FOLLOWINGTHE LEADOF JESUS
Lent is, first of all, about God baptizing us into a life of faithful discipleship. Lent attests to the power of the cross through word and water, bread and wine to conform the lives of God’s people to the image of Christ. Lent prepares us and leads us to the life-giving cross which ends not in death but resurrection. The tone of this Lenten order of worship—in the midst of its call to turn, repent, and be cleansed of sin— is one of promise and hope. Sunday after Sunday the Scripture Readings reflect God’s promises. These promises are centered in the fact that God sends Jesus not to condemn the world but to invite, seek, heal, and raise those entombed in tradition, culture, sickness, and death. Over and over we will see, hear, touch, and taste, how the impossible difficulties of sin are met with the promise of God’s saving action.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
WE REMEMBER OUR BAPTISMS, CONFESS OUR FAITHLESSNESS,
AND HEAR GOD’S FAITHFUL PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS
Pastor: Let us return to our gracious and merciful God,
remembering God’s life-giving promises declared at our baptisms,
and confessing our need for God’s continual healing.
Ever-loving God,
People: through the gift of baptism
you give new birth to your children
by water and the Spirit.
Yet we seem to remember only that we
come from dust and return to dust.
We forget that we are also born from grace.
We prefer to hide in our darkness,
rather than receive your gracious light and life.
We thirst for all those things and desires that can never satisfy.
We are blind to all the ways you invite us to come and see your goodness.
We wander from your promises and
find ourselves entombed in the ways of death.
We use your gifts to our own ends,
are reluctant to share these gifts with others,
and treat the gifts of your creation with carelessness.
Turn us again, O God.
Renew us.
Forgive us our sin,
and gather us again into your abundant life.
Pastor: A world cut off from God can never hope to be a place of life.
But God is not cut off from us.
God so loved the world that having sent the Son, Jesus,
we are gathered into God’s embrace of forgiveness and abundant
life.
We are reconciled to God.
Once lost, we are now found.
Once dead in sin we are now alive.
For the sake of Jesus Christ,
I declare to you the good news that
grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peace are yours.
People: Amen.
GATHERING
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL WITH PRAISE AND PRAYER,
AND PREPARE TO HEAR GOD’S WORD OF LIFE
GREETING
Pastor: From our God who loves us with an everlasting love
who brings forth a new creation in Christ,
who leads us by the Spirit in the wilderness,
grace, love and abundant peace be with you all.
People: And also with you
KYRIE [click on the link below] https://youtu.be/b8WdyJHLUgg
Kyrie eleison Lord have mercy,
Christe eleison Christ have mercy
Kyrie eleison Lord have mercy
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray:
People: Eternal God, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear your word and obey it, and bring your saving love to fruition in our lives through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
WORD
THE CHURCH HEARS THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD ACTING
IN THIS AND EVERY TIME AND PLACE
FIRST READING
Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.
THE GOSPEL
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the thirteenth chapter.
People: Glory to you, O Lord.
Luke 13:1-9
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’
Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’
Pastor: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
[click on the link below]
HYMN OF THE DAY
“Restore In Us, O God”
Restore in us, O God,
the splendor of your love;
renew your image in our hearts,
and all our sins remove.
O Spirit, wake in us
the wonder of your pow’r;
from fruitless fear unfurl our lives
like springtime bud and flow’r.
Bring us, O Christ, to share
the fullness of your joy;
baptize us in the risen life
that death cannot destroy.
Three-personed God, fulfill
the promise of your grace,
that we, when all our searching ends,
may see you face to face.
APOSTLES’ CREED
Pastor: Let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
All: I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
TODAY IN OUR PRAYERS
Bill, Carol, Curtis, and Christine Buchkowsky, Teri Peterson, Wayne Turner, Janet Gregory, Marge McMillan, Kyrie Parimi, John Beaven, Doris Turner, Hilda Anderson, Linda Wolfe, Naomi, Bev Gregory, Dale Robinson, Bryan Matschke, Audrey Hedlin, Mona Neher, Carl Rausch, Oma Ywo, Joan Schock, Owen Peterson, Lux Matschke, the family of Norm Gregory, the family of Mary Anderson (Evelyn Robson’s mother), the family of Joel Zimmerman, the family of baby Mavrick Gallant (Bev Gregory’s great-grandson), the family of Ray Johnson (the brother of Doris Turner), and the family of Katherine Meger (Joshua Bratvold’s great grandmother), the family of Lois Jenkins (Ann Salmon’s mother), the family of Dunja Yousif (former member of King of Glory), and the family of Helen Neher (Carol Sarich’s mother)
We remember the missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, the children and people buried in unmarked graves at residential schools and First Nation lands, and all those who have suffered the trauma of residential schools, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the people of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Hong Kong, the Palestinians and Israelis, the civil war in Ethiopia, Myanmar, the Rohingya Muslim refugees and the ethnic Karen of Myanmar, Lebanon, all at the Mexico/United States border seeking refuge, the people of Haiti suffering from earthquake, hurricane, and political disasters, those in northwestern Washington, and southern B.C., and New South Wales and Queensland, Australia devastated by torrential rains and flooding, the communities in the Philippines ravaged by typhoon Rai, the people of Tonga whose communities are destroyed by volcano and tsunami, the people of Madagascar recovering from four cyclones and drought, the people of Brazil recovering from flooding and mudslides, the people of Japan recovering from a 7.3 scale earthquake, those in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world caught up in racism and injustice and the resulting violence, and those throughout the world, in Canada, in our province, and in our community still threatened by the coronavirus and fearful of the omicron variant.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH
[The congregational response after each petition is: “ GRANT US YOUR PEACE.”]
Pastor: As we journey with Jesus to the cross, the tree of life, witnessing to the transformation of life that comes with faith, repentance and forgiveness, let us pray for the renewal of the Church and the restoration of the whole world to the life of God, saying, “O God, in your compassion” and responding, “Grant us your peace.”
Petitioner: Merciful God, we sometimes doubt and often resist your desire to protect and to save us, yet you persist. Deepen our faith and give us strength to follow wherever you lead us. Have patience with us as we learn to seek your will in all things. Send your Spirit so that we no longer bear grudges and judgment, but bear fruit of love and service. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Righteous God, your ways are beyond human understanding. Give those in positions of authority wisdom and compassion to be just stewards in caring for the poor, the unemployed, the homeless, the aged, infirm and disabled, and the environment. Move them to provide supplies of food and aid to the victims of natural disasters and of war, and to eliminate violence and oppression among all peoples and nations especially for the people of Ukraine. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: God of wholeness, renew your people through our baptism when we seem to be drowning in complacency, fear, doubt, and sin. Shower us with your promises, assure us, give us faith, may your Word be a calling to us to follow your will. Deepen our care for one another as we reach out to those who are absent or experiencing difficult circumstances. Empower us to be your light, salt, and the body of Christ in this community. O God, in your compassion
Pastor: Comforting God, hear the cries of the sick and dying, all who bear doubt and are in despair, the lost and forgotten, and those caught up in conflict, loss, or grief. We remember especially before you …. Bring healing and hope, love and compassion, faith and peace. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Praiseworthy God, you seek us in steadfast love. Transform our thoughts into your thoughts and our ways in to your ways. Send us out so that we may boldly spread the good news of new life in Jesus Christ and may be both a prophetic witness and a pastoral presence in a needy world. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: God of new life, the earth, sea and sky are a temple of your creative love for all that is. We pray that you make us gracious gardeners for the care and protection of the earth and all its creatures. We pray for wisdom, courage, and commitment to help cleanse your good creation, that clean water, air, land, and the fruits of the earth are available for future generations. Fill all who hunger and thirst with good things, that we and your whole creation may be blessed. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Sustaining God, Jesus through his suffering death shows us a new way of love and invites us to love one another as he loves us. Plant this Word in our hearts, so that in its power and love our love may not grow cold in your service, nor that we may be tempted to leave you, but in faith, cling to the cross and its way to life. O God, in your compassion …
Pastor: Gracious God, hear us as we pray. As you have made us and redeemed us, so now sustain us with your hope, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.
THANKSGIVING
THE COMMUNITY PRAISES GOD FOR THE GRACIOUS GIFTS OF CREATION
AND THE SAVING DEEDS OF JESUS CHRIST
THE GREETING AND SHARING OF PEACE
Pastor: Sisters and brothers, rejoice, encourage one another, live in peace.
God through Christ has given us the gift of reconciliation.
People: Therefore, let us be reconciled to God and to one another.
Pastor: The peace of the Christ be with you always.
People: And also with you.
(If with others greet one another with a gesture of peace, using these or similar words: “Christ’s peace be with you.”)
THE OFFERING
(We worship God with the offering of our selves, our time, our talents, and our possessions.)
OFFERTORY SONG
“Create In Me”
[click on the link below]
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Let me be like you in all my ways.
Give me your strength,
Teach me your song,
Shelter me in the shadow of your wings.
For we are your righteousness.
If we die to ourselves and live through your death,
We shall be born again to be blessed in your love.
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Pastor: Let us pray.
God our abundant Giver,
People: you provide us with every gift of creation,
and you quench our thirst with living water.
You have not fed us with bread alone,
but with words of grace and life.
Receive these tokens of your goodness to us.
May our lives be bread for the hungry
and streams in the wilderness,
signs of the abundance of your grace
in Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Pastor: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
People: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
SENDING
ALL RECEIVE THE BLESSING OF GOD, LEAVE IN PEACE,
AND ARE SENT OUT TO SERVE
BENEDICTION
Pastor: God give you the strength to raise up the cross of Christ,
wisdom to follow in the cross of Christ,
and the guidance of the Spirit to carry the cross of Christ
into our world.
People: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN
“There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy”
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
like the wideness of the sea;
there’s a kindness in God’s justice
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows
are more felt than up in heav’n.
There is no place where earth’s failings
have such kindly judgment giv’n.
There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.
For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
But we make this love too narrow
by false limits of our own;
and we magnify its strictness
with a zeal God will not own.
‘Tis not all we owe to Jesus;
it is something more than all:
greater good because of evil,
larger mercy through the fall.
Make our love, O God, more faithful;
let us take you at your word,
and our lives will be thanksgiving
for the goodness of the Lord.
DISMISSAL
Pastor: Reconciled to God through the life-giving cross of Christ,
let us go out into the world in peace..
People: Thanks be to God.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY AT KOG
THIS WEEK AT KOG
COMING UP AT KOG
King of Glory will hold our regular in-person worship services—following the synod protocols recommended—on a weekly basis at the regular time 6:30 p.m. Of course, should there be any significant changes with regard to the pandemic situation the Church Council will revisit the issue.
Thank you from Canadian Lutheran World Relief for your contributions to their various aid programs in Canada and throughout the world.
February, March and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG
2022 Budget: $48,854 Monthly Budget: $4,071.17 Weekly Budget: $939.50
2021 income/expenses: $7,868.83
January income/expenses: $7,868.83
Weekly contributions for February: February 6: $103 February 13: $660
February 20: $180 February 27: $1200
Weekly contributions for March: March 6: $650
Lenten Mid-week services for the 7 ELCIC churches will again be on Zoom.
The Zoom information including the link for our Lenten services is the same one as last year, which is the following:
Topic: Saskatoon 7 ELCIC Lenten services
Time: Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89600870712?pwd=YjlxOEE5bUFyUE81QUp0bGJpQXNKdz09
Meeting ID: 896 0087 0712
Passcode: 093604
Or phone:
+1 647 374 4685 Then Meeting ID then Passcode
Meeting ID: 896 0087 0712
Passcode: 093604
Offerings.
(Please no cash for mail security reasons)
Send your contributions to: King of Glory Lutheran Church
3318 Merritt Street
Saskatoon, SK S7M 3P6
Thank you for your generosity.
Checklist and Guidelines for Re-opening Worship Services
Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc before the service
One person preps worship materials [pastor]
Six feet distancing recommended
No sharing of pencils, pens, etc.
No serving of food or beverages
Try not to use the washrooms
Open doors and windows if possible
Use/wear face masks, but you may sing quietly recommended
Hand sanitizer available
No physical contact (e.g. sharing of the peace, no passing of offering plate)
Communion procedure: distribution in a way that maintains physical distancing
Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc after the service
King of Glory Lutheran Church 