Bulletin – March 29, 2020

Sunday, March 29, 2020
Fifth Sunday in Lent

Approach

Welcome, lighting the candle and announcements

Lighting the Lenten Candle Response

One:

God of all our fear and sorrow,
God who lives beyond our death;
Hold us close through each tomorrow,
Love as near as every breath,
Love as near as every breath.

All:

Gentle Jesus, mighty Spirit,
Come inflame our hearts anew,
We may all your joy inherit
If we bear the cross with you,
If we bear the cross with you.

Call to Worship

One: Lent is a time of repentance and reconciliation, risk and renewal; a time to face all that which hems us in and holds us back.

One: We gather to name all of the places in our lives that keep us from making real change: our love of power; our neglect in seeing the harm we do to others and to the earth.

One: We gather to give voice to all that stops us from following God in a path of change: the injustices that silence us; the pain that drains us of hope.

One: We gather to claim in this place, in the midst of God’s liberating love knowing that God can set us free. Come let us worship God who calls us to new places.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Creating God, still Centre of the world you have made, we come to you in this season of turning and returning. We do not know how to seek you our whole hearts, but we know you are our source and our destiny.

We are afraid of the change that you call us to, we return to you, we turn toward you. We thank you that you receive even the broken heart, the troubled conscience, the conflicted spirit.

Yet Loving God, we cry out to you “our hope is lost.” But we mean that we are afraid. If we work to change the world, what will we lose? We cry to you “we are cut off completely.” But what we mean is that we are selfish.

We resist connection because it may cost us our comfort. But you, God of Compassion, you continue to call us to places of change, continue to love us, comfort us, and journey with us, continuing to offer you love, mercy, compassion, and grace to each of us, as we return once again to you. Amen.

Words of Assurance

The Word

Scripture Reading:

John 11:1-45

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God!

Meditation – “The Edge of Change”

The Response

Prayers of the People

One: We pray in Jesus’ name.
All: Hear our prayer.

Commissioning / Benediction