21B – Lent 3B

20B - Lent 2B — 22B - Lent 4B
 
See also my post from 2012, 2018, 2021, 2024

 
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 19)
Come into this sacred space to worship God
whose teaching is perfect;
whose directions are sure.
Come into this holy place to worship God
whose standards are right;
whose commandment is clear;
whose judgements are true.
Come with holy fear —
to be given life, and made wise,
to have your heart stirred and your eyes opened wide.
Come — let us worship God.
Let the words of our mouths and the whispering of our hearts
be acceptable to you,
Source of life,
Word of life,
Breath of life. Amen.

PRAYER OF ADORATION AND CONFESSION (from Psalm 19)
Your glory, O God
is declared in the holy silence of the heavens,
and told in the silent succession of day and night.
No speech, or word or voice is heard;
yet they speak to all the world,
and their words reach to the ends of the earth. 
The sun joyfully leaps across the sky,
from one end of the heavens to the farthest reaches,
and nothing is hidden from its heat or light.
So nothing that we do or say or whisper in our hearts 
is hidden from you, Lord God.
Release us from the darkness we hide deep within our lives.
Let our lives be radiant with holy fear;
delighting in your teaching, 
receiving insight from your commandments
and wisdom from your encouraging. 
Enliven our desire for your everlasting judgements
over wealth or fame:
to enjoy the sweet drippings of the honeycomb,
that are to be found 
in right relationship with those around us,
and with you. Amen.
 
OFFERING
Out of the fullness of your gifts, O God,
we make this offering
and dedicate our lives anew
in following the way of Jesus,
encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
Let your foolishness be our wisdom;
your weakness be our strength. Amen.

For use in worship, with acknowledgement. © Jeff Shrowder 2000, 2012.

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A CREATIVE MOMENT 
Click here for some ideas for worship in Lent and Easter gleaned from the pages of “On the Move” (now out of print) which was published by the Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, Australia.

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THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(A prayer to gather the spoken and silent concerns/joys/thanks expressed by the congregation and lead into a more structured Intercession with connection to the lections for the day. Sometimes this prayer will borrow lightly from other sources e.g. Uniting in Worship 2 or publications of the Iona Community.)
 
God of covenant,
whose faithfulness and promise are everlasting:
let your Spirit whisper your faithfulness
to the oppressed and grieving;
your promise
to the ‘pushed aside’ and lonely;
and let your Word speak hope to the distressed.
Hear the cry of those who call on your name:
those we have named on our lips,
and in the silence of our hearts;
and those whose troubles are known only to you.
Loving God
whose decrees are sure,
whose precepts are right,
and whose glory is wordlessly spoken
from one end of the cosmos to the other;
hear our prayer, in Jesus’ name…
      (The Prayers of the People continue)

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Looking for contemporary music and song resources?
Try David MacGregor’s Together to Celebrate

HYMN SUGGESTIONS FOR LENT 3 – YEAR B
Christ is made the sure foundation	TIS 432
God’s law is perfect and converts	TIS 8
Help us, O Lord, to learn	TIS 428
In the cross of Christ I glory	TIS 349
Praise to the living God,	TIS 102
The church’s one foundation	TIS 457
The day of resurrection	TIS 361
Exodus 20:1-17
Lord of creation, to you be all praise	TIS 626
O for a heart to praise my God	TIS 568
What God ordains is always good	TIS 109
Your words to me are life and health	TIS 430
Psalm 19
God your are clothed with life	TIS 193
God’s law is perfect and converts	TIS 8
Nature with open volume stands	TIS 343
Now to the Lord a noble song!	TIS 113
Sing a new song, sing a new song	TIS 166
The day of resurrection	TIS 361
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
All my hope on God is founded	TIS 560
Christ the Lord is risen again	TIS 365
God moves in a mysterious way	TIS 126
God of grace and God of glory	TIS 611
Here hangs a man discarded	TIS 356
In the cross of Christ I glory	TIS 349
Make me a captive, Lord	TIS 604
Nature with open volume stands	TIS 343
We sing the praise of him who died	TIS 347
When Christ was lifted from the earth	TIS 248
John 2:13-22
Christ is the world’s light, he and none other	TIS 246
Come to us, creative Spirit	TIS 652
I danced in the morning	TIS 242
I greet you, my Redeemer sure, who lives	TIS 198
Inspired by love and anger	TIS 674
Jesus comes with all his grace	TIS 219
O Christ the healer, we have come	TIS 638
O dearest Jesus, why aren’t you acquitted	TIS 337
O love how deep, how broad, how high	TIS 194
O thou who camest from above	TIS 572