Trinity Lutheran Church Contemporary Worship Service March 11, 2012 10:45 DISCIPLESHIP PRACTICE OF WORSHIP: Gather CALL TO WORSHIP L: Come, join the journey of Jesus today! C: We come in our different ways, walking in our own styles, at our own speeds. But we come to join the journey. L: Come, walk into the truth of who you are and who God is. Walk the way with Jesus into real life, as he listens and learns, tells and teaches, as he laughs and cries, as he lives and dies. Come, walk with God who is the Way, the Truth, the Life. C: We come to join the journey of Jesus today! GATHERING SONG Do Justice Dakota Road Racing around, chasing idols, unfulfilled, empty vessels. World on the edge, out of control, will we survive, God only knows. Do justice, love mercy, Walk humbly with our God, with our God. People broken, falling pieces, dignity lost, loving ceases. Hopeless eyes, lonely faces, yearning hearts, hurting places. (Chorus) Deadly hunger, desperate crying, wounded living, children dying. Nails in the flesh, piercing fear, why can t we see Christ hanging here? (Chorus) CONFESSION OF SIN: L: The story of Christ s passion and death holds up a mirror to our own weakness and sin. We come together as adults and children who have messed up and turned away from God; we struggle with loving our neighbors and even ourselves. Together we confess our sins. C: O God, we want to be your faithful followers, but just like your first disciples, we fall away or fall asleep. We deny you or betray you or abandon you. We are afraid of what your cross means for our lives. Have mercy and forgive us. Open our ears and hearts and minds to hear your story in a new way and receive your grace and forgiveness again. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY Jesus, whose love took the shape of a cross: in the hour of deepest agony your mother and your beloved disciple did not flee, but stood beside you. You call us to pour out our lives in service to others, yet the suffering of your people seems to have no end. When we feel numb and helpless at the horror, remind us of Mary, the unnamed women, and John who could not save you from death, but did not leave you to face it alone. Strengthen us in keeping vigil; have mercy upon us all. Amen. CHILDREN S TIME Shivon Miller SONG I Want To Be Like Jesus Handt Hanson In everything I do, in everything I say, To do my very best and pray about the rest, I want to be, I want to be, I want to be, I want to be, In everything I think, in everything I want, I think about the best and pray about the rest, (Chorus) In everything I am, in everything I ll be, To be my very best and pray about the rest, (Chorus) PSALM: Psalm 19 The commandment of the LORD gives light to the eyes. (Ps. 19:8) 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims its maker's handiwork. 2 One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. 3 Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, 4 their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world, where God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. 2
6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat. 7 The teaching of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean and endures forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. 11 By them also is your servant enlightened, and in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can detect one's own offenses? Cleanse me from my secret faults. 13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. EPISTLE LESSON: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 The word of the cross is pure foolishness and nonsense to the world because it claims that God is mostly revealed in weakness, humiliation, and death. But through such divine foolishness and weakness, God is working to save us. The center of Paul s preaching is Christ crucified. 18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. GOSPEL: John 2:13-22 Jesus attacks the commercialization of religion by driving merchants out of the temple. When challenged, he responds mysteriously, with the first prediction of his own death and resurrection. In the midst of a seemingly stable religious center, Jesus suggests that the center itself has changed. 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who 3
were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. MESSAGE God s Loving Anger Pastor Evavold SONG John 3:16 God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes will have eternal life. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes will have eternal life. He came to save not to condemn. He came to love, love, love, and to call us friends. Jesus is hope. Jesus is peace. Now we know love, love, love, and we can shout Amen! Amen! We can shout Amen! Amen! We can shout Amen! Amen! AFFIRMATION OF FAITH We believe in God, the one who comes before us and goes behind us, creating life and opportunities to love and care for the world. We believe in Jesus Christ who walks with us into real life each day. He is God, yet human like us and experienced all life s joy and pains and challenges like we do. But his love is so great that not sin nor suffering nor even death could stop it. Today the love of Jesus lives and continues to bring new life to the world. We believe in the Holy Spirit who comes like the wind and blows in and through us to bring God s power and light to all the world. The Spirit breathes life into us, the body of Christ we call the church, and enables us to follow the way of Christ. We believe in God, who goes before and behind, with, in and through us, bringing hope and life and newness to the world. 4
OFFERING SONG Getting Comes Through Giving Marciniak/Evavold Help us, Lord, to hear the way Your Word appears. Help us, Lord, to see the truth that sets us free Getting comes through giving. Winning comes through losing Life comes out of dying. Happiness of crying. Getting comes through giving this I know. We can t find our way. We need to hear you say through what you command. Help us understand. The world can t understand what it is you ve planned. In Your word we ve found. You ve turned it upside down. OFFERING PRAYER Gracious and wise God, you give us the freedom to relate to you through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. You empower us with the wisdom of your Spirit to proclaim our deliverance from evil through the power of the cross. We offer these gifts and our lives as symbols of our thanksgiving, praying that you will bless them and use them to proclaim the wonders of your love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. PRAYER FOR OTHERS THE LORD S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, And the glory, forever and ever. Amen. BENEDICTION Go into the world, knowing that Christ is with you. Be Christ s body. Tell Christ s story to all you meet, and live Christ s life on behalf of the world. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds centered on Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 5
SENDING SONG No Matter Lost and Found Verse 4: No matter how high or how low I will always remain in your love. No matter how high or how low I will always remain in your love. When the water touched my head. You were there just like you said In the water and the word. I can trust in what I ve heard. (Chorus) When we eat the broken bread, You are there just like you said. Broken given all to share, At the table you are there. (Chorus) When we speak of our own sin, When we say you re forgiven, When we hear what God has done, Reconciled we live as one. (Chorus) In your church we live our days, Lift our sacrifice of praise. To the one we honor most: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. (Chorus) DISMISSAL: Go in peace, serve the Lord. Thanks be to God. 6