Midweek Lenten Worship
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Tucson, Arizona April 2, 2025
Welcome to Grace!
Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.
Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at GraceLutheranSAZ.org
SEASON OF LENT
The Lenten Season is observed during the six weeks prior to Easter. The traditional goal of Lent is to prepare believers for a proper celebration of the events of Holy Week, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The purple color of the altar paraments and vestments reminds us that Lent is also a season of repentance. The Bible tells us that repentance is always the divine work of the Holy Spirit through the Law and the Gospel. The Law crucifies the old Adam, the sinful nature within us, and the Gospel raises up the new man, the new creation in us. For us, the Lenten focus on the cross and suffering of Jesus is not aimed at an emotional response. It is a pointed proclamation and confession of the Law and the Gospel, a preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Lent is properly a season of repentance when it brings the cross to sinners and sinners to the cross of Christ as the fountain and source of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
This Lenten season, the theme for our midweek services is “Reflections on Repentance.” This series of Lenten reflections explores the depths of our sinful depravity, the brokenness of our relationship with God, our dire need for rescue, and the good news of forgiveness, cleansing, and rejoicing in our restored relationship with God and the promise of eternal life through Jesus our Savior. The sermons use verses of David’s great penitential Psalm 51, penned following his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. The Lord is not slow to do what he promised Instead, he is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
WORSHIP NOTES
The order of worship we will follow is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. You’ll notice that the service is a dialogue between God and us, his people. The pastor speaks to God along with the congregation and also speaks the Word of God to the people. The hymns we are using come from the blue Christian Worship hymnal, which is found in the hymnal racks in each pew. LARGE PRINT worship folders are now available for those who desire one.
Those wishing to leave an offering can do so at either exit today or give online at GraceLutheranSAZ.org/give. (You can also scan the QR code to the right to access the online giving page.) We would greatly appreciate a record of your attendance in our worship today. Please take a moment to sign the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of each row. Thank you!
PARKING
There is no cost to park in our parking lot during worship services. If you receive a citation by mistake, please let our office staff know so it can be cleared.
WELCOME
ORDER OF WORSHIP
OPENING HYMN Savior, When in Dust to You
Christian Worship 393
Please stand
RESPONSIVE SENTENCES
Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
CONFESSION OF SIN
We confess together:
1 John 1:5-8
Father, I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your child. Yet in mercy you sacrificed your only Son to purge away my guilt. For his sake, O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, and in the joy of your Holy Spirit let me serve you all my days.
Silence for personal examination and confession
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Upon this, your confession, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:9 Thanks be to God. Amen.
PRAYER
Lord God, you are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. Fill us with the peace of your forgiveness so that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please be seated
RESPONSIVE READING FROM PSALM 30
I will exalt you, L , for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. L my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
You, L , brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the L , you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
PSALM PRAYER
When I was in the pit of despair, Lord, you lifted me out. Though your anger blazed down on me because of my sin, you sent your Son to take the brunt of your anger so that I might be spared. Now I rejoice in the splendor of your grace and proclaim your saving deeds to those who will yet praise you as their only Savior. Amen.
1The whole group of them got up and brought him before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
3Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
“It is as you say,” Jesus replied.
4Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man. ”
5But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.”
6When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time, he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him. 9He questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the experts in the law stood there, vehemently accusing him. 11Herod, along with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and ridiculed him. Dressing him in bright clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that day. Before this they had been enemies of each other.
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who is misleading the people. Look, I have examined him in your presence. I have found in this man no basis for the charges you are bringing against him. 15Herod did not either, for he sent him back to us. See, he has done nothing worthy of death. 16So I will have him flogged and release him.”
17Pilate needed to release one prisoner to them at the Festival. 18But they all shouted together with one voice: “Take him away! Release Barabbas to us!” 19Barabbas had been thrown in prison for a rebellion in the city and for murder.
20Pilate addressed them again, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found no grounds for sentencing him to death. So I will whip him and release him.” 23But they kept pressuring him with loud voices, demanding that he be crucified. And their voices were overwhelming. 24So Pilate decided that what they demanded would be done. 25He released the one they had asked for, who had been thrown in prison for rebellion and murder, but he handed Jesus over to their will.
SERMON
7 Remove my sin with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Relying on God’s Grace Psalm 51:7
Please stand
CONFESSION OF FAITH Luther's Explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord.
He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood, and with his innocent suffering and death.
All this he did that I should be his own, and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he has risen from death and lives and rules eternally.
This is most certainly true.
PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God, you never despise what you have made and always forgive those who turn to you. Create in us such new and contrite hearts that we may truly repent of our sins and obtain your full and gracious pardon; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
MORNING PRAYER (10:00 AM)
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to this new day. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant that this day we neither fall into sin nor run into any kind of danger; and in all we do, direct us to what is right in your sight, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
EVENING PRAYER (7:00 PM)
Lord God, we thank you for this day of grace now drawing to a close. Stay with us and warm our hearts with your forgiving love in Christ. May your Word keep our faith burning brightly that we may walk in the light of your presence through the darkness of this world. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
Amen.
2 John 3
Please be seated
CLOSING HYMN Glory Be to Jesus Christian Worship 402
THOSE ASSISTING IN WORSHIP TODAY
Minister.......................................................................................................................... Vicar Noah Nordlie
Accompanist.............................................................................................................................. Deb Bakken
Vocalist.......................................................................................................................Craig Lipke (7:00 PM)
Ushers...................................................................... Stanley Mead (10:00 AM) Dylan Guenther (7:00 PM)
Sound and Recording Technicians ......................................Jeremy Snavely, Danny Koehler (7:00 PM)
Acknowledgements:
Scripture readings are taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) © 2018 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. wartburgproject.org Created by Christian Worship: Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House. Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House.