05. Year C - Fourth Sunday in Lent

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VERSION: 29 April 2002

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR C

In 2004: 21 Mar

In 2007: 18 Mar

In 2010: 14 Mar

In 2013: 10 Mar

In 2016: 6 Mar

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Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Lent season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:

everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Cor 5:17 NRSV)

OR, use one of the standard Lent Sentences in the document 'Lent season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

INTRODUCTION TO CONFESSION

The following introduction may be used.

Friends in Christ,

as St Paul writes, we are ambassadors for Christ,

since God is making his appeal through us.

We plead on Christ's behalf,

be reconciled to God!

Therefore, let us confess our sins to God our Father,

and ask him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

to forgive us.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Almighty God, grant that we,

who justly suffer for our evil deeds,

may be relieved

by the comfort of your grace;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Almighty God,

we justly suffer for our evil deeds,

but we ask you to relieve us

by the comfort of your kindness.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray for strength in our weakness. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

you love us and make all things new in Christ.

Transform the poverty of our nature

by the riches of your kindness,

and make known your heavenly glory

in the renewal of our lives.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray for faith in Jesus our Saviour. [silence])

Loving Father,

when we were captive

in the darkness of sin and death,

your Son rescued us

and brought us back to you.

Teach us to trust in him

and to live as your people.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Joshua 5:9-12 The passover at Gilgal, in the promised land

PSALM

Psalm 32

Antiphon:

I said, 'I will confess my sins to the Lord'. (Ps 32:5b)

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 In Christ the new has come

VERSE

Use either the Verse given in the order of service or the following verse.

I will get up and go to my father, and say:

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. (Luke 15:18)

GOSPEL

Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 The parable of the lost son

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

for loving and accepting us sinners.

Help us to trust and serve you.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Loving Father,

you have sought us out and made us yours.

Help us to offer our lives in thanksgiving,

doing what you want us to do.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. As he welcomes us into his presence, let us pray that he would bring the whole world to repentance and faith.

Response

Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Hear our prayers, Lord, and receive us as we come to your table; through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

He has taken on himself our sin,

so that we might die to sin

and live to righteousness.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

Every time we eat this bread and drink from this cup

we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

For a Lent post-communion prayer, see the document 'Lent season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Almighty and merciful God,

you love us and make all things new in Christ.

Transform the poverty of our nature

by the riches of your kindness

which you have shown to us in this holy meal.

Make known your heavenly glory

in the renewal of our lives.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING

This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself,

so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven

and the gift of eternal life; . . .

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. God has reconciled us to himself.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Joshua 5:9-12

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3,11b-32

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 32

For musical settings of Psalm 32, see Music Packages 2, 8 and 9.

TIS 20, How blest are those whose great sin, is a paraphrase of Psalm 32. The following paraphrase of the psalm, by David Sch¸tz, may be sung to the American folk tune at AT 407, or each verse may be split into two four line verses and sung to St Clement (LH 549, TIS 458). As the psalm is quite long, a selection of verses may be made. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

How blest are those who are forgiven,

whose sin is covered by God's grace.

How blest are those the Lord calls righteous,

who look to him with honest face.

      My soul and body groaned in anguish,

      while I stayed silent through the day;

      for day and night your hand was on me,

      and in the end, my strength gave way.

Then I confessed my sin before you;

I did not hide my guilt with words.

I said that I would make confession,

of my transgression to the Lord.

      Then you forgave all my wrongdoing,

      and you forgave me all my sin;

      my pain is gone, my guilt is ended,

      and now a new day can begin.

So then let all your faithful people

lift up to you their heartfelt prayers.

The raging waters shall not reach them,

they won't be swamped by endless cares.

      You are my hiding place and refuge,

      I run to you in times of need,

      and you preserve me from all trouble,

      and now I sing, for I am free.

For you have said, 'I will instruct you,

teach you to see which way to go;

I always keep my eye upon you,

I teach you what you need to know.'

      So never be like horse or donkey,

      without a clue of what to do;

      for they need curbs of bit and bridle,

      or else they won't stay close to you.”

All kinds of trouble strike the wicked,

for they have no one on their side.

But steadfast love surrounds your people,

who put their trust in you as guide.

      And so be glad in him, you righteous,

      and in the Lord, find peace at last;

      and shout for joy, and give him glory,

      for he gives peace within your hearts.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

JOSHUA 5:9-12: The Israelites had just crossed the Jordan river under Joshua's leadership and were now on the soil of the promised land. The reproaches with which Egyptians might have mocked them on account of their 40 years of wandering were now futile. Being on covenant soil, the nation celebrated the Passover, the memorial to God's salvation from slavery in Egypt and at the Red Sea. The miracle of the daily manna ceased upon the greater miracle of their arrival across the Jordan into promised territory.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21: There was a time in his life when Paul had regarded Jesus Christ as a pretender. After his conversion experience, however, Paul could only see himself as a new creation of the Jesus who is Lord of all. It was on account of Christ's assuming to himself the sin of the world that the Father declared a universal and objective reconciliation. Forgiveness is accordingly an accomplished fact, simply there on offer to be received through trusting faith. What a wonderful certainty Christians therefore have in offering God's salvation to others.

LUKE 15:1-3;11b-32: Surely this is among the most stunning sections of the whole Bible. It shows us in the starkest of terms just how treacherous and insultingly unfair human sin is against God. It further wonderfully shows how deep is the compassion and love of God for his lost and fallen foremost creature. The Father watches and waits for the return of the sinner in sincere repentance, unhesitatingly to forgive and restore. However, all Christians need to learn from the warning implicit in the story of the harsh and exclusive attitude of the older brother. God's grace is priceless.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the gospel could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Luke 15:17.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the gospel could be read by up to six readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, younger brother, father, older brother, servant.

CHILDREN

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Ask the children to come forward with their fathers. (But be sensitive that some may not have fathers, and try not to exclude them.) Talk about the things they do with their fathers (or father substitutes) and what their fathers do for them. Tell them that God is their heavenly Father. Say the Lord's Prayer (the 'Our Father') together with them.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for the Fourth Sunday in Lent year C is: The parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11–32) (to be found in both the original edition and in the RCL edition in Series C, semester 1 for Lent 4).