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 blindPSALM 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.
I was pleased at the response to my feedback re the lack of information about the 5 songs liturgical songs.
I have read that this page is being improved. I would like access to a scriptural index and topical index for the All Together books. I know that they are in the later books, but my books are falling to bits and I have lost some of those pages. Also it would be good to have all of the books together with numbers and titles of songs in both lists.
Also when I click on the Prayer of the church link I expect to get a prayer I could use but I just get this comment section.
Thanks for the feedback, Robyn. We will take your request on board. To download the prayer of the church, just keep clicking on the blue text until a window pops up asking you to open the file or save it to your computer. Easy!