The Third Sunday of Lent
Sunday, March 20th 2022
PRELUDE “There in God’s Garden” arr. David Cherwien
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father,
and of the ☩ Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
(please kneel)
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(silence is kept for reflection and personal confession)
Gracious God,
have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned from you and given ourselves into the power of sin. We are truly sorry and humbly repent. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things we have done and things we have failed to do. Turn us again to you, and uphold us by your Spirit, so that we may live and serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*GATHERING SONG “Glorious Things of You are Spoken” (sung to alternate tune, Austria) ELW 647
*GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
*KYRIE
*PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. 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 Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
WORD
CHILDREN’S TIME
Dismissal to Children’s Chapel
FIRST READING: Isaiah 55:1-9
A reading from Isaiah.
1Ho, 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. 2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3Incline 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. 4See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5See, 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. 6Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7let 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. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
PSALM: Psalm 63:1-8
O God, eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. (Ps. 63:1)
1O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, that I might behold your power and your glory. 3For your steadfast love is better than life itself; my lips shall give you praise.
4So will I bless you as long as I live and lift up my hands in your name.
5My spirit is content, as with the richest of foods, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches.
7For you have been my helper, and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8My whole being clings to you; your right hand holds me fast.
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
A reading from 1 Corinthians.
1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. 6Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do 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.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11These 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. 12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No 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 word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
*GOSPEL: Luke 13:1-9
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
1At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2[Jesus] asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or 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? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.” 6Then 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. 7So 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?’ 8He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
*HYMN OF THE DAY “Restore in Us, O God” ELW 328
*APOSTLES CREED
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 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.
*PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Drawn close to the heart of God, we offer these prayers for the church, the world, and all who are in need. (please kneel)
Response after each prayer: Receive our prayer.
Accept the prayers we bring, O God, on behalf of a world in need, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
*PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
MOMENT FOR MISSION – ELCA Colleges and Universities
Our offering is a form of worship, taking part in God’s transforming mission in this world. Each dollar we give contributes to changing lives. Each week we will take a moment to remember one way that our offerings do that. This week, we remember ELCA Colleges and Universities. Lutheran reformers insisted that schools be established and that education for all, not just aristocratic elites, was an implication of the gospel. Although originally established by immigrant Lutherans to serve their own communities, the twenty-six ELCA colleges and universities now serve Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike, in the spirit of the Lutheran Reformation.
We will now receive our offering.
*OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ
*GREAT THANKSGIVING
DIALOGUE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all placesgi
ve thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
You call your people to cleanse their hearts
and prepare with joy for the paschal feast,
that, renewed in the gift of baptism,
we may come to the fullness of your grace.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
*HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (ELW p. 153)
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Lord God of pow’r and might:
Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
O God most mighty,
O God most merciful,
O God our rock and our salvation,
hear us as we praise,
call us to your table,
grant us your life.
When the earth was a formless void,
you formed order and beauty.
When Abraham and Sarah were barren,
you sent them a child;
When the Israelites were enslaved,
you led them to freedom.
Ruth faced starvation, David fought Goliath,
and the psalmists cried out for healing,
and full of compassion, you granted the people your life.
You entered our sorrows in Jesus.
He was born among the poor,
he lived under oppression,
he wept over the city.
With infinite love, he granted the people your life.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup,
gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering his death, we cry out Amen. [Amen.]
Celebrating his resurrection, we shout Amen. [Amen.]
Trusting his presence in every time and place, we plead Amen. [Amen.]
O God, you are Breath: send your Spirit on this meal.
O God, you are Bread: feed us with yourself.
O God, you are Wine: warm our hearts and make us one.
O God, you are Fire: transform us with hope.
Grant us life,
the life of the Father to the Son,
the life of the Spirit of our risen Savior,
life in you, now and forever.
Amen.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
*LORD’S PRAYER (Sung)
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.
*INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Come to the banquet, for all is now ready.
(Sung)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.
COMMUNION
Anthem “Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake” arr. Richard Farran
Lord, for thy tender mercy’s sake
Lay not our sins to our charge.
But forgive that is past,
And give us grace to amend our sinful lives.
To decline from sin, and incline to virtue,
That we may walk in a perfect heart,
Before thee now and evermore.
Amen
COMMUNION HYMNS
“As Rains from the Clouds” ELW 508
“O Blessed Spring” ELW 447
*POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
May the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in God’s grace. Amen
*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray. Compassionate God, you have fed us with the bread of heaven. Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage: may our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.
*BLESSING
Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.
*SENDING SONG
“There in God’s Garden” ELW 342
*DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Remember the poor. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE “O Living Bread from Heaven” arr. Robert Hobby