The livestream may be found here.
The color purple, used for the vestments and paraments in Lent,
symbolizes somberness and solemnity. Crosses and images of our Lord and the
saints are veiled with purple cloth during Lent.
FIRST READING: While God provided manna for the Israelites during their
voyage through the desert, the manna is no longer required once the Israelites
have reached Canaan, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ However, the
celebration of the Passover remains, that all may remember that it is the God
who rescued Israel from Egypt who provides even in Canaan.
SECOND READING: Christ reconciled the world to God by his passion,
death and resurrection. But in order for others to experience the
reconciliation won by Christ, the Church must proclaim the message. The Gospel
is not owned by the Church, but entrusted to the Church. Therefore, Paul can
say, ‘we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.’
GOSPEL: The ‘parable of the prodigal son’ (which, of course,
has no title given by Jesus) might better be called the parable of the lost
son. But this title might also be inadequate, for there are two sons in the
parable. The elder son refuses to go into the banquet prepared for his younger
brother, the ‘prodigal.’ His reasoning is that while he has toiled faithfully
for years without reward, the younger abused his privileges and is rewarded
richly. His father begs him to return and join in the banquet. So, perhaps this
story could be called the parable of the lost
sons.
Come,
Thou Fount of Every Blessing
I.
David Harris
II.
Paul Manz
CONFESSION
(Although God’s forgiveness of sins
is available to Christians at all times, it is not announced in public worship
during the season of Lent, as a reminder that the entire season of Lent is one
of repentance. Lent concludes and the Great Three Days begin with the
pronouncement of forgiveness on Maundy Thursday.)
Stand
In
the name of the Father, and of the X Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.
Amen
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
O my God, in you I trust.
You are the God of my salvation;
To you, O Lord, I
lift up my soul.
In you I hope all the day long.
O my God, in you I trust.
Remember, Lord, your compassion and love,
for they are from everlasting.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
O my God, in you I trust.
Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one
another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of
heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought,
word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore
I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me
to everlasting life. Amen
The almighty and
merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness,
and remission of all your
sins. Amen
I confess to God Almighty, before the whole
company of heaven,
and to you, my brothers
and sisters, that I have sinned in thought,
word, and deed by my
fault, by my own fault, by my own most
grievous fault; wherefore
I pray God Almighty to have mercy on
me, forgive me all my
sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness,
and remission of all your sins. Amen
WHYMN Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Green
LBW 499
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
While the hope of endless glory
fills my heart with joy and love,
teach me ever to adore thee;
may I still thy goodness prove.
2 Here I raise my Ebenezer:
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
wand'ring from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be;
let that grace now like a fetter
bind my wand'ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.
Text:
Robert Robinson, 1735-1790, alt.
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
ELEISON
Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved Green LBW 96
PRAYER OF
THE DAY
God of all mercy, by your power to heal and to
forgive,
graciously cleanse us from all sin and make us
strong;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
God will
instruct us
and teach
us in the way that we should go.
Let
us hear the Word of the Lord. Psalm 32:9a
Sit
FIRST READING Joshua
5:9-12
9The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the
disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
10While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover
in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11On
the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land,
unleavened cakes and parched grain.
12The manna ceased on the day they
ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate
the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 32 Setting
by Paul D. Weber
The arrangement may not be reproduced here.
SECOND READING 2
Corinthians 5:16-21
16From now on, therefore, 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. 17So if anyone is
in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see,
everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us
to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that
is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So
we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we
entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our
sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
VERSE John 3:14-15 Setting by John W. Becker
Just as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the
Son of Man be lifted up, that
whosoever believes in him may have
eternal life.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
1Now all the tax collectors and
sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] 2And the Pharisees
and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and
eats with them.”
3So he told them this parable: 11b“There was a man who
had two sons. 12The 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. 13A 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. 14When he had spent everything, a
severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15So
he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent
him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16He would gladly have filled
himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17But
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! 18I will
get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you; 19I am no longer worthy to be called
your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20So 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. 21Then
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But 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. 23And get the fatted
calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24for this son of
mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to
celebrate.
25“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and
approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26He called one of
the slaves and asked what was going on. 27He replied, ‘Your brother
has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him
back safe and sound.’ 28Then he became angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and began to plead with him. 29But 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. 30But when
this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes,
you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31Then the father said to him,
‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32But
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.’ ”
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
Sermon Pastor Frontz
W Hymn of the DaY
Our Father, We Have
Wandered
Blue WOV 733
The text may not be reproduced here.
CONFESSION
OF FAITH
The pastor
and people confess the faith of the Church in the words of the Nicene Creed.
X At the words ‘For
us and for our salvation,’ and continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow
is appropriate to praise the incarnation of our Lord.
We believe in one God,
the
Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven
and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We
believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
X For us and for our
salvation
he
came down from heaven;
by the power of the
Holy Spirit
he became
incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. X
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death
and was buried.
On
the third day he rose again
in
accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into
heaven
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will
have no end.
We
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and
the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is
worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the
prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and
apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one Baptism for
the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of
the dead,
and the life of
the world to come. Amen
Let us pray
for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to
their needs.
Silence is kept.
Lord,
have mercy.
Renew our
congregation in this season of repentance. Make us ambassadors for Christ, and
give us the grace to welcome others in your name. Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Be the
hiding place for all those afflicted by war, terror, scarcity, injustice,
poverty of body, mind, and spirit. Uphold our nation and our leaders, and guide
all who hold responsibility for others.
The pastor names the nations and peoples in special need.
Lord,
have mercy.
Lord, have
mercy.
Sustain
the sick, comfort the grieving, and bless the dying. Renew the faith of those
who cannot find the way home to you. May these for whom we pray and all those
in any need see your goodness in the land of the living.
The pastor reads the names of those people for whom we have special
concern.
Lord,
have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
In our
participation at your altar, empower us to continue our forty-day journey to
the cross. With all those who have believed your promises, expecting the revelation
of our Savior Jesus Christ, bring us to that day when all your people rejoice
in the new Jerusalem, in peace and at rest. Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The pastor concludes the prayers:
Into your
hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ,
who has given us access to this
grace in which we stand. Romans 5:1-2a
The peace of the Lord be with you
always.
And also with
you.
The people exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY Hosea 6:1-2 Setting by Kevin Norris
Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn, that he may heal us;
he has stricken, and he will bind
us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
We do not presume to come to your table, O Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
to gather up the crumbs under your table.
But you are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.
Grant us,
therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the
flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,
and so to drink
his blood,
that we may
evermore dwell in him and he in us.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
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 him thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and
in all places offer thanks and
praise to you, O Lord, holy Father,
through Christ our Lord.
In your love you created the human race without sin; in your justice you
gave us the due sentence for our transgression; but in your mercy you redeemed
us from our exile and brought us home.
And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your
name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might!
Heaven 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!
(Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 21:9)
The pastor leads the people
in praying the Eucharistic canon:
Blessed are you, O Lord our God.
You created us in your image;
and in the mystery of your great love for us
you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ,
born of Mary by the power of the
Spirit.
Led by that Spirit he was tempted as
we are tempted;
He
proclaimed your forgiveness to sinners;
he loved even his enemies.
Despised and
rejected,
he
bore the alienation of the world
as he stretched out his arms on the cross;
and by this all-sufficient sacrifice
he has drawn all people to himself,
giving his life as a ransom for many.
As we gather in his name and
celebrate his testament,
send your Spirit upon us
and upon these gifts of bread and wine,
that they may be for us
the very body and blood of your Son,
Christ Jesus, redeemer of the world.
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.
Let us proclaim the mystery of
faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
Blessed are you, O Lord our
God.
By your Son's life-giving passion
and death,
and
by His resurrection and ascension into glory,
our
Lord Jesus continually intercedes for us
and
for all he has claimed as his own.
As we now share together
this
Bread of Life and this Cup of Salvation,
unite
us with all your faithful people
in
the forgiveness of sins,
and
bring us, at length, to that eternal celebration of life
at the Lamb's high feast.
Through him, with him, in him,
in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all
honor and glory is yours,
almighty
Father, now and forever. Amen
In the presence of Christ, we pray
to his Father using the words he gave us.
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the
Spirit,
we pray to his Father,
saying:
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 and ever.
Amen Matthew
6:9-15
Lord, come to us and cleanse us,
come to us and heal us,
come to us and strengthen us,
and
grant that, having received you,
we may never
be separated from you,
but continue yours forever.
We adore Christ, present in bread and
wine.
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.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in
their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is
truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness
of sins, life, and salvation.
Please come forward, take a communion cup from the tray,
and kneel at the altar rail on your ‘side’ of the worship space. Please make an
effort to leave some distance between your family unit and the next family
unit. When your side has finished communing, please place your empty cup in the
tray provided.
WDISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Sung by the Choir One There Is, above All Others
Text/ John Newton;
Music/ Andreas P. Berggen
Please
follow the text at Green LBW 298 as the choir sings.
Jesus
Sinners Will Receive Green LBW 291
St. 1 and 3/ Choir
may
they all this saying ponder
who
in sin’s delusions live
and
from God and heaven wander!
Here
is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus
sinners will receive.
2 We
deserve but grief and shame,
yet
his words, rich grace revealing,
pardon,
peace, and life proclaim.
Here
our ills have perfect healing;
we
with humble hearts believe
Jesus
sinners will receive.
3 When
their sheep have lost their way,
faithful
shepherds go to seek them;
Jesus
watches all who stray,
faithfully
to find and take them
in
his arms, that they may live--
Jesus
sinners will receive.
4 Come,
O sinners, one and all,
come,
accept his invitation;
come,
obey his gracious call,
come
and take his free salvation!
Firmly
in these words believe:
Jesus
sinners will receive.
5 Jesus
sinners will receive.
Even
me he has forgiven;
and
when I this earth must leave,
I
shall find an open heaven.
Dying,
still to him I cleave--
Jesus
sinners will receive.
Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671-1756; tr. Evangelical
Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1912, alt.
When all have received, the congregation
stands at the direction of the pastor.
The body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
WPOST-COMMUNION
HYMN
Strengthen
for Service, Lord Green LBW 218
O Lord, you have called us to be your witnesses.
Cleanse us from all unbelief and sloth
and fill us with hope and zeal,
that we
may do your work,
and bear
your cross,
and bide your
time,
and see
your glory.
BENEDICTION
Almighty God, Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen
WCLOSING HYMN
My God, How
Wonderful Thou Art
Green LBW 524
1 My God, how wonderful
thou art,
thy majesty how
bright!
How beautiful thy
mercy seat
in depths of burning
light!
2 How wonderful, how
beautiful
the sight of thee
must be--
thine endless wisdom,
boundless pow'r,
and awesome purity!
3 No earthly father
loves like thee;
no mother, e'er so
mild,
bears and forbears as
thou hast done
with me, thy sinful
child.
almighty as thou art,
for thou hast stooped
to ask of me
the love of my poor
heart.
5 My God, how wonderful
thou art,
thou everlasting friend!
On thee I stay my
trusting heart
till faith in vision
end.
Text: Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863
Go in
peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks
be to God!
THIS WEEK FOR THE FAITH FAMILY
Sun/
Mar 27 Choir rehearsal 9:30 AM
WORSHIP 10:30 AM
Tech Talk and Treats after Worship in
the Narthex
Prayer at the Close of the Day (livestream)
9:30 PM
Mon/
Mar 28 Morning Prayer (livestream) 8:30
AM
Wed/
Mar 30 Evening Prayer, 6:30 PM, in
person and livestream
Thu/Mar
31 ZOOM Bible Study, 7:30 PM,
livestream
Fri/
Apr 1 Morning Prayer (livestream)
8:30 AM
Sat/
Apr 2 NA Meeting 11 AM
Food Bank
WORSHIP 6:30 PM
Sun/ Apr 3 Choir rehearsal 9:30 AM
Food
Bank
WORSHIP
10:30 AM
Prayer
at the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022
Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress
Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright
1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
Eucharistic Canon reprinted with permission from
A Little Book of Canons by Rod L. Ronneberg, STS, © 1997 and © 2010.
Additional liturgical material from Common Worship: Times and Seasons,
© 2006 The Archbishops’ Council of the Church
of England,
and Foretaste of the Feast to
Come: Devotions on Holy Communion, by Philip H. Pfatteicher,
© 1987 Augsburg Publishing House.
Proper Preface from We Give You Thanks and
Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces, tr. Alan Griffiths, © 1999 Alan Griffiths.
Dürer, Albrecht, 1471-1528. Prodigal
Son, from Art in
the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity
Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56841 [retrieved March 22, 2022].
Original source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_-_The_Prodigal_Son_-_WGA7275.jpg.
Agnus Day appears with the permission
of www.agnusday.org
