Sunday 30 March, 2014 – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A

Here are the resources you need for this Sunday. Please feel free to choose what is suitable for your congregation’s needs. You will notice that the orders of service are available in different formats: choose the “pdf” format if you want something that is ready to print and photocopy, the “doc” or “rtf” format if you wish to change the formatting yourself or the “ppt” format if you use PowerPoint.

• Altar colour: Violet
• Bible readings:
  FIRST READING 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Samuel anoints David as king of Israel
  PSALM Psalm 23 *For musical settings of this Psalm, please see the song suggestions below*
  SECOND READING Ephesians 5:8-14 Live as children of the light
  GOSPEL John 9:1-41 Jesus opens the eyes of a man born blind
• Sermons:
  Lay-readers please note: the linked sermons have not been edited for general use. As part of your preparations, keep in mind that they have been written for specific people in a specific context, and for this reason the issues they address or the examples they use may not be entirely suitable for people in your congregation. If you feel this is the case, you may need to make minor adjustments or find another sermon.
  Based on gospel reading:  Pr Vince Gerhardy;  Pr Stephen Pietsch; edited for lay reading sermon – john 9 34 – year a – lent 4
• Orders of service:
  Lent 4  Sunday Word and Prayer ( pdf / doc / ppt )
  Service of the Word (pdf / rtf/ ppt)
  Morning Praise (pdf/ rtf/ ppt)
  Service without communion (pdf / doc /ppt )
• Prayer of the Day (Collect): Choose one of the following
  Traditional
  Almighty God, grant that we,
  who justly suffer for our evil deeds,
  may be relieved
  by the comfort of your grace;
  through your Son,
  Jesus Christ our Lord,
  who lives and reigns
  with you and the Holy Spirit,
  one God, now and forever.
  Amen.

  OR, modernised traditional
  Almighty God,
  we justly suffer for our evil deeds,
  but we ask you to relieve us
  by the comfort of your kindness.
  We ask this through your Son,
  Jesus Christ our Lord,
  who lives and reigns
  with you and the Holy Spirit,
  one God, now and forever.
  Amen.

  OR, alternative
  (Let us pray for strength in our weakness. [silence])
  Almighty and merciful God,
  you love us and make all things new in Christ.
  Transform the poverty of our nature
  by the riches of your kindness,
  and make known your heavenly glory
  in the renewal of our lives.
  We ask this through your Son,
  Jesus Christ our Lord,
  who lives and reigns
  with you and the Holy Spirit,
  one God, now and forever.
  Amen.

  OR, new
  (Let us pray for faith in Jesus our Saviour. [silence])
  Loving Father,
  when we were captive
  in the darkness of sin and death,
  your Son rescued us
  and brought us back to you.
  Teach us to trust in him
  and to live as your people.
  We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
  who lives and reigns
  with you and the Holy Spirit,
  one God, now and forever.
  Amen.

• Prayer after the gospel:
  This is the gospel of the Lord.
  Praise to you, O Christ.
  Lord Jesus, the light for the world,
  thank you for healing blindness.
  Help us to believe in you and worship you.
  Amen.

• Offering prayer:
  Thank you, Lord,
  for sending us your light.
  Help us to live as people of the light,
  and to show your light and love to others.
  Amen.
  

• Prayer of the Church/ General Prayer: Prayer of the church – Lent 4A
• Visual images: His Word in Pictures
  

• Song/Hymn suggestions: * =  Modernised version available (please click here to go to the Modernised hymns page) ;G3, G4 . . . =  Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .; GS =  Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH
  First reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
  LHS
  789    My Lord, you wore no royal crown G6
  AT
  529   God’s excellent adventure
  TIS
  –
  Second reading: Ephesians 5:8-14
  LHS
  168    O blessed Sun whose splendour G4
  202    Help us to conquer, Thou prince everliving* G3
  222    Thou whose almighty word G6
  265    How blest are they who hear God’s Word* G3
  525    Awake, my soul, and with the sun G9
  AT
  126    The light of Christ
  214    The Lord is my light
  275    In our darkness
  313    Christ, be our light
  315    Drawn to the light
  389    Light of the nations
  TIS
  107    Sing praise and thanksgiving
  447    Lord, your almighty word
  496    Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands
  557    Awake, my soul, and with the sun
  622    Holy Father, God of might Gospel: John 9:1-41
  LHS
  117    Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
  127    Come, Holy Spirit, come* G4
  131    Holy Ghost, with light divine*
  222    Thou whose almighty word G6
  306    I heard the voice of Jesus say G7
  335    Just as I am, without one plea G9
  750    When Jesus lived among us G7
  792    They came, knew his name GS
  796    When to our world the Saviour came
  851    Amazing grace GS
  AT
  23    The blind man
  43    How shall I call you
  128    I am the light of the world
  131    Amazing grace
  137    I heard the voice of Jesus say
  188    Reaching out
  263    Blind man’s eyes
  344    The New Road (vv 1-4,8)
  362    I believe, I do
  TIS
  129    Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
  396    Come, Holy Spirit, our souls inspire
  447    Lord, your almighty word
  548    Eternal light, shine in mynheart
  579    The blind man sat by the road
  584    Just as I am, without one plea
  585    I heard the voice of Jesus say
  633    Lord, we are blind

  PSALM 23
  The following metrical versions of the psalm may be used:
  The Lord’s my shepherd (LHS 387*, TIS 10)
  OR
  The King of love my shepherd is (LHS 391*, TIS 145)  *Modernised version available
  OR
  My shepherd is the Lord (TIS 11)
  OR
  Geoff Strelan’s song Psalm 23 in Praise for All Seasons no 62
  OR
  The Iona collection Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise contains a metrical version of Psalm 23 that could be used on this day (page 12)
  Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transperency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

  OR
  David Schütz’s version sung to the tune ‘Shalom, my friends’ ATA 195:

  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,
  Shalom, shalom.
  He makes me lie down in green pasture land,
  Shalom, shalom.

  He leads me beside the slow-running streams,
  Shalom, shalom.
  My soul he restores; he leads me aright,
  Shalom, shalom.

  And though I should walk through death’s valley dark,
  Shalom, shalom,
  there’s nothing I fear, for you, Lord, are near,
  Shalom, shalom.

  Your rod and your staff, they comfort me,
  Shalom, shalom.
  You set me a place before all my foes,
  Shalom, shalom.

  My head you anoint, my cup overflows,
  Shalom, shalom.
  To me you always are loving and good,
  Shalom, shalom,

  My dwelling shall be the house of the Lord,
  Shalom, shalom,
  for all of my life, for all of my days,
  Shalom, shalom.

  Music Resources Vol. 3– Psalm settings: Psalm 23 p35 , Psalm 23 p36 , Psalm 23 p38

  OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR CHURCH MUSIC
  While the LCA does not necessarily endorse the content of these websites, you may find them helpful in your worship planning.
  Small Church Music: You can download mp3 and midi files of popular hymn tunes from this site.
  Together to Celebrate: lectionary based song and hymn suggestions from a variety of sources.
  Singing from the Lectionary: has song and hymn suggestions based on the RCL from other hymnals.
  Song Select: you can search for more contemporary songs by theme. If your congregation has a paid subscription you can also download sheet music.
  Hymns Without Words: mp3 downloads of hymn tunes.