The Fourth Sunday In Lent
26 March 2017
The Gathering of the
Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
The Lenten Gathering Rite
Blessed are you, Lord God, our maker and
redeemer:
this
is your world and we are your people;
come
among us and save us.
The Presider leads the
Community in the Litany.
When
we wilfully misuse your gifts of creation:
Holy God, holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
When
we see the ill-treatment of others
and
do not go to their aid:
Holy God, holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
When
we condone evil and dishonesty
and
fail to strive for justice:
Holy God, holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
When
we hear the good news of Christ
but
fail to share it with others:
Holy God, holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
When
we do not love you with all our hearts
nor
our neighbours as ourselves:
Holy God, holy and mighty,
holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.
May
almighty God have mercy upon you,
pardon
and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm
and strengthen you in all goodness,
and
keep you in eternal life;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Holy
God,
in Jesus Christ you reveal
yourself to the world,
even when we are blind to your
grace.
Open our eyes to see your
transforming love in our midst,
so that we may see your world
anew;
The Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading
A reading from the First Book of Samuel
(16.1-13).
16.1
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long
will you grieve over Saul? I have
rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will
send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among
his sons.” 2 Samuel said,
“How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he
will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and
say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 Invite Jesse to the
sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me
the one whom I name to you.” 4 Samuel
did what the Lord commanded, and
came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city
came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 He said, “Peaceably; I have come
to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify
yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and
invited them to the sacrifice.
6
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on
the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they
look on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks on the heart.” 8 Then
Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse made seven of his sons
pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all
your sons here?” And he said, “There
remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him;
for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and
was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for
this is the one.” 13 Then
Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers;
and the spirit of the Lord came
mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks
be to God.
The Psalm
Psalm
23 with music from Songs for the Holy One.
Refrain
(sung twice): Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I
shall not be in want.
2 You
make me lie down in green pastures *
and lead me beside still waters.
Refrain: Sing
hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
3 You revive my soul *
and
guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
4 Though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, *
I
shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; *
your
rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You
spread a table before me *
in
the presence of those who trouble me;
Refrain: Sing
hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
you have anointed my head with oil, *
and
my cup is running over.
6 Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
Refrain: Sing
hosanna! Sing hosanna! Sing hosanna!
The Second Reading
A reading from the Letter to the Ephesians (5.8-14).
5.8 For once you were darkness,
but now in the Lord you are light. Live
as children of light — 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all
that is good and right and true. 10
Try to find out 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
mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by
the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is
light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper,
awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks
be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Prepare the Way of the Lord’ Common
Praise #107 (with
repeat)
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John (9.1-41).
Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
9.1
As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man
nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed
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.” 6
When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and
spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the
pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then
he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbours and those who had
seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit
and beg?” 9 Some were saying,
“It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but
it is someone like him.” He kept saying,
“I am the man.” 10 But they
kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called
Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.”
12 They said to him, “Where
is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
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
Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said,
“This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a
sinner perform such signs?” And they
were divided. 17 So they said
again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18
The [Jewish authorities] did not believe that he had been blind and had
received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received
his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born
blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know
that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not
know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because
they were afraid of the [Jewish authorities]; for the [Jewish authorities] had
already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put
out of the synagogue. 23
Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to
him, “Give glory to God! We know that
this man is a sinner.” 25 He
answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind,
now I see.” 26 They said to
him, “What did he do to you? How did he
open your eyes?” 27 He
answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying,
“You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to
Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an
astonishing thing! You do not know where
he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen
to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has
it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God,
he could do nothing.” 34 They
answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?”
And they drove him out.
35
Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do
you believe in the Son of Man?” 36
He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell
me, so that I may believe in him.” 37
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshipped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this
world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see
may become blind.” 40 Some of
the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind,
are we?” 41 Jesus said to
them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin
remains.”
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn after the Gospel
‘Prepare the Way of the Lord’ Common
Praise #107 (with
repeat)
The Homily
The Affirmation of Faith
As a people created by water and the Holy Spirit,
let us confess the faith of our baptism.
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,
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions,
Thanksgivings and Petitions
The Exchange of the Peace
May the peace of the Lord be always with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Communion
Offertory Hymn
‘King of Glory, King of Peace’ Common
Praise #345
Prayer over the Gifts
Let
us pray.
God
of light,
your Word brings to us a new
vision of your glory.
Accept our offering of praise
and thanksgiving,
through Jesus Christ, the
light of the world. Amen. [iii]
Thanksgiving at the Table
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.
It is right to give you thanks
and praise,
O Lord, our God, sustainer of the
universe,
you are worthy of glory and
praise.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
At your command all things came
to be:
the vast expanse of interstellar
space,
galaxies, suns, the planets in
their courses,
and this fragile earth, our
island home;
by your will they were created
and have their being.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
From the primal elements
you brought forth the human race,
and blessed us with memory,
reason, and skill;
you made us the stewards of
creation.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
But we turn against you, and
betray your trust;
and we turn against one
another.
Again and again you call us to
return.
Through the prophets and sages
you reveal your righteous
law.
In the fullness of time you sent
your Son,
born of a woman, to be our
Saviour.
He was wounded for our
transgressions,
and bruised for our iniquities.
By his death he opened to us
the way of freedom and
peace.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Therefore we praise you,
joining with the heavenly chorus,
with prophets, apostles, and
martyrs,
and with those in every
generation
who have looked to you in hope,
to proclaim with them your glory,
in 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.
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
for sending us Jesus, the Christ,
who on the night he was handed
over
to suffering and death,
took bread, said the blessing,
broke the bread, gave it to his
friends,
and said, “Take this, and eat
it:
this is my body which is given
for you.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.”
In the same way, after supper,
he took the cup of wine;
he gave you thanks,
and said, “Drink this, all of
you:
this is my blood of the new
covenant,
which is shed for you and [for
all people]
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of
me.”
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Gracious God,
we recall the death of your Son
Jesus Christ,
we proclaim his resurrection and
ascension,
and we look with expectation for
his coming
as Lord of all the nations.
We who have been redeemed by him,
and made a new people by water
and the Spirit,
now bring you these gifts.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this offering of your
Church,
[so that] we who eat and drink at
this holy table
may share the divine life of
Christ our Lord.
Glory to you for ever and ever.
Pour out your Spirit upon the whole
earth
and make it your new
creation.
Gather your Church together
from the ends of the earth into
your kingdom,
where peace and justice are
revealed,
[so that] we, with all your
people,
of every language, race, and
nation,
may share the banquet you have
promised;
through Christ, with Christ, and
in Christ,
all honour and glory are yours, [Creator]
of all.
Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
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,
The Breaking of the Bread
We break this bread,
communion
in Christ’s body once broken.
Let your Church be the wheat
which bears its fruit in dying.
If
we have died with him,
we
shall live with him;
if
we hold firm,
we
shall reign with him.
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks
be to God.
The Communion
The Hymn after Communion
‘You Are God’s Work of Art’ Common
Praise #39
The Sending Forth of the
Community
Prayer after Communion
Let
us pray.
Creator
of the universe,
through your goodness
we receive your Christ in word
and sacrament.
May we always have faith in
him,
Jesus the Lord. Amen. [vi]
The
Presider then says the following Prayer over the People.
Look mercifully on this your family, Almighty
God,
[so that] by your great goodness
they may be governed and preserved evermore;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[vii]
Closing Hymn
‘Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness’ Common
Praise #397
Dismissal
The
Deacon sends the Community forth with an appropriate Dismissal.
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