Fifth Sunday in Lent – Sunday, March 29th, 2020
Divine Service 4 LSB Hymnal pg. 203-212
ANNOUNCEMENTS
T Confession and Absolution
Hymn of Invocation – Christ, the Life of All the Living…………… LSB 420
1 Christ,
the life of all the living,
Christ, the death of death, our foe,
Who, Thyself for me once giving
To the darkest depths of woe:
Through Thy suff’rings, death, and merit
I eternal life inherit.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
2 Thou, ah!
Thou, hast taken on Thee
Bonds and stripes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God!
Thus didst Thou my soul deliver
From the bonds of sin forever.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
3 Thou hast
borne the smiting only
That my wounds might all be whole;
Thou hast suffered, sad and lonely,
Rest to give my weary soul;
Yea, the curse of God enduring,
Blessing unto me securing.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
4 Heartless
scoffers did surround Thee,
Treating Thee with shameful scorn
And with piercing thorns they crowned Thee.
All disgrace Thou, Lord, hast borne,
That as Thine Thou mightest own me
And with heav’nly glory crown me.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
5 Thou hast
suffered men to bruise Thee,
That from pain I might be free;
Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee:
Thence I gain security;
Comfortless Thy soul did languish
Me to comfort in my anguish.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
6 Thou hast
suffered great affliction
And hast borne it patiently,
Even death by crucifixion,
Fully to atone for me;
Thou didst choose to be tormented
That my doom should be prevented.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.
7 Then, for
all that wrought my pardon,
For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the Garden,
I will thank Thee evermore,
Thank Thee for Thy groaning, sighing,
For Thy bleeding and Thy dying,
For that last triumphant cry,
And shall praise Thee, Lord, on high.
Text: Public domain
Stand – The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation & Exhortation…………………………………………………. LSB 203
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Confession of Sins & Absolution………………………. LSB 203
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
T Service of the Word
Responsive Psalm…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Psalm 130
P 1Out of the depths
C I cry to you, O Lord!
P 2O Lord, hear my voice!
C Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
P 3If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
C O Lord, who could stand?
P 4But with you there is forgiveness,
C that you may be feared.
P 5I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
C and in his word I hope; 6my soul waits for the Lord
P more than watchmen for the morning,
C more than watchmen for the morning.
P 7O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
C and with him is plentiful redemption.
P 8And he will redeem Israel
C from all his iniquities.
Kyrie ♫…………………………………………………………………………. LSB 204
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
During Lent the Gloria is omitted.
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray…
Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading…………………………………………. Ezekiel 37:1–14
1The hand of the Lord
was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord
and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there
were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones
live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and
say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5Thus says the Lord God
to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh
to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall
live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I
prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together,
bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold,
there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered
them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he
said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath,
Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds,
O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great
army. 11Then
he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold,
they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’
12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says
the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and
raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of
Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your
graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit
within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you
shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and
I will do it, declares the Lord.”
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle……………………………………………………………………….. Romans 8:1–11
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit
of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh,
could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for
sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order
that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their
minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To
set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life
and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the
flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it
cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot
please God. 9You, however, are not in the flesh
but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does
not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But
if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is
life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit
of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who
dwells in you.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
During Lent the Alleluia is omitted.
Verse ♫…………………………………………………………………………………. LSB 205
C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Holy Gospel……………………………………………………………….. John 11:17–27, 38–53
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
17When Jesus
came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to
console them concerning their brother. 20So when
Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained
seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God,
God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your
brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him,
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the
life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall
never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to
him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is
coming into the world.” . . .38Then Jesus,
deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against
it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha,
the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an
odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus
said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory
of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And
Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42I knew that you always hear me, but I said
this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you
sent me.” 43When he had said these things, he
cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44The
man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his
face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary
and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46but
some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the
Council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe
in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that
year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50Nor
do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the
people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51He
did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he
prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52and
not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who
are scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they
made plans to put him to death.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed……………………………….. Inside back cover of LSB Hymnal
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day – Christ Is Our Cornerstone……………………………………………………………………. LSB 912
Please rise for verse 3 in Honor of the Triune God
1 Christ is our cornerstone,
On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone
The courts of heav’n are filled.
On His great love
Our hopes we place
Of present grace
And joys above.
2 Here may we gain from heav’n
The grace which we implore,
And may that grace, once giv’n,
Be with us evermore
Until that day
When all the blest
To endless rest
Are called away.
3 Oh, then, with hymns of praise
These hallowed courts shall ring;
Our voices we will raise
The Three in One to sing
And thus proclaim
In joyful song,
Both loud and long,
That glorious name.
Text: Public domain
Sermon Message…………………………………………….. “If Only…” John 11:21
Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text for our message this morning is the Gospel Reading from John chapter 11, especially the lament from Martha in verse 21. I encourage you to open up your Bibles to that reading, or to follow along where the readings are printed in your worship folder.
These are certainly some interesting times, aren’t they? I found it to be very surreal as I went to town the other day, to deliver worship folders and devotionals to some of our isolated members who don’t have access to internet, and seeing all the empty parking lots, and closed store fronts, and being the only car sitting at a stop light. These are certainly interesting times. I tried to listen to the radio on that drive to get updates on the latest news, but turned it off fairly quickly as each broadcast I tried just seemed to ooze panic and desperation. It brought to my mind a scene from an old movie that my brother and I used to watch when we were kids, “Night of the Living Dead,” where in the wake of the rapid spread of a zombie apocalypse, you could hear a car radio in the background and the terrified voice of a newsman conveying the hopelessness of the situation. And yet as I rang the bell at the homes of our members, I was greeted not with desperation and fear, but with smiles and joy, at the opportunity to connect with another person, and especially to receive tools for connecting with fellow members of the Body of Christ, around His Word and promises. While the world all around us is echoing the lament of Martha from our Gospel reading, “If only…” Martha said to Jesus, “If only you had been here earlier, then my brother would not have died.” Likewise, the world laments, “If only this person were in charge instead of that person…” or “If only all the other people saw things like I see them…” or “If only we had done this or that… then all this could have been avoided, or we wouldn’t be experiencing things the way that we are.” The world around us, in light of the spread of a potentially deadly virus that is out of our control, clamors for answers, and when the answers are not quick in coming, the world is quick to judge and quick to despair. And as encouraged as I was to see the hope and joy in the faces of the members that I visited, that so contrasted the fear of the world, I couldn’t help but remember, that even as Christians, we are not immune to the same pressures, temptations and fears that the world outside the faith experiences. How often do we slip into the pattern of laments like, “If only I was smarter, prettier, stronger or more accomplished…” or “If only my boss treated me like I deserve, if only my spouse made me feel special, or if only I had what my neighbor has…” We are not immune to any of those very same thoughts, but what is different, is what gives that understanding of HOPE and JOY to those members I visited, even in their isolation. St. Paul reminds us in His letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say REJOICE. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” That’s what the Psalmist is doing in our Psalm for today, Psalm 130,
“Out of
the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be
attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen
for the morning.
Jesus’
response to Martha’s lament is a message of hope. Not just a message in words but a message in
action, as in the midst of her grief Jesus assures her that HE himself is the
Resurrection and the Life, that those who instead of giving into despair, place
their trust in Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promised redemption, will have
eternal life, no matter how unfathomable that may seem in the midst of their
current circumstances. And then Jesus
backs up his hopeful words by calling Martha’s brother out of the grave,
proving the validity of his claims, and restoring HOPE to those that were
hopeless. That very same hope restored
to Martha, and to her brother Lazarus… the very same hope proclaimed by the
Psalmist, is available to you now, right in the midst of great turmoil in the
world ravaged by virus, and right in the midst of the turmoil in your own lives
ravaged by the temptations and results of sin.
“Oh Israel, HOPE in the Lord! For
with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful
redemption.” In Jesus there is
forgiveness. In Jesus there is
peace. In this time of struggle, “wait
for the Lord,” because in Jesus there is HOPE.
Amen.
May the PEACE of God, which passes all worldly understanding guard and protect your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen!
Prayer of the Church
P We come, O Lord, with the dry bones of our broken hopes and
disappointed dreams. Bind us up in Christ, that we may learn to pray with
confidence, trusting in Your mercy to supply us with all things needful to us
and to our salvation.
Brief
silence
Almighty God, everlasting Father, You saw Israel in their despair and
raised them up to hope by placing Your Spirit upon them. Raise us up from our
weariness and grant us Your Spirit, that we may be strong in faith, bold in
witness, holy in life and steadfast in hope. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P O God of power and might, You hold in Your hand all the might of man. Give to us good government and faithful leaders who will heed Your Word and pursue righteousness and justice. Bless and defend us against all our enemies, and teach us to be good and faithful citizens of this land, using all Your manifold resources wisely and for the good of all. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P O eternal God, You carry the grief of those who mourn and remember all who die in Christ. Give comfort to the grieving and peace to the dying, that they would not grieve as people without hope but trust in You to deliver us from death to life everlasting. Hear us especially on behalf of the families of…
** Linda Johnson & her Husband & some of their adult children, (Rebecca Hadenfeldt’s Aunt & Uncle and Family). Linda has been diagnosed with COVID-19 she was placed on a ventilator March 21. Her husband has been quarantined to his home with mild symptoms as well as some of their adult children that were exposed prior to her hospitalization. They all have symptoms ranging from fevers, headaches, and nausea.
*Those suffering from Cancer:
Flora Meester, friend of Catherine Garrett
Cheryl Klock, Julie Whitefoot’s Sister
Barb Meyer
Jeff Bexten, Former member of CLC
Pat Hughes, Barb Teichmeier’s Sister
Deb Homolka, Rick Gilbert’s Sister
Lorie Stahl, Ravenna NE
…and for all those we name in our hearts. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P O gracious God, You daily and richly grant us all things we need for this body and life. Bless our labors, and grant us wisdom to use the fruits of those labors wisely and well, for the care of our families, for the poor in their needs, and for the support of Your work in this congregation. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P O loving God, You established the family and ordered our relationships by Your Word. Renew husbands and wives in their love for each other, and refresh Your families in the grace of caring, that our homes may be places of blessing and peace where we serve each other in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
P O Lord, God Almighty, through Your Son You have kept the promise of the ages and rescued us from sin. You have raised up the dry bones of a people captive to death and made us alive in Christ forever. Sustain us in this hope, that we may endure the tests, trials and troubles of this life and be ready when our Savior comes again in His glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Lord’s Prayer……………………………… Inside back cover of LSB Hymnal
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 and ever. Amen.
Sit
Offering
Stand
Benedicamus & Benediction…………………………………………………… LSB 212
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Sit
Hymn to Depart – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross……………………. LSB 425
1 When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3 See, from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!
Text: Public domain
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.
ANNIVERSARIES THIS WEEK
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK
Jax Campbell – March 31
Robert Schultz – March 31
Justin Bredthauer – April 1
Arlene Hadenfeldt – April 1
Dwight Jones – April 1
Kristen Harders – April 3
Aaron Rasmussen – April 3
Thank You to all who donated to the church last week through the Pathway Bank Drive-Thru.
**Don’t forget you can give your weekly donations at Pathway Bank Drive-Up window, just remember to tell them which Fund you are giving too.
Sunday, March 29 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Ezek. 37:1–14, Psalm 130, Rom. 8:1–11
John 11:1–45 (46–53) or John 11:17–27, 38–53
No worship or Activities at Church
Watch your email for more information regarding Worship and church activities during this time of self home quarantine.
Check out this website from LCMS Synod for resources during this time away from the physical church building.
https://www.lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/health-ministry/pandemic
Sunday, April 5 – Palm Sunday
Is. 50:4–9a, Psalm 118:19–29 or 31:9–16
Phil. 2:5–11, John 12:12–19
Prayers This Sunday
** Linda Johnson & her Husband & some of their adult children, (Rebecca Hadenfeldt’s Aunt & Uncle and Family). Linda has been diagnosed with COVID-19 she was placed on a ventilator March 21. Her husband has been quarantined to his home with mild symptoms as well as some of their adult children that were exposed prior to her hospitalization. They all have symptoms ranging from fevers, headaches, and nausea.
*Those suffering from Cancer:
Flora Meester, friend of Catherine Garrett
Cheryl Klock, Julie Whitefoot’s Sister
Barb Meyer
Jeff Bexten, Former member of CLC
Pat Hughes, Barb Teichmeier’s Sister
Deb Homolka, Rick Gilbert’s Sister
Lorie Stahl, Ravenna NE
Christ Lutheran Church
Cairo, NE
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
