Description
Hebrews 5:5-10
If you’ve ever been to an ordination service, or even an installation, you will have noticed a certain amount of pomp and circumstance. There is great ceremony, culminating in the bestowing of the ‘signs’ of the pastoral office – stoles, communion ware, etc. Jesus’ ‘ordination’ as High Priest was a little lacking in pomp. Indeed, He was made perfect through suffering, and in His obedience the Father designated Jesus High Priest. As we continue our Lenten journey, we are reminded that the way of God is often opposite ours. God accomplishes His mission not be a show of might or privilege, but through a cross and empty tomb. We are ‘ordained’ as well, called to be the people of God, and the marks of our ‘ordination’ are the same as those of Jesus – suffering and obedience, as we follow Jesus to the cross.
We Lift Our Hearts In Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor In the name of God the Father, holy and perfect in all His ways.
ALL In the name of God the Son, Jesus Christ, by Whose suffering and obedience He was declared our High Priest.
Pastor In the name of the God the Holy Spirit, Who gathers us as the people of God, and empowers us as we continue on our Lenten journey
ALL Amen.
Opening Prayer
Pastor Almighty Father, during this Lenten season we gather as Your people, the Body of Christ, to hear again the message of His passion. Inspire us, we pray, that we might not only be hearers of Jesus’ passion, but that we might live unto Him in all we do and are. Fill us during this time with such a measure of Your Holy Spirit that these Lenten days may be for us a time of even deeper devotion and sacrifice. We count it all joy to be followers of Jesus, Who, became our High Priest through suffering and obedience. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor During this season of Lent, we acknowledge our sinfulness, for which Jesus suffered and died.
(silence)
Pastor In humility we bow before You, holy Father.
ALL We are sinful, and make no excuse before You
You call us to holiness, and we choose sin.
You call us to love, and we choose fear.
You call us to serve, and we choose entitlements.
You call us to give, and we choose to take.
You call us to go, and we choose to stay.
You call us to speak of Your love, and we choose to remain silent.
You call us to surrender, and we choose pride.
You call us to come to You, and we choose to hide.
Forgive us, we pray, and empower us to live in joyful obedience to You.
Pastor Hear the message of the Gospel: Jesus Christ, true Son of God, was sent to be our Savior. He conquered sin and death, not by a show of power, but through His suffering and death on a cross. He is our High Priest, sacrificing Himself for us, and calling us to live unto Him in obedience and joy. His Spirit continues to work in us, perfecting us through suffering that we might live as the children of God, set apart as His people, through whom God is at work in the world. We are free. We are forgiven. We are empowered. We are priests within the Kingdom of God.
ALL Amen.
Time of Praise and Worship
At the Foot of the Cross
Kathryn Scott, ©2003 Vertical Worship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
Jesus Draw Me Close
Rick Founds, ©1991 Maranatha! Music
Rising
Paul Baloche & Matt Redman, ©2006 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music & Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Before You Lord We Bow
ELW 893; LBW 401; LSB 966; LW 500
Thy Strong Word
EH 381; ELW 511; LBW 233; LSB 578; LW 328
We Hear God’s Word
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34
God establishes a new covenant with us – a covenant written not on stone, but on our hearts.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
