FOLLOWINGTHE LEAD OF 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: Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death. Breathe upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ and serve you in righteousness all our days, 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
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on 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.’
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’
SECOND READING
Romans 8:6-11
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
THE GOSPEL
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.
People: Glory to you, O Lord.
John 11:1-45 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Pastor: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
[click on the link below]
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, Kyrie Parimi, Doris Turner, Hilda Anderson, Linda Wolfe, Naomi, Bev Gregory, Dale Robinson, Audrey Hedlin, Mona Neher, Oma Ywo, Owen Peterson, Helga Halldorsdottir, Evaline Sanders, Wayne Andre, Pat Sarich, Lauren and Brandon Pelletier and baby Grace, Cari Schappert, the family of Norm Gregory, the family of baby Mavrick Gallant (Bev Gregory’s great-grandson), the family of Katherine Meger (Joshua Bratvold’s great grandmother), the family of Lois Jenkins (Ann Salmon’s mother), the family of John Beaven (Bev Gregory’s brother), the family of Carl Rausch, the family of Janet Gregory (Bev Gregory’s sister in-law).
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, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, the Palestinians and Israelis, Ethiopia and Tigray, Myanmar and the Rohingya Muslim refugees, Lebanon, all at the Mexico/United States border seeking refuge, the 100 million refugees and displaced persons, the people of Haiti suffering from political disasters, the victims and communities in Turkey and Syria devastated by earthquake, the people of Malawi and Mozambique recovering from a cyclone and flooding, the victims and families of the train crash in Greece, the people of California suffering from flooding, 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 the many omicron variants.
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 are sealed in our tomb-like existence to be our own gods. Through the living waters of baptism, the Spirit filled power of the Word, and the nourishing grace of your supper enable us to find life where there is death, freedom where there is bondage, and light where there is darkness. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: God of wisdom, you have called all people from darkness to light, from error into truth, from death into life. Raise us by your Spirit. Revive us by your Word. Form us by your hand Remind us of our baptismal waters of life and nourish with your bread and cup of blessing that we might see a future of hope, start life anew, and bear witness to your grace. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Righteous God, provide Christ’s call to life for all citizens of the world, that where political or economic crises threaten to destroy, the life-giving Spirit of God will bring hope and true peace. Unbind all nations, peoples, and tribes from violence and hostility. Breathe the breath of new life and reconciliation where there is conflict, so that mercy, peace, and justice might reach to the ends of the earth. O God, in your compassion …
Pastor: Comforting God, hear the cries of the sick and dying, all who bear doubt and are in despair, for those who are afraid and live in hiding, the lost and forgotten, and those caught up in conflict, loss, or grief. We remember especially before you …. Call us out from all that entombs us and bring us into your life-giving grace. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: God of new life, through our refusal to trust in anything or anyone other than ourselves, we have turned places in your good creation into a polluted and barren tomb. Work repentance and reconciliation in us that as your forgiven, new creation we might now dedicate ourselves to the care and stewardship of all that you have made. Breathe into our dry bones, that we might live, and that we might renew your creation and bear witness to your love for all that is yours. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Praiseworthy God, renew your people through our baptism when we seem paralyzed, fearful, doubtful, frustrated, and tired. Breathe your Word, your Spirit, your life into our dry bones. May the decisions made at our Annual Meeting be a calling to us to follow your will. Give guidance, wisdom, and understanding to the officers and members of our Church Council. Deepen our care for one another and empower us to be your light, salt, and the body of Christ throughout this community. O God, in your compassion …
Petitioner: Sustaining God, plant your Word in our hearts, breathe new life into the ministries of this congregation, so that in its power and love, our love may not grow cold in your service, nor that we may be tempted to fail, deny, or 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.
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 – Wednesday, March 29, Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m. – Thursday, March 30, Bev Gregory is hosting (154 Arrand Crescent) quilt-making bees every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Thursday, March 30, Church Council meeting via Zoom, 7:30 p.m.
COMING UP AT KOG – Sunday, April 2, Coffee Social after the service. Hosted by Karen Larson. – Thursday, April 6, Bible Study, “A Short History of Grace,” 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Karen Larson. We meet in Pastor Michael’s home, 1010 Duke Street. – Friday, April 7, Good Friday service with St. David’s/Trinity, 10:30 a.m. – Sunday, April 9, Easter service with St. David’s/Trinity, 10:30 a.m. – Saturday, April 29, Men’s Breakfast Out at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m.
February, March, and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG
2023 Budget: $50,471 Monthly Budget: $4,260 Weekly Budget: $971
2023 income/expenses: $4,479.08
January income/expenses: -4,453.08
Weekly contributions for February: February 5: $13,050 February 12: $250
February 19 and 26: $140
Weekly contributions for March: March 5: $740 March 12 and 19: $1555
“A Short History of Grace”. This Bible and theology study looks at the ways grace is interpreted from the time of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, through St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther and to contemporary theologies of liberation.
Emergency Appeal – Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), along with other leading Canadian aid agencies in the Humanitarian Coalition, is appealing for funds to assist those in need in Turkey and Syria affected by the earthquake and to support rescue efforts. Our focus right now is to provide blankets, shelter, life-saving clean water, food and healthcare. Please give what you can by donating at clwr.org/earthquake or by calling 1-800-661-2597 (office hours Mon-Fri, 9 am-4 pm), and pray for all those who are affected.
LENTEN SCHEDULE
Week #5 (March 29) Redeemer Resurrection7:30 PM
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.
King of Glory Lutheran Church 