First Mid-Week Service of Lent March 1, 2023

First Mid-Week Service of Lent March 1, 2023

Note – Do to technical problems with the sound, not all of the service was recorded. The following has the available parts of this service.

Pre-Service Music

Welcome

Procession

Leader: Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world;

All: the light no darkness can over-come;

Leader: Stay with us now, for it is evening,

All: and the day is almost over.

Leader: Let your light scatter the darkness,

All: and shine within your people here.

Evening Hymn

All:

Joyous light of heavenly glory, loving glow of God’s own face, you who sing creation’s story, shine on every land and race. Now as evening falls around us we shall raise our songs to you, God of daybreak, God of shadows, come and light our hearts anew.
In the stars that grace the darkness, in the blazing sun of dawn, in the light of peace and wisdom, we can hear your quiet song. Love that fills the night with wonder, love that warms the weary soul, Love that bursts all chains asunder, set us free and make us whole.
You who made the heaven’s splendor, every dancing star of night, make us shine with gentle justice, let us each reflect your light. Mighty God of all creation, gentle Christ who lights our way, Loving Spirit of salvation, lead us on to endless day.

Evening Thanksgiving

Leader: May God be with you all,

All: and also with you;

Leader: Let us sing our thanks to God,

All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Leader: Blessed are you, Creator of the universe – from old you have led your people by night and day. May the light of your Christ make our darkness bright, for your Word and your presence are the light of our pathways, and you are the light and life of all creation.

All: Amen

Psalmody, Readings and Canticles

Psalm 141

All: Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

Group One: O God, I call to you, * come to me now; O hear my voice when I call to you, Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you. Keep watch within me, God; deep in my heart may the light of your love be burning bright. Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you. All praise to the God of all Creator of life; all praise ge to Christ and the Spirit of love. Let my prayer rise up like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.

* At this point Group two starts

(Silence for meditation)

Leader: May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense, and may your presence surround and fill us, so that in union with all creation, we might sing your praise and your love in our lives.

All: Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Zechariah 1:7-17

⁷On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo.

⁸During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

⁹I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”

¹⁰Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”

¹¹And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

¹²Then the angel of the Lord said, “Lord Almighty, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and from the towns of Judah, which you have been angry with these seventy years?” ¹³So the Lord spoke kind and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

¹⁴Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, ¹⁵and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they went too far with the punishment.’

¹⁶“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,’ declares the Lord Almighty.

¹⁷“Proclaim further: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”

Epistle Lesson: Romans 8: 31-39

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.

34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOLY GOSPEL: Mathew 11: 28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Leader: The light shines in the darkness

All: and the darkness has not overcome it

Hymn Maroon Book 423 “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary”

1 Jesus, refuge of the weary,
blest Redeemer, whom we love,
fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above,
often have your eyes, offended,
gazed upon the sinner’s fall;
yet, upon the cross extended,
you endured the pain of all.

2 Dare we pass that cross unheeding,
breathing no repentant vow,
as we see you wounded, bleeding,
see your thorn-encircled brow?
Since your sinless death has brought us
life eternal, peace, and rest,
only what your grace has taught us
calms the sinner’s deep distress.

3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning
with more fervent love for you!
May our eyes be ever turning
to behold your cross anew,
till in glory, parted never
from the blessed Savior’s side,
graven in our hearts forever,
dwell the cross, the Crucified!

Message

Pastor Eric Bohlmann

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

(Stand for prayer if you are able)

The Annunciation

Luke 1: 26-28, 30-32, 38

Leader: An angel went from God to a town called Nazareth to a woman whose name was Mary. The angel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored, for God is with you. You shall bear a child, and his name sall be Jesus, the Chosen One of God Most High.” And Mary said, “I am the servant of my God, I live to do your will.”

(Immediately to “The Magnificat”)

The Magnificat

Luke 1: 46-55

My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in servant here, and blessed be all my life though. Great and mighty are you. O Holy One, strong in your kindness evermore. How you favor the weak and lowly one, humbling the proud of heart.
You have cast the mighty down from their thrones, and uplifted the humble of wondrous things, and left the wealthy no part. Great and mighty are you, O Faithful One, strong is your justice strong your love. As you promised to Sarah and Abraham, Kindness forever more.
My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in servant here, and blessed be all my life though.

Litany and Prayers

All: (Hum first round then sing) God of mercy, Hold us in love,

Leader: In peace, in Peace, we pray to you: