Portions of this worship service were recorded on Monday morning, prior to the implementation of the “safer at home” order.
Welcome
Below you will find prayers, songs, readings, and a message to help you experience worship. You can light a candle, like we do at church, to remind you of the presence of the Holy Spirit. You can have a bowl of water in the vicinity to remind you of your baptism, and to use during the ‘Thanksgiving for Baptism’ portion of worship. Whether you are alone or with others, we hope that you can feel each other’s presence, and the presence of God, as we find creative ways to worship together, even though we are not in the same building. One good thing about virtual worship is that if you really like a song, you can listen to it again! Do what you need to do to worship God wherever you are.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
Read these words to yourself our out loud. Mark the sign of the cross on your hand or forehead or in the air space in front of you. If you are with other people, you can mark the sign of the cross for each other.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight.
Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family. Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By water and your Word you claim us as your children, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life, and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Opening Song
(Click video to play)
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way, Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way, Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way, Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way, Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way, Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, your Son came into the world to free us all from sin and death. Give us the power of your Spirit, that we may experience new life in Christ and serve you in the coming days, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Reading Ezekiel 37:1-14
(Click video to play)
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.”
Children’s moment
(Click video to play)
Reading and Message John 11:1-45
(Click video to play)
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.
Hymn of the Day Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
(verses 1, 3, 4)
(Click video to play)
Lord, whose love in humble service bore the weight of human need,
who upon the cross, forsaken, worked your mercy’s perfect deed:
we, your servants, bring the worship not of voice alone, but heart;
consecrating to your purpose ev’ry gift which you impart.
As we worship, grant us vision, till your love’s revealing light
in its height and depth and greatness dawns upon our quickened sight,
making known the needs and burdens your compassion bids us bear,
stirring us to ardent service, your abundant life to share.
Called by worship to your service, forth in your dear name we go,
to the child, the youth, the aged, love in living deeds to show;
hope and health, good will and comfort, counsel, aid and peace we give,
that your servants, Lord, in freedom may your mercy know and live.
Prayers
Praying separately in our homes and together in the Spirit, let us pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need, each petition ends with the words “Lord, hear our prayer.”
For the church around the world we pray: Strengthen all people in the church, despite an inability to gather for worship. Guide bishops and pastors as they make decisions for their communities. Lord, hear our prayer.
For the earth we pray: Give your wisdom to humanity to care for the lands and the seas, with all their living things. Provide rich soil for crops to grow. Bring rain to lands suffering drought. Protect hills and shorelines from damage caused by erosion. Lord, hear our prayer.
For the nations of the world we pray: Give your peace to the nations of the world. End all violence, terrorism, and warfare, at this time and forever. Give us strength to work for justice and care for our neighbors in need. Empower heads of state and legislators to enact adequate and helpful policies for the health and welfare of all people. Lord, hear our prayer.
Facing the coronavirus we pray: Be present with those who have contracted the virus, those who are quarantined, those stranded away from home, those who have lost their employment, and those who are filled with fear. Console those whose futures are disrupted or seem empty. Support health professionals and medical researchers as they address the pandemic. Comfort our distressed world. Lord, hear our prayer.
Lastly, for ourselves we pray: Receive these prayers we share in the silence of our hearts. Lord, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
(Click video to play)
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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, now and forever. Amen.
Franciscan Sending
(Click video to play)
Read this out loud. If you are with other people, take turns reading the parts out loud.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems, and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forevermore. Amen.
Closing Song Sent Forth by God’s Blessing
(Click video to play)
Sent forth by God’s blessing, our true faith confessing,
the people of God from this dwelling take leave. The supper is ended.
Oh, now be extended the fruits of this service in all who believe.
The seed of Christ’s teaching, receptive souls reaching,
shall blossom in action for God and for all. Your grace shall incite us,
your love shall unite us to work for your kingdom and answer your call.
With praise and thanksgiving to God ever-living,
the tasks of our ev’ryday life we will face—our faith ever sharing,
in love ever caring, embracing God’s children, the whole human race.
With your feast you feed us, with your light now lead us;
unite us as one in this life that we share. Then may all the living
with praise and thanksgiving give honor to Christ and his name that we bear.
Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace. Amen.
Go in peace. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God!
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From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2005 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #22432. 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. Hymns reprinted with permission. CCLI#116214