Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude Wondrous Love Charles Callahan
Responsive Call to Worship
One: In this season of Lent, we stand below the cross.
All: We listen to the words of our savior: fully human, fully God.
One: We have been called to forgiveness,
All: Called to free ourselves from fear of death,
One: And called to care for one another.
All: Today, we remember Christ’s humanity,
One: And know that we are understood,
All: Even as we seek to understand.
One: With faith that seeks understanding, let us worship God.
Hymn Red 365* “Abide with Me, Fast Falls the Eventide”
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see:
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need thy presence every passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies:
heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
Ever-Present God, we confess that our faith wavers. We have known you to be faithful, but when we suffer, our faith in you is put to the test. And sometimes we fail. We know you understand, so thank you. Still, we pray for a faith that believes despite the circumstances, a faith that believes you can redeem our mistakes, bring healing to brokenness, and resurrection to the deaths in our lives. Some days, we are proud of ourselves and other days we are ashamed of how weak-kneed our faith can be. Forgive us, Lord. Restore us, we pray. Time for silent prayer and reflection.
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Passing of the Peace
Prayer for Illumination
First Scripture Reading (Bold Print Read In Unison) Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
203 Green, “O Lord, Hear My Prayer” Sung
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
When I call, answer me
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
Come and listen to me
The Lord is my song,
The Lord is my praise.
All my hope comes from God.
The Lord is my song,
the Lord is my praise.
God, the well-spring of life.
But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’ Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up… and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
When I call, answer me
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
Come and listen to me
The Lord is my song,
The Lord is my praise.
All my hope comes from God.
The Lord is my song,
the Lord is my praise.
God, the well-spring of life
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live for ever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
When I call, answer me
O Lord, hear my prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer
Come and listen to me
The Lord is my song,
The Lord is my praise.
All my hope comes from God.
The Lord is my song,
the Lord is my praise.
God, the well-spring of life
Second Scripture Reading Mark 15: 29-36a
Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!’ In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.’ Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’
Sermon My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? Rev. Robin Miller Currás
Hymn Green 227* “I Love the Lord”
I love the Lord; he heard my cry
and pitied every groan.
Long as I live and troubles rise,
I’ll hasten to his throne.
I love the Lord; he heard my cry
and chased my grief away.
O let my heart no more despair
while I have breath to pray.
Affirmation of Faith from A Brief Statement of Faith
We trust in Jesus Christ, Fully human, fully God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children, healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified, suffering the depths of human pain and giving his life for the sins of the world. God raised this Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal.
Offertory Ah, holy Jesus Charles Callahan
Doxology
Prayer after the Offering
Pastoral Prayers/The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn Red 530* “Be Still, My Soul”
Be still, my soul! the Lord is on your side:
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! Your best, your heavenly Friend thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! Your God will undertake
to guide the future as he has the past;
your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul! The waves and winds still know his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! The hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul!
When change and tears are past,
all safe and blessèd we shall meet at last
Benediction
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