March 25 – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 31:31–34
I will write my law on their hearts.
Psalm 51:1–12 (VU pp.
776–777)
Put a new heart in me, O God.
or Psalm
119:9–16 (VU pp. 838–839)
Finding joy in God’s commandments.
Hebrews 5:5–10
Christ did not glorify himself; rather, he suffered.
John 12:20–33
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth.
Spark
Display engraved items, e.g., rings, glass ornaments, rocks, or examples of tiny items that have scripture passages engraved on their surfaces.
Theme Engagement Question
With honesty, name the three priorities in your life right now. Are these things you would want engraved upon your heart? Why or why not?
With Children
Talk about signs of our faith, e.g., crosses. Have two or three people bring their favourite cross to church (or a picture of it) and speak to the children about its meaning for them.
Sermon Starter
How do we become what we believe? Is there congruence in our faith and action? What do we need to have change in our hearts so we can find integrity within ourselves as individuals and as a community? What do we need to let die, let fall to earth so God can bring to us new life and new possibilities? We proclaim that children are important to us but get upset when children are noisy, restless, and don’t sit still. Or we assert that we are open to new people but complain that “We’ve always done it this way.” What is God saying that will help us “walk the walk” and not merely “talk the talk”?
Hymns and Other Music
Hebrew Scripture
VU 509 “I, the Lord of sea and sky”
VU 658 “O Love that wilt not let me go”
MV 12 “Come touch our hearts”
MV 79 “Spirit, open my heart”
Psalm
VU 321 “Maker in whom we live”
VU 649 “Walk with me”
MV 115 “Behold, behold”
MV 119 “God our protector”
Epistle
VU 149 “When I survey”
VU 635 “All the way my Saviour leads me”
VU 664 “What a friend we have in Jesus”
MV 162 “Christ, within us hidden”
Gospel
VU 186 “Now the green blade rises”
VU 699 “Live into hope”
VU 703 “In the bulb”
MV 125 “When a grain of wheat”
MV 138 “My love colours outside the lines”
The Day He Came
Riding into Town
Words: Author Unknown
Tune: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”
The day he came riding into town, hurrah, hurrah,
the people tore the branches down hurrah, hurrah,
and then they all began to sing “Hosanna to Messiah King,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of God!”
The day he came riding into town....
they threw their cloaks upon the ground...
His donkey carried him along in time with their Hosanna song,
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of God.”
The day he came riding into town....
the Pharisees began to frown....
They tried to get the song to cease but only made the shouts increase,
“Blessed is he...”
The day he came riding....
they thought that he should wear a crown...
What kind of king can this man be, no crown, no sword, but peacefully?
“Blessed is he...”