16 March 2025

WORSHIP RESOURCES

Second Sunday in Lent

Philippians 3:17—4:1

Stand Firm in The Lord

 

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 27; Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35;

 Doctrine and Covenants 164:9d-f

 

Preparation

The traditional color of Lent is purple. Consider decorating the chapel with purple cloth, or if your service is online, consider using purple in the background or on the slides. For the Focus Moment, you will need coins, tokens, or paper money, and a small basket or offering plate.

 

Prelude

Share, Care, Announcements

Welcome and Lent Reflection

Welcome today into Christian community as we gather during the journey through the season of Lent.

Lent is a time of reflection, introspection, and penitence. It is a forty-day period mirroring Jesus’s forty days of fasting and temptation in the desert. We embark on this spiritual journey together as a community, tracing the path from the ashes of Ash Wednesday to the glory of Easter Sunday.

This season is a call to fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We are reminded of our humanity, our fragility, and our shared reliance on God’s grace. It is a time to confront our weaknesses, confess our sins, and seek reconciliation with God and one another.

Though we observe the solemnity of the season, each Sunday of Lent is also a celebration, a mini-Easter, reminding us of the hope and resurrection that lies beyond the cross. Each Sunday, we pause to gather strength and inspiration as we continue our Lenten journey.

Today, we will go through a series of scripture lessons as we reflect on standing firm in the Lord. May this service be a source of grace and encouragement for us all. Let us worship God, seeking wisdom and strength in God’s word and God’s presence, as we continue to walk this Lenten path together.

 

First Lesson: Praise God

Psalm 27:1-3

 

Opening Prayer

Hymn of Praise

“Blessed Be Your Name”     CCS 252

OR “God’s Love Made Visible!”      CCS 411

OR “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”    CCS 467

 

Second Lesson: Peace, Protection, and Covenant

Psalm 27:4-6

 

Prayer for Peace

Light the peace candle.

Hymn of Peace

“Meet Me in a Holy Place”    CCS 162

OR “How Firm a Foundation”     CCS 250

OR “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”    CCS 11

           

Peace Prayer

O Holy One,

We come before you with open hearts, knowing you are our refuge and strength.

Lord, in times of trouble and uncertainty, we seek your shelter. Like the psalmist, we yearn to be hidden in the secret place of your tent, elevated above the challenges of this world. We know that in your presence, the tumultuous waves of life are stilled, and we find peace that surpasses understanding.

In moments where fear attempts to creep into our souls, remind us of your unending love and the assurance that with you, we are always secure. Encourage our hearts to remain steadfast, basking in the peace that flows from your grace.

May our lives be living testimonies of your peace. Let the serenity that emanates from your love shine brightly through us, that others too may experience the tranquility and hope that is found in you. In every situation, may our hearts echo the unwavering confidence that we are forever yours, ever shielded by your mighty presence.

In your holy name, we pray, Amen.

 

Third Lesson: Repentance and Reconciliation with God

Psalm 27:7-10 and Community of Christ Basic Belief Statement on Sin

God created us to be agents of love and goodness. Yet we misuse our agency individually and collectively. We take the gifts of creation and of self and turn them against God’s purposes with tragic results. Sin is the universal condition of separation and alienation from God and each other. We are in need of divine grace that alone reconciles us with God and each other.     

Sharing in Community of Christ, fourth edition, Herald House

 

Hymn of Repentance and Reconciliation

“Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive”    CCS 215

OR “Christ Has Called Us to New Visions”     CCS 566

OR “Gentle God, When We Are Driven”     CCS 222

Fourth Lesson: Stand Firm in the Lord

Philippians 3:17—4:1

 

Homily OR Spiritual Practice

Prepare a short talk or Spiritual Practice based on Philippians 3:17—4:1 and what it means to stand firm in the Lord.

 

Fifth Lesson: Hope and Confidence

Psalm 27:11-14

 

Hymn of Promise

“View the Present Through the Promise”    CCS 401

OR “Standing on the Promises of God”      CCS 257

OR “Bless Now, O God, the Journey”      CCS 559

 

Disciples’ Generous Response

Focus Moment: Sharing in Hope Through Our Generosity

Objective

Giving our offerings is a way of giving back a portion of what we have to thank God and support the church’s work, fostering a sense of hope and contribution to the future.

Materials Needed

Coins, tokens, or paper money

A small basket or offering plate

Opening

Start with showing the Coins. Ask what they think they would like to do with this money.

Explanation

Allow time for responses and then say, Imagine these coins are all the money you have. As followers of Jesus, we are asked to give generously to help Jesus bless the lives of others through the church.

Take a few coins and place it in the basket, explaining, These coins help the church do many wonderful things, like helping people in need, keeping the church clean and beautiful, and many other good things.

Connecting to Hope

By giving this little piece, we are showing God that we are thankful for all that has been given to us. And guess what? God can take what we give and make amazing things happen! We give a little, just a few coins, and God can help many people throughout the world.

Generosity Statement

This worship service has been a journey that mirrors our own personal journeys. From the joy of praise to the comfort of shelter and the challenge and transformation of repentance and reconciliation. We finish this service on the lesson of hope and confidence. God has been with us on each step of the journey so far, and God will not abandon us in the future. An important part of how we demonstrate that hope and confidence in the future that God has promised is how we respond and give generously to continue the mission of Jesus Christ in the world today. As you continue on your journey through Lent, consider the ways that you are responding generously in hope and confidence.

God’s astonishing compassion and love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate example of generosity. God loves us abundantly and unconditionally. As we open our hearts to courageously and generously share by placing money in the offering plates or through eTithing, we reflect the movement of God’s astonishing love and compassion for the world.

If you have participants joining the worship online, remind them that they can give through www.CofChrist.org/give or through eTithing at www.eTithing.org (consider displaying these URLs).

            Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes.

 

Hymn of Hope

“We Wait in Hope for the Lord”    CCS 267

OR “Now Let Our Hearts within Us Burn”  CCS 658

OR “May the God of Hope/Dios de la esperanza”    CCS 652

Encourage participants to sing in a language other than their own.

 

Closing Prayer

 

Sixth Lesson: Christ’s Mission, Our Mission

Doctrine and Covenants 164:9d-f

 

Postlude

 


 

SERMON AND CLASS HELPS

 

Year C—Letters
Second Sunday in Lent

 

Philippians 3:17—4:1

 

Exploring the Scripture

Paul begins with the words “join in” (v. 17) to invite the Philippians to form a community that mirrors those living Christ’s example. He highlights the importance of a communal approach over individualism. Within their community, Paul says they can find living examples of those choosing to follow Christ. Such people are grappling with what it means to be a disciple in real terms.

Rather than pointing to some idealistic community or the perfection of Jesus’s earthly life, Paul uses himself and a few others as examples of faithful living. The Philippians may not have wanted to hear this. Perhaps they would have preferred a hero or heroes to follow. The responsibility and struggle are placed on the hero rather than the community.

We know that joining a community is not perfect, as Paul describes it. Life is messy and filled with struggles. The Philippians are counseled to look within their community and learn faithful living from one another—a necessary but challenging group approach.

Paul pointedly condemns self-centered interest. He says that as disciples we are on a path to live our baptismal calling. When our lives are governed by other “gods”—the things we idolize and place at the center of our priorities and values—we will experience destruction and shame. On what does our heart rely? On what do I depend? For those who find something other than following Jesus at their core, Paul says, “Their glory is in their shame” (v. 3:19).

Those who are children of God, Paul says, will recognize that the struggle to live in Christian community represents the glory of the cross. This community pattern includes sharing the peace of Jesus Christ, inviting people to Christ, abolishing poverty, ending needless suffering, and much more.

As we move through Lent, Paul counsels us to reflect on the life we are called to live as disciples in community, not just for these forty days, but throughout the year. Perhaps Paul points us to one evocative meaning of the church’s name: Community of Christ.

 

Central Ideas

1.     Paul felt life as a disciple is to be lived in community.

2.     Communities of faith involve struggles and challenges.

3.     Christ-centered living in community represents the glory of the cross.

 

Questions for the Speaker

1.     Why do you think Paul stressed community over individualism?

2.     Describe the community you think Paul imagines.

3.     When have you experienced the challenges and struggles of being in a Christian community?

 

4.     What material “gods” can you spot within your life? Within your community?

5.     As you continue your Lenten journey, how might Paul’s words challenge the status quo?


 

 

SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY 

Year C—Letters
Second Sunday in Lent

Philippians 3:17—4:1

 

Gathering

Welcome

We join other Christians who for many centuries have observed Lent as the forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not counting Sundays. During Lent, we center our attention on Jesus as we remember his life and ministry. Lent also provides a means to sharpen our focus on our own lives in relationship to Jesus. The Lenten season encourages us to turn from whatever distracts or blocks our commitment to discipleship. May the season of Lent help us walk with Jesus, though the path leads to the cross.

 

Prayer for Peace

Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.

Light the peace candle.

God, we pause and breathe in this moment. (Pause.)

So often we can get caught up in the rush and hurry of life that we don’t see the needs of others or pay attention to the promptings you provide. So, we pause and breathe in this moment.

We don’t know how prayer works God, so in humility we offer to you our hurt and broken hearts, those living in wars and ramifications of others’ decisions on their lives, and those too afraid to change their circumstances. We pray that they might feel your peace with them, that in their despair they may find glimmers of hope.

Stir in us, God, unrest. We know that we, too, are part of the response to these prayers. Please give us courage to respond to the promptings you place in our lives. So that we may all work toward peace. So we pause and breathe in this moment.

In the name of your Son. Amen.

Spiritual Practice

Silent Personal Reflection

Read the following to the group:

Everyone’s spiritual journey is unique and deeply personal. Sometimes we find ourselves in a wilderness of darkness and confusion. During Lent we acknowledge these times and seek God’s gracious presence to be with us.

Take a moment to center yourself. Find a comfortable position. If you wish you may close your eyes. Imagine you are in a wilderness.

Listen as I read. Do words stand out to you? What images come to mind?

After the reading we will spend two minutes in silent reflection. At the conclusion of two minutes the chime will sound.

Psalm 27:7–14 NRSVue

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
    be gracious to me and answer me!
“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, do I seek.
     Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger,
    you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off; do not forsake me,
    O God of my salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

End the reflection time with a chime or bell.

Invite the group to respond to this question: What words or images from this psalm will you carry on your Lenten journey?

 

Sharing Around the Table

Philippians 3:17–4:1 NRSVue

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

We know that joining a community is not perfect, as Paul describes it. Life is messy and filled with struggles. The Philippians are counseled to look within their community and learn faithful living from one another—a necessary, but challenging, group approach.

It is this struggle, Paul says, that is in likeness to the reason Christ was put to death. We can see similarities in the struggle and strife of the followers of Jesus’s message and, further, the struggle of empire to understand it as well.

We are the body of Christ. Every part has its purpose and is vital in community. Yet being in community isn’t easy.

Be patient with one another, for creating sacred community is arduous and even painful. But it is to loving community such as this that each is called.

—Doctrine and Covenants 161:3c

We are called as disciples to build and foster this sacred community, through inviting people to Christ, abolishing poverty, ending needless suffering, and sharing peace, even the peace of Jesus.

 

Questions

1.     What does peaceful community look like?

2.     How do we individually contribute to or take from peaceful community?

3.     Do Paul’s words challenge the status quo? If so, how? If not, why not?

 

Sending

Generosity Statement

Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.

—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9

The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. You also may give at CofChrist.org/give.

The offering prayer for Lent is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response.

Ever-present God, forgive us when we are less than loving, less than hope-filled, less than you have created us to be. Your mercy and grace are always with us. May we find strength in your presence, and may we respond to your love with generous spirits. Amen.

Invitation to Next Meeting

 

Closing Hymn

Community of Christ Sings 351, “To Be Your Presence”

 

Closing Prayer

 

Optional Additions Depending on Group

  • Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
  • Thoughts for Children

 

Thoughts for Children

This Lenten activity continues through the season of Lent.

Materials:

·       small squares of light-purple paper (large enough to write on, but small enough to be used in a mosaic)

·       pencil

·       glue stick

·       poster board

(Before beginning this activity, pick an Easter symbol, such as the cross, and lightly outline it on the poster board. When participants place their pieces of paper in the mosaic the first four weeks of Lent, have them avoid the inside of the area you have outlined. This area will be filled during the final week of Lent. Alternatively, you could choose to create a more elaborate mosaic that depicts on Easter scene such as Golgotha or the empty tomb. If you choose to do this, see the note at the end of this lesson about alternating the colors you need. Choosing to create a more elaborate mosaic could be more interesting for people because they won’t be able to tell immediately what they are creating and will be excited to see the mosaic grow over the weeks of Lent.)

Say: We are in the season of Lent. Lent lasts forty days. The number forty is meaningful in few ways. Perhaps most meaningful to the season of Lent, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness preparing to minister to people. Our Lenten journey is modeled after Jesus’s time in the wilderness because we also are using this time for preparation. During Lent, we prepare for Holy Week and Easter by doing things that help us live like Jesus and recognize God’s presence in our lives and the world.

While Jesus was in the wilderness, he didn’t eat anything. This is called fasting. Jesus fasted so he could focus and rely on God. Fasting isn’t only about not eating. You can fast from anything that gets in the way of you spending time with God. Fasting also doesn’t necessarily mean you give something up completely; it could mean that you do something less often.

Ask: What are some things you think get in the way of you spending time with God? (Offer examples as necessary. Examples could include certain hobbies; they also may be habits that are harmful or hurt people).

Say: Thanks for sharing those examples with me. I am going to give you each a purple square of paper. Purple is an important color during Lent. It reminds us that we should honor Jesus. I would like you to write or draw a picture of something you would like to give up or do less often so that you can focus and rely on God more.

Once everyone has written on a square of paper, we are going to put them together to create a beautiful mosaic! We will continue to add to our mosaic all during Lent so that we can see the preparations we have made!

Help participants attach their square and their piece of paper to the correct part of the mosaic. Keep it someplace safe for next week.

 

* If you choose to create a more elaborate mosaic that depicts an Easter scene instead of just a symbol, alternate the color mentioned in the script for the colors you need for each part of your mosaic. (For example, one week you could write on green paper, which could be used in your mosaic to create a grassy landscape.)


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