| March 22, 2026
† 11:00AM 5th Sunday in Lent Whether this is your first time with us or your one thousand and first, we are glad that the Spirit has drawn you here today! Visitors are invited to sign the Guest Book near the front doors of the church and take home a welcome brochure to learn more about us. |
 Raising of Lazarus John 11 painting by Paul Oman |
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GATHERING |
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GATHERING SONG Open the Eyes of My Heart
Verse:
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You, I want to see You.
Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You, I want to see You.
Chorus:
To see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory
Pour out your power and love; as we sing holy, holy, holy
(verse)
(chorus)
Ending:
Holy, holy, holy; holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy; I want to see You
Holy, holy, holy; holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy; I want to see You
WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP
We are welcomed here in the name of God, who created us,
Jesus, who was born to be with us, and the Spirit who guides us still. Amen.
Jesus began his ministry to the world, led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
As we travel our Lenten journey,
may God’s spirit lead us, even into the uncomfortable places.
In those forty days, and in that place,
Jesus was faced with hunger, doubt, and temptation.
As we seek to follow Jesus,
may God’s spirit lead us, even into the uncomfortable choices.
Jesus left the wilderness, faithful and obedient to God,
rejoicing in the One in whom he trusted.
As we continue on our path of faith,
may God’s spirit lead us, rejoicing in God’s love.
Verse 1:
Holiness, holiness is what I long for; holiness is what I need
Holiness, holiness is what You want from me
Verse 2:
Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I long for; faithfulness is what I need
Faithfulness, faithfulness is what You want from me
Chorus:
So take my heart and form it, take my mind transform it
Take my will conform it, to Yours to yours oh Lord
Verse 3:
Righteousness, righteousness is what I long for; righteousness is what I need
Righteousness, righteousness is what You want from me
(chorus)
To Yours, to Yours, oh Lord
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. Almighty God, we have limits, but you do not. You work outside of our expectations and you love beyond our comprehension. When we let go of our desires and fears, we enter into your wondrous work. Give us the courage and peace we need to let go, that like Ezekiel, Mary, and Martha, we may witness things we could never imagine on our own. Amen.
WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song
FIRST READING Ezekiel 37:1-14
Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones is a promise that Israel as a nation, though dead in exile, will live again in their land through God’s life-giving spirit. Three times Israel is assured that through this vision they will know that “I am the Lord.”
A reading from Ezekiel.
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded, and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”
Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Pastor Jess
After the children’s message, children ages 3-6th grade are invited to go to the Fellowship Hall for a story and craft. Visitors are welcome to join!
GOSPEL John 11:1-45
Jesus is moved to sorrow when his friend Lazarus falls ill and dies. Then, in a dramatic scene, he calls his friend out of the tomb and restores him to life.
The Holy Gospel according to John.
Narrator: A certain man, Lazarus, was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This was the Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was ill.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying,
Pulpit Side: “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.”
Narrator: When he heard this, Jesus said,
Jesus: “This illness does not lead to death. It’s for the glory of God so that God’s Son can be glorified through it.”
Narrator: Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was. After two days, he said to his disciples,
Jesus: “Let us return to Judea again.”
Narrator: The disciples replied,
Band Side: “Rabbi, the Jewish opposition wants to stone you, but you want to go back?”
Narrator: Jesus answered,
Jesus: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? Whoever walks in the day does not stumble because they see the light of the world. But whoever walks in the night does stumble because the light isn’t in them.”
Narrator: He continued,
Jesus: “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I am going there to wake him up.”
Narrator: The disciples said,
Band Side: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.”
Narrator: They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was in a deep sleep, but Jesus had spoken about Lazarus’ death. Jesus told them plainly,
Jesus: “Lazarus is dead. For your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. Let us go to him.
Narrator: Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other disciples,
Band Side: “Let us go too so that we may die with Jesus.”
Narrator: When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was a little less than two miles from Jerusalem. Many Jews had come to comfort Martha and Mary after their brother’s death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary remained in the house. Martha said to Jesus,
Pulpit Side: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you.”
Narrator: Jesus told her,
Jesus: “Your brother will rise again.”
Narrator: Martha replied,
Pulpit Side: “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
Narrator: Jesus said to her,
Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Narrator: She replied,
Pulpit Side: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
Narrator: After she said this, she went and spoke privately to her sister Mary,
Pulpit Side: “The teacher is here and he’s calling for you.”
Narrator: When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus. He hadn’t entered the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were comforting Mary in the house saw her get up quickly and leave, they followed her. They assumed she was going to weep and mourn at the tomb. When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said,
Band Side: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Narrator: When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He asked,
Jesus: “Where have you laid him?”
Narrator: They replied,
Pulpit Side: “Lord, come and see.”
Narrator: Jesus began to weep. The Jews said,
Pulpit Side: “See how much he loved him!”
Narrator: But some of them said,
Band Side: “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Narrator: Jesus was greatly disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. Jesus said,
Jesus: “Take away the stone.”
Narrator: Martha, the sister of the dead man, said,
Pulpit Side: “Lord, the stench will be awful! He has been dead four days.”
Narrator: Jesus replied,
Jesus: “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?”
Narrator: So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up and said,
Jesus: “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.”
Narrator: Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice,
Jesus: “Lazarus, come out!”
Narrator: The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them,
Jesus: “Unbind him and let him go.”
Narrator: Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON Pastor Jess
CONGREGATION SONG Jesus Is a Rock In a Weary Land ELW#333
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
We Hope in You
We hope in You, we cry to You; we wait for You, Lord save us
Reconciled by God’s mercy and sustained by God’s presence,
let us pray for the world and its needs.
We pray for the church. Grant life and peace to all who gather in your name. Breathe into us so that we may share your message of forgiveness, hope, and love.
We pray for creation. Renew landscapes that have dried up, prosper the work of those who restore homes and habitats after natural disasters, and sustain places where biodiversity thrives.
We pray for the nations. Unbind leaders trapped by fear to act boldly for justice, free all who live in places of war and violence, and guide refugees and asylum seekers to safety.
We pray for all people in need. Take away the stone of poverty that weighs down so many. Uplift those experiencing homelessness and sustain the ministry of Cathedral in the Night in Northampton. Console any who weep, and heal all who are sick, especially Bob, Joan, Pat, Patty, Warren, Bert, Bill, Norma, Christine, Doug, Shana, Mary, Lloyd & Sue, all those affected by addiction or mental illness, and all military personnel and first responders.
We pray for this assembly. Surround Joan Olson with the strength of our prayers and love as she recovers from surgery, represented by our altar flowers given today by the altar guild. Deepen our wonder at the mystery of your resurrection and life as Holy Week draws near.
We offer our thanksgiving for Jonathan Edwards, Oscar Romero, and all people who have died in faith. Give us faith to trust in your power to redeem and save, and bring us up from our graves to life in you.
Receive our prayers, O God, through Jesus Christ, our strength and salvation.
Amen.
INVITATION TO CONFESSION
As a worship practice for Lent, we are using a model for confession and forgiveness based on the book Standing Naked Before God: The Art of Public Confession by Rev. Molly Phinney Baskette. This model includes an individual from the congregation sharing a story of confession, a unison prayer, a time of silent confession, and an assurance of grace. Today we hear from Justin Mayotte.
UNISON PRAYER
Let us pray.
Jesus, we search the stories of our lives and see the places we have fallen short.
We have hurt others through words we have spoken and actions we have committed.
Or we have stayed silent and still when justice called for speaking out.
Too often, we have failed to see the needs of our loved ones and acted on their behalf.
Guilt and shame work their way into our hearts, binding us within the tomb.
Forgive us God.
For your grace leads us on the path of mercy.
Teach us to let go of the burdens of the past.
Unbind us, that we may live in the spirit of resurrection;
trusting in your promise of abundant life.
SILENT CONFESSION
During this moment, consider how the story you have heard leads you to see ways you are separated from God. In the silence, bring those ways before God and pray for God to transform them.
ASSURANCE OF GRACE
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you all. And also with you.
GIFTS Come Alive Lauren Daigle
CCLI# 6573588
(Gifts may be made online via debit or credit card using the QR code on the back of this bulletin)
MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ
DIALOGUE
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.
PREFACE
LENTEN SANCTUS
Chorus:
Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of power and might
Holy, holy, holy Lord. God of power and might
Verse 1:
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory,
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest
(chorus)
Verse 2:
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
Creator, you made a wondrous world and called it good.
You planted a garden, and in it, you crafted your creatures, and our ancestors.
When sin, pain, and death entered the world, you did not leave us
but remained a lover and friend of humanity.
You brought water from a rock when your people wandered in the wilderness.
You saw the possibilities in the least and lowly,
and you knew that life could come even from dry old bones.
When at last the time was right, you were born to be with us in Jesus
and joined us in the highs and lows of human existence, even to the point of death.
We tell the story of your presence, recalling how, in the night when he was betrayed,
Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
And so we remind each other and the world:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Pour out your Spirit on us, your gathered people, and on this meal, your gifts of bread and cup. Through a holy mystery, let this become for us the body and blood of Christ.
Let it remind us of the unending feast for which we are bound.
Let it strengthen us, that we will become the body of Christ for the world you so love.
Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Let us pray as Jesus taught us, each in the words or language of our choice.
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.
OR
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
COMMUNION
At this table, Christ is both host and meal, and offers himself to all who hunger and thirst for his presence. We believe that he is truly present in this sacrament.
When you come forward, the pastor will place bread in your hand. Gluten-free wafers are available upon request. You can receive wine by taking a cup from the tray (the cups in the center contain white grape juice).
If you do not wish to commune, you are welcome to come forward and receive a blessing.
If you need to receive communion in your seat, simply notify an usher.
No one is too young to receive this sacrament, though some families wish to give their children some instruction before they take their first communion. If a young child accompanies you, please indicate to the pastor whether they should receive bread or a blessing.
COMMUNION
SONG Don’t Let the Darkness Get You Down Matt Maher
CCLI#7039407
SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world
ANNOUNCEMENTS
BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace. Amen.
SENDING SONG Amazing Love
Verse:
I’m forgiven because you were forsaken. I’m accepted; You were condemned
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me because you died and rose again
Chorus:
Amazing love, how can it be that you, my King, would die for me?
Amazing love, I know it’s true; it’s my joy to honor you; in all I do I honor You
(verse)
(chorus)
Go in peace. Embrace letting go!
Thanks be to God.
Thank you to those who helped with worship today:
Worship Assistant Pam Francis
Ushers Lucy Pelland
Contemporary Music Leader Randy Gomez
New Direction Praise Team Randy Gomez, Linda Frederico, Michelle Grim Kati,
Lawrence Kati, Jim Molloy, Josh Nadar, Matt Overholt, Holly Pavlak
Altar Care Stephanie Leclair
UPCOMING COMMEMORATIONS
Jonathan Edwards, teacher, missionary to American Indians, died 1758
Sunday, March 22, 2026
A Puritan minister in Connecticut, Edwards is remembered as being a great preacher. Though his most famous sermon talks at length about hell, he was more concerned with God’s love. He served both as missionary to the Housatonic people in Massachusetts, and as president of the future Princeton University.
Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Bishop of San Salvador, martyr, died 1980
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Romero was deeply concerned with injustices evident toward the poor and powerless in El Salvador, and worked forthrightly against political repression. He was assassinated while presiding at the eucharist in a chapel near the cathedral in San Salvador.
Annunciation of Our Lord
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Nine months before Christmas we celebrate the annunciation, in which the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. The ancient church believed that this was also the date of the world’s creation and of Jesus’ death on the cross.
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| From Sundays and Seasons.com. © 2026 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #27028. New Revised Standard Version Bible, ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. CCLI#1313879. Call to Worship adapted from Thom Shuman’s “Lectionary Liturgies” website: http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/ Prayer of the Day, Offering Prayer, Preface, Great Thanksgiving, and Prayer after Communion adapted from All In © 2025 Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission.OneLicense # A-716488 22 March Band led.docx |