Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies Hymn 873

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies Hymn 873

Christ, whose glory fills the skies, Christ, the true and only light, Sun of righteousness, arise,

Triumph ov’r the shades of night; Dayspring from on high, be near; Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn Unaccompanied by Thee; Joyless is the day’s return

Till Thy mercy’s beams I see, Till they inward light impart, Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine, Pierce the gloom of sin and grief; Fill me, radiancy divine,

Scatter all my unbelief; More and more Thyself display, Shining to the perfect day.

*INVOCATION Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen.

*OPENING SENTENCES: Psalm 142: 5– 6 Pastor: I cry to You, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, People: my portion in the land of the living. ”

*OPENING SENTENCES: Psalm 142: 5– 6 Pastor: Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! People: Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!

*LENTEN LITANY Pastor: O Lord, People: have mercy. Pastor: O Christ, People: have mercy. Pastor: O Lord, People: have mercy.

O Lord, throughout These Forty Days Hymn 418

O Lord, throughout these forty days You prayed and kept the fast; Inspire repentance for our sin, And free us from our past.

You strove with Satan, and You won; Your faithfulness endured; Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust In God’s eternal Word.

Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed And fixed Your mind above; So teach us to deny ourselves, Since we have known God’s love.

Be with us through this season, Lord, And all our earthly days, That when the final Easter dawns, We join in heaven’s praise.

*CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Pastor: Let us confess our sins to God our Father. People: Lord God, by nature we are sinful and spiritually blind. In our darkness, we have staggered about, placing our love and trust in false gods that we can see with our physical eyes:

*CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION People: false gods such as money, family, and our own selves. Forgive us for not seeking You above all, and grant us eyes of faith to find forgiveness in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

*CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION People: We humbly ask that for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

*CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Pastor: “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. ” Ephesians 5: 8– 9 Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.

*CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Pastor: As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen.

*KYRIE: Pastor: In peace let us pray to the Lord. People: (SUNG) Lord, have mercy.

*KYRIE: Pastor: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. People: (SUNG) Lord, have mercy.

*KYRIE: Pastor: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. People: (SUNG) Lord, have mercy.

*KYRIE: Pastor: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. People: (SUNG) Lord, have mercy.

*KYRIE: Pastor: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. People: (SUNG) Amen.

*SALUTATION Pastor: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.

*PRAYER OF THE DAY Pastor: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul.

*PRAYER OF THE DAY Pastor: Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 42: 14– 21 14 For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant. 15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools. 16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are things I do, and I do not forsake them.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 42: 14– 21 17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, "You are our gods. " 18 Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD? 20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 42: 14– 21 The LORD was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious. Lector: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE: Ephesians 5: 8– 14 8 For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light.

EPISTLE: Ephesians 5: 8– 14 Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. " Lector: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

*VERSE: Psalm 36: 9 Pastor: With You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light.

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 9 th chapter. People: Glory to You, O Lord.

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? " 3 Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. "

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. … 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight.

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. " 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. " But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? " And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes? " He said, "He is a prophet. " … 34 They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us? "

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man? " 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him? " 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you. " 38 He said, "Lord, I believe, " and he worshiped him.

*HOLY GOSPEL: John 9: 1– 7, 13– 17, 34– 39 Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. " Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to You, O Christ.

God Loved The World So That He Gave Hymn 571

God loved the world so that He gave His only Son the lost to save, That all who would in Him believe Should everlasting life receive.

Christ Jesus is the ground of faith, Who was made flesh and suffered death; All then who trust in Him alone Are built on this chief cornerstone.

God would not have the sinner die; His Son with saving grace is nigh; His Spirit in the Word declares How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.

Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son Forgives all sins which you have done; And, justified by Jesus’ blood, Your Baptism grants the highest good.

If you are sick, if death is near, This truth your troubled heart can cheer: Christ Jesus saves your soul from death; That is the firmest ground of faith.

Glory to God the Father, Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One! To you, O blessed Trinity, Be praise now and eternally!

“Are You Living as Children of the Light? ” Ephesians 5: 8 -14 by Pastor David L. Sawhill

*THE APOSTLES’ CREED: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Could everyone please sign an attendance card and pass it to the side aisle.

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross Hymn 425

When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.

See, from His head, His hands, His feet Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a tribute far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all!

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: Throughout these days in Lent, let us pray to the Lord in repentant faith, beseeching Him to have mercy and to hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, thank You for the gift of faith in Christ, who has removed us from the darkness of sin, death, and hell. Grant that we may walk by faith, not by sight, through this dark world. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, Your thoughts are not our thoughts, Your ways are not our ways. Give Your peace to those saddened by war, disaster, famine, or other suffering. In troubled times, let them not despair or their faith fail. Sustain and comfort them as You hold them in Your hand. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, You have blessed each one of Your people with various and unique gifts of the Holy Spirit. Lead us to use them in service to You and our neighbor, that You may be glorified in all we say and do. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, guide the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts, that we say may be pleasing in Your sight. Grant that we use our words to build up the Body of Christ. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, You promise to be our ever-present help, especially in times of trouble. Be a fortress and a source of strength to those who are weakened by illness [especially. . . ].

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: Grant them the eyes to see that You are indeed with them in their infirmity. If it pleases You, give them healing and restoration. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: O Lord, our refuge, give Your grace to us that in the hour of our death, Satan may not prevail against us, but that we may remain firm in the faith. Thank You for keeping in the faith those who have preceded us, granting them a blessed death. O Lord, throughout these days in Lent, People: Have mercy and hear us.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH SPECIAL PRAYERS ending with Pastor: Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer.

*PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: Into Your hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy and Your promise to hear us for the sake of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of world, Your Son, Jesus Christ. People: Lord, have mercy. Amen.

*THE LORD’S PRAYER: 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;

*THE LORD’S PRAYER: 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.

*COLLECT FOR GRACE: Pastor: O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings,

*COLLECT FOR GRACE: Pastor: being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen.

*BENEDICTION Pastor: My eyes are ever toward the LORD, People: for He will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 25: 15

*BENEDICTION Pastor: The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The LORD look upon you with favor and + give you peace. Numbers 6: 24– 26 People: Amen.

Amazing Grace Hymn 744

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see!

The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; His grace has brought me safe so far, His grace will see me home.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail And mortal life shall cease, Amazing grace shall then prevail In heaven’s joy and peace.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK