Lenten Worship 2022 - The Crucial Hours -Prayer at the Close of Day – March 9, 2022

The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.

Amen.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praise to your name, O Most High,

to herald your love in the morning,

your truth at the close of day.

Hymn: 420 vv. 1-2, 6 Jesus, I Will Ponder Now

1     Jesus, I will ponder now
    on your holy passion;
with your Spirit me endow
    for such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
    may the image cherish
of your suff’ring, pain, and death
    that I may not perish.

2     Make me see your great distress,
    anguish, and affliction,
bonds and stripes and wretchedness
    and your crucifixion;
make me see how scourge and rod,
    spear and nails did wound you,
how for them you died, O God,
    who with thorns had crowned you.

6     Graciously my faith renew;
    help me bear my crosses,
learning humbleness from you,
    peace mid pain and losses.
May I give you love for love!
    Hear me, O my Savior,
that I may in heav’n above
    sing your praise forever.

Text: tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.; Sigmund von Birken, 1626–1681

Text: Public domain

Confession CW 226

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.

Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,

we have sinned against you

in our thoughts,

in our words,

in our deeds,

and in all that we have not done.

Forgive us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Deliver and restore us,

that we may rest in peace.

By the mercy of God we are redeemed by Jesus Christ,
and in him we are forgiven.
Let us rest in his peace until the rising of the sun,
when we shall serve him in newness of life.

Amen.

Psalm 91

The shelter of the love of God

is my refuge and my light:

I trust in him to guide my days

and protect me through the night

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

My faith is in the Lord alone,

his Word my help and shield.

When thousand stumble by my side,

his faithfulness is revealed.

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

Ever safe within his love I'll be

secure through all my days,

The wonder of his mighty love

always fills my heart with praise.

Because I come to him in love

and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name:

he shelters me with his wings.

Passion History

The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. Jesus said to his disciples, “You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. They plotted together how to arrest Jesus in some deceitful way and kill him. But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.”

Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. He went away and spoke with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. He promised to do it and was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them away from the crowd.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

They went and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with the twelve apostles. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

A dispute arose among the disciples about which of them was considered to be greatest. But he told them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called Benefactors. But it is not to be that way with you. Instead, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. For who is greater, one who reclines at the table or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have remained with me in my trials. I am going to grant a kingdom to you, just as my Father granted to me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end.

By the time the supper took place, the Devil had already put the idea into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God. He got up from the supper and laid aside his outer garment. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered him, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but later you will understand.”

Peter told him, “You will never, ever, wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Lord, not just my feet,” Simon Peter replied, “but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus told him, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet, but his body is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.” Indeed, he knew who was going to betray him. That is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer garment, he reclined at the table again. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me Teacher and Lord. You are right, because I am. Now if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. Yes, I have given you an example so that you also would do just as I have done for you. Amen, Amen, I tell you: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father and to the T Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Sermon

Offering

Hymn: 431 O Perfect Life of Love

1     O perfect life of love!
    All, all is finished now,
all that he left his throne above
    to do for us below.

2     No work is left undone
    of all the Father willed;
his toil, his sorrows, one by one,
    the Scriptures have fulfilled.

3     No pain that we can share
    but he has felt its smart;
all forms of human grief and care
    have pierced that tender heart.

4     And on his thorn-crowned head
    and on his sinless soul
our sins in all their guilt were laid
    that he might make us whole.

5     In perfect love he dies;
    for me he dies, for me!
O all-atoning Sacrifice,
    you died to make me free!

6     In ev’ry time of need,
    before the judgment throne,
your works, O Lamb of God, I’ll plead,
    your merits, not my own.

Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–1877, abr., alt.

Text: Public domain

Prayer

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

listen to my cry.

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings.

In righteousness I shall see you;

when I awake, your presence will give me joy.

P: Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen.

Hymn 425 vv. 1-3 Go to Dark Gethsemane

1 Go to dark Gethsemane, All who feel the tempter’s pow’r;

Your Redeemer’s conflict see. Watch with him one bitter hour;

Turn not from his griefs away; Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

2 Follow to the judgment hall; View the Lord of life arraigned.

Oh, the wormwood and the gall! Oh, the pangs his soul sustained!

Shun not suff’ring, pain, or loss; Learn of him to bear the cross.

3 Calv’ry’s mournful mountain climb; There, adoring at his feet,

Mark that miracle of time, God’s own sacrifice complete.

“It is finished!” hear him cry; Learn of Jesus Christ to die.

Song of Simeon

Guide us waking, O Lord,

and guard us sleeping

that awake we may watch with Christ

and asleep we may rest in peace.

In peace, Lord, in peace you let your servant now depart according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for ev’ry people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.

Guide us waking, O Lord,

and guard us sleeping

that awake we may watch with Christ

and asleep we may rest in peace, in peace, in peace.

Let us praise the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Blessing

The almighty and merciful Lord—the Father, the T Son, and the Holy Spirit—bless us and keep us.

Amen.

Acknowledgments

Prayer at the Close of Day from Christian Worship

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