Expect There to be Questions and Confusion — Do It Anyway

From water to wilderness:

God’s covenant continues; God’s kingdom comes near.

On stone and in hearts:

God’s covenant continues; God’s kingdom comes near.

From the ancestor of nations to the Son lifted up:

God’s covenant continues; God’s kingdom comes near.

We follow Jesus on the Lenten path, for where he is, we would be

also.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Merciful God, how fickle we are; we turn against you without even knowing it. Clear us, we pray from willfully ignoring your way. Let your commandments rule and guide us. Forgive us for worshiping anyone or anything except you; keep us faithful. Forgive us for failing to honor all our relationships— with those closest to us and those who are distant neighbors. Help us to speak words of blessing and kindness, rather than words that belittle or destroy. Turn us away from violence, falsehood, and selfishness. Forgive us for thinking everything depends on our efforts and power, for you are the God who made us, led us out slavery, and has brought us into the community of faith. Help us to depend on you alone and to rest in your peace. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Siblings, in Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again, we are

forgiven and set free to live in faithfulness with God and with one

another! Thanks be to God!

Holy God, you have called us to live before you and with one another

in all faithfulness. Unable to live as you intend, we inflict harm and

hurt on others and on ourselves as well. In all these ways, we know

we grieve your heart also. Hear, then, our prayers of intercession.

Restore us to communion with you and one another that we

might live in the freedom you have bestowed.

We pray for people who are victims of crime, from petty theft to

murder.

We pray that those harmed will find healing and will dwell in

safety.

Hold especially close to your heart, O God, those who have lost a

loved one to violence; and help us to offer tenderness and care in

their struggles and grief.

We pray also for those who have committed crimes,

that they may seek and find forgiveness and begin a new life of

responsibility and integrity before you and in the community.

We pray for healing and reconciliation where trust has been

broken, hostility has flared, or misunderstanding has grown.

Restore us not only to one another, but reconcile us to ourselves and

to you, loving God. If restoration proves beyond hope, then grant new

beginnings and possibilities for all. In every relationship, we seek your

grace as we honor others by caring for them, being truthful, and

working for their welfare.

Root out in us any jealousy toward what others possess, and let

generosity grow in and among us instead.

Gracious God, we pray for those who are ill, in mind, body, or spirit;

for those lonely and isolated from community; for those burdened by

guilt or grief, by depression or despair.

Do not let us turn inward as a church, lest we shut out or neglect

those who long for a community of welcome and

companionship. Send us out in love, with open eyes, ears, and

hearts. Make us true neighbors to one another and true children

of your own calling. We pray in the name of Christ, who has

come to set us free. Amen.

God of Glory, we cannot hear the heavens proclaim your handiwork, though the speech of the skies must be magnificent. We cannot hear what day and night are singing about you, though their song must be both bright and deep. Yet, somehow you are made known to us through our own foolish proclamation. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that your Word can be heard in our words. Open our ears to what you are saying to us today, we pray; and perhaps we may also hear echoes of your glory in the broad firmament above. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

John 2:13-22 13The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵ Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸ The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Rev. Johan Dodge

Questions for Reflection: Rev. Johan Dodge

How do you respond to change? Do you welcome change? — have

a generally go with the flow attitude? Or do you like things set a

particular way and are disturbed by change and people — as the

expression goes — moving your cheese? How do you re-establish

equilibrium after sudden change? Is your goal to accept the new or

try to return to the old?

afraid of spilling red grape juice, a limited number of cups with white

grape juice are provided.

Invitation to Communion (Pastor Johan Dodge)

Here at Community Church we celebrate “Open Communion’.

Anyone who wishes to commune may come to our Lord’s Table. You

do not have to be sinless; God forgives you. You do not have to be

perfect; but God is encouraging you to grow. You need not belong to

this or any church; God Invites all people to this meal. It is enough to

love the Lord and follow Him with all your heart. This is what God

asks us to do. Come to our Lord’s Table in faith this day. Go from

this place to live, and never be the same again. Let us commune as

brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Pastor: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and

everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, creator of heaven

and earth. You brought all things into being and called them good.

From the dust of the earth, you formed us into your image and

breathed into us the breath of life. When we turned away, and our

love failed, your love remained steadfast. When rain fell upon the

earth for forty days and forty nights, you bore up the ark on the

waters, saved Noah and his family, and made covenant with every

living creature on earth. When you led your people to Mount Sinai for

forty days and forty nights, you gave us your commandments and

made us your covenant people. When your people forsook your

covenant, your prophet Elijah fasted for forty days and forty

nights; and on your holy mountain, he heard your still small voice.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we

praise your name and join their unending hymn: People: (Sung Response)

Repeat after Cantor:

tb oF ——— I = t t t ——— a

Ore se eit ¢ Ses 5 Ff = S| le

Christ has_ died, Christ is ri — sen, Christ will come a — gain.

Pastor: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these

gifts of bread and fruit of the vine. Make them be for us the body and

blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one

in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we

feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with

the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours,

almighty God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we

all partake of the one loaf.

The bread which we have eaten is a sharing in the bread of Christ.

The cup over which we give thanks is the sharing in the cup of Christ.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. INVITATION TO THE OFFERING — Virginia Olejnik The house of God is not a marketplace for buying and selling. It is a house of prayer, a place of healing and restoration, a place where we bring before God our provisions to be used for present needs. Let us bring our tithes and offerings to God.

O Lord our God, we want to follow all your commandments— to love only you, not worshiping the things of this world; to love our neighbor freely, not desiring for ourselves something they possess. Accept these offerings, we pray, and teach us to be generous, giving fully of ourselves that we may truly be the body of Christ in this world. Amen.

May God shine upon you, Christ fill you with true wisdom and strength, and the Holy Spirit guide you into all faithfulness, now and forever. Blessed Be the Tie that Binds Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.