ORDER OF WORSHIP April 7th, 2019 5th Sunday in Lent * indicates please stand as you are able. Please sign and pass the Friendship Book ( pew pad ) where you can also record any prayer requests. ANNOUNCEMENTS OPENING PRAYER Galen Miller Rev. Peter Blank PRELUDE Morning Has Broken Piano Duet Arr. Weekley & Arganbright CALL TO WORSHIP Galen Miller Let us worship God, who has done great things. We rejoice in our God, who made a way through the desert of this world. Let us worship God, who has caused streams of mercy to flow in the wasteland. We are the people God has formed through Christ; we worship him, and we rejoice! Let us worship God in spirit and in truth. We praise God for the grace that has saved us. Alleluia! We rejoice Reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources *SONGS OF WORSHIP FAIREST LORD JESUS (Hymn #115) (VERSE 1) Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, thee will I cherish, thee will I honor, thou, my soul s glory, joy, and crown! (VERSE 2) Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, robed in the blooming garb of spring: Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, who makes the woeful heart to sing. (VERSE 3)
Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight, and all the twinkling, starry host: Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels heaven can boast. TIME OF PRAYER (VERSE 4) Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations! Son of God and Son of man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine! *SONG OF WORSHIP LIGHT IS KINDLED IN THE DARKNESS (VERSE 1) Light is kindled in the darkness when our hope seems most absurd, Beacons through a shrouded future, pledges of Christ s steadfast word: gifts of goodness yet enfold us all around, beneath, above signs of beauty still persisting, symbols of God s constant love (VERSE 2) Though the wrong appears victorious violence, prejudice, and pride hope still rises from the wreckage; joy and grief side by side. We will feel both pain and promise, terror s sting and love s new birth, as we walk in light and shadow on God s blessed and bleeding earth. (VERSE 3) Raise your candle in the darkness though the wick of faith burns low. Feed the fire with grace and justice and in wonder watch it grow.
As we gather flames together till they shine with warmth and light, God dispels the night of hatred, and the blaze of love burns bright. David Bjorlin, Benjamin Brody 2017, GIA Publications, Inc. Text: 2017, GIA Publications, Inc Call to Confession Galen Miller If we ask God to restore us to the way we have been, then we have not asked for as much as God intends to give. God is not content simply to return or restore us to former things. Instead, God seeks to give the gift of resurrection a new and abundant life. With confidence in God s generosity, we confess our sins and seek the new life offered in Jesus Christ. Prayer of Confession Purifying God, we grow comfortable with the way things are in our lives, in the church, and in the world. We do not always welcome the new life you offer in Christ, for you overturn our notions of power and protocol. Sure of our own righteousness, we are critical of others. Wanting to control our assets, we hoard the gifts you give us. Forgive us, we pray, for seeking our gain at the expense of others. Help us bend our lives toward your own life of self-giving and sacrifice. Fill us, our homes and churches, the whole world, with the abundant love of Christ until all are made new. In Christ s name, we pray. Amen. Reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word worship Companion. 2015 [Silent Prayer] Declaration of Forgiveness The apostle Paul reminds us that we do not make ourselves righteous.
Our righteousness comes through faith in Christ, who has made us his own. Hear the good news! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. The old life has passed away and a new life has begun. Forgetting what lies behind, Phil. 3:13 14 and straining forward to what lies ahead, we press on toward the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word worship Companion. 2015 SONG OF WORSHIP AT THE CROSS (VERSE 1) I know a place a wonderful place Where accused and condemned Find mercy and grace Where the wrongs we have done And the wrongs done to us Were nailed there with him There on the cross (CHORUS 1) At the cross (at the cross) He died for our sin At the cross (at the cross) He gave us life again (REPEAT VERSE) (CHORUS 2) At the cross (at the cross) You died for our sin At the cross (at the cross) You gave us life again CCLI Song No. 1312246 1993 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) Randy Butler Terry Butler For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights Reserved. www.ccli.com CCLI License No. 296507 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE MOMENTS FOR MINISTRY Rev. Peter Blank Sheryl Kinder Pyle
OFFERING OF OURSELVES & OUR GIFTS Invitation to the Offering Joyce Miller With thankfulness we give in gratitude and joy. With prayerfulness we give in sacrifice and love. With hopefulness we give in commitment to God. With gladness, let us present the offerings of our life and labor to the Lord. *Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. Offering Prayer O Mighty One, you have done great things for us, and holy is your name. Bless all we offer you our selves, our time, and our possessions that through us your grace and favor may be made known to all the world, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen. Reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources Joyce Miller We invite you to come forward to light a candle at this time The children are excused at this time to attend Junior Chapel. OFFERTORY Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us/He Leadeth Me by William Bradbury/arr. Cindy Berry GOD S WORD TO US Isaiah 43:16-21 (NIV) 16 This is what the Lord says he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, Piano Diana Blank
17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. John 12:1-8 (NIV) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint [a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 Why wasn t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year s wages. [b] 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Leave her alone, Jesus replied. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, [c] but you will not always have me.
MESSAGE Rev. Peter Blank The Party, Perfume and The Poor SOLO You Say by Lauren Daigle Chenayla Welch I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I m not enough Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low? Remind me once again just who I am, because I need to know (ooh oh) You say I am loved when I can t feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak You say I am held when I am falling short When I don t belong, oh You say that I am Yours And I believe (I), oh I believe (I) What You say of me (I) I believe The only thing that matters now is everything You think of me In You I find my worth, in You I find my identity, (ooh oh) You say I am loved when I can t feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak And You say I am held when I am falling short When I don t belong, oh You say that I am Yours And I believe (I), oh I believe (I) What You say of me (I) Oh, I believe Taking all I have and now I'm laying it at Your feet You have every failure God, and You'll have every victory, (ooh oh) You say I am loved when I can t feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak You say I am held when I am falling short When I don t belong, oh You say that I am Yours
And I believe (I), oh I believe (I) What You say of me (I) I believe Oh I believe (I), yes I believe (I) What You say of me (I) Oh I believe (oh) Songwriters: Paul Mabury / Lauren Ashley Daigle / Jason Ingram You Say lyrics Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC SHARING AROUND CHRIST S TABLE COMMUNION Rev. Peter Blank Christ becomes a part of our flesh through Holy Communion. The Lord s Supper is not an end in itself. It always points beyond itself to celebrate God s grace and covenant faithfulness. This does not mean the physical aspects of the celebration are incidental or unimportant. The Lord s Supper should be a celebration fitting to the abundant grace of God offered in Christ. *CLOSING SONG It is the custom at Knox, in celebration of Holy Communion, to hold hands and form a circle around the sanctuary to sing our closing song BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS (Hymn #708) Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. POSTLUDE Forest Green Piano Arr. Weekley & Arganbright BENEDICTION Rev. Peter Blank Elder Judy Potter is available for prayer after the service.
In the pulpit today: Rev. Peter Blank is Knox s Temporary Supply Pastor. He and his wife Diana arrived in Spokane in August 2017 to help take care of Diana s aging father. Peter previously served congregations in central California, rural Nevada and NW Oregon. Peter has become bi-vocational he is both our pastor and a licensed Home Inspector for the Spokane area. Peter has a passion for learning and discipleship training. He is graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. With Diana, they have 5 grown children in their blended family scattered along the west coast; as pet lovers, they have two dogs and a cat. They love the Spokane area for outdoor hikes and lakeside fun. Questions for Reflection John 12:1 8 draws our attention to three people: Mary, Judas, and Jesus. It is easy enough to identify Mary as the good disciple and Judas as the bad disciple not only in this story but also in the larger story of Jesus life and death. We can (and do) make this judgment: Mary is accepted and affirmed, while Judas is rejected. But is this the judgment that the other person in the story would make? As one commentator puts it,... if Jesus came to save the lost, surely there is no one in the gospel story who is more lost than the one who betrays Jesus. Lectionary Readings Isaiah 43:16 21 Philippians 3:4b 14 Psalm 126 John 12:1 8 Household Prayer: Morning Merciful God, as I begin this day, place in me a spirit of generosity so that I may freely share love, joy, and encouragement with those I encounter. Keep me from quick judgments so that I leave room for your grace in my life and in the lives of others. Make me your faithful disciple in my words and in my actions,as well as in the thoughts of my heart; in Jesus name. Amen. Household Prayer: Evening All through the day, Lord Jesus, you have been present.
As I settle into the routines of home and evening, I long to be at home in my relationship with you. Help me to put aside the cares of the day and the worries of tomorrow in order to fully enjoy the peace of your presence now. I pray that your peace will also be with those I know who have special need of your care tonight, and I pray for those who lie down this night without the safety of home or bed, without enough food or resources. Bring your light into the surrounding darkness so that all of us may sleep in the security of your love. Amen. Reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word worship Companion. 201