Having the Identity of a Servant: Fifth Sunday in Lent

This service was created as a part of a Lent series though it could be used alone. For the rest of the series go to "Having the Identity of a Servant: Series Homepage". 

What acts of service are meaningful? Is the call to serve, to live missionally, just for those who work for the church or a mission organization? Is it for those with a particular gift? In this week’s gospel message we see Mary, not one of the twelve, but Jesus’ host. She probably anticipated that she would be tasked with washing everyone’s feet. She could have simply done her task but instead she spent a lavish amount of money on perfume with which to wash Jesus’ feet. A mundane task became an act of self-giving and love. Mary didn’t know the significance that would be tied to the act, the foreshadowing of Christ washing the disciples feet, or his burial. Mary’s act did not come with a speech about how her actions were meant to point to Christ as the long awaited Messiah, a servant-King. No, Mary took a task that she had done many-a-time and because of her heart, her love, it became holy and joined her to the sacrificial work of Christ. 

How might we serve Christ today in our mundane life? What acts of self-giving, of love do we have the opportunity to perform for Christ? For others? It doesn’t need to be costly to be meaningful and significant, even small acts can become testimonies of our love for Christ. Archbishop Oscar Romero reflected on the holiness of ordinary work done in service to God:

How beautiful will be the day 
when all the baptized understand 
        that their work, their job, 
            is a priestly work, 
that just as I celebrate Mass at the altar, 
so each carpenter celebrates Mass at the workbench, 
and each metalworker, 
each professional, 
each doctor with the scalpel, 
the market woman at her stand, 
are performing a priestly office! 
How many cabdrivers, I know, listen to this message 
      there in their cabs; 
you are a priest at the wheel, my friend, 
      if you work with honesty, 
consecrating that taxi of yours to God, 
bearing a message of peace and love 
      to the passengers who ride in your cab.” 
—Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, from The violence of Love, 2003, p. 24

GOD GATHERS US 

Call to Worship

For two voices, read or memorize so that it can be presented dramatically. 

Voice 1: Isaiah 43:16–21 (brown font)
Voice 2: Psalm 126 (red font)

This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of  Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
    our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”

“Forget the former things;
  do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
   and streams in the wasteland.

The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, Lord,
    like streams in the Negev.

The wild animals honor me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
    the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.
—Isaiah 43:16–21 and Psalm 126

Song: “When God First Brought Us Back” ^Daw

Greeting

Hear God’s response to us today in these words of greeting: 

“You whom I took from the ends of the earth, 
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
—Isaiah 41:9–10, NRSV
 

WE RESPOND

Opening Responses

“O God Beyond All Praising” ^Perry
“Santo, santo, santo/Holy, Holy, Holy” ^Cuéllar 
“You Are Holy” ^{Imboden, Rhoton}

Call to Confession

Our holy God has done so much for us. God has met us in the wilderness and called us out to be followers of Christ. Christ’s journey took him closer and closer to Jerusalem and his sacrificial death on the cross. We too are tasked with joining Christ in his suffering, yet too often we run the other way, desiring a life of comfort, of selfishness rather than selflessness. Knowing this to be true and desiring to be more fully united with Christ in both his death and resurrection, let us confess our sins together in prayer. 

Prayers of Confession

Holy God, 
who brought your people out of the wilderness,
who brought us out of our own wilderness, 
we confess that too often we do not recognize 
the work you have done in our lives. 
We fail to see the streams in the desert, 
the ways you have provided for us. 

Forgive us for not seeing 
and open our eyes. 

You have called us; 
you have said “do not be afraid,”
but still we fail to trust you.
We think we need to care for ourselves,
to be self-reliant, 
so when you ask us to give of our time, 
we think we don’t have any to give
and we ignore your call. 
We don’t trust that you will provide. 

Forgive us for being afraid, 
and open our eyes to see your presence with us. 

When you call us to care for others, 
even in small ways—
the kind smile,
the willingness to invite someone to sit at our lunch table,
letting a car merge in front of us, 
providing a drink, 
washing someone’s feet— 
when you call us to care for others, 
too often we excuse ourselves, 
   and so miss the opportunity to be 
   your presence in their lives, 
or see you in them. 

Forgive us for not caring, 
and open our eyes so we may see you in others. 
Amen. 
—Joyce Borger, Reformed Worship, © 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Assurance of Pardon

People of God, hear this good news! 
Who is in a position to condemn? 
Only Christ, 
and Christ died for us, 
Christ rose for us,
Christ reigns in power for us,
Christ prays for us. 

Anyone who is in Christ 
is a new creation.
The old life has gone;
a new life has begun. 

Know that you are forgiven, and be at peace. 

Thanks be to God. 
—based on Romans 8:34; 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Thanksgiving: “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” ^{Faber, DeMey}

Dedication to Holy Living: Philippians 3:4b–14
 

GOD SPEAKS TO US

Children’s Message

[This message requires some sort of building blocks—Duplos or something equivalent would work well. You’ll need a flat surface on which to build and you’ll want a large variety of block sizes and shapes.] Today I’m going to build you a house. My favorite blocks are these big ones. I don’t like the little blocks, so I’m just going to build with these big ones. And I like these blocks that look like windows, so I’ll use them too. Oh, but I don’t like [insert color] so I’m not going to use any blocks of that color. [The builder should be increasingly frustrated as the limitations they placed on themselves lead to difficulty in getting the house to take shape.] What did I do wrong? Maybe I need more blocks and different sizes to do this well, huh? [If there is time in the service, the builder can get feedback from the children about how to build the house and they can work on getting it done together]

I wonder if that is true about the church too. If all of us were the same, then we wouldn’t be able to work together and do all the different things that a church does. What if we said, “no teachers allowed in church!” Then we wouldn’t have anyone to help kids and adults learn about God. Or what if we said, “Only people ages 25-50 allowed in church!” Well, then we wouldn’t have the wisdom from older generations or the enthusiasm of the youth. A church needs everyone and everyone has something to offer. Did you know that the church needs you? What do you have to give to Jesus and to the church? 
—Bethany Besteman, Reformed Worship, © 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Prayer for Illumination

Holy God, 
as we come now to the reading of your word, 
we ask you to illuminate our hearts and minds 
by the power of your Holy Spirit. 
May the light of your word 
brighten the Lenten path ahead of us 
as we journey in the steps of Christ towards the cross. 
Amen. 
—Bethany Besteman, Reformed Worship, © 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission. 

Scripture 

[For churches who follow the Revised Common Lectionary, portions of the Old Testament, Psalm, and Epistle texts were all used earlier in this service. They may be omitted at this time or you may find it beneficial to have them repeated in their entirety.] 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 43:16–21
Psalm: Psalm 126 
Epistle Reading: Philippians 3:4b–14
Gospel Reading: John 12:1–8 

Sermon: “The Ministry of Self-Giving”
 

WE RESPOND

Response to the Sermon: “To My Precious Lord” ^Park 
 

GOD MEETS US AT THE TABLE

Communion

“Jesus, All for Jesus” ^Mark

“I Surrender All” ^VanDeVenter

“Take, O Take Me As I Am” ^Bell

“Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether” ^Dearmer
 

WE RESPOND

Response of Praise and Prayer
 

GOD SENDS US OUT TO SERVE

Sending

People of God, 
let us claim the freedom Christ gives us
by his self-giving on the cross.

May he enable us to serve together
in faith, hope, and love.

Go in peace and serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.
—Source unknown

“Take Us as We Are, O God” ^Daw

Blessing/Benediction 

May the God of love, who showed us love
strengthen us in our love for others.

May Christ, who shared his life
grant us grace, that we might share ours. 

And may the Holy Spirit dwelling in us
empower us to be Christ’s ambassadors,
wherever we go and to whomever we meet. 
Amen. 
—Source unknown

HOW SHALL WE RESPOND THIS WEEK? 

Fasting 
-Self-deprecation—do you have a tendency to downplay or diminish the gifts you bring to the church, the work you do that shows your love for God and neighbor? Fast from this attitude. When you find yourself downplaying your efforts, either outloud or internally, say the following breath prayer: “[breathe in] all is done [breathe out] for the glory of God.”
-Pride—do you have a tendency to feel self-satisfied with your work in the body of Christ? Perhaps you are aware of a vital role you play in your congregation, and prideful thoughts intrude when you least expect them. When you find yourself admiring your own work or acts of service, use the following breath prayer to redirect your admiration to God: “[breathe in] all is done [breathe out] for the glory of God.”

Prayer
-Meditate on Isaiah 49:1–7. What does this passage reveal about what it means to be a servant of the Lord? Can you picture yourself like an arrow in God’s quiver? Ready to be sent out to do God’s will? Give over your successes and failures to God in prayer this week. 

Around the Kitchen Table
-If you have a perfume or a fragrant essential oil in the house, dab it on a cloth and drape it over the Christ chair. Refresh the perfume periodically throughout the week so that the fragrance is always present at any family meal. When you smell it, remember Mary’s gift to Jesus and be inspired. 

Ideas for Including Children
-Ephesians 5:1–2 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (NLT). Talk with children about good smells and bad smells. If you have time and inclination, you can even do a blind smell test where you try to guess what something is based on how it smells. Then introduce the Ephesians verse and talk about how Jesus’ sacrifice smelled good to God. Ask, “What can we do that is like Jesus so our lives smell good too?”