Second Sunday in Lent March 13, 2022

Theme of the Day: Shortcuts are Crushed by Determination. At the center of every temptation is a shortcut to glory. To walk the path the Savior puts us on, one on which the cross comes before the crown, puts us out of step with the world.

Hymn: 395 What Grace Is This

1 What grace is this! My Lord and King
has set his face to suffering.
My God eternal dies to bring
eternal life to me.

2 What grace is this—that very God
would stoop to lift a cross of wood
and walk a road of rock and blood,
a sinner’s road, for me.

3 What grace is this! Though Lord of all,
he yields to Pontius Pilate’s law
and lets the Roman hammers draw
a rush of blood for me.

4 What grace is this! Rude agonies!
With common thieves he hangs and bleeds.
The sinless Son bears each misdeed;
he pays for all, for me.

5 What grace is this! Once wrapped in cloths
and gently laid in manger-trough,
he’s taken, dead, from wretched cross
and wrapped again for me.

6 What grace is this? How can it be?
He wears this raw humility
to lift me to eternity.
Such grace—sweet grace—for me.

Text: Laurie F. Gauger, b. 1965

Invocation

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Confession

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Absolution

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Amen.

Glory Be to God

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

We praise you, we bless you, we worship you,

we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for your great glory,

O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

You take away the sin of the world; receive our prayer.

You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us.

For you only are holy; you only are the Lord.

You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading: Jeremiah 26:8–15

⁸When Jeremiah had finished saying everything the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people, then the priests, the prophets, and all the people seized him and said, “You must die! ⁹Why do you prophesy in the name of the Lord that this house will be like Shiloh and that this city will be desolate with no one living here?” All the people crowded around Jeremiah in the House of the Lord.

¹⁰When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they came up from the king’s house to the House of the Lord and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house.

¹¹Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has been prophesying against this city, as you heard with your own ears.”

¹²Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and to all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the things that you have heard. ¹³Now reform your ways and your actions, and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring about the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴But as for me, look, I am in your hands. Do with me whatever seems good and right in your eyes. ¹⁵But you can be certain of this. If you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live here, for it is true that the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

Psalm of the Day: 42A As the Deer

As the deer pants for the water

So my soul longs after you;

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship Thee

You alone are my strength, my shield

To You alone may my spirit yield

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship you.

You're my friend

And You're my brother

Even though You are a King

I love You more than any other

So much more than anything

You alone are my strength, my shield

To You alone may my spirit yield

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship you.

I want You more than gold or silver

Only You can satisfy

You alone are the real joy-giver

And the apple of my eye

You alone are my strength, my shield

To You alone may my spirit yield

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship you.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17—4:1

¹⁷Brothers, join together in imitating me and in paying attention to those who are walking according to the pattern we gave you. ¹⁸To be sure, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. I told you about them often, and now I am saying it while weeping. ¹⁹Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, and their glory is in their shame. They are thinking only about earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.

^4:1So then, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way keep standing firm in the Lord, my dear friends.

Gospel Acclamation:

Glory, praise, and honor to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The reason the Son of God appeared

was to destroy the devil’s work.

Glory, praise, and honor to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Luke 13:31–35

³¹In that very hour, some Pharisees came to him and said, “Leave, and go away from here, because Herod wants to kill you.”

³²He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I am going to drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal. ³³Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it cannot be that a prophet would be killed outside Jerusalem!’

³⁴“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you will say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 817 Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart

1     Lord, thee I love with all my heart;
I pray thee, ne’er from me depart,
    with tender mercy cheer me.
Earth has no pleasure I would share;
yea, heav’n itself were void and bare
    if thou, Lord, wert not near me.
And should my heart for sorrow break,
my trust in thee can nothing shake.
    Thou art the portion I have sought;
    thy precious blood my soul has bought.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
forsake me not! I trust thy Word.

2     Yea, Lord, ’twas thy rich bounty gave
my body, soul, and all I have
    in this poor life of labor.
Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place
may glorify thy lavish grace
    and help and serve my neighbor.
Let no false doctrine me beguile;
let Satan not my soul defile.
    Give strength and patience unto me
    to bear my cross and follow thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
in death thy comfort still afford.

3     Lord, let at last thine angels come,
to Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home
    that I may die unfearing;
and in its narrow chamber keep
my body safe in peaceful sleep
    until thy reappearing.
And then from death awaken me
that these mine eyes with joy may see,
    O Son of God, thy glorious face,
    my Savior and my fount of grace.
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
and I will praise thee without end.

Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878, alt.; Martin M. Schalling, 1532–1608

Text: Public domain

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church,

the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of the Church

Offering

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Hymn: 510 In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Prayer

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.

Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and T give you peace.

Amen.

Hymn: 853 I’m But a Stranger Here

1     I’m but a stranger here,
    heav’n is my home;
earth is a desert drear,
    heav’n is my home;
danger and sorrow stand
round me on ev’ry hand;
heav’n is my fatherland,
    heav’n is my home.

2     What though the tempest rage,
    heav’n is my home;
short is my pilgrimage,
    heav’n is my home;
and time’s wild, wintry blast
soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
    heav’n is my home.

3     Therefore I murmur not,
    heav’n is my home;
whate’er my earthly lot,
    heav’n is my home;
and I shall surely stand
there at my Lord’s right hand;
heav’n is my fatherland,
    heav’n is my home.

Text: Thomas R. Taylor, 1807–1835, abr.

Text: Public domain

Acknowledgments

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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