressors;
you bore the sin of many,
yet forgave the transgressors.

SONG

NEW TESTAMENT Hebrews 10.14-23

PSALTER Psalm 31.1-16

GOSPEL from John 18.33 – 19.30

REFLECTION

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.
Have mercy on us.
In your forgiveness in the face of evil,
receive our sins, and grant us peace.

By the mystery of your love in the face of violence,
Show us your way, O God.
Put to death all that is evil in us,
that we may never judge, blame or accuse your children;
that we may never harm, abuse or exploit your Beloved.
Grant that we may die with Christ; and raise us to new life.
Into your hands we commit our spirit.
Silence

O Christ, give us faith to trust your presence in our struggles.
Give us grace to face our trials with love and courage.
O Christ, in your humility, your struggle and your suffering,
give comfort and healing to all who suffer.
We pray for all who are afflicted in body, mind or spirit.
For the hungry, the homeless, the destitute and the poor.
For the sick, and those who struggle with addiction.
For those in loneliness, fear and anguish.
For those who face temptation, doubt or despair.
For relationships that are strained and spirits that are broken.
For the sorrowful and bereaved, and all who experience loss.
For all who are oppressed, abused, or exploited.
For prisoners, and those who face cruelty, torture or execution.
For refugees, immigrants and all victims of war.
In your mercy, God, comfort and heal your Beloved children.
In Christ on the cross you are present with them.
Grant them knowledge of your love,
and stir up in us the grace to minister to their needs.
Silence
We pray for your holy Church, the Body of Christ.
Impart to us the Spirit of gentleness and peace,
the Spirit of compassion and forgiveness.

We pray for the unity of all believers, and those of other faiths,
and those unable to believe. May we learn your way of love.
For the sake of the crucified Christ,
help us to resist evil, injustice and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves.
We pray for all who exercise power in the world.
We pray that your Empire of Grace may prevail
over the empires of privilege, exclusion and violence.
God, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. God, have mercy.
Silence

THE PRAYER OF JESUS (Lord’s Prayer”)”

SONG

THE SEVEN LAST WORDS

SILENT REFLECTION

You may remain as long as you wish, in silent prayer.

Maundy Thursday

March 28, 2024

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 1-4, 11-14. The Passover feast

Psalm 116. Thanks for God’s saving grace. “I will lift the cup of salvation.”

1 Corinthians 11.23-26. Paul passes on the tradition that at the last supper Jesus said “this is my body… this is my blood.”

John 13.1-17, 31b-35. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives them the commandment to love one another.

Guiding Thoughts

The word “Maundy” is rooted in “commandment.” On this might we focus on the distinctive mark of Christian faith, not the Ten Commandments but the One Commandment: to love one another as Christ has loved us. Note that, as usual, Jesus raises the bar above the golden rule: we are commanded to love our neighbor not just as we love ourselves (which is admittedly imperfect) but as Christ has loved is, which is, in fact, perfect. Jesus embodies this love in washing our feet as a servant, and will do so in his forgiveness on the cross.

Two powerful rituals occur this evening. You may chose to observe either or both. Communion is most directly tied to the Last Supper, although it is also a re-enactment of every instance of Jesus feeding us. Notice how often Jesus “took, broke, blessed and gave” bread: the loaves and fishes, the meal at Emmaus, the Easter breakfast on the beach. Those four actions, or parts of them, occur multiple times in the gospels as well as in 1 Corinthians 11. Powerful actions, they are. Jesus himself is taken, blessed, broken and given. And as disciples so are we.

On Holy Thursday we give special attention to the sacrament of communion. It’s appropriate to expand it so it takes up most of the service. (My Maundy Thursday Liturgies do this. See below.) If you use one of the extended eucharistic prayers I offer, you might want to shorten the rest of the service. If you use one of the extended Eucharistic prayers I offer, you might want to shorten the rest of the service.

The gospels portray the Jesus’ last supper as a Passover meal, a celebration of God’s liberation of the Hebrews from slavery, and a recognition of God’s desire for the liberation of all who are still oppressed. Passover is woven of past and present, celebration and confession, personal and political. (The actual meal may not have been at Passover; even if so it wouldn’t have been what we knows as a Passover Seder: that was a later invention.) As we lament the oppression in the world it is appropriate to examine our complicity in injustice an participation in systems that benefit us at others’ expense: social sins including greed, racism, materialism, heterosexism, xenophobia, violence of all kinds, abuse of the earth, and systems that produce poverty…. At the same time that God judges these evils God loves us, forgives us, and redeems us, empowering us to live in new ways. Methodist baptismal vows ask us to “accept the power Gods gives us to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” So our confrontation of our sin is not gloomy but hopeful. This is the good news of the cross. God meets us in our sin, as both victim and judge, with love.

In John’s gospel the Last Supper is followed by a footwashing. Enacting this can be challenging in any American congregation, because of its awkwardness and intimacy. Of course that’s what makes it so powerful. Love invites us to risk feeling awkward and not in control, for the sake of another person: washing feet, getting on our knees, doing something that feels beneath us, in love. And the image of Jesus, the Chosen One, getting on his knees and doing a lowly chore, tenderly, for our sake—well, there you have it.

Maundy Thursday Liturgies

Liturgy #1 is a Eucharistic service focusing on communion with Christ.
         Foot-washing is optional but not the focus
Liturgy #2 is a Eucharistic service focusing on justice.
         Foot-washing is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #3 is a foot-washing service. Eucharist is optional but not the focus.
Liturgy #4 an anointing service linking the raising of Lazarus, the meal at Mary and Lazarus’ home, Mary’s anointing of Jesus, and Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet. Both communion and anointing (not necessarily washing feet) are emphasized.

An extended Eucharistic Prayer, interspersed with brief scripture readings.

General Resources

Opening Prayer

1.
Leader: Blessed are You, Holy One our God, Ruler of the Universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.
All: We praise you, God, for the abundance of the earth.
You give all creatures their food in due season.
We give thanks for your grace, that when we were slaves in Egypt, you set us free.
You commanded us to remember our bondage,
to remember your mighty acts, and to remember all those who are still oppressed.
We come to your table to share this bread that you give to all people.
We receive it with praise and thanksgiving,
and pray that by your grace we may bear it to all of your Beloved,
especially those who hunger, in the name of Christ. Amen.


2.
Leader:
God of love, in a time of fear you invite us in love.
All: In a time of division you make us one.
In a time of violence you give us your peace.
In a time of uncertainty you remind us of your Covenant.

Even Jesus, your Beloved, faces his death, he shares with us the joy of life.
We give thanks. Grateful, humble and hungry,
we come to the table of grace. Amen.


3.
Leader: God is with you.
All: And also with you.
On this day we remember Jesus’ command to love one another.
God, we come to receive your love, so that we may pass it on.
Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.
We are the friends for whom Jesus laid down his life.
Grateful and humbled, we come to behold your love,
to feast upon your grace, and to die and rise with Christ in love. Amen.

Collect / Prayer of the day

1.
Holy One, on this night we remember Jesus gathering with his disciples for a Passover meal. You have delivered your people from slavery, and you call us to celebrate. Tonight we give thanks for the love by which you set us free from our fear of death; we confess our part in the oppression of others, and we pray for all who are still in bondage. In wonder and gratitude we meditate on the mystery of this supper in which you give yourself to us. We pray that as we receive the bread of the earth we may also receive the bread of heaven. We pray in the name and the companionship of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, you invite us to feast on your grace. We come.
Generous God, you give us yourself. We open ourselves to you.

Gentle God, you suffer our violence. We confess our sin and receive your grace.
Loving God, you renew us. Feed us your love, and we shall live.

3.
Gracious God, as Jesus ate with his friends, we come to experience the grace of your table. As Jesus celebrated your Passover, we come to rejoice that your deliver us from sin and death. As Jesus washed the feet of his friends, we come to be washed in your love. Jesus commanded us to love one another,; fill us with the bread of our love, that we may humbly and lovingly serve the world in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
God of grace, as Jesus called his beloved friends to the table, so you call us now, to share in table fellowship as siblings, to give thanks for Jesus, and to receive him into our hearts. Fill us with the love of Christ, that we may be his faithful disciples. Amen.

5.
Loving God, on this night in which Jesus gathered with his disciples, you gather us in your presence. You speak the Word of your love to us. You give us yourself and feed us with your Spirit. And you call us to love in your name. We open our hearts to you, that we may receive you with joy, be filled with your love, and go forth in the power of your Spirit to love and serve all in the name of the crucified and risen Christ, our Savior and our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Loving God, we will betray you; yet you invite us to your table.
We will deny you; yet you give us yourself in love.
We will fail to pray with you; yet you pray for us.
We will crucify you; yet you forgive us.
We confess our sin. We receive your grace.

2.
God of love, we give thanks for the mystery of this meal,
in which, even in our sin, you offer us love and grace.
Therefore we are bold to confess our sin to you with one another.
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you
with all our heart, nor loved our neighbors as ourselves.
In our fear we have withheld compassion.
In anger we have judged others. We have betrayed Christ.
We repent of our sin, and ask your forgiveness
.

3. [May also be used as a follow-up prayer to #2 above.]
Gracious God, grant us Christ’s spirit of humility, obedience and love.
Set us free from our bondage to self,
that by your grace we may enter into the fellowship of his suffering
and the body of his love, trusting in your grace alone.
Grant that in his spirit we may freely serve one another
in all lowliness, for the sake of your will. Amen.


Listening Prayer

Jesus, I would not have you wash my feet.
I am too proud.
And I am also unworthy.
Heal both my shame and my pride.
Let me feel your tender love, your strong hands,
the cleansing of your love.
Wash my feet.

Eucharistic Prayer

[See also an alternative Eucharistic Prayer.]

[The body of the prayer may be read responsively with the congregation or by the presiding leader(s) alone).]

————— #1 ——————
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Feast of thanksgiving! We come with joy.
Abundant One, we feast on your generosity:
of grace, of creation, of your faithful love.
Feast of self-giving! We nourish ourselves on you.
We take you into ourselves,
The bread of your presence becomes us.
Feast of unity! Your bread is not for us alone, but all your children.
Like grains made into one loaf, we are one Body in Christ.
Feast of justice! We are one with each other, one with the poor.
We stand among the neglected and despised whom you feed,
hungering and thirsting for justice.
We join the slaves you set free, the oppressed you empower.
Here is food for the journey toward justice.
This is the feast of the world that is to come.
Hosanna in the highest.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Feast of love! You feed us the bread of Jesus,
our bodies made whole by his love.
Feast of miracles! We are transformed.
As grain becomes bread, we are made new,
the wounded whole, the stranded found,
the despairing given hope.
Feast of surrender! Here is the cost of love.
Jesus died in giving himself to us.
Feast of sorrows: we drink the tears of the world.
We are broken like bread, fed to the hungers of the poor,
drinking from the cup of the world’s wounds.
In this bread we take into ourselves
Jesus’ self-giving for the sake of love.
In this cup we take into ourselves
Jesus’ suffering for the sake of justice.
Feast of death: one with Jesus, we come toward the cross.
We who also must die would spend our lives in love.
We let go of our lives to save them.
Feast of resurrection! Like wheat from the ground,
in love you raise us up to new life.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we embody his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:


             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]
Feast of the Holy Spirit! Pour yourself out in this bread and cup,
that we may be nourished by the Body of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that receiving the Body of Christ we may become the Body of Christ.
Feast of power! We who are weak are made strong in your love.
We who are solitary are made one in your Spirit.
Feast of joy! Fill us with yourself and your life,
that we may go out with courage and hope.
Unafraid of the hurting world, we go out in love and trust,
to serve and to bless, in the name and company of Christ,
and the power of your Holy Spirit,
for the sake of the wholeness of the world,
and your eternal delight.

     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

————— #2 ———————

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy Mystery, we give you our deepest thanks,
for you create us in your image, call us as your beloved,
and covenant to be faithful to us in love.
You condemn the forces of injustice
and free all your beloved from oppression,
and call us to live lives of love and mercy.

In this meal you make us one Body,
united not by our faith but by the love of Christ.
Therefore with all your Beloved we praise you with one voice:

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.

               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who fed the hungry and loved the outcast.
In perfect humility and self-emptying
he washed the feet of the disciples.

He ate with friends and strangers and even enemies.
At the Passover he ate with disciples who would betray him.
He commanded them, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

At his invitation we come to feast on his love.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:


             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
washing the feet of the outcast, inviting the poor to our table,

and loving as Christ has loved us,
to your eternal glory.

     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.

————— #3 ——————

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, Holy One, Triune Mystery: Love, the Beloved and the flowing of Love:
we thank you. You create us in your image,
claim us as your children, and call us as your Beloved.
When our love fails you remain steadfast in your mercy.
You delivered your children from slavery in Egypt.
You delivered your children from slavery in America.
And even though we are still enslaved by sin,
by greed and fear, by injustice and oppression,
still you love us, heal us, and set us free.

Even though we will betray and deny you, you invite us to your table.
And so we come, singing your praise with all Creation.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who fed the hungry and healed the hurting,
who embodied your liberation and stood with tender courage
against all the systems that divide us.

He proclaimed a new life, an Empire of Grace,
and stands among those who still are enslaved and oppressed.
Even as the Empire of Power threatened his death,
he gathered with his beloved to offer the gift of himself
and the gift of life that cannot be taken.


     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:


             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us, O God,
and on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the Body and Blood of the Beloved, Jesus Christ.
Renew your Spirit within us, O God,
grant us the peace of Christ,
and unite us with all who share in this meal.
In this meal you grant us solidarity with all who suffer,
that we may enter into the brokenness of the world;
May we, bearing the light of your resurrection,
live as signs of your covenant with all Creation,
and the coming of the Realm you have promised.

We pray that every oppressive force may be undone,
including those in which we have a part.
We ask for the courage and compassion of your Spirit,
that we may pray and work for justice for all people.
God of mercy, set us free, and free all your beloved children.
May your Spirit live in us, that we may be fearless in love,
and unafraid to give of ourselves.
Make us your humble servants for the healing of the world,
according to your will.
May your Word be made flesh by all your holy Church,
in the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

     [Spoken or sung]
            Amen.


Prayer after Communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In Christ’s self-giving we receive life. In his Spirit may we give of ourselves, lay down our lives for others, and join in his work for justice for all who are not yet free. In humility and hope, in courage and joy, we pray, as we go forth, in your name and your Spirit. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery
in which you have given yourself to us.
You have given us your covenant to be with us in blessing.
You have given us the Body of Christ,
and made us the Body of Christ:
you have united us with one another
and with the crucified and risen Christ.
God of Creation, God of our liberation, God of salvation,
it is your will that all people be free
from hatred, violence, persecution, servitude and poverty.
We pray that we may be freed from the bondage of all sin.
We pray for all those who suffer injustice and oppression,
that they may be set free.
Having set us free, send us to be servants of justice
for the sake of the world.

You have gathered us in a community of love and justice.
By your spirit may we make the world a community of love and justice.
In the grace of your forgiveness,
in the power of your resurrecting love,
send us into the world to be the healing hands of Christ
until we feast together in the Realm that you promise.
“This is my commandment,” Jesus says,
that you love one another as I have loved you.”
May we live in love according to your grace,
in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
_________________________

Suggested songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

At Your Feet (Original song)

Jesus, at your feet I bow.
I am yours completely now.
By your mercy show me how
to be loving.

Jesus, Master, you who save,
you have served me as a slave.
This, the perfect gift you gave:
to be loving.

In each hurting one I meet
it is you, O Christ, I greet.
Make my faithfulness complete,
to be loving.

Kyrie: Six Versions (Original tunes)

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Grant us peace and mercy.


Behold the Lamb of God
    (Original song)

Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Come, let us follow, come let us follow
the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.


This Is the Passover (Original Song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living covenant sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us new life in our Lord.
gather us into your Body, made new by your Word.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior (Tune: O Sacred head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.

A Palm-Passion Liturgy (Matthew)

Download a copy of this service here.

A Palm/Passion Liturgy Based on Matthew

This service is essentially a dramatic reading of the Passion story as a liturgy . The elements of worship are not in the usual liturgical order, but close. They’re arranged to fit the storyline, so that it feels more like storytelling than liturgy. It is important to involve the congregation; therefore a couple of the readings are responsive. You may add or omit or move things around a bit—especially music, depending on what your musicians can do and how each piece best fits the mood, energy and flow of the moment. But let the progression of the story dictate the movements of worship.

There is a lot of reading. Therefore is is wise to keep sermon, Eucharistic prayer and choir numbers shorter than usual. The service will run close to 90 minutes—depending on music.

Because there is a lot of reading I recommend several readers. There’s only one passage it’s best for the pastor to read: the meal, Matthew 26.26-29, containing the “Words of Institution.” The pastor should read this passage from the communion table. Here’s a way to use 7 or 8 readers (depending on whether the Pastor reads the part of Pilate).

Liturgist: Greeting, Psalm 118 & prayer, Phil. 2.5-11, Isa. 50.4-9, Ps. 31

Reader 1: Mt. 21.1-11, (the entrance.)… 26. 45-56 (the arrest.) … 27. 27-31 (the mocking)

Reader 2: Mt. 26. 17-25 (the preparation)… 26.57-68 (the trial)… 27. 32-44 (the cross)

Reader 3: Mt. 26.30-44 (the prayers)… 26.69-75 (the denial)… 27. 55-61 (the tomb)

Reader 4: Narrator
Reader 5: Pilate (May be read by the pastor)

Jesus (only one line)
Pilate’s Wife (only one line)

Instruct the readers: don’t introduce the scripture with headings or descriptions, or give the citation of chapter and verse. Just read the story.

I have indicated movements of worship in ALL CAPS. You’ll see “MUSIC” in several places. They are not crucial to the flow of of the story, but they help, These may be congregational songs, choir anthems, instrumental pieces, vocal solos or other musical items. They are there to break up readings, to give people time to reflect and also, with the congregational; songs, to provide for congregational involvement in the story. Note that some songs serve better to introduce a part of the story; others are better after that portion.

If it’s your tradition to include a children’s time do it in the service of the Palms. Other “local” items may be placed there also, where they best fit the flow of the service, given your needs & customs. But pay attention to the mood and meaning of the moment. Avoid breaking up the passion story except with appropriate music. Avoid announcements. If you must do announcements, do not do announcements at the end of the service. They kill the story. Do them at the beginning, or somewhere in the service of the Palms.

During the reading of the death (Matthew 27. 45-54) a group of people strip the altar/chancel area. Depending on your physical setup, remove as much of the decoration, paraments, flowers and even candles that you can and turn out the lights. Leave the sanctuary as dark barren as reasonable. You may end with music, if it’s somber enough not to break the mood. (I often close by singing “Were You There” or “Oh, Jesus” (see below) a capella from the rear of the sanctuary.) The service ends in silence, preferably with the chancel stripped and the lights out. Yes, it’s brutal. That’s the crucifixion. People may remain in prayer as long as they choose to.

[Materials in brackets should not be printed for the congregation.]

——————The Palms—————

PRELUDE

The Praise and Procession — Matthew 21.1-11

GREETING
Leader: Hosanna to the Son of David!
All: Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

MUSIC

PSALTER — Psalm 118. 14-29

PRAYER
Gracious God, You are our strength and power. Open to us the gates of your presence, that we may enter and give thanks. Save us, we beg of you. Bless us with the presence of the One who comes in your name, Jesus, your Christ, our Chief and our Sovereign. Amen.

MUSIC

——————————The Passion————————————

The Preparation

GOSPEL Matthew 26.17-25

SERMON

RESPONSE /CREED / NEW TESTAMENT (Philippians 2. 5-11)

Leader: Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God as something to cling to.
All: Instead Christ, in complete self-emptying,
took the form of the oppressed,
and was born into the human condition.

And being found in human form,
Jesus humbled himself.
Jesus became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted Christ
and gave to Jesus the name that is above every name.
At the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess,
to the glory of God the Life-Give of us all,
that Jesus Christ reigns supreme!


MUSIC

INVITATION 2 Corinthians 5.18-20

PASSING THE PEACE

The Meal Matthew 26. 26-29

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

[We thank you, God of love, for you create us in your image
covenant with us to be our God, and call us to be your people.
When we fall short of your love you remain faithful to us.
You condemn our injustice, and heal our fear.
In Christ you endure our evil and suffer our death,
and there you conquer death and overthrow the powers of evil.
For Christ has died; Christ is risen; and Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
who by your grace have died and been raised with Christ.]


THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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. Amen.

SHARING THE HOLY MEAL

PRAYER OF BLESSING

Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. In the mystery of the cross we behold your love. Partaking of this grace, may we live always in the love of Christ, by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

SONG

The Prayers Matthew 26. 30-44

SONG

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

The Arrest Matthew 26. 45-56

OFFERING OUR GIFTS

MUSIC

The Trial Matthew 26. 57-68

OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 50. 4-9

The Denial Matthew 26. 69-75

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
The grace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
Receive us, forgive us heal us,
that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,
by the grace of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
SILENT PRAYERTHE WORD OF GRACE

RESPONSE [sung]
There Is a Balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.

Jesus Before Pilate (Matthew 27. 1-2, 11-26)

Narrator— When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death.  They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Pilate— Are you the King of the Jews?

Jesus — You say so.

Narrator—But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.

Pilate— Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?

Narrator—  But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas.

Pilate— Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?

Narrator— Pilate realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him.

Pilate’s Wife — Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.

Narrator—Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.

Pilate—Which of the two do you want me to release for you?

People— Release for us Barabbas.

Pilate—Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?

People Let him be crucified!

Pilate—Why, what evil has he done?

People—Crucify him!

Narrator—So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd.

Pilate— I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.

People—His blood be on us and on our children!

Pastor— We have been chosen and destined by God the Giver of Life, and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood. If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. [1 Peter 1.2; 1 John 1.7]

Narrator—Pilate released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Mocking Matthew 27. 27-31


PSALTER (Psalm 31.9-16)
Response: (Sung; Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)
Into your hands, my Savior, my spirit I commit.

Be gracious to me, O God, 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 Holy One; 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.
                  Response…

The Crucifixion Matthew 27. 32-44

MUSIC

The Death Matthew 27. 45-54

THE CURTAIN IN THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

The Burial Matthew 27. 55-61

The service is ended. Remain in prayer as long as you wish, and leave in silence.

Palm-Passion Sunday

April 2, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Service of the Palms

Matthew 21.1-11. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a King, in the imagery of the prophet Zechariah who spoke of a humble king riding a donkey instead of a war horse.

Psalm 118. A celebration of God’s protection and grace, sung as pilgrims entered the gates of the temple. God has honored what others have neglected, “the stone the builders rejected.”

Service of the Passion

Isaiah 50.4-9. God’s servant, who willingly suffers humiliation and abuse in order to encourage the weak on behalf of God.

Psalm 31. A cry for God’s help in a time of distress, trusting in God’s defense of the weak.

Philippians 2. 5-11. Christ, representing God, let go of divine power and status and shared the most vulnerable place in life in loving service. It is in his humility, not his power, that his majesty is hidden.

Matthew 26-27.
Jesus’ last meal, his arrest, trial, execution and burial.


Guiding Thoughts

The Palm and Passion service
Because few people attend Good Friday services, if we celebrate Palm Sunday one Sunday and Easter the next worshipers completely miss the story of the cross—the second most important story in our faith! Easter becomes a punchline without the joke. That certainly sits well in our shallow, happiness-addicted, pain-avoidant culture. But not with our faith. It completely avoids our facing our pain and our sin, particularly the consequences of our sin—people get hurt—and we miss witnessing God’s mighty compassion in accompanying us though both our crucifying and our own crucifixion. This is one Sunday in which there is particular power in experiencing the wide narrative sweep of the gospel story instead of the little bits we usually hear on Sundays.

The passion story is intense drama. It takes a while to experience. It deserves more than a brief drive-by viewing. But it’s a along story to read in Sunday worship. It helps to break it up. By God’s grace the arc of a worship service provides the structure for telling the palm-passion narrative. The service outline provided here follows the whole gospel story through the liturgical movements, more as a dramatic reading than a typical worship service—and more engaging of the congregation than an extended reading.

For people not familiar with the palm-passion structure it can feel jarring to suddenly turn from waving Palms to shouting “Crucify him!” Yes. It’s supposed to unsettle us. Our sin ought to. That’s the story we’re telling. The abrupt movement from the praise and confidence of the Service of the Palms to the dark, confessional Service of the Passion follows the Gospel story of Jesus’ last days in Jerusalem, from the festal procession to the awful reality of the cross and the tomb. This progression also reflects God’s presence with us and for us not just in the happy, triumphant times but also in our suffering. And it invites our humility: our praise easily turns to sin, our loyalty to betrayal. (So, in the traditional manner, the palms we wave today will be burned to provide the ashes for our Ash Wednesday worship next year.)

Most importantly, witnessing the story as a whole helps us experience the movement of the Gospel: Christ confronts the violence of our social, political and religious systems as its victim. He exposes the evil of our violence, and meets it with nonviolence, forgiveness, healing and community, setting us free to renounce all violence and live in his spirit of mercy and love. It is only in the cross—in the context of our suffering and our evil—that the grace of God’s life-giving love and forgiveness can honestly promise resurrection.

The New Exodus
Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples was a Passover meal. The Passover is the great celebration of Israel’s liberation from slavery in Egypt. The feast gives thanks for our freedom, and honors God’s will to liberate all people from oppression and injustice.

Jesus is the new Passover. Note the parallels between the passion story and the Exodus. Like slaves to Pharaoh, we are enslaved to sin. God Godself suffers the plague of the death of the first-born. Jesus is the slaughtered lamb whose blood marks us for freedom, and saves us from the power of death. As Moses leads the people through the Red Sea to freedom, Jesus leads us through death and Resurrection (symbolized in the Red Sea of the baptismal waters).

The Exodus is not an isolated incident, but the heart of God’s activity. Everything God does liberates. To heal, to bless, to forgive, to restore relationships, even the act of creating itself, is a liberation. In Creation God sets living things free to live. (In one sense the Exodus story is not a new story following Genesis, but a continuation of Creation, especially Genesis 1-9. Exodus involves the whole earth; as in Noah’s flood it is God’s repose to human evil and violence and involve\s death and deliverance through water, followed by a covenant.)

The Exodus story is about our liberation. We are those Hebrews. But what we usually completely miss in our White American churches is that it’s also a story about our sin. We are also those Egyptians. We Whites are a dominant group that benefits from the enslavement of blacks which, even though it legally ended 150 years ago, is still at at work today. White Supremacy is the new Egypt. As we celebrate the Exodus we are also called to notice our racism, and our willingness to impoverish certain populations. Pharaoh’s command to slaughter male Hebrew children has a parallel in the targeting of young blacks in our incarceration rates, the police murder of unarmed black men, and our treatment of immigrants in the desert on our southern border. Many of the “liberties” we celebrate in this country are not available to non-whites. We’re not out of Egypt yet.

The Exodus is God’s will not just for the escape of some slaves, but for the abolition of slavery. It’s God’s judgment against all oppression. The Exodus and the resurrection are God’s nonviolent overthrow of the forces of evil and oppression. Baptized into Christ, we are not only grateful for our own liberation; in the words of the Methodist baptismal rite we “resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.”

In that work we are not only convicted but also empowered by the cross. The cross is God’s nonviolent resistance to our sin: God exposes and overcomes our violence and our separation from God. When we hurt others, even for “righteous” reasons, we make God our victim. But God does not retaliate or punish— instead, God forgives us and reunites us with God. We are set free from the power of sin and fear of death to control our lives, free to live by the power of love alone. Jesus’ dying and rising is a new Exodus for us.

To take up the cross is to continue Jesus’ work of identifying with the suffering and the victims of violence and injustice, and changing unjust political, economic and social structures—beginning with confessing our own part in them. The cross of Jesus is not just a focus for personal piety. It is also a rallying point for God’s command to change this world on behalf of the poor and oppressed. This is the Great Passover, the New Exodus, a journey that we are still on.

See A Palm & Passion Sunday Service (Matthew) for a complete worship service as a dramatic reading of the Passion story in Matthew.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Blessed is the leader who comes in the love of God.
All: Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!
Amid the powers of this world, Christ comes humbly, riding on a donkey.
Christ alone is our savior and our sovereign.
Christ, we thank you. We honor you. We follow you.
God of love and justice, we worship you. God, save us!


2.
Leader: Hosanna to the Son of David!
All: Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Prayers

1.
Creator God, we praise you, for your Love rules over our lives with grace and beauty, creating us anew each moment. We thank you, for your Christ rules over us in humble tenderness, healing and redeeming us. We open our hearts to you, for your Spirit rules us from within with power, filling us with compassion. Grant that we will always turn to you alone for our salvation, and for the gift of life. Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in your name! Peace on earth, and glory in the highest! Grant us your salvation, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

2.
We praise you and thank you, O God, for the great acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Sovereign. Grant that we may ever hail him as ruler of our lives, and share in his obedience to your will, in joy and confidence. Blessed is the one who comes in your name! Peace on earth and glory in the highest! Grant us your salvation, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, You are our strength and power. Open to us the gates of your presence, that we may enter and give thanks. Save us, we beg of you. Bless us with the presence of the One who comes in your name, Jesus, your Christ, our Sovereign, and our Lord. Amen.

4.
Jesus, our companion, we walk with you.
Jesus, our host, we feast with you.
Jesus, our guide, we pray with you.
Jesus, our victim, we confess we betray you.
Jesus, our savior, we worship at your pierced feet.
Jesus, our mystery, we wait with you for new life.

Prayer of Confession

God, in our fear and distrust we have betrayed you.
In the failure of our love we have denied you.
In our selfishness we have crucified you.
Forgive us, heal our hearts,
and set us free to love,
in the name and the gentle grace of Christ.

Listening Prayer

1.
We wave our palms at the foot of the cross.
We sing of our delight, and our despair.
Joyous, we are grateful, and we worship you.
Brokenhearted, we confess we have crucified you, and we repent.
We clutch our palms as you bear the cross.
Swept up, we join the procession.

2.
Crucified savior,
you accept our weakness,
you receive our sin,
you bear our wounds,
you share our suffering and even our death.
We behold the mystery of the cross,
and we give ourselves to you.


3.              (Psalm 118, a paraphrase)
O Deep, you are my strength, my life.
Open to me the gate of your presence,
that I may enter.

What others have rejected is holy.
But to you alone, O Mystery, I turn.
I open my heart to all who bear your presence.

In awe and gratitude I marvel in your light.
I give my heart of thanks to you,
O Infinite Compassion.

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

Holy One, we give you deep thanks,
for you create us in your image, claim us as your Beloved,
and covenant with us to be our God.
You condemn the forces of injustice,
and set your children free from all oppression.
You call us to lives of love, mercy and justice,
and you give us the gift of your Chosen One, Jesus,
to show us the reality of the Empire of your grace.
Therefore we wave branches of palm and sing songs of praise,
with all Creation extolling you as Creator and Sovereign:


            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who taught and healed, who loved at any cost,
even the cost of his own life.
He was arrested and crucified by the powers of in justice
and the forces of oppression, yet he responded with mercy.
Even in his death he embodied your Covenant to be with us in love.


     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,

crucified and risen,
ready to love as Christ has loved us.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen
.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer after communion

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that by this grace we may participate always in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ, that as we behold his love, his suffering and his death, we may be moved to live lives of non-violent love and self-giving, to do justice, and to rely wholly on your life-giving grace, in the name of the crucified and risen Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You grant us to share in the self-giving love of Christ and to receive grace, forgiveness, and the promise of your faithfulness. As members of the Body of Christ may we continually die and rise, by the power of your Holy Spirit, in the name and the company of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

See all songs with tags for “Cross,” but especially these:

Kyrie (Original tune)

Kyrie Eleison. Christe Eleison. Kyrie Eleison.
Grant us peace and mercy.


Behold the Lamb of God
(Original song)

Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Come, let us follow, come let us follow
the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.


O Jesus, Wounded Sovereign (Tune: O Sacred Head Now Wounded)

Dear Jesus, you who suffer and walk among the poor
whose hearts and lives are broken, whose faith is still unsure:
despised, accused and battered, you do not say a word.
So powerless, yet loving!— you are my Sovereign Lord.

You bear no arms but loving, no threats nor flags unfurled.
You wear no kingly robes, but the sorrows of the world.
Yet your forgiveness conquers each worldly rule and reign,
and rises, whole, undaunted, from evil, death and pain.

While emperors abuse you, and people shrug or stare,
and dark injustice troubles the ones for whom you care,
your mighty grace arises, and hidden from our sight,
enfolds all living beings in your triumphant light.

O Jesus, wounded Sovereign, I pray, give me the nerve
without this world’s armor to love and bless and serve.
My master and companion, rule all eternity
with grace and deep compassion, and, Love, begin with me.


Oh, Jesus (Original song— an acapella solo)

Oh, Jesus, what have you done?
Carried my burdens, every one,
All of my sorrow, all of my sin,
Like a mother gathering her children in.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your tender, tender love.

Oh, Jesus, what have I done?
Crucified my precious one.
I didn’t want to bear the pain or loss,
So I left you alone to carry the cross.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your sufferin’, sufferin’, love.

Oh, Jesus, what will you do?
Forgive me like you always do.
With not a word of wrath or blame,
You died with love gently sayin’ my name.
Now I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your precious, precious love.

Oh, Jesus, what will I do?
Give me the courage to follow you,
To give my love if I live or die,
And never again to crucify.
For I’m left with nothin’ at all but love,
Nothin’ but your dyin’, dyin’ love


This Is the Passover (Original Song)

This is the Passover you have desired to share
as you deliver us out of our slavery and fear.

This is the new living covenant sealed in your blood.
Grant that it may be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Stripped in our suffering of all but our need for your grace,
join us to you in your dying and rising, O Christ.

Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us new life in our Lord.
gather us into your Body, made new by your Word.


Woeful Cross (Original song)

Woeful cross, saddest wood, death in me of all that’s good,
I confess. Mother/Father, bless. Mercy.

Holy cross, mystery, love from fear of death set free.
Sin’s dark lie. Here I die. Mercy.

Gentle Christ on the cross, for our life your own life’s loss.
You forgive, and we live. Mercy.

Our own cross calling us to your love and gentleness:
may we live, as you give, mercy.


You Feed Us, Gentle Savior (Tune: O Sacred head Now Wounded)

You feed us, gentle savior, the bread that makes us whole,
the wine of your compassion poured out into our soul.
the food of your own presence, your spirit, strong, within,
the grace that heals us deeply and overcomes our sin.

You bind us, gentle savior, and weave us into one,
one flesh and blood, made holy, the Body of your Son.
We gather here in hunger, one hunger, all the same;
and with one grace you bless us together in his name.

You call us, gentle savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence in love, in every place.

Lent 5

March 25, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Ezekiel 37.1-14. The prophet is sent in a vision to a valley of dry bones, symbolic of his people who are lifeless and despairing in exile. God tells him to speak hope to the bones, and then to speak hope to the wind (breath) that will give the bones life. In this image Ezekiel brings God’s promise of restoration to the people of Israel.

Psalm 130 is a cry from the depths of despair, especially the despair of our own sin and brokenness.

Romans 8.6-11 Paul speaks of the difference between life “in the flesh,” and “in the spirit.” The Spirit that raised Christ from death is in us and will raise us to new life, too. In

John 11.1-44 Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Preaching Thoughts

Today’s texts explore not only God’s gift of new life, but especially the death that must precede it.

Ezekiel
The vision of dry bones is announced to people in exile: a vision of God bringing life and hope into a situation of death, loss, defeat and despair. It’s not a promise that things will be OK. It’s an acknowledgment that things already are awful—and that out of that God can make something new. Death will come first—then revival.

Psalm.
A woman was doing a “fill-in-the-blank” Bible study that asked “With what are we to come before the Lord?” The answer, I bet, was supposed to have been “with joy and thanksgiving” or something like that. But what I saw she had scrawled in the blank (and into the margin) was “With every human emotion imaginable, just like David did!!” Yep. The Psalms cover it all, including “the depths.” This psalm is an invitation to take our depths seriously, to befriend our “shadow” side: to be honest about our guilt, fears, wounds, rage, doubts, sorrows, evil fantasies—they’re all there in the depths. It’s out of this honest self-awareness that the Psalm can wait in hope for God, who loves us, the whole of us, including our shadows, including our depths. Redemption is nothing less than that.

Romans
Paul does not mean that the flesh is bad. (After all, God chose for the Word to become flesh.) What Paul means by “being in the flesh” is the illusion that we are contained and confined to our flesh, our physical bodies, as if each of us is a separate, discreet object. In fact, Paul, says, we’re not separate objects at all: we’re all members of one living Being, the Body of Christ, united in one Spirit. Like your fingers, which may look like separate things but they’re all part of one hand, guided by one mind. We’re like different parts of one body, (Paul develops this more in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.) Living in the flesh we’re guided mostly (and mostly unconsciously) by our ego. Living in the Spirit we’re guided by the Spirit. Living in the Spirit is being mindful of our holy oneness in God, our belonging to God, with the Spirit of God uniting and guiding us.
         “To set the mind on the flesh is death” because it’s like amputation: when we think of ourselves as separate from God we cut ourselves off from our true source, our true life. Living in the Spirit, we connect with the Life that flows through us from God. We are part of the risen Body of Christ, included in Christ’s resurrection. Hence “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through the Spirit that dwells in you”—because your mortal life belongs to Christ’s eternal body.

Lazarus
Why did Jesus wait to go to Bethany? Hm. Maybe he knew he couldn’t protect even his best friends from death and suffering.
       When Jesus decides to go to Bethany, he’s getting pretty close to the people who want to kill him. Thomas gets it. “Then let us go die with him.” Maybe Thomas understands that death has to come before resurrection, which is why later when he’s told Jesus has risen, he wants to see Jesus’ wounds: not because he doubts his friend has risen, but because he wants to make sure it was the crucified Christ who has risen.
       In John as we know it Lazarus has two sisters, Mary and Martha. This may not have been the case in John’s original story. Elizabeth Schrader is offering up scholarship that suggests that in John’s original story Lazarus had one sister, Mary Magdalene. Martha didn’t actually exist. (See a presentation here.) Mary was originally a prominent figure in the early church, the first to proclaim Jesus as Messiah, to witness his resurrection, and to be charged to preach the good news. In the second century or so, (male) church leaders began to dislike Mary’s prominence over Peter’s, so they diminished Mary’s importance by splitting her into two people—Mary and her sister Martha, borrowed from Luke—and distributed her actions to both sisters, notably Martha, so that Mary’s prominence was erased. Changes were made in the manuscripts of John 11 that effectively erased Mary Magdalene. What does this mean for our preaching? It doesn’t change the message of “Jesus as Messiah,” but it puts it on different lips. And it suggests that our traditions, our texts and maybe even our faith itself are subject to erasures, especially of women, that we need to be aware of.
       Both Mary and Martha scold Jesus: “If you’d been here this wouldn’t have happened.” But maybe it would have. Everybody dies. Jesus can’t heal everybody. It’s a little dangerous to think that Jesus intentionally let Lazarus die just so he could perform a miracle. God doesn’t use us as disposable stage props. God doesn’t cause us suffering just to make a point. Nevertheless, God can bring blessing out of suffering, life out of death, and something real out of impossibility. Because of God, in your life and in our world, a hopeless cause is not without hope.
      Many people focus on Martha’s (or Mary’s) proclamation: “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” Generations of preachers have repeated this, as if telling congregations that Jesus is the Messiah would somehow change them. I think the point is not any special status Jesus may have, but that we are called to orient our lives around the source of life in the face of death, and the promise of resurrection in the face of injustice and suffering. The point is not Jesus’ status but our orientation. What it means to “believe” Jesus is “the One” is to live with his energy of healing, forgiveness (which is a kind of resurrection), and radical trust in God.


      Jesus wept. Out of the depths. Part of the mystery of the cross is that God suffers our pain. Even if Jesus knows he’s going to raise Lazarus, the pain is still real. He weeps for his own loss, for Lazarus’ suffering, for Mary and Martha. Of course grown men cry, unafraid to feel their own pain and the pain of others. That’s true strength. The capacity to feel pain is the capacity to love; the courage to feel it is the courage to love.
       “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus calls to life what has died in us. Nothing, not even death, is as powerful as God’s love. No shame or failure, no suffering or evildoing, no past or present can hold us from living in God. No power can stop God from setting us free. “Unbind him, and let him go.”
       I wonder: what was Lazarus like after that? A changed man, I bet. When we’re raised from death it changes us. Whatever form our raising takes—surviving a crisis, receiving forgiveness, restoration of a relationship, revival of one’s spirit, release from addiction, recovery from trauma—we don’t just go back to life as it was. We’re raised to new life. We’re invited to let our old life die. And, yes, it can feel like death. The Lazarus story isn’t just about God’s miraculous rescue of a terrible situation. It’s about how God raises us up out of old, deadened, deadly ways of living, out of the illusion that we’re confined to the life of our mortal bodies, into new lives, new ways of living, living “in the Spirit,” living as members of the crucified and risen Body of Christ.
       The rest of the story in John 11, beyond the lectionary selection, is that after this some powerful people wanted Jesus killed. God’s life-affirming grace is a threat to human hierarchies and systems of privilege and exclusion. The powers that be will always oppose resurrection. Of course Jesus carried on. To paraphrase, “Nevertheless, he persisted.”

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Spirit of life, light of life, breath of life,
All: breathe new life into us.
Christ of love, Christ of sorrow, Christ of hope,
breathe new life into us.
Wind of God, breath of God, spirit of God,
breathe new life into us.
We worship you, open to your grace.
Raise us to new life in your spirit. Amen.


2.
Leader: I see a valley of dry bones.
All: All that is dead and ruined. All that is hopeless and despairing.
And yet, I hear a Word to the bones, a wind among the bones.
Where there was death, life!
Out of the depths comes a cry.
The song of sorrow, the voice of shame.
And yet, there is grace, forgiveness and redemption.
We wait for God, more than those who watch for the morning.
Out of old lives and the ways of death, the voice of grace calls us.
Out of the tomb of our hearts, we come,
made new, alive in Christ, and grateful.
With open hearts we worship. Amen.

3. [Ps. 130]
Leader: Out of the depths we cry to you, O God.
Holy One, hear our voice! Let your ears be attentive to our cry.
If you, O God, kept account of our sins, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore we worship you.
We wait for the Holy One; in God’s word we hope.
Our soul waits for God more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the dawn.
O people, hope in God! For with God there is steadfast love;
with God there is great power to redeem.
It is you, God, who redeems us! We thank you, and we worship.

4.
Leader: God is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
All: God does not deal with us according to our sins,
but forgives us and receives us as God’s beloved.
Come, let us walk in the light of God,
that God may teach us God’s ways,
and lead us in God’s paths.
Create a new heart in us, O God,
and put within us a new and right spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of grace, into the dry bones of our hearts breathe your Word. Into the deep place of our sorrow speak your hope. Into what that is dead in us breathe your life. Into our trembling, fearful hands place your new life, pulsing with grace. Speak, Lord, for we are listening. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, like Lazarus in the tomb, our hearts are still and waiting for your call. Speak to us now. May your Word call us out of our death, out of old lives, into the light of your grace and your presence, and the loving companionship of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, Christ is the light of the World, and so we come to walk in his light. Christ is the resurrection and the life, and so we come to enter into his life. Christ raises us to new life, and so we come to surrender our lives to you, and be raised anew. Speak to us now, that we may hear the words of life. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, we confess all that is in us that is not of life.
Receive our death, forgive our sin, and breathe new life into us,
that we may perfectly embody your love. Amen
[…Silent prayer … The word of grace]

2.

Life-giving God, we confess that we have separated ourselves from you,
and so from life: we have died in our sin.
We confess the death that is in us.
Forgive us, and call us back to life.
In your grace, we listen for your life-giving word.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Dry bones of my heart,
listen.
Breath of God,
enter.
Jesus, at the tomb,
call my name.


Response / Creed / Affirmation

       We love you and trust you, God, creator of the universe, who brings light out off darkness, who creates anew every day.
      We love you and trust you, Jesus, the Christ of God, crucified and risen, who healed the sick and fed the hungry, who gave hope to the despairing and raised the dead. You save and redeem us, and raise us to new life.
      We love you and trust you, Holy Spirit, in whom we live not as separate beings but members of one Body; in whom our mortal lives are given infinite life. By your grace we die and rise daily, released from old ways and called out into new lives, in love and service for the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Poetry


          For Lazarus to Rise

When Lazarus heard his name
he took a sudden breath.
With visceral trembling blood resurged.
But then, as when awakening some days,
he lay a moment, mired,
reluctant to rise from the familiar
swaddling of his death.
Rising, even more than dying,
there could be no return:
for if he chose to stand,
all he knew would then be lost

And still now every morning,
each momentary wish for healing
is a risk, a wakening call
to change, to choose,
to leave so much behind,
and be again made new.


          Psalm 130

This cry crawls up from somewhere deep,
from deep beneath all words or feelings,
deep where only you can hear, O God.
         Hear with your deepest heart
         the unheard voice of my trembling soul.

If you let our sins keep us from you
you’d be alone in this universe.
But you do not.
         I praise this miracle:
         you forgive.

I wait for you. My soul hangs on you.
To the lungs of my soul your word is air.
I wait for you,
         more than those who ache for the dawn,
         more than those who ache for the dawn.

O people, hope in God!
God is pure, steadfast love,
and the power to re-create.
         From our ruined ways
         it is God who will save us.



              Psalm 130

Out of my sea depths
         a cry, a wordless noise.
You hear, like a sound through the earth,
         Like my spine hears me.

If you measured, I would disappear.
         All of us would be too small.
But you allow us to fill you.
         So we fill you.

I hold open a space for you,
         emptiness in me that widens
like sky waiting for dawn,
         like the whole sky waiting,
and the dawn, rising,
filling the whole sky.

We, your people, of your making,
         even, even in our clutter,
we are your open space
         where your light appears.
In your spaciousness
          we become new.



Lazarus, come out!

There is no birth without pain.
There is no life without suffering.
There is no love without surrender.
There is no struggle without hope.
Though we would cry out to God
to save us from all hurt—
“Lord, if you had been here
this wouldn’t have happened”—
God won’t shield us
from the blessed demands of our own lives,
from the living that is given to us
enfolded in what is required of us,
the birth pangs wrapped in pain.
Each new gift or challenge invites us
to become new, to be born again.
The Beloved walks our boundaries;

when we meet, it opens something new,
a spring in us gushing up with life itself.
People may ask, “Is this the same person?”
and we will insist, “I am the one!”
But we will be changed, and leave behind
what once we had clung to.
Our grave wrappings are swaddling cloths,
in our travails the voice of the Beloved,
crying out to us in our tombs,
“Lazarus, come out!”



             “Come out!”

Under the roaring silence of your death,
Tunneling under the the world yelling at you,
a bird song that pierces iron walls,
a strong hand, unflinching, a voice
reaches into the dark mountain,
reaches through the cages and sewers,
the vast abandoned valleys,
into the shark’s mouth of fear,
into the cave of your death, and its own,
and finds the skeleton,
finds the bones made of stone and despair,
gathers your bones from trash piles,
and speaks to your fragments,
wraps its flesh around your bones,
gives them its blood, its breath, its life.
Only the voice of a love that fierce
can call your name
and you come out,
out of your old death
into the quiet morning,
a squinting newborn,
stunned, beloved, swaddled,
ready to be set free,
knowing nothing
but the sound of that voice.


                 Come out

Come out, you who have been entombed
in silence, in fear, in condemnation,
come out!
Come out to the one who loves you.
You who are afraid for your life,
who are afraid of your life,
you who are ashamed,
you who have been bound,
come out into your own life!
You who have been told you’re unworthy,
you who are afraid of failing,
come out into your whole life.
You who are wounded and grieving,
who are hopeless or depressed,
you who wonder if you’ll ever live deeply,
come out into life’s fullness.
You who are well defended in your fortresses,
in armor, in costumes, come out.
Gays and abuse victims, transgender and shy,
gifted and doubtful, queer and other,
you can come out.
Come out of your closets, out of hiding,
out of exile, out of the wilderness.
Ou who dwell in darkness and shadow,
you who are in prison, come out!
You have a place, and the tomb is not it.
The One Who Weeps for You
calls to you.
You are wanted. You are mourned.
Come out.
And keep coming; every day, coming out
into this bewildering, wonderful world.
And you who are hiding in lies and deception,
come out, come out in to the light.
And you who have rolled the great stones
over other people’s lives,
roll them back. Stand aside.
Never mind the stench.
Call to them. Open your arms.
Unbind them.
Let them go.



Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you God, for you create all things,
bringing light out of darkness.
Out of despair, hope!
Out of shame, forgiveness!

Out of death, life!
In your Spirit we are one, given life beyond our lives.
We thank you, and with all Creation we sing your praise.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
who healed the broken, fed the hungry, and raised the dead.

He wept with our sorrow; he shared in our death.
Crucified for love, he was raised in love,
and calls us into new lives
as members of his Body and partakers of his Covenant.


     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
dead to old lives and raised to new life,
in the name and the love of Christ,
for the sake of the healing of the world.


     [Spoken or sung]
Amen
.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.


Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]

1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have entered our death, and fed us with the food of eternal life. Send us into the world as new people, alive in your Spirit, in the name of Christ. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You have called us out of old lives, out of the death of our souls, into new life, life in your Spirit, in your love. Send us into the world in the name and the love of Christ. Amen.

[Rom. 8.6-17][Rom. 8.6-17]3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) You are our light, and our life. By your grace at work in Christ, and by your Spirit alive in us, you raise us to new life. Send us into the world to live in the spirit of prayer, to walk in your light, and to proclaim your word, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

Live by the Spirit [Rom. 8.6-17] (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God has now done what the law could not do:
God set you free and God reconciled you.
Live by the Spirit that God freely gives,
Spirit of Christ, by which each of us lives

Setting your mind on the Spirit is peace:
rooted in grace, from our sin we’re released.
Live, then, by the Spirit that raised Christ from death,
Spirit that raises us in every new breath

Go in God’s peace. Go in Christ’s gentle light.
Go in the Spirit that leads us aright.
Children of God, go in love as you do,
Dying with Christ and arising anew.


Out of the Deepest Depths (Psalm 130; Original song)

Out of the deepest depths I cry to you, O God.
O listen with your heart, and hear my pleading voice.
If you counted sins, then no one could stand with you;
but Love, you forgive.

I wait for you, my God, for in your word I hope.
I wait for you, Love, more than those who wait for dawn,
yes, more than those who watch for the morning light
I wait for you.

O Hope, O Israel, hope in the Holy One.
For with our God is love, God’s steadfast, faithful love,
and power to redeem; for God is the one
who will redeem us from sin.

Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)

God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.

Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.

Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.

Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.

Lent 4

March 19, 2023

Lectionary Texts

1 Samuel 16.1-13. God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel.

Psalm 23
celebrates God’s gentle hospitality, guiding us through deadly places. (Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23.)

Ephesians 5.8-14. In Christ we are light, and we are to live as children of light, so that God’s love is visible. The writer quotes an early baptismal pronouncement: “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you.”

In John 9.1-41 Jesus heals a man who was born blind. An extended comedy follows the healing, as the Pharisees, blinded by their fear of Jesus, try to figure out a way to deny the power of what Jesus has done, but remain “in the dark” about it all.
         Note: Consider presenting this story (and others in this season)as a dramatic reading with several roles. You can break the story up into scenes, with a brief reflection, music or prayer between scenes. (Click here for a script.)

Preaching Thoughts

Seen and unseen
Today’s texts explore the themes of light and dark, seen and unseen, sight and blindness. God leads Samuel to anoint David according to unseen qualities, not physical appearance. That part is easy to get. Most of us don’t vote for candidates according to who’s cutest. But go deeper: what qualities do we value that are not only character traits that are not physical appearance, but often entirely unnoticed? God sees something in David that people don’t see. When we look at ourselves, and others, what are we missing? What about forgiveness, gentleness, patience, trust, prayerfulness, good listening, humble service? For that matter, what are bad qualities we often overlook, like unresolved anger, untruthfulness, manipulativeness, denial? What are qualities we don’t usually see that really do matter?

Psalm 23
Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23. This psalm is usually thought of as all light and loveliness, not engaging the light/dark, seen/unseen theme of the other readings. But the psalm does walk from the light of green meadows at the beginning through the shadows of the dark valley in the middle to the light again of the welcome, safety and shared meal at the end. In this way it leads us in embracing our shadow (see “Light and dark” below.). The shepherd walks us safely through the dark places in our lives, and in our own psyches. The darkness is not to be feared, but faithfully traversed. Consider reciting the psalm in a way that highlights this journey from light to dark to light: maybe accompanied by music in a major key in vv. 1-3, a minor key in v. 4 and again to major in v.v. 5-6. (Here is a version with handbells that does this.) If the room you worship in accommodates it, you could also do it with lighting (though find a way to let people know it’s intentional, not just that you’ve lost power…).

Light and dark
Ephesians tells us once you were darkness, but now in Christ you are light. “Light” is often equated with “good,” and “dark” with “evil.” Be careful with this. It easily lends itself to racist ways of thinking related to skin color. Further, even aside from skin color, sometimes darkness is actually good. It doesn’t denote something that’s necessarily bad, just unseen. The Mystery. In fact as Mystery, darkness is holy. Darkness is where stars shine, seeds sprout, babies are conceived and grow. When the ark is moved into the Temple in 1 Kings 8.12 Solomon remembers that “God would dwell in thick darkness.” Faith includes a healthy embrace of the darkness of life, the unknowable stuff in which there is grace even though we can’t see it or understand it. And Jungians remind us how important it is to acknowledge, integrate and appropriately express the “shadow” side of ourselves—all that stuff that’s unseen, unconscious, even repressed—even though some of it is actually very good. How do we live in the light of God and also trust the dark mystery of God? How do we “shine the light” and also embrace our shadow?

John 9.1-41A Dramatic Reading
The gospel readings for Lent in Year A are all long stories of Jesus’ ministry. They certainly deserve to be told as they are written. But you might also explore breaking them up into separate scenes, with a brief reflection, music or prayer between scenes. They can also be presented as dramatic readings. Here is a script for a dramatic reading of John 9 in four scenes, for seven or nine readers.

Blind and seeing
The gospel story isn’t just about a miraculous healing: it’s about our willingness to look and see. As we are wary of the racist danger in how we think of the black/white, good/evil binary, as well as the denial of our shadow in the light/dark binary, we should also be wary of the danger of ableism in treating sightedness as good and blindness as somehow deficient.

The gospel story is full of humorous irony about seeing and unseeing, which makes it clear: there’s nothing “wrong” with being blind, but there is something wrong about choosing to be oblivious. The blind man sees quite well: he’s the one who sees who Jesus is. But those whose eyes work seem to be blind to what is going on: they can’t recognize the man, or behold God’s grace, or witness the miracle, or focus on the issue, or see themselves clearly. They keep asking the one who was blind to describe something that they themselves saw. Their eyes work but their hearts are blind. Jesus has told them, “I am the light of the world,” but blinded by their expectations and their fear of Jesus, they are still “in the dark.” Blindness is a physical state, but denial is a moral one. What makes racism, (and all the ways we discriminate) so powerful is our refusal to see what’s going on. Cancel culture, and a whole ethos of denial and whitewashing are practices of unseeing. “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains” (Jn.9.41). How do we unsee our neighbors? Who do we not see? Whose suffering do we choose to not see? What wounds and injustices, and what gifts and wonders, do we overlook?

How we see
The gospel story really isn’t about seeing with our eyes, but seeing with our hearts. Do we see with the eyes of distrust, or the eyes of faith? Eyes of cynicism or eyes of wonder? Eyes of judgment or eyes of love? “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!  (Mt. 6.22-23). It’s not about whether we see, but how we see. Eyes of of love fill us with light. Eyes of judgment fill us with darkness. How do we see? How do we fail to see people? How do we fail to really see them? Jesus asks us to really see people, see them for who they are, see them as God sees them, not just through the filter of our own habits, assumptions, expectations and fears. (Remember in Luke 7 when the woman anoints Jesus at Simon’s house he says, “Do you see this woman?”) How do you see your neighbor?


Ah, I see
When we understand something we say, “I see.” This story is about “seeing” as understanding. Which we actually don’t. We think we’re so damn smart. But our smug worldly wisdom is not as clever as we think. Conventional wisdom doesn’t actually see God’s truth, which is beyond our rational understanding. We see only what fits our preconceived notions. Believing is seeing. So God has to subvert our “seeing” and confound us smartypants to get us to see that we don’t see everything. John 9.39: “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Isaiah 6.9-10: “Say this to the people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” 1 Cor. 1.19, 25: “It is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’… God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom.” In the ancient Wisdom tradition, Jesus thwarts Conventional wisdom and opens our eyes to the wonder of God’s grace. How good do you think your spiritual eyesight is? Will you confess you’re in the dark? It’s there, in the unknowable, that God takes our hand and shows us what we can’t see.

Healing the blind
We may not be given the gift to do miracles with people’s eyes, but we are sent to open the eyes of people’s hearts. We are sent to open people’s eyes to the world around them—to the suffering and injustice, and also the glory and beauty. To help people really see each other is a wondrous gift. To open people’s eyes to racism is a prophetic calling. It’s a miracle of healing to empower people to see themselves as God’s beloved, to enable those who despair to see hope, to help those who have been shamed to see their own beauty and dignity, to help those who struggle in life to see themselves with mercy and gratitude. Sometimes it’s a miracle just to get people to notice the beauty that’s around the.m.. and within them.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, your glory surrounds us.
All: Help us to see with eyes of gratitude and wonder.
Loving Christ, you come to us in the humble and needy.
Help us to see with eyes of compassion and mercy.
Holy Spirit, you work among us with power and grace.
Help us to see with eyes of faith.
We worship you with praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

2.
Leader: God of all creation, out of darkness, light!
All: We worship you.
Christ, in our blindness, healing!
We thank you.
Holy Spirit, from our old ways, new lives!
We praise you. We give ourselves to you.
Fill us with your light, that your love may be revealed in us. Amen.


3.
Leader: The grace of God be with you.
All: And also with you.
We gather in the power of the Spirit, as the Body of Christ.
We were blind, and now we see, so we come to praise our God.
We were dead, but now we are alive, and we come to worship.
But still we are blind, and still we are dead in our sins.
So we come to be healed, that we may see by God’s grace.
We come to be raised to new life, by the mercy of God.
4.
Leader: The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
All: God does not deal with us according to our sins,
but forgives us and receives us as God’s beloved.
Come, let us walk in the light of God.
Holy One, teach us your ways,
and lead us in your paths.
Create a new heart in us, O God,
and put within us a new and right spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit, and transform us by your grace. Amen.

5.
Leader: Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.
All: Once we were darkness,
but in Christ we are light.
May we live as children of light.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
God of mystery, you saw something in David that others did not see, and anointed him king. So you see things in us that we do not see. Open our eyes to see ourselves and one another as you see us: beloved and worthy. Open our eyes, God, and help us to see.

2.
Gracious God, you have given us Christ as our light, and given us as light for the world. As Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, open our eyes so that we might see; and open our hearts so that we might truly serve you and set free those who sit in prisons of darkness. God, come to us, speak to us, heal us, and make us your servants. We pray in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

3.
God of light, we come to you in need of healing, for the eyes of our hearts are clouded. Embrace us in your love, touch us with your Word, and transform us by your Spirit. Make us whole, so that we might live new lives. Bless us in our worship, that we may become children of light. Amen.

4.
God of truth, as Jesus healed the blind man, we ask you to heal us. Open our eyes to see ourselves honestly, to see you clearly, to see your world as you would have us see it. Open our hearts, so that as the scriptures are read and your good news proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you are saying to us today. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.

God of love, with your eyes
we look on those times we have been in harmony with you,
and we give thanks. [Silent reflection…]
God of love, with your eyes
we look on those times we have been out of harmony with you,
and we receive your grace. [Silent reflection…]God of grace, we give thanks that you look upon is with love and mercy.
By the grace you show us in Christ,
forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
[Silent prayer … the word of grace]

2.
God of love, create in me a clean heart,
and put within me a new and holy spirit.
Where there is falseness, give me your truth.
Where there is denial, give me vision.
Where there is fear, kindle your love.
Where there is guilt or shame,
let me see myself with your eyes of love.
I release all the ill I have suffered,
and repent of the harm I have done.
Forgive me, and create me anew.

3.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned
and that we are blind to our sin.
We have failed to see our neighbors in need,
and failed to hear your calling.
We have been blind to your grace,
and have sat in prisons of darkness.
Forgive us, God, heal us, and set us free;
fill our hearts with light, so that we may be light to the world,
in the spirit of Christ, who is our light.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
1.
Leader: Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.
All: Once we were darkness,
but in Christ we are light.
May we live as children of light.

2.
Generous God,
you prepare a feast for me, even
in the presence of my fear and self-centeredness.
My cup overflows.
I hold it out to you.
Shepherd me, O God.

3.
Leader: Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned;
he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
All: God, help me to trust
that with you there is no deserving,
no punishment,
no imprisonment in the past;
only grace,
and the the opportunity to receive it.
Open the eyes of my heart,
that whatever my circumstances
I may see your grace,
trust your unfinished work in me,
and know that I was born that your love
might be revealed in me,
and that, unseen,
you stand beside me
ready to heal.

Readings

1.
Click here for a script for a dramatic reading of John 9, Jesus healing the blind man and the controversy afterward. In four scenes. For seven or nine readers.

2.
Here are nine paraphrases of Psalm 23.

3. A Reflection on Ephesians 5.8-14
There are plenty in this world who sneak about in darkness, hidden, relying on lies and misperceptions. Most of them do not know it. There are those who thrive in the spotlight, but only in costume, enclosing their true selves in lightless biers that are impervious even to their own seeing. Afraid to know themselves, they avert their lives. Their defenses are thick walls that protect their frightened souls, and seal them against the light. They waste away in tombs of delusion.

But it is not so with you. You are light. You pay attention, looking to see clearly both what is before you and what is within you. You do not rush past yourself, but live deliberately enough to be able to see everything. You welcome the truth, even when it challenges you. You are transparent to the light of God shining through you. You gladly bear the beams of grace into this world. You do not lurk past anyone, but beholding all as your sisters and brothers, you humbly serve them in the ways God has given you, and draw them into the day, surrounding them with light.

Children of light, keep shining.

Poetry


                Sleeper, awake!

The healing of blindness is not a correction
         but an opening.

Repentance is not improving
but opening your eyes.

Seeing is not judging
         but letting the light in.

In the dark chaos of the deep
         let there be light.

Whether or not your eyes see it
          your very being is the light of Love.

You are the lamp;
          the Beloved is the flame.

You don’t need to birth fire,
          just become transparent.

Awake; open your eyes.
          The dawn has come.



           You are light

You don’t need to seek the light.
You are light,
light of God’s Word,
light of Gods love,
shining in your being.

Meditate on this light,
glowing from within.
Trust this light,
given, not made.

Don’t worry to shine the light;
it already shines.
Simply be mindful.
Open the shutters of your heart,
and let the divine light radiate.

You are light.



                      Today

         We must work the works of the One who sent me
                  while it is day;
         night is coming when no one can work.
         As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

                           —John 9.4-5

This is your day, your life.
Night will come, when you are no more.
Now you are God’s light in the world.
This is the time to shine,
to love, to forgive and ask forgiveness,
to speak for justice, to give yourself
to the mending of the world.
This day.


My mommy (Ps. 23)

God is my mommy.
         She’s all I need.

She gives me a soft place for naps;
         she takes me to safe places.
When I’m upset she holds me
         ’till I become myself again.
She leads me by the hand.
         Quite the pair, my mommy and I!

When I am scared to death
         you are right there. No worry.
Your strong hand and firm voice save me.

You set the table for me and
         for the siblings I’ve been fighting with.
You wash me up with that gleam in your eye.
         My plate is full.

Your motherly love stays with me every day.
         I will be your beloved kid forever.

Sweet.

[Download nine paraphrases of Ps. 23 here.]

Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

We thank you God, for you create us in the image of your love.
You have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the realm of your light.
Each of us shines with the light of your glory.
We are being transformed into your image,
from one degree of glory to another.
In love you sent us Jesus, the light of the world.
He is the light on our path and the life in our hearts.

            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
in whom we see your mercy and love.
As he gave sight to the blind, he opened the eyes of our hearts.
He showed us the miracle of your grace,
and enabled us to see your presence.
In him the powers saw only threat and untamable mystery,
so they crucified him.
But you raised him from the dead,
bearing your everliving covenant to be with us in love.


     (The Blessing and Covenant) *

As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
May we see with eyes of love,
and by your presence in us be light for the world,
in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.

     [Spoken or sung]
Amen
.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.


Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Your love has opened our eyes. Send us into the world to see your beauty, to witness your miracles, to behold your light in each person, to trust your grace in every moment. Amen.

2.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) In your light we are given new vision; in your grace we are given new life. Send us into the world in faith, that your love may be revealed in us, in the name of Christ. Amen.

3.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) As this food enters us and becomes part of us, may your light fill us, so that we radiate your grace. Send us out as light for the world, to open the eyes of the blind and release the prisoners, in the name of Christ. Amen.

4.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May our eyes be opened to see your presence and your grace in our lives. May we continually open our hearts to your healing, and bear your healing to this hurting world. Send us into the world now to bless and to heal, to proclaim your good news, in the name of Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

5.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) May our eyes be opened to see your presence and your grace in our lives. May we continually open our hearts to your healing, and bear your healing to this hurting world. Send us into the world now to bless and to heal, to proclaim your good news, in the name of Christ, and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)


Communion Song (Tune: Just As I Am)

O God, you call us to life anew,
and so we bring our lives to you.
Forgiven, free and blessed, we give
our gifts that in us Christ may live.

With joy we set the table here
with gifts of Jesus’ presence dear.
God, in our feast may Christ be near,
and in our lives his love shine clear.


Christ Our Healer (Tune: Joyful, Joyful,
or HOLY MANNA, or Love Divine All Loves Excelling)

Christ, our healer, you have touched us, reaching through the dark divide,
healing broken hearts and bodies, casting death’s old shroud aside:
raised us from our bed of sorrows, put your arm around our pain,
raising us to new tomorrows, bringing us to life again.

Christ, our teacher, in our healing you have given us your gift:
grace to bless, your love revealing, pow’r to heal and hope to lift.
In your Spirit, your forgiveness, your compassion we embrace
ev’ry wounded, shamed or silenced child of God with gentle grace.

Christ, our savior, you are going on to every town and field,
on to every land and people, on until the world is healed.
Use us in the whole world’s mending, use us as your healing hands,
’till as one the world, made whole, takes up its mat with joy and stands.



Grant Me Your Vision (Tune: Be Thou My Vision )

Grant me your vision, O God of pure light.
May your deep wisdom and love give me sight.
Help me to see who I am as you see:
lovely and wounded and worth setting free.

Take my illusions, my fear and my lies;
shedding my veil, Lord, I open my eyes,
seeing my beauty, my wounds and my sin,
past all pretending, in truth deep within.

Give me the eyes of your mercy and grace;
help me to see you in each time and place.
God, you who know me, please guide me, I pray,
following Jesus in his loving way.



Psalm 23 (Tune: Be Thou My Vision)

God is my shepherd; I have all I need. God
Makes me lie down in green pastures to feed.
By the still waters God gently will lead.
Love, you’re my shepherd. I have all I need.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I
fear not, for you are as close as my breath.
For you are with me, your staff and your rod
they are my comfort, my shepherd, my God.

You set my table before all my foes. You
pour out your blessing; my cup overflows.
Goodness stays with with me wherever I roam,
and I will live in you, my Heart, my Home.


Sleeper Awake (Original song)

Sleeper, awake, come rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine upon you.

Lent 3

March 12, 2023

Lectionary Texts

Exodus 17. 1-7. The Israelites are traveling through the desert after their escape from Egypt. They have no water, but by God’s command Moses strikes a solid rock, and out flows water.

Psalm 95. Though the psalm ends on a sour note, it celebrates God’s life-giving grace, and refers to the event of water from the rock at Meribah (meaning a place of testing).

Romans 5.1-11. The Apostle Paul says suffering leads to hope, which never lets us down. And this: “Christ died for the ungodly.” So know that God loves us unconditionally, and that we are reconciled with God. Therefore we are at peace. We can endure suffering knowing that God is with us.

John 4.5-42. Jesus speaks with a woman at a well in Samaria, disregarding taboos against rabbis speaking publicly with women, as well as Jewish prejudice against Samaritans. They talk about worship, the coming of the Messiah, and living water—flowing water—that gives eternal life.

Note: Consider presenting this story as a dramatic reading, with roles for Jesus, the Samaritan woman, the disciples, and a narrator.

Preaching Thoughts

Water from the rock
Maybe the miracle is that there was water there. Maybe it’s that Moses, trusting God, hauls off and strikes the rock. What a great way to make a fool of himself—except that he trusts God, and God is trustworthy. Maybe the word is to act boldly for the sake of the people. Maybe it’s to trust God’s providence. We don’t need to know how God provides, just trust that what we need is there. Maybe it’s that in the dry places in our lives, even within ourselves, there are secret springs of water gushing up to eternal life—if only we trust it.

Suffering and hope
Of course not all suffering automatically leads to hope. Let’s not kid ourselves. Suffering often leads to despair. Paul isn’t glorifying pain as a Christian virtue. It’s not that we enjoy or value suffering. It’s that even suffering can be the soil where hope grows. Hope doesn’t mean believing things will get better. Sometimes they don’t. It doesn’t mean things will turn out OK. (They didn’t go so well for Jesus, or thousands of martyrs…) Hope isn’t really about the future as much as the present. Hope is trust in what is already present but unseen. Even when we’re hurting, trust in the mystery of grace turns our suffering into the soil of hope. We see the Big Picture, the reality of Love that surrounds and upholds and permeates our lives, so that even when we’re suffering we know we belong to something lovely. The sense that “all shall we well, and all manner of things shall be well,” as Julian of Norwich says, is not that things will improve in the future, but that when all is added up—all of it— it’s all good; even the bad parts are redeemed by being embedded in goodness. Trust bin this mystery is what gets us through the rough patches, and enables us to endure suffering with hope.

Christ died for us
Paul says “Christ died for the ungodly.” That’s pretty universal, huh? Some people spin this toward guilt: Jesus died for you, so you ought to believe in him. But Paul is not brokering a transaction. This isn’t about what you need to do, but what God does. Jesus embodies how God thinks so highly of us that God is willing to die for us. The point is not that you should have some opinion about Jesus’ death, but that God loves you that much. Maybe faith has something to do with allowing ourselves to see ourselves as that lovable and beloved. Even at our most ungodly.

Reconciled
Paul says we will be saved through Christ from the wrath of God. The old substitutionary tale has it that Jesus “saves” us by taking the punishment that God originally imposed on us. Well, I don’t see how that reconciles us to God. The thought of God intending my destruction, requiring Jesus’ intervention, does not draw me close to God. No, I don’t think being saved means being saved from God. I think we’re saved from our distrust of God, by God’s self-sacrificing love. We’re saved from thinking God is wrathful toward us. In fact God is loving and loving only, and coming to trust this (through Christ’s love) is truly liberating—that’s salvation, and that’s true reconciliation with God.

Woman at the well
Remarkable Thing #1: Jesus knows her story. Is he omniscient? Does he read minds? Maybe he’s just a really good listener and picked up clues. Women didn’t have the power to initiate divorce. So she has been used and thrown away five times. And now the guy who she’s with doesn’t have the decency to marry her. She’s not a sinner; she’s a victim. Coming to the well at noon, long past when you want cool, clean water, clearly she’s a social outcast. Remarkable Thing #2. Still he treats her like a peer. He doesn’t relate to her as a needy person, a victim, a loser, but as a whole, intelligent person. Like, “I recognize your pain, but it sounds like you want to talk theology.” That in itself is healing. She’s not defined by her need. And Jesus not only oversteps social taboos about class and gender and Jews and Samaritans—especially rabbis and Samaritans—but he goes so far as to treat her as a worthy peer, to engage in theological banter as he would with another rabbi! In fact they converse longer than Jesus talks with anyone else in the Gospels. He’s in his element: no trickery, no game playing, just exploration. Note: Jesus loves questions.

A spring of water
John plays with the symbolism of the water in the well and in our hearts, and the woman’s thirst for water of both kinds. “Faith” is not about certainty or even belief at all, but about reaching out. The woman has faith because, to borrow some language from Matthew, she hungers and thirsts for righteousness. And she is satisfied. Jesus (John) gives us the beautiful image of “a spring of water in you gushing up to eternal life.” It’s a gift that comes from beyond—but from below, not above, from deep within. (Yes, God is beneath us, giving life.) The spring is unfailing, unaffected by passing weather, unpolluted by use or misuse, fresh and life-giving. Baptism and Eucharist in one gulp.

She left her jug
Of course. Because she knew she was coming back., She went specifically to call other people to Jesus. Yep, the first Christian evangelist, and a very effective one, calling people to Christ. Which, by the way, feeds Jesus. “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”

A reflection

           A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” —The woman comes to the well because she wants water—but Jesus wants something from her. What might Jesus be asking you for?       
           “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) —What separates you from God, or makes you feel unwelcome, unworthy or unwanted by God? Name it… and imagine Jesus accepting you anyway.
           “
Where do you get that living water?” —Where do you seek spiritual nourishment? Do you receive it it? Is it adequate? Is God leading you to dip into a deeper well?
           “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” —Imagine this spring of God’s love flowing up in and through you right now.
           “Y
ou have had five husbands.” —Jesus brings her brokenness to light—she is “damaged goods”— but he does not judge her for it. What hurt, shame, guilt or fear burdens you? Offer these to God. Let God take them from you.
           “Worship in spirit and truth.” —What does it mean to you to worship God? Be mindful of God’s presence and God’s loving grace. Be present; make yourself available to God.
           She said to the people, “Come and see…” and they left the city and were on their way to him. —She was an outcast, but like water from a well, Jesus has drawn a wonderful gift out of her. What gifts might Jesus see in you? What good news might he be asking you to bear?
           
“I have food to eat that you do not know about.” —Imagine Jesus has been spending this time with you, right now—not because it’s his duty but because it nourishes him. Dare to delight in Jesus’ delight in you.
           Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. —Jesus doesn’t regard her according to her shame, but according to the gifts he sees in her. Ask God for the gift of seeing people as Jesus sees them: as gifted, worthy and beloved, even as they are brokenhearted and in need of healing. Imagine all people in this light. Imagine God’s love flowing out from you like a “spring of water gushing up,” spreading to al people, all living beings, all creation. Give thanks for this spring of living love in you, flowing from the heart of God.

Call to Worship

1.
Leader: Creator God, we come, thirsty for your Word.
All: You offer to us flowing water, and we give you praise.
Loving Christ, we come to you hungry for your grace.
You touch living springs within us, and we give you thanks.
Holy Spirit, we come to you thirsty, yet you hunger for us to be vessels for you.
You nourish us for service, and we give you our lives. Thanks be to God.

2.
Leader: Everyone who drinks water will be thirsty again.
All: But those who drink of the water that Christ gives us will never be thirsty.
The water that Christ gives will become in us
a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.
Christ, give us this water, so that our spirits will never dry up.
We draw from the deep well of your love, O God.
Fill us with your Spirit, for we are thirsty for you.


3.
Leader: We wander in desert wastes,
All: We are thirsty for life-giving grace.
But there is water in the rock.
We come with our brokenness and need
But there is a life-giving spring in you.
We’re not sure how to worship.
But the Spirit and the truth is in you. Worship in spirit and truth.
God, we trust your grace,
and we offer you our thirst, and our worship.


4.
Leader: Desert thirst; fear and and doubt.
All: Water from the rock!
Shame and failure, heartbreak and despair.
A spring of water gushing up!
A people, ungodly and unwilling.
Love that would die for us!
This is the good news.
We give thanks, and worship.

Collect / Prayer of the Day

1.
Generous God, your Word is a spring of water gushing up to eternal life. Like the woman of Samaria we come to the well of your Word to drink, to be satisfied, to receive life. Fill the jars of our hearts with your love. Draw from the deep well of your grace and change us. Make us living vessels of your love for a world that is thirsty for you. Amen.

2.
God of love, we are thirsty for you, thirsty for your love, your blessing, and your presence. We open ourselves to your grace—for you gush forth with the water of life. Renew us with your Word. Amen.

3.
God of love, we confess that the well of love in our souls sometimes runs dry. Forgive our sin, fill us with your Word, and open that spring of life in us, that we may flow freely with your love for all the world. We worship you in spirit and in truth. Speak to us. Jesus, help us listen. Amen.

4.
Leader: Like the woman who came to draw water at a well,
we come to draw life from you, O God
All: Jesus, as you spoke to her, so you speak to us now.
Fill us with your grace, and help us to worship in spirit and in truth.
May your grace become a spring of living water in us, gushing up to eternal life. Amen.

5.
God of abundant grace, as the woman came thirsty to the well we come, thirsting for your presence and your grace. Draw from the wells of salvation and pour out your Spirit upon us. Feed us with your Word, and refresh our souls with your living, flowing grace. Let your love in us be a spring welling up to eternal life. We pray in the name and the presence of Christ. Amen.

6.
Leader: We are tired and thirsty. We sit by the well our ancestors have dug.
All: Christ, you come, and offer us living water.
We wonder about life, about truth, about our place.
Christ, you cross all boundaries to speak with us, and your Word stirs in us.
We doubt our abilities. We believe people’s judgments. We feel alone.
Christ, your love changes us, and a spring of life wells up in us.
Give us, please, the living water of your life-giving Spirit,
gushing up to boundless love and the joy of being.
For this, God, we are thirsty.
Come and quench the thirsting of our souls. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

1.
Gracious God, we confess our need for your life-giving grace.
We are thirsty for you,
yet we have sought sustenance elsewhere.
We come again to the well of your mercy.
May your forgiveness, your healing and your love
become in us a spring of living water gushing up to eternal life.

2.
Gracious God, before you there are no secrets.
Our sins are clear. Our wounds are open.
You see us as we truly are.
O God, we repent and turn to you,
for we are thirsty for your grace,
and hungry for the life that you alone can give.
Accept us, O God, and forgive our sins.
Heal our wounded spirits.
Wash us in the living spring of your grace,
so that guided by your Word,
we may go forth to serve you in holiness and joy.
We pray in the name of the Crucified and Risen Christ. Amen.

Listening Prayer

(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)

Our hearts may be as stone, O God,
but you strike them, and out flows water.
Our hearts are empty buckets, God.
We lower them into the well of your grace.
We lower the buckets of our hearts
into the deep, clear well of your grace.

Poetry

Living water

You are not dying of thirst in a desert,
searching for the magic well of salvation.
It is within you.

Take the jug of your soul
to the place where it is filled.
When you get there, sit.

You know where it is: a shrine or a meadow,
a holy book, silence or song,
or kneeling with someone in need.

Listen to the voice in the silence,
the song in the water,
the blessing pouring out of the moment.

Let it fill you, soak in, sink deep.
It does not pass, but becomes you.
A spring opens up in you.

That for which you most deeply thirst
wells up inside you, from deep beyond,
eternally present.

There is a place in you
where God bubbles up into the world.
Build your house near that spring.

Drink deeply from that source.
Abandon your paths to other, muddy holes.
Let your life flow with this living water.

Weather or a thief
can take the water
but not the spring.

The water is not yours.
Let if flow. Other are thirsty, too.
Draw from that well. This is life.


Eucharistic Prayer

[After the introduction, the body of the prayer may be read responsively with the presiding leader(s) and congregation, or by the leader(s) alone.]

God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.

God, we thank you, for you create us in your image, covenant to be our God,
and feed us with grace.
You judge the forces of oppression and work for the liberation of all your children;
you set us free from all that traps and enslaves us.
You have provided for us—bread in the wilderness and water from the rock.
You have given us Christ, the bread of life, whose spirit in us
is a spring of living water, gushing up to eternal life.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.


            [Sanctus, spoken or sung:]
        Holy, holy, holy One, God of power and might,
        heaven and earth are full of your glory.
        Hosanna in the highest.
        Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
        Hosanna in the highest.
               [or alternate version]

Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He fed the hungry; he shared water with the thirsty; he taught your Way,
feasting on your Word with all who were hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
He called for justice and subverted the world’s judgment and divisions,
befriending the outcast and gathering a community that included everyone,
calling them to your table of grace to feast on your Word and drink of your Spirit.
For opposing unjust systems he was crucified; but you raised him from the dead.

     (The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

             [Memorial Acclamation, spoken or sung:]
        Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
                     —or—
        Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restores our life.
        Christ will come again in glory.
             [or alternative]

Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ.
May your Spirit be in us a spring of living water,
gushing up to eternal life, for the sake of the world.


     [Spoken or sung]
Amen
.

____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]

On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.

Prayer of Dedication / Sending / after Communion

[Adapt as needed.]
1.
Gracious God, we thank you for (the mystery that you give yourself to us / this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.) Your Spirit flows in us, a spring gushing up to eternal life. We are vessels of your grace. Send us into the world to serve, to bear witness and to bring others to the table of your love, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.

2.
Loving God, your Spirit is within us, a flowing spring of love.
May we be a vessel of your grace,
an ample jug for the water of your love for all people.
Send us, refreshed, in the name and the company of Christ.
Amen.

Suggested Songs

(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)

The Heart of Heaven (Original song)

There’s a heart in heaven that knows you,
and speaks your name in love from heaven’s throne,
that has laughed and labored here beside you,
and says, “I know your journey as my own.”

There are eyes in heaven that adore you,
and weep with joy at the beauty of your soul,
for they see the courage of your living,
and share your deepest yearnings to be whole.

There’s a tear in heaven that remembers,
there’s a deep, weary sigh that understands;
there are gentle, wounded hands that know the struggle
to do the work of God with human hands.

There’s a voice from heaven within you,
a spring of life-giving water flowing free.
Let it flow, let grace and peace shine in you
with heaven’s loveliness for all to see.

Oh, the heart of heaven is within you,
the universe embraces you in love,
for the humble One who walks beside you
is the One who rules the sun and stars above.


I Take Up My Cross (Original song)

Congregation:
Letting go, I am held. I take up my cross and follow.

Cantor:
1. Jesus, you call to me, and draw me into your life.
2. Christ, I who thirst for you, you ask of me a drink.
3. Christ, I leave all behind, to follow you in love.
4. Your Word is a spring of life that gushes up in me.

Jesus, Come Speak to Us      (Tune: Fairest Lord Jesus)
[John 4.1-42]

God, you have gathered us, hungry for the Bread of Life,
thirsty for waters of flowing grace.
Our broken hearts are yours, open and waiting.
We want to meet you face to face.

Jesus, come speak to us. Sit beside the way with us.
Draw from the well and refresh our souls.
Shine light into our hearts, heal hidden wounds within,
call forth our gifts and make us whole.

Spirit, our Breath of Life, fill us with your grace and truth.
Make us your vessels of love and light.
Flow like a river, welling up within us
with waters of eternal life.

We Feast On Your Love (Original song)

Chorus: We drink from your presence.
We feast on your love.
This is the banquet we’ve been dreaming of. (Repeat.)

You gather us; none is unworthy;
and no one is “greatest” or “least.”
You multiply what we offer,
so multitudes may feast. — Chorus

We hunger and thirst for your spirit,
we open ourselves to your grace.
In flows the mercy you offer
in every time and place. — Chorus

We taste the sweet wine made from water,
our bread is your body you give.
“Drink of the water I give you,
so you may truly live.”


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