6 April 2025

WORSHIP RESOURCES

Fifth Sunday in Lent

John 12:1-8

A Prophet-Woman Broke a Jar

 

Additional Scriptures

Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; Doctrine and Covenants 24:1,3

 

Preparation

For the Focus Moment, be prepared with a poster, markers, and sticky notes. Provide a family tree template (found at the end of this service) for each participant along with markers and crayons. Consider setting up a craft table for participants who would like to decorate their family tree.

For Lessons you will need a painting/picture of Mary anointing Jesus and Emma Smith.

 

Prelude

Share, Care, and Announcements

Welcome

Welcome today into Christian community as we gather during our journey through the season of Lent. Lent is a time of reflection, introspection, and penitence, a period of forty days mirroring Jesus’s forty days of fasting and temptation in the desert. It’s a spiritual journey we embark on 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 consider the woman whose faith, discipleship, and ministry stand as examples for us today. As we continue our Lenten journey, we consider those disciples and stories of discipleship that came before us and the lessons they have to teach us today.

 

Opening Prayer

Hymn of Praise           Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.

“I Will Sing, I Will Sing”                                                                               CCS 112

OR “Louez le Seigneur!/Praise, Praise, Praise the Lord!”                             CCS 106

OR “All Creatures of Our God and King”                                                     CCS 98

 

Focus Moment: Family Tree of Faith

Objective: To consider our “ancestors of faith” whose testimonies have brought us to this moment in our lives. To discuss what a role model is and after whom we pattern our lives.

Materials Needed

A large poster with a family tree drawing and sticky notes or encourage participants to visualize a family tree. Provide a copy of the family tree template found at the end of the service along with crayons and markers for each participant.

Family Tree

Have the poster with a drawing of a family tree on it in front where all can see. Explain what a family tree is. If not using a poster, help participants visualize a family tree.

Ask, “Who is in your family tree?” Write relatives’ names on sticky notes and put them on the tree.

Other People

Expand the definition of family to include those who have had an effect on our lives. This could be a teacher or any other person. Explain how, like family, we have many role models and people that can affect our lives in a good way. Place those names on sticky notes and put them on the family tree.

Our Role Models

Explain that all of these people on the family tree can be our role models. They are people we can look up to and learn from. They have wisdom and love that we can take with us each day of our lives. Invite participants to post sticky notes with role model names on the family tree. 

Hand out the family tree template found at the end of this service along with crayons and markers. Say, “As we continue in worship, fill in the family tree you were provided.” Consider setting up a station with markers, crayons, stickers, and other materials for those who want to decorate their family tree. These can be taken home or placed where the congregation can view them as they leave the service.

Lesson Introduction

We will read scriptures, sing hymns, and learn from the faith and discipleship of two woman: Mary who anoints Jesus before his death and burial, and Emma Smith who is called to produce the church’s first hymn book.

Mary and the Anointing of Jesus

Scripture Reading: John 12:1-8

Message

Based on John 12:1-8

Ministry of Music or Congregational Hymn

“A Prophet-Woman Broke a Jar”    CCS 603

            OR “Holy Woman, Graceful Giver”   CCS 464

 

Lesson: Faith and Priorities

            Project a painting/picture of Mary anointing Jesus. Be sure to have appropriate

permission.

Mary, in an act of deep faith, anoints Jesus’s feet with costly perfume and wipes them with her hair. Her actions are a testament to her love and reverence for Christ. She prioritizes her spiritual connection with Jesus, recognizing him not just as a teacher or prophet but as the Messiah.

In stark contrast, Judas Iscariot perceives Mary’s act through a lens of materialism and missed opportunities for charity. His criticism, while seemingly practical, lacks the spiritual insight that Mary exhibits. It’s a reminder that sometimes, what seems practical might be spiritually short-sighted.

This passage calls us to examine our own lives. How often do we, like Judas, prioritize practicality or material gain over spiritual richness? Do we sometimes miss the essence of our faith, focusing too much on the worldly aspect of our actions?

Mary’s anointing of Jesus is an invitation to prioritize our relationship with God, to see beyond the immediate and the material. It's a call to recognize the sacred in our midst and respond with a heart full of faith and love.

Reflection Question: What can we learn from Mary today?

 

Disciples’ Generous Response

            Statement

Mary’s extravagant generosity toward Jesus proved controversial to those present. The perfume that Mary used to anoint Jesus could have been spent elsewhere on any number of activities and other priorities. Mary recognizing Jesus as who he was and even the short time they had left together demonstrated her priorities through her generosity. By her extraordinary gift, she revealed where her heart and priorities were.

Oblation

The first Sunday of the month focuses on the Disciples’ Generous Response to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering, which includes the oblation ministry.

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 Oblation, Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

 

Emma Smith and the Church’s First Hymn Book

Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 24:1,3

Lesson: Service and Discipleship

Project a painting/picture of Emma Smith.

Emma Smith’s story is a powerful reminder that service in the Lord’s work is not just about performing duties; it’s about responding to a divine call. It’s about recognizing and accepting the responsibilities that God places before us, no matter how challenging or unprecedented they might seem.

As disciples of faith, each of us is called to serve in our specific capacities. Like Emma, we are often called to embark on tasks that require more than our natural abilities; they require faith, trust in God, and a willing heart. Her example teaches us that discipleship is not passive; it’s active engagement in the work of the Lord, fueled by a deep love for God and God’s children.

Emma’s role in creating the hymn book was not just about compiling songs; it was about building a foundation of worship and praise in the early church. It was about creating a tool that would uplift, inspire, and bring the Saints closer to God. Through her service, she enabled countless others to connect with the Divine through music and worship.

Let us take inspiration from Emma Smith’s dedication and approach our own callings with the same spirit of service and discipleship. Whether we are called to teach, lead, nurture, or simply be friends and neighbors, each act of service is an opportunity to demonstrate our love for God and our commitment to God’s work.

Reflection Question: What is your call to minister as a disciple of Jesus?

Hymn from Emma’s Hymn Book

“Redeemer of Israel”     CCS 388

OR “I Know that My Redeemer Lives!”   CCS 34

OR “How Firm a Foundation”     CCS 250

 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

 

Talk about the Significance of Communion

 

Hymn of Preparation

            “Womb of Life and Source of Being”   CCS 62

            OR “O Lord, Grace Our Communion”    CCS 80

 

Communion Scripture Reading

Choose one Communion-focused scripture from this list: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39.

 

Invitation to Communion

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others might have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

 

Blessing and Serving of the Bread and Wine

Log in to Our Ministry Tools and search for Guidelines Lord’s Supper. If you have not used this library of resources, go to CofChrist.org/our-ministry-tools.

 

Prayer for Peace

Light the peace candle.

            Read the Mission Prayer for the Prayer for Peace.

God, where will your Spirit lead today?

Help me be fully awake and ready to respond.

Grant me the courage to risk something
new and become a blessing of your love and peace.

Amen.

 

Hymn of the Prophetic

“We Thank You, O God, for Our Prophets”     CCS 180

OR “Prophetic Church, the Future Waits”   CCS 362

OR “Eternal God Transcending Time”   CCS 59

 

Closing Prayer

Sending Forth: Philippians 3:14

Press on and share your prophetic voice and actions with others.

Postlude

 

 

FAMILY TREE TEMPLATE

 

 

 

SERMON AND CLASS HELPS

 

Year C—Letters
Fifth Sunday in Lent

John 12:1-8

Exploring the Scripture

The pilgrimage toward Easter continues. Holy Week approaches and Jesus’ passion and death lie immediately ahead. This passage is situated between the story of raising Lazarus (John 11:1–44), the event that leads to the decision to kill Jesus (11:45–57), and the entry into Jerusalem (12:9–19). This story of anointing is rightly viewed as part of the passion story.

John tells the story differently than Matthew, Mark, and Luke, placing it at the home of his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, who are brother and sisters. Though the cross is looming large and Good Friday is just a few days away, today’s story shows Jesus catching a break. He had time to visit, rest, and eat in a peace-filled place. Jesus, the one who had “nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20), stayed in Bethany—as much home for him as anywhere.

At the heart of this text is a surprising act of generosity: an over-the-top gift. Mary, a disciple with deep gratitude for Jesus because he raised her brother from the dead and returned him to her and her family, anoints Jesus with costly perfume. She responds to Jesus’ extravagant generosity with extravagant generosity of her own. Generosity begets generosity.

Observe how people who are driven by self react, but servant leaders—those who put others first, respond. Judas reacts to Mary’s generous gift with harsh criticism. He points out the wastefulness of the gift. Judas suggested it could have been sold for 300 denarii, roughly a year’s pay, and given to the poor. As Mary anoints, it is Judas who is exposed.

Jesus, however, is gracious and responds with gratitude. His sharp, clear defense of Mary can also be understood as a defense of all whose voices are stifled by the church, all whose gifts are not received. Comparing Judas’ reaction and Jesus’ servant-leader response, one notes that criticizing generosity is a wonderful way to dodge its power. A true gift cannot be controlled, only received. For this and many reasons, some cultures have a much easier time giving than receiving.

Sometimes, people look for ways to avoid giving. Scripture contains a clear mandate to take care of the poor. Many have tried to justify their inaction by using the line in this passage that says “you always have the poor with you” (v. 8). However, this quote refers to Deuteronomy 15:11, whose message is certain: “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’” Jesus knew it and his disciples knew it.

Mary wiped Jesus’ feet. Jesus receives from her what he will soon offer his disciples when he washes their feet. (The Greek verb is the same in both cases.) Mary’s extravagant act is a faithful witness to the even more extravagant act about to occur.

John’s Gospel bears witness to the gift God gives the world in the incarnate Jesus. In today’s passage as elsewhere, celebrating God’s gift in Jesus comes with awareness of the cost of that gift as the story moves toward Jesus’ impending hour of death. May we accept that gift.

Central Ideas

1.     Disciples are called to respond with actions as well as words.

2.     Mary’s extravagant gift is a generous response to God’s generosity to her in Jesus.

3.     Mary’s extravagant act is a faithful witness to the even more extravagant act that is about to occur in Jesus’ passion (death, resurrection, ascension).

4.     Jesus is a gift from God.

5.     We have to decide how we will respond to God’s generous grace.

 

Questions for the Speaker

1.     Can you remember a time when you received an extravagant gift? How did you react? What was your response?

2.     Is it easier for you to give or to receive? Why?

3.     If you are honest with yourself, are you more like Mary (a person who gives without counting cost) or Judas (counting and criticizing) in this passage? Explain.

4.     How do you respond to God’s generous grace in your life?

5.     How much of your capacity for generous giving are you actually using right now?

6.    When has your congregation’s generosity been like the extravagant gift in this scripture?

 


 

SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY

Year C—Letters

Fifth Week of Lent

Philippians 3:4b–14

 

Communion

 

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 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.)

We often can get so caught in the rush and hurry of life that we don’t see the needs of others or pay attention to your promptings. 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 brokenhearted, those living in wars and affected by others’ decisions, and those too afraid to change their circumstances. We pray they might feel your peace, 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 all may 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, 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 126 NRSVue

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears
    reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.

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 3:4b–14 NRSVue

Even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul is writing to the Philippians from prison. In this portion of the letter, he shares the seven traits that would consider him righteous (or faithful) according to the law. Four are privileges he inherited through the acts of others. Three are achievements of his choices. So, by all legal accounts he is the epitome of righteousness.

Yet Paul reminds us that it is not these works that make one faithful. We already have received that through grace. It is these natural works, from the desire, passion, and love for God that naturally flow. For some, keeping these laws was important, but the message underneath all of it was one of humility, of understanding why we keep or don’t keep the law. What motivates us? Is it appearances or love of the Divine?

Lent is a season of humility and sacrifice. Some have given things up during this season; others have added something new in place of something else. Both are sacrifices, serving as reminders of Jesus’s sacrifice. Let us remember the love of God found in the life and message of Jesus.

 

Questions

1.       Which Mission Initiatives and/or Enduring Principles do you most feel called to live? How do you do so?

2.     We live in a world where laws can help some and harm others. How do we navigate that complexity?

3.     Being a prophetic people calls us to look toward the future with the world and God in tandem. Where and to what are you being called?

 

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 454, “What Wondrous Love Is This”

 

Closing Prayer

 

Optional Additions Depending on Group

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


 

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

Communion Scripture

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NRSVue

Communion Statement

All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.

We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (choose from below options):

·       516, “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”

·       521, “Let Us Break Bread Together”

·       523, “As We Gather at Your Table”

·       526, “Is There One Who Feels Unworthy?”

·       528, “Eat This Bread”

·       532, “We Meet as Friends at Table”

 

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 papers 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 an Easter scene such as Golgotha or the empty tomb. If you 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. They’ll 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.

When Jesus left the wilderness, he was ready to begin his ministry. When Jesus ministered, he shared joy, hope, love, and peace. Just like Jesus, we can share joy, hope, love, and peace in the world.

Ask: What are some ways you can share joy, hope, love, and peace? (Affirm all answers.)

Say: Thank you for sharing your answers. It makes me happy that you can think of so many ways to share joy, hope, love, and peace.

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 can do to share joy, hope, love, and peace like Jesus did. If you have more than one thing, feel free to ask for another square of paper.

Once everyone has written on their square of paper, we are going to put them together to create a beautiful mosaic!

Help participants attach their paper to the correct part of the mosaic. (This week you will be filling up the main image with the darker color of paper.)

Hold the mosaic up for everyone to see.

Say: Look at all the preparation we have done to get ready for Holy Week and Easter!

Keep it someplace safe to be used in your Palm Sunday and Easter displays.

 

*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 then could be used in your mosaic to create a grassy landscape.


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