Saide Cameron welcomed us to worship on 17th March. Today was the 5th Sunday in the season of Lent. Throughout Lent we have been exploring and responding to the questions ‘What are we turning away from? What are we turning towards?’. We have been invited to locate ourselves in God’s bigger picture, to turn towards what is true and good, to pay attention to God’s foolishness, to turn away from the fear of judgement to God’s love. Today in the psalm we were encouraged to turn towards joyfulness and in the Gospel to turn towards Jesus.
- Watch the service again on Youtube
- Cath turned our attention towards matters of the heart
- Julie shared a story of turning towards God
- Watch Dan’s reflection
- Read the Order of Service
Prayers of Adoration & Confession
Watch or 7:07
We offer our prayers of adoration and confession. Later we will sing a Kyrie from the Guarani people of Paraguay. Let’s breathe and pray together.
Steadfast loving God we turn towards you
to your loving embrace, your abundant mercy.
Your love breaks through the darkness in the world.
We turn towards you with hearts full of hope.
Jesus, love incarnate, we turn towards you
to your passionate call to serve, to follow you.
Your love sent you to the Cross, to be lifted up.
We turn towards you with hearts full of joy.
Holy Sacred Spirit, we turn towards you
to your loving breath, your holy fire.
Your love sustains all things, holds all things.
We turn towards you with hearts full of love.
Amen
As we offer our prayers of confession we will sing Kyrie eleison – God have mercy.
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Steadfast loving God, we confess the darkness
that fills us with fear and despair. We turn to you.
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Jesus, love incarnate, we confess our lack of passion,
our weariness and sadness. We turn to you.
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Holy Sacred Spirit, we confess our silence,
our shallow breathing. We turn to you.
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Kyrie eleison, kyrie eleison
Amen
Word of Grace
Jesus said ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.’ John 12:24
Jesus was lifted up from the earth to draw all people to himself
and so let us turn to him confident that, in his name, our sin is forgiven.
Thanks be to God
Saide Cameron, offered for worship 17/03/2024, Lent 5B
SONG: Kyrie, (Guarani), from More Voices, United Church of Canada, Woodlake Publishing Inc.
Reproduced with permission under ONE LICENCE # 604502
Prayers of the people
Watch or 43:29
Loving God, whose light breaks through the darkness,
we commit our concerns for the world to you.
For those in places of war;
for those who are enslaved;
for those who are dispossessed;
for those who are poor;
for those seeking safety and asylum.
For all those in need.
In your mercy hear our prayer
Loving Spirit, who has sustained faithful people throughout history,
we commit our concerns for the church to you.
For those who lead;
for those who serve;
for those in conflict;
for those new to the faith;
for those who feel disconnected.
In your mercy, hear our prayer
Loving Christ, who knowingly faced betrayal and suffering,
we commit our concerns for friends, neighbours, and ourselves to you.
For those who mourn;
for those whose bodies ache;
for those who feel alone;
for those who live in fear;
for those who walk in darkness.
For all those we love and care for.
In your mercy, hear our prayer
Loving God, who bore the sorrow of the world,
who cares for us, grieves with us, suffers with us, and yet, rose again,
give us courage to hope in your resurrection,
give us strength to bring hope to others,
in our lives, in the church, and in the world.
In your mercy, hear our prayer
Amen.
Natalie Simms, offered for worship 17/03/2024, Lent 5B
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