5th Sunday in Lent

 

Hybrid Worship

22 March 2026

 

Presider: The Rev. Deborah van der Goes

Music: Frances Armstrong

“Enchant” – with Pat Armstrong

 

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

 

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey,

you are welcome here!

 

Words For Worship

Words in bold italics, please say together

Two altar candles are lit to signify our preparation for worship

 

Prelude   

 

Welcome and Introduction

Enchant sings: Spiritus Sanctus “Holy Spirit” – Hildegard von Bingen

  

Call to Worship

Rooted in justice, mercy, and faithfulness

we welcome the weary and the worn.

Welcome to those hungry for justice and those desperate for mercy.

We welcome the sinners and the saints.

This is God’s house.

We can be at home here.

Let us worship our just, merciful, and faithful God!

 

Almighty God,

            to you all hearts are open, all desires known,

            and from you no secrets are hidden.

            Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

            by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

            that we may wholly love you,

            through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Invitation to Confession

Friends, much of the time we don’t get it right.

None of us can get by without God’s grace.

So let us put down our collection of stones

and turn to God for forgiveness.

 

Prayer of Confession

Let us pray

Holy God,

we love to live our lives by the rules.

We love clear answers.

We love simple right and wrong.

We love swift justice.

We love to pick up stones,

but you show us another way.

You welcome shades of gray and nuanced conversation.

You prioritize mercy over legality.

You prioritize people over tradition.

You prioritize love over everything.                                              2

Forgive us for losing sight of what truly matters.

Forgive us for clinging tighter to laws

than to each other or to you.

Forgive us. Soften our hearts.

Root us in mercy, justice, and love.

With hope for a better tomorrow, we pray. Amen.

 

Words of Forgiveness

My friends in Christ

Jesus saw a crowd ready to throw stones

and invited them to choose another way.

Jesus offered them grace, mercy, and compassion,

and the same can be said for us.

So hear and believe the good news of the gospel:

Our God is a God of mercy.

Our God is a God of compassion.

Our God is a God of grace.

     silence

Know yourself forgiven

Know yourself loved

Know yourself choosing a better way.

Amen. 

 

Hymn: Confitemini Domino/Come and Fill Our Hearts”         CP #402

“Enchant” to stand in the middle aisle

 

Prayer for Illumination                                  

God draws near to us through Holy Scripture. Let us prepare our hearts.

We open our ears to hear, and our hearts and minds to receive.

 

Gospel Readings                                                       Reader: Betty Schultze

As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.

 

God be with you. 

            And also with you

The Good News of Jesus the Christ according to John and Matthew

            Glory to you, Christ Jesus.

John 8:2-11 (NRSV updated)

Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them,  they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the

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law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”  They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.  When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.  Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

 

Matthew 23:23 (NIV) 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

 

This is the Gospel of Christ.  

            Praise be to Jesus Christ.                                                              

 

Sermon: The Gospel in Silence and Sound

 

Affirmation of Faith 

(the prayer leader comes forward during the Affirmation of Faith)                        

Let us affirm our faith in God.              

The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

With all your soul,

With all your mind,

And with all your strength.

This is the first and great commandment.

The second is like it.

Love your neighbour as yourself.

There is no greater commandment than these.

 

Prayers of the People                                                                   Tim Leadem

We pray to our God,                                                          

            Hear Our Prayers

 

Enchant sings: Ubi Caritas “Where Charity Is”

 

Life & Work of the Church                                                                     4

The Peace                  

(please stand as you are able)

 

Whether here or at home, coming to us over the air waves…

The peace of Jesus the Christ be with you!

And also with you!

 

(You are invited to turn to those directly around you and share Christ’s peace. Those on zoom, please unmute and share with one another)

 

The Celebration of the Eucharist

 

The Offerings

Let us now gather our offerings

(While monetary offerings are gathered, quiet music is played)

 

Offertory Response

(When all is ready at the altar, the monetary offerings have been brought forward and then all sing the Doxology CP #669                                                   

                                                                                                                                            

Praise God the Source of life and birth,

Praise God the Word, who came to earth.

Praise God the Spirit, holy flame.

All Glory, honour to God’s name.

 

The Great Thanksgiving                                          (Lutheran Book of Worship)

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.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and all places, give thanks and praise to you, Almighty and Merciful God, through our Saviour Jesus Christ.  With all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and hosts in heaven, we praise your holy name and join in their unending hymn.

 

Sanctus and Benedictus                                                           CP #735

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might X2,

Heaven and earth are full, full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.                               

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In the night in which he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus Christ took bread,

and gave thanks; and broke it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying:

Take and eat, this is my body given for you. 

Do this to remember me.

 

And again, after supper, he took the cup,

gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying:

This cup is the new covenant in my blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. 

Do this to remember me.

 

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:

            Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

 

With this bread and cup

We remember your Word

Dwelling among us, full of grace and truth.

We remember our new birth

In his death and resurrection.

We look with hope for his coming.

            Come Lord Jesus.

 

Holy God, We long for your Spirit,

Come among us. Bless this meal.

May your Word take flesh in us.

Awaken your people.

Fill us with your light.
Bring the gift of peace on earth.

            Come Holy Spirit.

 

All praise and glory are yours,

Holy one of Israel,

Word of God incarnate,

Power of the Most High,

One God, now and forever

            Amen

  

And now as Jesus has taught us, let us pray                      CP #684 led by

Our Father who art in heaven,                                 Enchant (acapella)               

            Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

            Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done
            on earth as it is in heaven.                                                             6

            Give us this day our daily bread, and       

            Forgive us our trespasses,

            as we forgive them that trespass against us.

            And lead us not into temptation,

            But deliver us from evil

            for thine is the kingdom,

            and the power and the glory,

            for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

Invitation to Communion

  The gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God

 

(During the Communion time, Enchant will sing Da Pacem Cordion

“Give Peace to every Heart” by Jacques Berthier TAIZE At the end, servers and members of Enchant come forward to receive the Communion elements of bread and wine.)

 

Dismissal                

As you leave this time and place,

When you meet anger, speak with love.

When you meet fear, speak with hope.

When you meet pain, speak with gentleness.

 

For the good news of the gospel is

love and justice for all.

The joy that surprises

The Peace that transforms.

Thanks be to God

 

Blessing For Here and at Home

Be blessed deep in your heart, and down to your toes

In all your actions, in all your plans

For you are encircled in Mercy

Held by the Ancient One:

Creator, Redeemer, Spirit

Amen.

 

Postlude

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Enchant members: Pat Armstrong, Carol Martin, Gai Campbell, MJ Patterson, Mary Ann McDonald, Peggy Twyman, Susan Yeend

 

 

 

 

Some musical resources for Lent and Holy Week

 

Gregorian chant for Holy Week

Lent/Holy Week (Gregorian Chant) - Benedictine Nuns of St. Cecilia's Abbey

 

Gregorian Chants for the Passion of Christ | Catholic Choir for Lent - Catholic Chants TV | Christendom

(with apologies for the visuals! DvdG)

 

Lamentations for Holy Week

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul8Hx1Fi-e8

by Thomas Tallis

Sung by the Tallis Scholars

 

The Lamentations of Jeremiah - William Byrd