Lectionary Readings
Exodus 17:1–7
The people thirst and quarrel; God gives them water from a rock.
Psalm 95
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, the rock of our salvation.
Romans 5:1–11
Justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
John 4:5–42
Jesus offers living water to a Samaritan woman at the well.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Come into God’s presence with thanksgiving!
Let us sing to the rock of our salvation.
Even in the deserts of our lives,
God is among us.
Come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving For Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the mercy you so freely offer us
through the grace of our baptism—
safe passage through the sea,
justice rolling down like water,
deliverance from sin and death forever.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
teach us to love and serve you faithfully
and reconcile us to you and to one another
as members of one, living body;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
God does not wait for us to be righteous,
or pure, or perfect.
Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
We do not have to hide our sin from God,
but can face it with Jesus,
who heals us, teaches us, and leads us to new life.
Jesus, friend of all,
once again, we come to you knowing
our words have stung,
our actions have harmed,
and our indifference has let evil have its day.
Our hearts yearn for you,
our souls thirst for you,
yet we do not imitate you in our lives.
We scorn those who are different from us,
and relish our own comfort.
Once again, forgive us, O God.
Give us your living water,
that we might tell the world
all you have done for us.
Lifting water from the font:
We know that God is with us even in our sufferings,
for suffering produces endurance,
endurance produces character,
character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.
Thanks be to God!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness,
guide us by your Word through these forty days,
and minister to us with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may be reformed,
restored, and renewed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15
After the readings:
We proclaim Christ crucified—
the wisdom and power of God.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–25
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
we bend our knees and lift up our hearts,
giving glory to God forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:9–11
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
The reconciling work of Jesus
was the supreme crisis in the life of humankind.
His cross and resurrection become personal crisis
and present hope for women and men
when the gospel is proclaimed and believed.
In this experience,
the Spirit brings God’s forgiveness to all,
moves people to respond in faith,
repentance, and obedience,
and initiates the new life in Christ.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.21
Prayers of Intercession
In Christ Jesus, we have a great high priest
who knows our weakness and suffering;
therefore, with boldness, let us seek God’s grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With boldness, we pray for the church . . .
Help us to worship you in spirit and truth,
to proclaim the coming of the Savior,
and share living water with the world.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With boldness, we pray for the earth . . .
Hold the mountains and the oceans
in the hollow of your gentle hand;
repair their brokenness; restore their glory.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With boldness, we pray for all nations . . .
Reconcile all the peoples of the earth—
those who seem to share nothing in common.
Help us to find our deeper unity in you.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With boldness, we pray for this community . . .
Help us to feed our neighbors who are hungry,
and give drink to those who are thirsty;
through Christ, bread of life and living water.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With boldness, we pray for loved ones . . .
Heal the divisions in our families,
protect the victims of violence,
and let children live in peace and safety.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
To you, O God, we entrust these prayers,
knowing that you alone can provide
grace to help in our time of need;
in the name of our great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Savior. Amen.
Hebrews 4:14–16
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
Jesus says: Where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Matthew 6:21
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
God of grace,
you have gifted us with life in Christ.
Today we bring the gifts of our work
and the gifts of our hearts.
May all that we bring and all that we are
be your means of grace in the world,
that all people may encounter your good news. Amen.
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
Even in the wilderness of sin you guide our way.
Though we quarrel with one another and question your promises,
you satisfy our thirst with water from a stone.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Jesus offers living water for our thirst, a wellspring gushing up to eternal life.
We believe that he is the Messiah, the Savior of the world,
and we seek to worship him in spirit and in truth.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
In our suffering, give us the strength to endure;
through our endurance, build in us the character of faith;
and by the gift of faith, fill our hearts with a hope that will never disappoint us.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
Thank you, gracious God,
for giving us bread for the journey
of these forty days.
As we travel on through the wilderness,
help us to share your grace with others
and draw us ever closer to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the steadfast love of God,
the abundant grace of Jesus Christ,
and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit
be with you this day and always. Amen.
Psalm 51:1, 11
Remember the words of the Lord Jesus:
If any wish to be my disciples
let them take up the cross
and follow me. Amen.
Mark 8:34
“Christ at the Well”
Peter Koenig, 20th Century
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Woman in the Night (G) NEW DISCIPLES (Fedak) GTG 161
- Peoples, Clap Your Hands! (O) GENEVAN 47 GTG 261, PH 194
- Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (OE) NETTLETON GTG 475, PH 356
- Cristo es la peña de Horeb / Christ Is the Mountain of Horeb (O) CRISTO ES LA PEÑA SSS 62
WORD
- Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire (E) VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS GTG 278, PH 125
- My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (OE) SOLID ROCK GTG 353, PH 379
- My Faith Looks Up to Thee (E) OLIVET GTG 829, PH 383
- Renewal (G) John W. Robinson Jr., AAHH 570
EUCHARIST
- Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (OG) CWM RHONDDA GTG 65, PH 281
- Fill My Cup (G) FILL MY CUP GTG 699, PH 350
- Holy Spirit, Come to Us (E) VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS GTG 281
- As Pants the Hart (OEG) SPRING GARDEN Rejoice in God, K. Lee Scott, MSM
SENDING
- Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (OG) AUSTRIAN HYMN GTG 81, PH 446
- For All the Faithful Women (G) NYLAND GTG 324
- How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord (E) REPTON GTG 432, PH 419
- Jesus Paid It All (E) GONE IS MY DEBT OF SIN SON 316
Psalms and Canticles
Metrical
- Come with All Joy to Sing to God [GERMANY]; PAS 95H
- Come and Sing to God Our Savior [8.7.8.7.7.7]; SGP 139
- Come, Celebrate with Gladness [7.6.7.6 D]; MPS 95
Responsorial
- Let Not Your Hearts Be Hardened; PAS 95 I, PND 32
- Today If You Would Hear God’s Voice; HTP1 20
- Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down / Ven, vamos juntos a adorar; SSS 400–401
Organ Music
- “Attende Domine, ‘Hear us, almighty Lord, show us your mercy. Sinners we stand before you,’” Five Liturgical Pieces for Organ, Lynn Trapp, MSM (E)
- “O Blessed Spring,” BERGLUND, Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Communion, Robert Buckley Farlee, AF (M)
- “Beach Spring,” Wilbur Held, CON (E)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” arr. Christopher Aspaas, AF, SATB div, acap (MA)
- “Mi Alma Está Sedienta (My Soul is Thirsting),” Peter Kolar, GIA, 3 pt mx, cantor, keybd, cong, gtr (M)
- “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty,” Zebulon Highben, AF, SATB, org, C inst, cong (M)
- “Sing to the Lord,” Melvin E. Bryant Jr., GIA, SATB, pno (M)
- “O Come, Every One That Thirsteth,” Elijah, Felix Mendelssohn, public domain, SATB, org (MA)
- “O Blessed Spring,” Robert Buckley Farlee, AF, SATB, org, ob, opt cong (M)
Handbell Music
- “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Ron Mallory, 3–5 oct, opt 3 oct hc, ALF, 44241, Level 3+
- “Solid Rock,” Patricia Hurlbutt, 3–5 oct, SFP, 20/2088SF, Level 2
- “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” Lloyd Larson, 3–5 oct, LOR, 20/1474L, Level 3
Art
- Rock of Refuge, Jan Richardson (JR)
- Desert’s Hand, Mario Irarrázabal (VDL)
- Christ and the Samaritan Woman, Henryk Siemiradzki (VDL)
- Woman at the Well, Diego Rivera (VDL)
- Christ at the Well, Peter Koenig (VDL)
