Friday, April 5, 2013

 As we continue through Lent, and close to Holy Week. As faithful followers of Jesus, we have been making sacrifices that often are difficult and cause us to suffer. We need to remember that Jesus understands what we are going through. He suffered at the hands of many, and that through suffering in obedience to God, he opened the way to God for all.

 Please join us in our opening song titled Hallelujah! What a Savior!  Uodg

 As your family we gather here today not because we have to, but because we want to. We are here to offer you our worship, our prayers and our lives in service to you and to our neighbor. We have as our example Your Son who chose not to rule but to serve. Who gave of himself, and you, a love so strong that it flowed like a river from his hands and his heart. Amen.

Scripture Reading (Hebrews 5: 5-10): “So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He said to Him, 'Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee'; just as He says in another passage, 'Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.' In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek."  The word of the Lord  All: Thanks be to God.

Response: Lord, hear our prayer.  For the Church, journeying toward Easter rebirth in fasting and prayer, we pray to the Lord: Response  For the liberation of those who suffer poverty and cruel political and economic oppression, we pray to the Lord: Response  For those who are discouraged by temptation, we pray to the Lord: Response  For our community, as we strive to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need, we pray to the Lord: Response  For those struggling with sacrifices, that they find strength in their faith, we pray to the Lord: Response  We also invite you now to share any special intentions you may have for family or friends, vocally or in your hearts.

The Lord’s Prayer:  Together we pray the words that Jesus gave to all Christians: Our Father …

O My God, As we journey closer to Holy Week, let us find strength and peace in our faith. Let us be strong through our sacrifices, just as we remember Your Son’s ultimate sacrifice. Let us live by example in the way that Jesus did and make the choice to serve. Amen.

 Please join us in our closing song titled You Are the One!