The Celebration of the Gospel
March 6, 2016 —4th Sunday in Lent
“We had to celebrate and rejoice,
because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life;
he was lost and has been found.”
— Luke 15.32
________ We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE What a Friend We Have in Jesus Tune: “CONVERSE”, arr: Mark Hayes
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Loving God, giver of Creation, we turn to you.
All: Beloved God, Mother and Father of us all, we thank you.
Christ our brother, you bring us home to God, and we praise you.
You give us to one another, and so we praise you.
Holy Spirit, your love burns in us for all the world.
You make us beloved kin, and so we open our hearts. Our love is your praise.
* SONG Amazing Grace Blue hymnal # 378 vv. 1-3
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
____________ We Attend to the Word__________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Beautiful Saviour arr. Julie Knowles
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.
By the grace you show us in Christ,
forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE Bless the Lord, My Soul Black hymnal #2013
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of love, speak your word to lead all who are lost and seeking the way. Speak your healing word to all who are hurting and alone. Speak your reconciling word to all who are not at peace. Speak your life-giving word to us, and bring us close to you. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT 2 Corinthians 5.16-21
[Though our relationship with God is broken and messed up, God has a perfect relationship with us anyway—and draws us into that relationship in Christ. Changed by such love, we extend that reconciliation to others, too. ]
From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view;
even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,
we know him no longer in that way.
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to God through Christ,
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to God,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
since God is making this appeal through us.
We entreat you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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GOSPEL Luke 15. 1-3, 11-32
[A father’s two sons have both distanced themselves from him in different ways, and he goes out to them, asks them to accept his love, and invites them in to a celebration.]
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them some parables …
There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’”
So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.
Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”
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SERMON
SONG You Are Mine Black hymnal # 2218
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
PASSING THE PEACE
___________We Share at Christ’s Table _________
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Amazing Grace! arr: Alice Jordan
Including One Great Hour of Sharing special offering
* COMMUNION SONG
God, we bring our gifts, rejoicing in your love, your love so great!
For you call us to your table, all as one, to celebrate.
Though we turn away, you hold us. We who once were dead now live.
Blest, received, adored, forgiven, now in gratitude we give.
Joyful, then, we come to feast on all the gifts that you provide,
reconciled as holy kindred, celebrating side by side,
by your grace, O Father Mother, loving enemies as friends,
freely blessing one another, share your joy that never ends.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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. Amen.
SHARING THE HOLY MEAL [Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Your love is unending and boundless. Send us into the world to love others as you have loved us, to gather and welcome our beloved kin to the one table of life, in celebration of your grace, in the name of Christ and the power of your Spirit. Amen.
_______ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World____
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Bind Us Together Black hymnal #2226
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE Our Father, Thou In Heaven Above J. S. Bach
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]