Lent

This is part of the worship series, "Via Doloroso—The Way of Sorrows” Series Introduction Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5 Palm Sunday | EasterFifth Sunday in LentThe Via Dolorosa: Jesus WeptScriptureText: John 11:35Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 22:1-11, 22-24New Testament Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15:20-28SermonIn this sermon we plumbed the depths of the littlest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” We began with the echoed complaints of the sisters, “Lord, if you had been here . . . ” That is often the feeling of a disappointed believer: Lord, if only you had used your power, this loss would not have brought sorrow to my life. In this story God responds to our “Why?” with a picture of God weeping.We spent a good deal of time exploring Jesus’ tears. Why did he weep? Love? Compassion? Yes, but more profoundly because of his anger at death. His were tears of rage at the enemy he had come to defeat.Then why did he allow Lazarus to die when he could have prevented it? We found the answer in Jesus’ frequent reference in this story to faith.“He who believes in me shall never die. . . .”“Do you believe this?”“I said this so that those who hear might believe.”Jesus “lets us down” because the most important thing to him is our eternal life. And to get that, we have to believe.So, because Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus and his disciples and the crowd so much, he allowed this deep pain, in order that the demonstration of his love and power in the raising of Lazarus might move them and us to faith.Sound cruel and heartless? Only when we forget that Jesus stood with Mary and Martha in their pain and wept with them.No, that is not an intellectually satisfying answer to the problem of pain, but it speaks to the sorrow of our souls. The intellectual answer will come later, maybe. For now, it is good to know that Jesus weeps with us.Congregational PrayerOur focus on death widened to include all the principalities and powers that ruin human life. Using the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, we asked God to overcome all of them finally, so that our anger, grief, and pain will finally be swallowed up in his love.Children’s SermonWe talked about enemies and how angry they make us. We expanded this “enemy” talk to a focus on death and sin and Satan. We wondered if God ever got angry at these “worst enemies.” That led to an explanation of God sending Jesus to defeat all of these enemies, so that we don’t need to fear them.Music SuggestionsGathering“Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies” Wesley“Come, You Disconsolate” Moore, HastingsAnthem: “Now Let Us All Praise God and Sing” Gordon Young (Galaxy)Confession and Assurance“O Christ, the Lamb of God” Agnus Dei“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” ScrivenWord“When Jesus Wept” PH 312 BillingsAnthem: “When Jesus Wept” Clarence Dickenson (Mercury Music)Response“Come, You Disconsolate” Moore, Hastings“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (repeated from previous week)

This is part of the worship series, "Via Doloroso—The Way of Sorrows” Series Introduction Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5 Palm Sunday | EasterFourth Sunday in LentThe Via Dolorosa: Feet Wet with TearsScriptureText: Luke 7:36–50Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 51New Testament Lesson: Galatians 2:15–21SermonA different kind of tears was the focus of this sermon—tears of gratitude and joy springing from the wonderful gift of forgiveness given by a loving Savior.A simple tracing of this wonderful narrative focusing on who this woman was and who Simon was led to the confrontation between Jesus and Simon. Here Jesus teaches him a lesson not only in hospitality, but even more in the basics of the gospel. In the eyes of God the “righteous” person who thinks he doesn’t need to repent is much worse off than the outright “sinner” who comes humbly and trustingly to Christ for forgiveness. Simon stands dry-eyed and unsaved before Jesus, while the woman kneels and wets Jesus’ feet with her tears of joy and gratitude for her many sins, now forgiven.  The story thus provides an opportunity for us to look in the mirror. Do we see a Simon or a sinful person? This briefer meditation provided a fitting invitation to the Lord’s Supper, which was celebrated with all the sinners in the congregation.Congregational PrayerThis prayer of gratitude for salvation traced the contours of our salvation (forgiveness, acceptance, new lease on life, eternal life). We tried to express the joy of salvation in this nonpetitionary prayer.Children’s SermonThough it is difficult to explain tears of joy to children, that’s what we tried to do, referring to Michael Jordan’s tears upon winning the NBA title, the tears of an older sibling at graduation, or the tears of parents at a wedding. Our purpose was to help children experience the joy of the surprise of forgiveness.Music SuggestionsGathering“I Come with Joy to Meet My Lord” Wren“Lift High the Cross” KitchinAnthem: “This Is the Day” Albert P. SmithConfession and Assurance“Ah, Holy Jesus” HeermannAnthem: “O Vos Omnes” Pablo CasalsWord“Create in Me a Clean Heart” (Psalm 51) ResponseAnthem: “Christ, We Do All Adore Thee” T. Dubois“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” Wesley“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” Watts