+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
Morning Reading: John 5:1-16 (NLT)
Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”
“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”
Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”
But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.
The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.
So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.
Morning Prayer
Father God, you gave your own Son, the Word made flesh, to be our bread of life. May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in my heart during this Lenten season.
+ Quiet me before you – that I may hear your voice and pass with Christ from death to life.
+ Heal me and forgive me – that I may tell others the good news of what you have done for me.
+ Teach me to live by your Spirit – that I may bring faith and hope to those who doubt.
+ Penetrate my mind and heart – that my way of living may express your love and mercy.
+ Purify your Church in every tribe and nation – that we may be the living witness of your presence in the world.
Gracious God, prepare me – body, mind, and spirit – to welcome the mystery of Easter with great joy and love. May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in me; and may I proclaim the good news of peace and salvation. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“Healer” – Hillsong
Closing Sentence
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:7)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
Morning Reading: John 4:43-54 (NLT)
At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”
Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
Morning Prayer
Blessed be God the Father. Accept my sacrifice of praise, this morning, and make me more like your Son, Jesus Christ, through the power of your Word and Spirit at work within me.
+ Grant me a spirit of humility and prayer that I may love you and all your people.
+ Make me your co-worker that I may do my part in restoring all things in Christ.
+ Teach me to respect all that you have made, every person and creature under heaven.
+ Forgive me for the times I have failed Christ in the poor, the sick, and the needy.
+ Lord have mercy on me in my weakness, and change my life by changing how I think.
Lord God, you give me new life by mysteries which are beyond my grasp. Give me the help I need during this season of reflection to make progress on my pilgrim journey with Jesus towards Easter. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“Walk with Me” – Kim Walker-Smith (Jesus Culture)
Closing Sentence
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:7)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Midway through the season of Lent, the joy of Easter is on the horizon. The story of the prodigal son reminds us that we will receive love and compassion when we come home to God.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer:
God of compassion, you await the sinner’s return and spread a feast to welcome home the lost. Save me from the temptations that lead me away from you, and draw me back by the constancy of your love, that I may take my place in your household and gladly share my inheritance with others. Grant this through Christ, my liberator from sin, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever. Amen.
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Hymn: “Faithful one” – Robin Mark
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Joshua 5:9-12 (NLT)
[The story of the Israelites’ first Passover after their years wandering in the desert.]
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
Hand-harvesting wheat for Passover in Israel
While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 34:2-7 (NLT)
I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Psalm: “Let Us Exalt His Name Together” – CFC Doha Qatar
__________
A Reading from the Letters: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NLT)
[We are a new creation, ambassadors for Christ.]
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
__________
A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (NLT)
[The story of the Prodigal Son, the Loving Father and the disapproving older brother.]
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!
So Jesus told them this story:
_____
“A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
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Hymn: “Wonderful, Merciful Savior” – Selah
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Intercessions:
Father God, you rescue your people from all our distress. Listen to me now….
+ That all who follow Christ may return to your embrace during this season of Lenten reflection…. Lord, hear me.
+ That people who have fallen out with each other may be reconciled…. Lord, hear me.
+ That families who are experiencing difficulties may learn how to forgive….. Lord, hear me.
+ That refugees from the Middle East may find safe havens while they wait to return home…. Lord, hear me.
+ That all children may grow up in healthy, safe, loving environments…. Lord, hear me.
+ That all who have died in Christ, especially our family and friends, may find their rest in heaven…. Lord, hear me.
Gracious God, you love your people unceasingly, hear my prayers through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever. Amen.
__________
Hymn: “Hejuru mukirere (Up Beyond the Skies)” – 2016 Ambassadors of Christ Choir
Benediction:
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 24-25
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)
Morning Reading: Luke 18:9-14 (NLT)
Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Morning Prayer
Christ the Lord has made me into a new creation. He has given me a new birth in the waters of baptism and nourishes me with his Word and his Spirit. Jesus, you are gentle and humble in spirit; renew me by your grace.
+ Grant me something of your compassion, something of your kindness, and something of your patience towards all whom I encounter today.
+ Teach me to be a good neighbor to the sad and the needy, following your example of the good Samaritan.
+ Intercede for me before the Father and fill me with your Spirit that I may serve you ever more perfectly.
+ Grant me the gift of your mercy, pardon my sins and deliver me from evil.
Renew me, Lord God, in this yearly season of grace as I ponder the mysteries of Easter. Grant, that my joy may be completed by seeing them fulfilled in my life. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“God Be Merciful to Me” – Indelible Grace
Closing Sentence
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:7)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
(Isaiah 55:6)
Morning Reading: Mark 12:28-34 (NLT)
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
The Good Samaritan Théodule-Augustin Ribot, before 1870 Musée des Beaux-Arts de Pau Pau, Aquitaine, France
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Morning Prayer
Thank you Lord Jesus: you died on the cross that I might live. Revive my life in you today.
+ You have taught me by your life and renewed me by your passion; do not allow me to grow used to sin.
+ You call on me to care for the poor and hungry; may I deny myself today to help my brothers and sisters in their need.
+ I accept from your hands this day of Lent; may I dedicate it to you by acts of love.
+ End the rebellion within my heart; make me generous and willing to share.
Lord God, open my heart to your grace. Restrain me from all human waywardness and keep me faithful to your commandments. May I love you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength; and may I love my neighbor as myself. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“Lord Reign In Me” – Brenton Brown
There are many people | Who will say they’re Christians | And they live like Christians on the Sabbath day | But come Monday morning, til the coming Sunday | They will fight their neighbor all along the way
Oh you don’t love God, if you don’t love your neighbor | If you gossip about him, if you never have mercy | If he gets into trouble, and you don’t try to help him | Then you don’t love your neighbor, and you don’t love God
In the Holy Bible, in the Book of Matthew | Read the 18th chapter in the 21st verse | Jesus plainly tells us that we must have mercy | There’s a special warning in the 35th verse
There’s a God almighty, and you’ve got to love him | If you want salvation and a home on high | If you say you love him while you hate your neighbor | Then you don’t have religion, you just told a lie
Closing Sentence
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:7)
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
The Peanut Gallery 