Paths to Explore: The Fourth Sunday of Lent

**Please note this is in the format of the Anglican Church of Canada, the invitatory, canticle, collect, prayer over the gifts, Lord’s prayer and dismissal all come from the Book of Alternative Services

Prayers and Hymns found on line have been sourced to give appropriate credit

** this is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.

Sentence of the day:

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; those who follow me will have the light of life.
John 8.12

Come and find the quiet center

Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead,
Find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
Clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
All the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us, cools the heat and slows the pace,
God it is who speaks and names us, knows our being, touches base,
Making space within our thinking, lifting shades to show the sun,
Raising courage when we're shrinking, finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel, open to each other's pain,
Let our loves and fears unravel, celebrate the space we gain:
There's a place for deepest dreaming, there's a time for heart to care,
In the Spirit's lively scheming there is always room to spare.

Music: Beach Spring

Gathering together (Karen Laldin: based on psalm 23)

In times of darkness and loss Lord, we call upon your name

You remind us that we don’t walk alone

Through mountain tops and valleys, we feel the presence of God

God is gracious, merciful and a very present help in our troubled times

God our creator, you have taught us through psalms, prayers, prophets and Jesus that we never walk alone. As we live in uncertain times, separated from one another physically but not spiritually, help us to fully understand that Your presence is with us. Your world and Your people are called to sit quietly, breathe deeply and allow You to let the healing work the world needs to take place. Amen

The Invitatory                   (from the Book of Alternative Services, Anglican church of Canada)

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: O come, let us worship

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his name.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age (Psalm 100)

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: O come, let us worship

Biblical Readings were copied from the online Oremus Bible, NRSV

Psalm 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²   He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
³   he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

A Reading from the first book of Samuel (16:1-13)

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

The Word of the Lord                                     R: Thanks be to God

Canticle                Seek the Lord                    Isaiah 55.6–11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; * call upon him when he draws near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways * and the evil ones their thoughts;

And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, * and to our God, for he will richly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, * nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, * so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens * and return not again, but water the earth,

Bringing forth life and giving growth, * seed for sowing and bread for eating,

So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; * it will not return to me empty;

But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, * and prosper in that for which I sent it.

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians (5:8-14)

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’

The Word of the Lord                     R: Thanks be to God

The Lord’s My Shepherd

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want;
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e'en for his own name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through death's dark vale,
yet will I fear none ill,
for thou art with me; and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God's house forevermore
my dwelling place shall be.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (9:1-41)

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.

The Gospel of Christ R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Questions to ponder or discuss

How much evidence or testimony do you require to believe?

Blindness is more than physical in this story, how spiritually blind are we?

Eternal light, Shine in my heart

Eternal light, shine in my heart;
eternal hope, lift up my eyes:
eternal power, be my support;
eternal wisdom, make me wise.

Eternal life, raise me from death;
eternal brightness, make me see:
eternal Spirit, give me breath;
eternal Saviour, come to me:

Until by your most costly grace,
invited by your holy word,
at last I come before your face
to know you, my eternal God.

An Affirmation of Faith (from the Iona Community)

We believe that God is present
in the darkness before dawn;
in the waiting and uncertainty
where fear and courage join hands,
conflict and caring link arms,
and the sun rises over barbed wire.
We believe in a with-us God
who sits down in our midst
to share our humanity.
We affirm a faith
that takes us beyond the safe place:
into action, into vulnerability
and into the streets.
We commit ourselves to work for change
and put ourselves on the line;
to bear responsibility, take risks,
live powerfully and face humiliation;
to stand with those on the edge;
to choose life
and be used by the Spirit
for God's new community of hope.
Amen.

(Source: An Act of Commitment Service - The Iona Abbey Book of Worship)

** Although not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would encourage you to set you offering of money and food aside so that it can be dropped off or placed in the church once services resume** Please remember ministry is still taking place

Prayer over the Gifts

God of light, your Word brings to us a new vision of your glory. Accept our offering of praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Intercessions and Thanksgivings (Please allow yourself some quiet time for reflection on the intercessions)

Creator God, we pray for our world. We pray for a world that is struggling with the pandemic that is Covid 19, for the fear that it has set upon the world and the struggle to understand the spread and magnitude of its devastating effects on many people and countries. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for our country of Canada as we socially distance ourselves from one another, remind us that while physical separation is necessary, we are spiritually joined to each other in the common struggle. Help us to hold one another in prayer and to be present to one another through the various methods of technology that we have available. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for our leaders during this difficult time. Grand them wisdom to make good decisions for the people that are entrusted to them. May they be voices of calm in the midst of fear.

Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for all who have contracted the virus, that your healing presence may be with them aiding them in the struggle that the virus causes and helping them to know that they are not alone. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for all that have died. May they rest in your eternal mercy and grace. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for ourselves as we struggle with anxiety, worry and uncertainty. Help us to be a presence of comfort and hope. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

Creator God, we pray for our church families as we learn to be the church in a different way, by being present to one another in a ministry of listening and sharing, uplifting one another from where we are and helping each other to know that we are not alone but all on this journey together. Lord listen to the prayers of your children

WRITTEN BY KAREN LALDIN

Collect

Almighty God, through the waters of baptism your Son has made us children of light. May we ever walk in his light and show forth your glory in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us,

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 for ever. Amen

Dismissal

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Praise the One

Praise the One who break the darkness

with a liberating light.

Praise the One who frees the prisoners

turning blindness into sight.

Praise the One who preached the Gospel

healing every dread disease.

Calming storms and feeding thousands

with the very bread of peace.

Praise the One who blessed the children

with a strong yet gentle word.

Praise the One who drove out demons

with a piercing two-edged sword.

Praise the one who brings cool water

to the desert's burning sand.

From this well comes living water

quenching thirst in every land.

Praise the one true love incarnate:

Christ who suffered in our place.

Jesus died and rose for many

that we may know God by grace.

Let us sing for joy and gladness

seeing what our God has done.

Praise the one redeeming glory,

praise the One who makes us one.

Paths to Explore

Thursday, 19 March 2020

The Fourth Sunday of Lent

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