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THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
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 (Ezekiel 37:1-14): The vision historically refers to
the restoration of Israel’s national hope to dwell in their ancestral land. For
the Christian reader, the vision speaks of the resurrection of the dead, and the
resurrection of Christ from the dead is the sure sign of the resurrection of
his people to live in the freedom of the kingdom of God. The prophet’s graphic
description of the state of the skeletonized remains evokes both the vast
hopelessness of our situation without God and the great power which God has to
save.
SECOND READING (Romans 8:6-11): The words ‘flesh’ and ‘Spirit’ do
not refer to material and immaterial realities, or to the bodily life as opposed
to thoughts and feelings. The life of the ‘flesh’ is a life lived without God, merely
human, while the goal of life is a human life inhabited by the Spirit. (‘The
glory of God is a man fully alive’ – St. Irenaeus). The Spirit-filled life this
side of the grave is sin absolved through repentance and forgiveness, Satan defeated
by prayer and fasting, and death faced resolutely in hope of God’s victory.
Such a life lived in the baptized person is the guarantee of the resurrection
of the flesh won by Christ’s own death and resurrection.
GOSPEL (John 11:1-45): The raising of Lazarus is the last
and greatest sign of Jesus’ present and future reign. Lazarus is ‘brought back’
to life – he will die again, as symbolized by the burial wrappings which still
enshroud his body as he emerges from the tomb. When Jesus is raised from the
dead by the Father, however, he will never die again, and the Gospel of John helps
us see this by showing us that the only thing left behind in Jesus’ empty tomb is
his burial clothing.
OPENING MUSIC Lord, Thee I Love With All My
Heart – J. S. Bach
Glory Be to Jesus -
G. Winston Cassle
Blessed be God: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit,
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen
Hear the commandments of God to his people:
I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the house of slavery.
You shall have no other gods.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not make wrongful use
of the name of the LORD your God.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Honor your father and your mother.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not murder.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not commit adultery.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not steal.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
or his male or female slave, or his ox, or his donkey,
or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
These are the commandments of the LORD our God.
Lord, have mercy on us sinners,
and incline our hearts to keep your law.
Let us pray together the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian:
O Lord and Master of my life,
take from me a spirit of laziness, despair,
love of power, and idle talk.
But give your servant a spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love.
Yes, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own sins and not to judge my neighbor.
For You are blessed forever and ever. Amen
WHymn Glory Be to Jesus Green LBW 95
1 Glory
be to Jesus,
who,
in bitter pains,
poured
for me the lifeblood
from
his sacred veins.
2 Grace
and life eternal
in
that blood I find;
blest
be his compassion,
infinitely
kind.
3 Blest
through endless ages
be
the precious stream
which
from endless torment
did
the world redeem.
4 Abel’s
blood for vengeance
pleaded
to the skies;
but
the blood of Jesus
for
our pardon cries.
5 Oft
as earth exulting
wafts
its praise on high,
angel
hosts rejoicing
make
their glad reply.
6 Lift
we then our voices,
swell
the mighty flood;
louder
still and louder
praise
the precious blood.
Text: Italian, 18th cent.; tr. Edward
Caswall, 1814-1878
APOSTOLIC 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. 2 Corinthians 13:13
KYRIE
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Amen
I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him;
In his word
is my hope. Psalm
130:4
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:1-14
1The 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. 2He led me all around them; there were
very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3He said to
me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said
to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the
word of the Lord. 5Thus
says the Lord God to these bones:
I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6I 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.”
7So 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. 8I 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. 9Then
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.” 10I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11Then 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.’ 12Therefore
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. 13And you
shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I
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.”
The Word
of the Lord. Thanks
be to God.
PSALM 130 Setting by Peter Hallock
Antiphon: With the
Lord there is mercy, with him there is plenteous redemption.
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my
voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
Antiphon
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, O Lord, who
could stand? 3 For there is forgiveness with you; therefore you
shall be feared.
Antiphon
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his words is
my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning. Antiphon
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with
the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem
Israel from all their sins. Antiphon
SECOND READING Romans
8:6-11
6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the
mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For 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, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9But 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. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is
dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If
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 Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Mark 10:45 Setting by John W. Becker
The Son of Man came not to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Gospel John 11:1-45
The Holy Gospel according to St. John. Glory
to you, O Lord.
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the
village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who
anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother
Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he
whom you love is ill.” 4But 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.” 5Accordingly, though Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus
was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea
again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now
trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus
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. 10But
those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11After
saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am
going there to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if
he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13Jesus, however, had
been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to
sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15For
your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to
him.” 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow
disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in
the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles
away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console
them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to
Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But
even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23Jesus
said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him,
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus
said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even
though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in
me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes,
Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into
the world.”
28When 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.” 29And
when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus
had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had
met him. 31The 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. 32When 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.” 33When Jesus saw her
weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed
in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So
the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said,
“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from
dying?”
38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a
cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus 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 four days.” 40Jesus said to
her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said,
“Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I 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.” 43When he had said this, he
cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The 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.”
45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen
what Jesus did, believed in him.
The Gospel
of the Lord. Praise
to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Stand
W Hymn
of the DaY
Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart Green LBW 325
St. 2/ Choir
Setting by H. F. Micheelsen
1 Lord,
thee I love with all my heart;
I
pray thee, ne’er from me depart;
with
tender mercy cheer me.
Earth
has no pleasure I would share,
yea,
heav’n itself were void and bare
if
thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And
should my heart for sorrow break,
my
trust in thee can nothing shake.
Thou
art the portion I have sought;
thy
precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord
Jesus Christ,
my
God and Lord, my God and Lord,
forsake
me not! I trust thy word.
2 Yea,
Lord, ’twas thy rich bounty gave
my
body, soul, and all I have
in
this poor life of labor.
Lord,
grant that I in ev’ry place
may
glorify thy lavish grace
and
serve and help my neighbor.
Let
no false doctrine me beguile,
let
Satan not my soul defile.
Give
strength and patience unto me
to
bear my cross and follow thee.
Lord
Jesus Christ,
my
God and Lord, my God and Lord,
in
death thy comfort still afford.
3 Lord,
let at last thine angels come,
to
Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,
that
I may die unfearing;
and
in its narrow chamber keep
my
body safe in peaceful sleep
until
thy reappearing.
And
then from death awaken me,
that
these mine eyes with joy may see,
O
Son of God, thy glorious face,
my
Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord
Jesus Christ,
my
prayer attend, my prayer attend,
and
I will praise thee without end!
Text: Martin Schalling, 1532-1608; tr.
Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878, alt.
CONFESSION OF FAITH 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.
We pray
for the holy catholic Church. Stir up your Holy Spirit, that your people may
celebrate the Lord’s resurrection with thanksgiving; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
We pray
for all who are preparing for baptism. Raise from the death of sin all who seek
the new life in Christ. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
We pray
for our congregation. Teach us to set our minds on the Spirit, which is life
and peace. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray
for our nation. Guide our President and his administration; the Congress; the
courts, and all who serve in state and local government. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
We pray
for the world. Give a safe harbor to refugees and stateless persons, and lift
up those afflicted by war, natural disaster, and plague: Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
We pray for
the North American Lutheran Seminary; its administration, faculty, staff, and
students. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
We pray
for all who are in need, and ask your blessing upon these whom we name now.
The Pastor reads the names
and situations submitted for prayer.
The People may intercede for
others aloud or in silence.
Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We give
thanks for those who have died. Bring us to rejoice together with them and with
Mary, Martha and Lazarus in the resurrection on the last day. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Into your
hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast
love, through your Son, 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 his grace.
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.
The People are seated as the Lord’s table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Setting by Kevin Norris
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we are faithless, he remains faithful; for he cannot deny himself.
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.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
Sanctus
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.
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
This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Happy are we who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.
John 1:29; Revelation 19:9; Matthew 8:8
HYMN For Perfect Love So Freely Spent stanzas 1 and 2
For perfect love so freely spent,
for fellowship restored,
we celebrate your sacrament
and sing your praise, O Lord.
We come, by sin disquieted,
and find our lives made whole;
around this table we are fed
refreshment for the soul.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Come Down, O Love Divine Green LBW 508
1 Come down, O Love divine;
seek thou this soul of mine
and visit it with thine own ardor
glowing;
O Comforter, draw near;
within my heart appear
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
2 Oh, let it freely burn,
till worldly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path
illuming.
3 Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner
clothing--
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o’er its own shortcomings weeps with
loathing.
4 And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the pow’r of human
telling;
no soul can guess his grace
till it become the place
where in the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.
Text:
Bianco da Siena, d. 1434; tr. Richard F. Littledale, 1833-1890
When all have received, the People stand 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
For Perfect Love So Freely Spent stanza 3
Abide with us; in all our ways
your saving love be shown;
so may our lives be hymns of praise,
O Christ, to you alone.
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.
Almighty God, Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen
WCLOSING HYMN
Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus Green LBW 487
(The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.)
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
From
Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2023 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,
by Philip Pfatteicher, 1997 Augsburg
Publishing House.
Proper
Preface from We Give You Thanks and
Praise: The Ambrosian Eucharistic Prefaces, ed.
Alan Griffiths, Sheed and Ward, 2000.
Wesley,
Frank, 1923-2002. Raising of Lazarus, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a
project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=59178 [retrieved
March 20, 2023]. Original source: Estate of Frank Wesley, http://www.frankwesleyart.com/main_page.htm.
Christ's
miracles on the Andrews diptych (top right), from Art in the Christian
Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=33856 [retrieved
March 20, 2023]. Original source: Prof. Patout J. Burns.
Agnus
Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road, Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
Email: office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Website: www.ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:30 am
