This is part of the worship series
"Picture Jesus"
Introduction
Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5
Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter
The second Sunday of Lent
The Living Water
Service of Confession
Call to Confession
In this season in which we remember our Savior’s suffering, let us confess our sinfulness to him.
Our Prayer of Confession
Most holy and merciful Father, we confess to you and to one another that we have sinned against you by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways, by forgetting your love. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father, and free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, our Savior. Amen.
Assurance of God’s Pardon
For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed,[a] who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
—Romans 4:16–17, 23–25 NRSVUE
Hymn:
“Christ, the Life of All the Living” (st. 1) Homeburg et al.
A Commitment to Holy Living
Since we have been saved by grace, how shall we live in obedience to Him who saved us?
We will love the Lord our God with all our heart, our mind and our strength; and we will love our neighbors as ourselves.
And how will it be clear that your Lord has first place in your life?
We will have no other gods before God; we will not make for ourselves any substitute gods; we will not abuse the name of the Lord but speak it only in reverence and love; we will honor the Lord’s day through worship, witness, and fellowship with God’s people.
And how will it be clear that you love others as yourself?
We will honor our parents and hold the family in high esteem; we will not abuse, hate, or injure our friends or neighbors by word, gesture or deed; we will live sexually holy and disciplined lives; we will not steal; we will not lie; we will not grasp for what we do not have, nor reject others for having it.
Will you commit yourselves to this obedience?
Yes, by God’s grace we will do it!
The Word
Scripture
Psalm 22:23–31; Romans 4:16,17, 23–25
Text:
John 4:1–15
Sermon Notes
During the first week of Lent, we mentioned two obstacles to understanding the bread metaphor that Jesus used. We have even greater obstacles to understanding the living water metaphor. Our congregation, used to the abundance of water in the Great Lakes area, had no concept of what it’s like to be completely out of water. What a contrast to the experiences of Jews in arid Palestine! To understand Jesus’ intent, we needed to enter the world and experience of the original hearers.
We looked at the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, a Jewish celebration that most of us knew little about. (For a service drama on the Feast of Tabernacles, see "The Feast of Booths".) Together we experienced the spirit in Jerusalem as the people gathered to celebrate a bountiful harvest. We lived into the climactic event of the week when the procession of priests poured the pitcher of water on the altar, while the worshipers chanted selected Hallel Psalms (Psalms 111–118) as their plea that God would save them by sending water for a new year.
With that understanding as background, we were ready to meet the woman at the well and observe how Jesus turned a casual conversation into a life-changing moment by directing her attention to living water. It is critical to notice that Jesus does not declare himself to be living water, but to give living water. The commentary on this is found in John 7:37–38 , where the Holy Spirit is identified as the living water. The indispensable connection between the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is obvious.
We wanted all worshipers to picture both the tragedy and the hope of today. Jesus makes the living water available. Some find life, but many try to quench their thirst elsewhere.
Other Service Elements
Congregational Songs
Psalm 63: “O Lord, My God, Most Earnestly” Stebbins
“I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” Bonar and Vander
“Lord Jesus Is Calling to All Who Would Hear” Luchies and Chadwyck-Healey
Psalm 22: “Amid the Thronging Worshipers” Tate
Choral Suggestions
“Come to the Water,” John Foley SJ (OCP 9489, SATB anthem with congregational refrain and optional instrumentals)
Instrumental Suggestions
“There Is a Green Hill Far Away,” Cynthia Dobrinski (Agape 1426, a bell anthem)
“Baptized in Water,” Dale Wood (Woodworks; bunessan; SMP KK357)
“As a Deer in Want of Water,” Sigfrid Karg-Elert (Karg-Elert Album for Organ; freu dich, o meine seele; Marks Music M 152)
Liturgy Notes
- The bell prelude is based on the tune THE GREEN HILL.
- The service included Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 12, with everyone responding to the questions “Why is he called ‘Christ,’ meaning ‘anointed’?” (Q&A 31) and “Why are you called a Christian?” (Q&A 32).
- Our Scripture reading of the John 4 passage took the form of a Scripture drama adapted from The Dramatized New Testament. (See also the dramatic mononlogue “Come and See”.)
Revised Common Lectionary
Years A, B: Lent—Second Sunday in Lent
