Worship Order – Service of Holy Communion ~ 8am
March 23, 2025 ~ 3rd Sunday in Lent
Prelude
Announcements
The Service of Light
L Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,
C the light no darkness can overcome.
L Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
C and the day is almost over.
L Let your light scatter the darkness,
C and illumine your Church.
Hymn of Light Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies, LBW 265
The Thanksgiving
Opening Hymn I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say, LBW 497
Prayer of the Day
Everlasting God, draw us into this season of repentance and create within us fertile soil in which your Word bursts forth in lives marked by the abundant fruit of your grace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
Psalm 141 (Humble Thyself)
Psalm Prayer
Children’s Sermon
Scripture Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:1-27
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
The Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Luke 13:1-9
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 13th Chapter.
1There were some present at that very time who told {Jesus} about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” 6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day How Beautiful (CCLI)
L: In many and various ways, God spoke to His people of old by the prophets.
C: But now in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.
Confession
L: I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen
C: The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins. Amen
C: I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen
L: The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins. Amen
Prayers of God’s People
Offering
Offertory
Come and hear, all who fear God,
What He has done for us.
God has heard us and has given heed to our prayer.
Blessed be God,
Blessed be God forever, forever.