4th Sunday in Lent - A

Texts:  1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Call to Worship
L:    Here, in this place, with these people,
P:    we find the One who leads us into God's Kingdom.
L:    Here, in God's Kingdom, with our sisters and brothers in Christ,
P:    we find a Feast prepared for us.
L:    Here, in God's sanctuary, at this Table,
P:    we eat of the good news which heals us,
       we drink of the mercy which is God's gift.

Prayer of the Day
Shepherding God:
you create life
from the mud of the earth;
you draw forth light
from the shadowed corners of chaos;
your goodness and mercy
are our closest friends.
Great is your name.

Jesus our Shepherd:
you open eyes
shuttered by sin
and prejudice;
you heal lives
shattered by bitterness;
you create pools of still grace
in our stress-filled hearts.
Great is your love

Holy Spirit,
our companion in every shadowed valley:
you plant seeds of goodness and mercy
deep within our souls,
that we would bear fruit for others;
you awaken us from
our troubled sleep,
that we might be a light to the world.
Great is your peace.

God in Community, Holy in One,
hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us, saying,
 Our Father...

Call to Reconciliation
How quickly we notice the mistakes of others,
but never see our own faults!  Before we judge
others, we need to pray that our blindness
might be healed by God's gracious love.  Please
join me as we pray together, saying,

Unison Prayer of Confession
  God our Great Shephed: it is easy for us to lose
sight of your kingdom, and your way for us.  We
hope that love conquers hate, that light shines in
our shadows, that life is stronger than death--yet
our lips are filled with bitter words, our lives
are weak and shallow, the shadowed corners of
the world beckon to us.
 Have mercy on us and lead us to the still waters
of your grace and the healing garden of your
heart, Tender Shepherd.  Restore our sight to see
you living with us, restore our hope that we might
trust you, restore our speech that we might praise
you for your great gift to us in Jesus Christ, our
Lord and Savior.

 Silence May be kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    With a gentle touch, with the anointing of
       the Holy Spirit, with the joy of love, God
       reaches out to forgive us and make us whole.
P:    Touch us, eternal Spirit;
       heal us, Light of Love;
       fill our lives with new meaning, God of joy,
       as we receive your forgiveness and grace.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:    May the Lord of green pastures be with you.
P:     And also with you.
L:    People of God, open your hearts to the One
        who leads to pools of serenity.
P:    We are transformed by the One who restores our souls.
L:    Goodness and mercy are our companions on our journey.
P:    We offer songs of praise to the One who leads us home.

It is our greatest joy to offer you praise,
God of all hope and power:
you whispered your goodness,
and the stars leaped for joy;
you spoke your tenderness,
and all creatures sang your name;
you sang your love,
and we were created in your image.
But placed in the Garden of heavenly delights,
we hungered for the unfrutiful ways of the world.
Bathed in the radiance of Eden's light,
we walked into the shadows of our sin.
But your mercy is like the river
which flows through the new Jerusalem,
and never fails to bring us hope.

So, with the choirs of angels
and with every generation of believers,
we proclaim your glory:

P:  Holy, holy, holy are, Shepherd of us all.
    Still waters and green pastures, far-flung stars
      and daffodills sing your praises.
    Hosanna in the highest!

   Blessed is the Lord's Anointed who comes to us.
   Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, Glorious God,
and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Through him, you spoke the words
which transformed our unbelief;
you mixed the waters of baptism
with the dust of the world
and smeared grace on our eyes
that we might see your glory;
you walked the paths of the world,
stopping on a cross,
that death might lose its power over our hearts,
and sin its grip on our souls,
so we could follow Jesus into your kingdom.

As we gather to remember his love for us,
may we proclaim the mystery of our faith:

P:  Christ died, going into that valley we fear;
    Christ is risen, that we might live as children of the light;
    Christ will come again, so we might dwell in God's house forever.

Healing God, send forth your Spirit,
upon these gifts of the bread and the cup,
that as we taste of their goodness and mercy,
we would be transformed into your holy people.
Open our eyes to the suffering of all your people;
open our ears to the cries of the lost and lonely;
open our hearts to the brokenness of the outsiders;
open our hands in service to all your children.

Then, bring us to that Table of Grace
where we will sit with all your children in eternity,
feasting on your goodness, living in your light,
one people, one heart, in joy and at peace with you,
God in Community, Holy in One, now and forever.  Amen.

(c) Thom M. Shuman