Fourth Sunday in Lent

Fourth Sunday in Lent March 27th, 2022

The Collect 

 Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Old Testament Joshua 5:9-12 

 

The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the Passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year. 

 Psalm 32  

1 Happy are they whose 

transgressions are forgiven, * 

and whose sin is put away! 

 2 Happy are they to whom 

the LORD imputes no guilt, * 

and in whose spirit there is no guile! 

 3 While I held my tongue, 

my bones withered away, * 

because of my groaning all day long. 

4 For your hand was heavy 

upon me day and night; * 

my moisture was dried up 

as in the heat of summer. 

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, * 

and did not conceal my guilt. 

6 I said," I will confess 

my transgressions to the LORD." * 

Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. 

 7 Therefore all the faithful will make 

their prayers to you in time of trouble; * 

when the great waters overflow, 

they shall not reach them. 

 8 You are my hiding-place; 

you preserve me from trouble; * 

you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 

 9 "I will instruct you and teach you 

in the way that you should go; * 

I will guide you with my eye. 

10 Do not be like horse or mule, 

which have no understanding; * 

who must be fitted with bit and bridle, 

or else they will not stay near you." 

11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; * 

but mercy embraces those 

who trust in the LORD. 

12 Be glad, you righteous, 

and rejoice in the LORD; * 

shout for joy, all who are true of heart. 

 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 

From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

The Gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

A Litany for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

Gracious Creator, who tends and cares for the lost

you place us in families and loving communities

so we might understand your true and living nature

you are God who desires healing for everyone of us.

Loving Savior, help us to embrace all our sisters and brothers.

The powerful criticized and judged your friends

yet you did not chastise but shared a wonderful story

a tale of mending relationship and true forgiveness

which is so much easier to hear than to make happen.

Loving Savior, help us embrace all our sisters and brothers.

We often judge, criticize and ostracize those different

yet if we listen we will find you with the outcasts

we are fearful, cautious and want to always fit in

yet you call us to run down the road to welcome the lost.

Loving Savior, help us to embrace all our sisters and brothers.

We claim power and control as most important here

but you call us to humility and compassion always

Loving Savior, help us to embrace all our sisters and brothers.

The world shames, critiques and harms the broken ones

yet you surround them with your love and celebrate them.

Loving Savior, help us to embrace all our sisters and brothers.

Help us to seek our siblings in the places we fear to go

knowing that you are there ahead of us and with us always.

Loving Savior, help us to embrace all our sisters and brothers. Amen.