Lectionary resources Lent 3 Year B

Lectionary - Lent 3 Year B

Exodus 20:1-17 The ten commandments
Psalm 19 The heavens are telling the glory of God
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 God's foolishness is wiser then human wisdom
John 2:13-22 Jesus cleansed the Temple

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Suggested Hymns (From Denis Towner. TIS = Together in Song; AHB = Australian Hymn Book; SA = Sing Alleluia)

Exodus 20: 1-17
Lord of creation, to you be all praise TIS.626 AHB.557
O for a heart to praise my God TIS.568 AHB.476
The Lord Jehovah reigns TIS.117 AHB.37
Your words to me are life and health TIS.430 AHB.337

Psalm 19
God's law is perfect and converts TIS.8 Rejoice.438
O Lord my God, when I, in awesome wonder TIS.155 SFGP.50 NJS.108
The heavens declare your glory, Lord AHB.330

1 Corinthians 1: 18-25
All my hope on God is founded TIS.560 AHB.465
God of grace and God of glory TIS.611 AHB.543
Here hangs a man discarded TIS.356 SA.45
In the cross of Christ I glory TIS.349 AHB.265
Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle TIS.331 AHB.249
When Christ was lifted from the earth TIS.248 SA.93

John 2: 13-22
I danced in the morning TIS.242 AHB.183
Jesus comes with all his grace TIS.219 AHB.149
O Christ the healer, we have come TIS.638
O dearest Jesus, why aren't you acquitted TIS.337 AHB.254
O God of earth and altar AHB.542
O love how deep, how broad, how high TIS.194 AHB.6

Other Possible Hymns
(Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book and Sing Alleluia.)

TIS 674 Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
SA 85 The stars declare his glory [Ps 19]
5 Come you people come adore him
7 Praise to the living God
170 At the name of Jesus
196 Sing a new song to the Lord
271 Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
343 Christ is made the sure foundation
385 The church's one foundation
519 Dear Lord and father of mankind
531 When we walk with the Lord
537 May the mind of Christ my Saviour
555 In faith and hope and love
576 Now to him who loved us

Sermon summary (Click here for complete sermon.)

Cleansing the temple: A sign of death and new life

There is a deep meaning to the cleansing of the temple. Essentially it has to do with the replacement of the old way of worshipping God with a new way of relating to God. The old temple was to be replaced by a new temple which was Christ himself.

The way John tells the story seems at first a simple straight forward case of "zeal for the Lord's house" [John 2:13-16]. People have sometimes taken this to be justification for righteous anger, which we all feel at times when we perceive some great injustice -- see the new hymn in the order of service, Inspired by love an anger.

Access to God for all his children
We know from many other things that Jesus did that he wanted people of all nations to be accepted as children of God, that he had special concern for the poor and that he disapproved the superior exclusive attitudes of the religious leaders of the time. So it makes sense that he would have had a sense of justice combined with a religious zeal for the proper worship of God when some were excluded. [For ancient examples see Isaiah 56:3,6-8; Jeremiah 7:11; compare Mark 11:17; the temple and people of Israel were to be a means of blessing to all nations 1 Kings 8:41-43; Zechariah 14:21; Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4.]

The deeper meaning
You might say that an exclusive attitude on the part of the authorities is reason enough for the zeal with which Jesus cleansed the temple. Jesus knew that more needed to be done than to provide an example of firm action to deal with privileges which were unfair. Was there to be a new temple to replace the old one? [John 2:21] Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [John 2:18-19] The resurrection was the sign of his authority. Later the understanding of his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit developed: [1 Corinthians 3:16; and see 1 Corinthians 12:27] Remember as we prepare to celebrate Easter, that the new body of the resurrection came through his sacrificial death. It was a new covenant in his blood. [See Psalms 69:7-9; Hebrews 9:11 to 10:18; Revelation 21:1-4].

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Order of Service - Lent 3 Year B

The Gathering of the People of God

CALL TO WORSHIP The heavens are telling the glory of God.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. -- Psalms 19:1,7,14

HYMN TIS 101, AHB 5, Come you people come adore him
PRAYER OF ADORATION
We praise you loving and eternal God for your love of all people expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We praise you for his commitment to justice, his zeal for true worship of you and his willingness to replace all other sacrifices with the sacrifice of his own life. In his name we offer you our worship. Amen.

CONFESSION [In three parts, concluding ...] Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. -- 1 Timothy 1:15
Hear then Christ's word of grace to us: Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

DOXOLOGY: Hymn TIS 771, AHB 576, Now to him who loved us

Service of the Word

INTRODUCTION OF THEME: The old temple and the new life -- through death
FIRST READING Exodus 20:1-17 The ten commandments
PSALM 19 The heavens are telling the glory of God
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 God's foolishness is wiser then human wisdom
GOSPEL John 2:13-22 Jesus cleansed the Temple

HYMN AHB 330 The heavens declare your glory, Lord [Ps 19]
SERMON
Hymn TIS 674 Inspired by love and anger

CREED

OFFERING
SHARING TIME [Notices, Celebrations and requests for intercessions]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY

The Lord's Supper

THE PEACE
HYMN TIS 609, AHB 537, May the mind of Christ my Saviour
GREAT PRAYER OF 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.
Thanks and praise ..... in the eternal hymn: [SA 100c and 100d]
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We thank you ....
[The great prayer of thanksgiving continues, recalling God's goodness in caring for his people, the life and saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he commanded his disciples to remember him with the bread and the wine, and we pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit on us and what we do.]

THE LORD'S PRAYER [Front of hymn book]
BREAKING THE BREAD
THE LAMB OF GOD [Choir: Sing Alleluia 100e]
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.

COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

The Sending Forth of the People of God

HYMN TIS 457, AHB 385, The church's one foundation
WORD OF MISSION
BLESSING
DISMISSAL Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:
In the name of Christ. Amen.