The Lenten Season | Saturday 16 Mar 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Gracious Father,
whose blessed Son Jesus Christ
came down from heaven to be
the true bread which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread,
that he may live in us, and we in him;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Jesus said to Judas, “Leave her alone!
She has done this to prepare me
for the day I will be placed in a tomb.”
(John 12:7)
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From Psalms: Psalm 51:10-13 // Harvest Collective
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OT Reading: Habakkuk 3:2-13 (GW)
3:2 Lord, I have heard the report about you.
Lord, I fear your work.
In the course of the years, renew it.
In the course of the years, reveal it.
In all this chaos, remember to be merciful.
God comes from Teman.
The Holy One comes from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covers the heavens.
His praise fills the earth.
His brightness is like the sunlight.
Rays of light ⌞stream⌟ from his hand.
That is where his power is hidden.
Diseases go ahead of him.
Plagues follow after him.
He stands and shakes the earth.
He casts a glance and startles the nations.
The oldest mountains break apart.
The ancient hills sink.
The ancient paths belong to him.
I see trouble in the tents of Cushan.
I see trembling in the tents of Midian.
The Lord is not angry with the rivers, is he?
If you are angry with the rivers,
if you are furious with the sea,
⌞why⌟ do you ride your horses,
your chariots of salvation?
You get your bow ready for action,
for the arrows ⌞you⌟ promised. Selah
You split the land with rivers.
The mountains look at you. They writhe in pain.
Floodwaters pass by.
The deep ocean roars. Its waves rise up high.
The sun and the moon stand still.
They scatter at the light of your arrows,
at the bright lightning of your spear.
You march through the earth with fury.
You trample the nations in anger.
You go out to save your people,
to save your anointed.
You crush the leader of the wicked household,
stripping him bare from head to toe. Selah
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Take Command, O Lord [Hebrew Worship] – קח אתה את הפיקוד
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NT Reading: John 12:1-11 (GW)
Mary Prepares Jesus’ Body for the Tomb
12:1 Six days before Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany. Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life, lived there. Dinner was prepared for Jesus in Bethany. Martha served the dinner, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus.
Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume made from pure nard and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled the house.
One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, asked, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for a high price and the money given to the poor?” (Judas didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and carried the contributions.) Jesus said to Judas, “Leave her alone! She has done this to prepare me for the day I will be placed in a tomb. You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you.”
A large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was in Bethany. So they went there not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had brought back to life. The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too. Lazarus was the reason why many people were leaving the Jews and believing in Jesus.
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Jesus I Believe // Big Daddy Weave
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+ O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift justice and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Deliver the hostages from captivity and restore their souls. Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically – and especially to those who will restore Israel spiritually – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Give us, O Lord, steadfast hearts, which no unworthy thought can drag down; unconquered hearts, which no tribulation can wear out; upright hearts, which no unworthy purpose can tempt aside. Bestow upon us understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and faithfulness that finally may embrace you. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May God our Redeemer
show us compassion and love.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 