Andrew De Gelder

This is part of the worship series, "Good News!”Introduction Lent 1 | Lent 2| Lent 3  | Lent 4   Lent 5 | Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter SundayFIRST SUNDAY OF LENTCall to WorshipLet us worship God, who has done great things.We rejoice in our God, who made a waythrough the desert of this world.Let us worship God, who has caused streams of mercyto flow in the wasteland.We are the people God has formed through Christ;we worship him, and we rejoice!Let us worship God in spirit and in truth.We praise God for the grace that has saved us.Alleluia! We rejoice!—Based on Isaiah 43:19–21, The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd ed., J.1.2.1God’s GreetingWorship Song“Amid the Thronging Worshipers” PsalterCall to ConfessionToday is the first Sunday in the liturgical season of Lent, the lead-up to Good Friday and Easter. Lent is traditionally a season of preparation, reflection, renewal, repentance, and fasting. Lent is a time to mourn the brokenness of the world and the damage caused by sin, including and especially our own sin. Yet it is also a time to rejoice and to celebrate the good news of salvation that is freely given through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.We’re starting a new series in which we’ll be looking at good news. We’ll hear some testimonies from members of our congregation in something we’ll be calling the “Good News Café.” But now I invite you to join me in a moment of silent prayer in which we can acknowledge our sins before God.Silent Prayer of ConfessionSong of Reflection“Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me” Robinson, Farren, and ThompsonWords of AssuranceListen to these words from 1 Peter 2:9–10 NIV For you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.As we hear these words from God, we can’t help but find ourselves both assured and challenged: assured that we are indeed God’s people who are forgiven, loved, and cherished, but also challenged to live as people of light who have been called out of darkness. For it is God’s will that we who believe and who have been shown mercy would live lives that glorify him and give praise and honor to Jesus Christ.Children’s MessageChildren’s Song“Soon and Very Soon” CrouchCongregational PrayerScripture ReadingMark 1:9–15Sermon“Good News!”Sermon NotesAs Jesus began his earthly ministry the situation around him was grim. It had been centuries since there had been a prophet in Israel. They were living under Roman occupation, and religious life was fractured as leaders from various Jewish sects all vied for the people’s attention. Every generation of God’s people has experienced trouble of some kind, and in our generation we are bombarded with bad news 24/7. Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River reveals his identity as God’s solution to humanity’s problems, and his time in the desert shows that he is prepared to do battle with the forces of evil. So we ought not to despair at bad news; the kingdom of God is coming in all of its fullness. Our response should be to repent and believe the good news of the gospel.Prayer of ApplicationGracious God, we thank you that you have drawn us to yourself. We thank you for the one who was lifted up and crucified. And while the ways in which you have worked in our lives are mysterious, and while each of us has a unique story about how you have drawn us to you, we pray that together in this congregation we would show the world how we are united in Christ. God, we thank you for the good news of the gospel that tells us that you were lifted up for us all and that all of us belong together in the body of Christ. Help us to love one another as Christ has loved us. We pray that you would use us to draw others into this family, where there is life and hope and salvation. These things we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.Worship Song“Jesus Paid It All” HallBlessingClosing Song“O Praise the Name (Anatasis)” HillsongRevised Common LectionaryYear B: Lent—First Sunday in Lent

This is part of the worship series, "Good News!”Introduction Lent 1  | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4   Lent 5 | Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter SundaySeries IntroductionTo say that the spring of 2021 was a difficult time in the life of our church would be an understatement. As the province of Ontario faced lockdowns due to the coronavirus and stories of variants and delays in vaccine distribution made headlines, our congregation—like everyone else—was bombarded with bad news every day.There was the inconvenience of masking and other safety protocols. There were questions about whether or not the government and medical establishment had been handling the crisis correctly. There was a feeling of isolation as people stayed in their homes and practiced social distancing. There was the loss of community and of livelihood for those whose jobs and businesses had been affected. There was unexpressed grief as many people who had lost a loved one hadn’t been able to have a funeral to mark the passing. And, of course, people were worried about what might happen if they contracted the virus themselves. This was in addition to all the regular stuff that we deal with as fallen human beings living in a world that is broken and tainted by sin at every turn. In the midst of all of that it seemed important to preach on the good news of the gospel during Lent. It seems that the challenges persist, though they may look different from last year. If that is true for your congregation, you may find this series especially meaningful.One of the highlights of this series was a feature we added to our services that we called the “Good News Café.” For five out of the seven Sundays in Lent we interviewed a church member, asking them these questions:When was a time in your life when you were waiting for good news?What was the news you received?How did the news you received affect your life and your relationship with God?The answers varied, but they always focused on the goodness of God even in the midst of trials.This series was made with significant input from Lauren Koersen, the worship director at Palmerston Christian Reformed Church and author of the readings for the Good Friday service.Series OutlineThe Gospel readings for this series followed the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Year B. ScriptureTitle Lent 1Mark 1:9–15"Good News!" Lent 2Mark 8:31–38“Good News—Worth Dying For!” Lent 3John 2:13–22“Good News: The Temple is Rebuilt!” Lent 4John 3:1–21“Good News: A Fresh Start” Lent 5John 12:20–33“Good News—For All” Palm SundayMark 11:1–11“Good News—Even Better than Expected” Good FridayPsalm 22“Good News—Good Friday” Easter SundayMark 16:1–8“Good News—He Is Risen!”  VisualsYou can use the "Good News" graphic above as a bulletin cover, or project it. You can download them from the resources section below.Sanctuary visuals for us included cutting the words "Good News" out of news paper and mounting them next to a wooden cross. Near the front of the sanctuary was also an old radio, another symbol of news, which sat on top of the table at which we interviewed people for our "Good News Cafe." 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6