Fifth Sunday in Lent - A

Texts:  Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11;  John 11:1-45

Call to Worship
L:    The psalmist tells us if we will but wait, God will whisper hope to us.
       Do you believe this?
P:    We believe God's Word is not a pipe dream, but the river of love which flows forever!
L:    Paul reminds us that it is foolishness to think only of ourselves and our wants.
       Do you believe this?
P:    We believe that when we pay attention to God, we will find joy, peace, love!
L:    Jesus calls us to walk in the light, so we will not continue to stumble over our sin.
       Do you believe this?
P:    We believe he is the One who leads us out of Hopeless Valley into the kingdom of grace and life!

Prayer of the Day
With you,
there is that life
broken enough to make us whole;
with you,
there is that gentleness
strong enough to save us from sin;
with you,
there is that grace
powerful enough to defeat death.
Bone of our bone:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of hope.

In you,
our death-stained souls
are cleansed by your tears;
in you,
we are brought out of
the graves of our bitterness;
in you,
our broken relationships
are knitted together
into the Beloved's community.
Flesh of our flesh:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of grace.

Through you,
our dried-up lives
are refreshed;
through you,
the valley of No Hope
becomes the Garden of Grace;
through you,
our exhausted souls
are filled with joy's breath.
Spirit of our spirits:
our hearts hear your voice
and do handsprings of laughter.

God in Community, Holy in One,
may your heart do handsprings
as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying
Our Father . . .

Call to Reconciliation
If God was intent on keeping score, we would end up in the losers' bracket every time.  But God loves us so much, that we are invited to join in that game of grace which never comes to an end.  With such hope for our lives, let us confess our sins to God.

Unison Prayer of Confession
  Like the disciples, Holy One, we drag our feet when it comes to following you.  You would have us face conflict, and we prefer to look the other way.  You would lead us into those hopeless valleys where so many of your children live, and we would build homes on the mountaintops.  You would bring us into peace and reconciliation, but we would stay entombed in our troubles and fears.
  Forgive us, Creator of new lives.  As Lazarus was brought forth from the grave, unbind every worry which keeps us from living as your children.  As the Spirit lead Jesus from the tomb into the joy of the Resurrection, fill us with the power to walk in the light of this hope.  As Jesus offers us the life and resurrection we need, help us to believe the good news which comes from our Lord and Savior.

Silence is kept

Assurance of Pardon
L:    Jesus loved Lazarus so much, he brought him back from the grave.  God loved Jesus so much that he was raised to new life.  See how much God loves us - loves you! - by forgiving and saving us.
P:    We thank you for hearing our prayers, Lord God, and for setting us free from everything which would bind us to sin and death.  Amen.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
L:  May the God of old graves and new life be with you!
P:  And also with you.
L:  People of God, lift up your hearts.
P:  We offer them to the One whose spirit is placed within us.
L:  Wait for God, children of the resurrection, wait with hope in your souls.
P:  We sing to the One who rolled away the stone, and who will open the graves.

Into the barren valley of chaos,
you breathed, River of Love:
joy raced through the heavens
flinging stars into the night;
grace danced upon the earth,
springing up in every place
in which it was planted.
Gathering up creation's dust,
you formed us as your image,
bone of your bone,
flesh of your flesh,
heart of your heart.
You gave us the garden of your heart
in which to dwell with you forever,
but we became entranced
with the world's seductive valleys,
and wrapped ourselves in death's gravecloths,
finding them a perfect fit.
Though your heart was broken,
you sent prophets to call us forth
from all those places littered
with our faithless hearts and souls.
But we would not breathe
the new grace you offered,
turning over to sleep in our dried-up dreams.
So, with tears running down your face,
you sent Jesus to become
our hope, our life, our salvation.

Therefore, we join our voices
with those whose dried bones were given new life,
and all who cry out to you for hope,
singing of the glory of your name:

P:  Holy, Holy, Holy are you, Breath of new life.
    All creation waits, hoping in your Word.
   Hosanna in the highest!

   Blessed is the resurrection and the life who comes to us.
   Hosanna in the highest!

Grace is who you are, God of Every Heart,
and blessed is Jesus Christ,
our Brother, our Redeemer, our Hope.
Weeping over the brokenness
of your dreams for us,
he came to make us whole.
Weeping over the pain we cause,
he came to heal us.
Weeping over Jerusalem,
he came to bring forth
the new kingdom of peace.
Weeping over Lazarus,
he wipes away the tears
of all who grieve.
Weeping over the power
of sin and death,
he left them behind at the grave,
as your Spirit raised him
to the life of your new hope.

As we remember his life, his death, his love,
as we long for the promise of our resurrection,
we sing of that mystery called faith:

P:  Christ died, and God wept;
    Christ arose, and the angels rejoiced;
    Christ wil come, untangling us from sin and death.

Send your Spirit upon those gathered
around your Table of joy,
and upon the gifts of grace and peace.
As we are fed by the Bread of Life,
may we be serve all
who live around us.
As we drink from the Cup of hope,
may we share it
with all who long for your presence.
As your Spirit moves into
the guestroom of our hearts,
may we welcome those
who have no family or home.
As you listen to our prayers,
may we open our hearts
to the cries of the broken of our world.

And when we are awakened from sleep,
to live forever with you,
as we join hands and hearts
around your Feast in heaven,
may we sing your praises forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One.  Amen.

(c) 2011  Thom M. Shuman