Welcome and Announcements
We are deep in the season of Lent now. This season carves out time in the year for some spiritual housekeeping ahead of the celebration of Easter. We offer online worship resources for those who are unable to attend our in-person worship services. Rhonda Stanton and Zoë Pouliot have provided recorded hymns, the scriptures appointed for the day are provided below (and thanks go to Jim Lacey for his recorded readings).
Stations of the Cross: On Fridays at noon, our church is open and available so that members and visitors may walk the Stations of the Cross, led by Pat Woods. In this traditional and meaningful Lenten devotion, we retrace Jesus’s last days on earth, the better to understand and prepare for his triumphant resurrection.
Girl Scout Sunday: Today is Girl Scout Sunday and we thank God for the Girl Scout troop that Grace Church sponsors, and for each girl and leader who is involved.
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Children’s Lesson: Godly Play Story of the Week
We believe children are important members of our church. Children are welcome in the worship service and they are welcome, as well, to join our Godly Play class when it is offered in our in-person worship.
Opening Hymn: #143 The Glory of these 40 Days
we celebrate with songs of praise;
for Christ, by whom all things were made,
himself has fasted and has prayed.
2. Alone and fasting Moses saw
the loving God who gave the law;
and to Elijah, fasting, came
the steeds and chariots of flame.
3. So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
delivered from the lions’ might;
and John, the Bridegroom’s friend, became
the herald of Messiah’s name.
4. Then grant us, Lord, like them to be
full oft in fast and prayer with thee;
our spirits strengthen with thy grace,
and give us joy to see thy face.
5. O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
to thee be every prayer addressed,
who art in three-fold Name adored,
from age to age, the only Lord.
The Collect
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading
Numbers 21:4-9
From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
The Psalm
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
and his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim *
that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
3 He gathered them out of the lands; *
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
17 Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; *
they were afflicted because of their sins.
18 They abhorred all manner of food *
and drew near to death’s door.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word and healed them *
and saved them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *
and the wonders he does for his children.
22 Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
The Epistle
Ephesians 2:1-10
You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God– not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Gospel Hymn: #457 Thou art the way, to thee alone
1 Thou art the Way, to thee alone
from sin and death we flee;
and all who would the Father seek,
must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2 Thou art the Truth: thy word alone
true wisdom can impart;
thou only canst inform the mind
and purify the heart.
3 Thou art the Life, the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm;
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm.
4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
grant us that way to know,
that truth to keep, that life to win,
whose joys eternal flow.
The Gospel
John 3:14-21
Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
The Sermon
Closing Hymn: #439 What Wondrous Love
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
to lay aside his crown for my soul!
2 To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great I AM
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing!
3 And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and through eternity I’ll sing on!
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.