Cycle A Lent 4

3/30/2014 Confession

Sunday Title:  Power & Light Sunday

Sermon Title: Who is In-Charge?

Previously:  

Sunday Title:  Complete Sunday

Sermon Title: Redemption as completion

Sunday Title:  Gift Sunday

Sermon Title: “Invitation to the Light”

Sunday Title:  Darkness Sunday 

Sermon Title: “I was blind but now I see” 

Sunday Title:  Change Sunday 

Sermon Title: “Thank goodness we don’t have to change!”

Scripture Cuttings:

1 Samuel 16:1-13 The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."

Psalm 23 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Ephesians 5:8-14 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

John 9:1-41 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains."

Confession:

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Lord, we do not see as you do, open our eyes. (pause)

  O Lord...

C: we love what we have made for ourselves,

the way we like to do things,

  we love it so much we think

    what makes us comfortable

      is also what makes us right.

We are so secure in our “rightness”

  we don’t try to please you Lord.

We miss your way because we are set in our way.

Forgive us Lord the sins we know in our heart.

Save us Lord from the sins we evade.

   (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Lord shepherd us...

C: along the right pathways

    for your name sake. Amen

P:  God does not desire for us to walk in darkness. God sends the light of Christ into our world. The light to expose our sin and call us again to right relationship. (For Christ's sake our sins are forgiven). Through the Holy Spirit our eyes can be opened again. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

during Lent the Absolution may be withheld