GATHERING TO PRAISE GOD Sunday, March 18, 2023

Lent 4

Prelude

Choral Introit

Welcome

Praise Song

The People Gather
L: The servant is coming who God upholds, the chosen one in whom God delights.
P: On Him God’s Spirit firmly rests. By Him God’s justice will be done.
L: He will not shout or raise His voice.
P: He will not falter or be crushed.
L: In Him God’s holy arm is bared,
P: Through Him God’s sure salvation comes.
L: Then let us shout with joy and let the world hear us sing:
P: Now is the time for deliverance! Now earth’s redeemer has come!

Hymn

The People Pray
L: Lord, we see how Jonah lay in the belly of the fish and sought your forgiveness. He called from the depth of the grave and you heard him.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: He was banished from your sight, yet he believed in faith that he would look again toward you holy temple.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: He sank down to the depths of the earth, but you brought his life back from the pit.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: Thus, he made a song of thanksgiving and promised to sacrifice to you as you saved him from the belly of the fish.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: Lord Jesus Christ, during this season of Lent we remember that by your death on the cross, you have won for us peace with the Father and the promise of everlasting lif3. For this we give you our thanks and praise.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: Father you know how we feel like we’re in the depths because of our sinfulness. We often hurt our relationship with you and with one another. However, remind us that we can call on your no matter how deep the trouble we are in, and you will answer us. Forgive us for Jesus’ sake, and deliver us.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.
L: O Holy Spirit, you give new life to people who are as good as dead in their faith life. Us your Word and Sacraments in our hearts so that we will come to life this Lent and follow your command to love you and others. When we are low because of our sin, lift us up in our faith to turn to you for help. By your power may we truly confess with Jonah.
P: Salvation comes from the Lord.

Special Music Hungry I Come To You

Children’s Moment

The Word of God for the People of God

Scripture
Matthew 7:1-11
“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 You’ll receive the same judgment you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt out to you. 3 Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? 5 You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.6 Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls in front of pigs. They will stomp on the pearls, then turn around and attack you.
7 “Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door is opened. 9 Who among you will give your children a stone when they ask for bread? 10 Or give them a snake when they ask for fish? 11 If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

Jonah 2
Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish:
2 “I called out to the Lord in my distress, and he answered me.
From the belly of the underworld[a] I cried out for help;
you have heard my voice.
3 You had cast me into the depths in the heart of the seas,
and the flood surrounds me.
All your strong waves and rushing water passed over me.
4 So I said, ‘I have been driven away from your sight.
Will I ever again look on your holy temple?
5 Waters have grasped me to the point of death;
the deep surrounds me.
Seaweed is wrapped around my head
6 at the base of the undersea[b] mountains.
I have sunk down to the underworld;
its bars held me with no end in sight.
But you brought me out of the pit.’
7 When my endurance[c] was weakening,
I remembered the Lord,
and my prayer came to you,
to your holy temple.
8 Those deceived by worthless things lose their chance for mercy.[d]
9 But me, I will offer a sacrifice to you with a voice of thanks.
That which I have promised, I will pay.
Deliverance belongs to the Lord!”
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto the dry land.

Message Praying From the Belly of A Great Big Fish

Pastoral Prayer

The People Bring Their Gifts
The baskets will be passed or use your online app

Offertory

The People Offer Praise Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95

The People Go into The World

Hymn

Benediction

Postlude

What does it mean for my life that “the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time?”
When has the Lord given you a second chance?
Do you think Jonah went willlingly to Nineveh?
In today’s message where is the Law? Where is the Gospel?