06. Year C - Fifth Sunday in Lent

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VERSION: 29 April 2002

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR C

In 2004: 28 Mar

In 2007: 25 Mar

In 2010: 21 Mar

In 2013: 17 Mar

In 2016: 13 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.

Do not cling to events of the past

or dwell on what happened long ago.

Watch for the new thing I am going to do.

It is happening already - you can see it now! (Isa 43:18 TEV)

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.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Almighty God,

look mercifully on your family,

that by your great goodness

they may be governed and preserved forever

in body and soul;

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,

look in mercy on your family.

By your great goodness,

guide and protect us forever

in body and soul.

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 that by faith in Christ we may share in his victory. [silence])

Most merciful God,

you saved humankind

by the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Strengthen our faith in him who suffered on the cross,

so that we may triumph in the power of his victory.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray that we remain united with Christ. [silence])

Jesus our Saviour,

thank you for coming to give us life

through your suffering and death.

Keep us following you

wherever you lead us,

because we know that you have promised

to take us home to God.

For you live and reign

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 43:16-21 God promises a new deliverance for his people

PSALM

Psalm 126

Antiphon:

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

(Ps 126:3 NIV)

SECOND READING

Philippians 3:4b-14 Already righteous but not yet perfect

(Begin: 'If anyone else . . .' (NRSV), or 'If any of you . . .' (TEV), or 'If others . . .' (NIV))

VERSE

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

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection

and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death. (Phil 3:10 NRSV)

GOSPEL

John 12:1-8 Mary anoints Jesus at Bethany

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to our world

to suffer and die for us.

Help us to cling to you as our Saviour.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Saving God,

you gave up your Son

because you love us so much.

Help us to give ourselves

in love for you and other people.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Our Lord received Mary's offering. Let us come before God our Father and offer our prayers for the world, knowing that he will hear us for Jesus' sake.

The regular response, OR:

Father, we call on you,

knowing you will hear us.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Heavenly Father, Mary honoured the Lord with her gift of perfume. May we honour you in our lives by honouring all who are in need; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, 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.

Most merciful God,

you saved humankind

by the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through this sacrament,

strengthen our faith in him who suffered on the cross,

so that we may triumph in the power of his victory.

For he 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; . . .

OR, this sentence (based on Phil 3:13,14) may be used instead:

Beloved, forget what lies behind

and strain forward to what lies ahead.

Press on towards the goal

for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, pressing on towards the heavenly goal.

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: Isaiah 43:16-21

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: John 12:1-8

LHS

AT

-

TIS

PSALM 126

For musical settings of Psalm 126, see Music Packages 4, 6 and 8. TIS 80, When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, is another version of this psalm

The following paraphrase of Psalm 126 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune of Beethoven's Ode to Joy (LHS 895, TIS 152). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

When the Lord restored Jerus'lem,

then we were like those who dream,

then our mouths were filled with laughter,

and our tongues with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations,

'See, the Lord has worked for them.'

Yes, the Lord has done this for us,

we rejoice and sing his praise!

Like a river in the desert,

Lord, restore us once again.

May all those who sow with weeping,

harvest with great shouts of joy.

Those who bore their seed in sorrow,

going out to sow in tears,

will return with shouts of gladness,

bringing in their sheaves of grain.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

ISAIAH 43:16-21: Isaiah tells Israel that its captivity in Babylon is about to terminate. The language of the prophet suggests that the mighty hand of Israel's God will accomplish even grander miracles in this coming return through the desert to the promised covenant land than Israel saw some eight hundred years before in its deliverance from Egypt. The prophecy could also be projected forward to be applied to the blessings attained by the Lord Jesus in his own exodus, suffering and death in which he carried us.

PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14: The church at Philippi was beset by false Judaising teachers who insisted that salvation through Jesus Christ was not complete without also observing the Jewish law, particularly that of circumcision. Paul reminds his readers of his own former impeccable standing as a Jew and a guardian of the Mosaic law. In becoming a follower of Christ he lost all his previous standing but counted that as refuse suitable only for throwing away. While he rejoiced in the free righteousness bestowed on him by God as a gift, he would still exert every spiritual energy he could summon in order not to lose that priceless gift, but rather to strive towards attaining God's will for his perfection and final salvation.

JOHN 12:1-8: Jesus came to Bethany on his way to Jerusalem, knowing that he would suffer and die. The home of Lazarus was a special place of friendship for Jesus. Mary's extravagant act of anointing his feet with exotic and costly perfumed oil was an act of devotion expressing his exalted person and mission. Judas's hypocritical criticism gave rise to Jesus' prophetical reference to his own burial, with the reminder that the presence of the poor need not preclude a spontaneous and effusive heartfelt offering to God.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Isaiah 43:16; and the second reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in TEV for Philippians 3:14.

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 first reading could be read by two readers: narrator and the Lord; and the gospel could be read by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Judas, Jesus.

CHILDREN

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Show the children a medal, ribbon or trophy that has been won in a race. In connection with the second reading, talk about running a race for a prize. Then tell them that the prize has already been won for them by Jesus when he died on the cross.

'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 Fifth Sunday in Lent year C is: The Passover (Exod 12:1–30) (to be found in the original edition Series B, Semester 1, Lent 5, and in the RCL edition Series C, semester 1 for 5 Lent).