ORDER OF WORSHIP
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2026
In today’s gospel Jesus reveals his power over death by raising Lazarus from the dead. The prophet Ezekiel prophesies God breathing new life into dry bones. To those in exile or living in the shadows of death, these stories proclaim God’s promise of resurrection.
+ GATHERING +
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
arr. Mary McDonald
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
+ All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever..
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.
Amen.
GATHERING HYMN
Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
ELW 886
Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of your name.
The name of Jesus charms our fears
and bids our sorrows cease,
sings music in the sinner's ears,
brings life and health and peace.
He speaks, and list'ning to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
Look unto him, your Savior own,
O fallen human race!
Look and be saved through faith alone,
be justified by grace!
To God all glory, praise, and love
be now and ever giv'n
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heav'n.
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy.
Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.
PRAYER OF THE DAY.
Let us pray together.
Almighty God, you sent Jesus into the world to free us all from sin and death. Breathe upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ and serve you in righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
+ WORD +
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:1-14
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded, and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 130 (We will read the Psalm responsively by whole verse)
1 Out of the depths
I cry to you, O Lord;
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
3 If you were to keep watch over sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 Yet with you is forgiveness,
in order that you may be feared.
5 I wait for you, O Lord; my soul waits;
in your word is my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than those
who keep watch for the morning,
more than those who keep watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with the Lord there is steadfast love;
with the Lord there is plenteous redemption.
8 For the Lord shall redeem Israel
from all their sins.
SECOND READING: Romans 8:6-11
6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (page 198)
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.
*GOSPEL: John 11:1-45
The Holy Gospel according to John, the 11th chapter:
Glory to you, O Lord.
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
45 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON The Rev. Dr. Olga-Maria Cruz
Silence is kept for reflection.
HYMN OF THE DAY
Restore in Us, O God
ELW 328
Restore in us, O God,
the splendor of your love;
renew your image in our hearts,
and all our sins remove.
O Spirit, wake in us
the wonder of your pow'r;
from fruitless fear unfurl our lives
like springtime bud and flow'r.
Bring us, O Christ, to share
the fullness of your joy;
baptize us in the risen life
that death cannot destroy.
Three-personed God, fulfill
the promise of your grace,
that we, when all our searching ends,
may see you face to face.
APOSTLE’S CREED
We now profess the faith we share using the words of the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.*
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Reconciled by God’s mercy and sustained by God’s presence, let us pray for the world and its needs.
A brief silence.
We pray for the church. Grant life and peace to all who gather in your name. Bless our bishop and synod staff. Breathe into us so that we may share your message of forgiveness, hope, and love. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for creation. Renew landscapes parched by drought, prosper the work of those who restore homes and habitats after natural disasters, and sustain places where biodiversity thrives, especially our local lakes and waterways. We pray for those affected by recent storms including floods in Hawaii, snowstorms and tornados across the Midwest. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for the nations. Unbind leaders trapped by fear to act boldly for justice, free all who live in places of war and violence, especially Ukraine and the Middle East, and guide refugees and asylum seekers to safety.
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for all people in need. Take away the stone of poverty that weighs down so many. Console any who weep and heal all who are sick, especially for Mary, Mabel, Doris, June, Willah, Ann, Julie, Christen, Carol, Anne, Judy, Jeff, Gloria, Brian, James & Grace, Katie, Wil, Amy, Bob & Jane, Scott, Lynda, Ron & Flo, Mac, Monica, Avery, Dean, John, Abby, Tim, Arleen & Richard, Betty, Linda, Henry, Glenn, Gary, Connie, Greg, Beverly & Ray, Helen & Ron, Phyllis, and Max. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
We offer our thanksgiving for all people who have died in faith. Give us faith to trust in your power to redeem and save, and bring us up from our graves to life in you. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Receive our prayers, O God, through Jesus Christ, our strength and salvation.
Amen.
SHARING OF THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
+ MEAL +
OFFERING
You may place your offerings in the offering plate as it is passed during the service. Alternatively, some are using Tithe.ly for online giving or are using their bank’s online banking option. Whichever way you choose to give, we are grateful for your stewardship and generosity.
OFFERTORY
What Wondrous Love Is This
Traditional folk hymn
arr. Heather Sorenson
OFFERING SONG
Create in Me
ELW 186
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with your free Spirit.
OFFERING PRAYER
God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours,
and your faithfulness is sure.
Word and water, wine and bread:
these are signs of your abundant grace.
Receive the gifts we bring, and nourish us
to proclaim your abiding love
in our communities and in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song.
Amen.
HOLY COMMUNION
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
DIALOGUE (page 107)
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.
PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
You call your people to cleanse their hearts
and prepare with joy for the paschal feast,
that, renewed in the gift of baptism,
we may come to the fullness of your grace.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
SANCTUS (page 108)
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and God of might;
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
Holy God, mighty and merciful, your people praise you, saying:
Your mercy endures forever.
Your mercy endures forever.
By your promise you bound yourself to earth and all its creatures,
granting them life and calling them to flourish:
Your mercy endures forever.
Your mercy endures forever.
By your promise you bound yourself to the Hebrew people,
blessing them as a family to outnumber the stars
and calling them to be a blessing to others,
showing them steadfast love in every generation
and calling us to be a light to the nations.
Your mercy endures forever.
Your mercy endures forever.
By your promise you joined us to Jesus, your Beloved,
grafting us into your living Vine,
and calling us to bear the fruit of your self-giving love.
Your mercy endures forever.
Your mercy endures forever.
In the night in which he was handed over,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks.
He broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
“Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”
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 for the remembrance of me.”
LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who 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,
forever and ever. Amen.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Come to the banquet, for all is now ready.
Thanks be to God.
DISTRIBUTION
The baptized children of God are invited by the Lord to the Lord’s Table where we receive Jesus’ very body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. We commune at the communion rail where we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Gluten free bread and grape juice are available. If you wish to commune, but cannot come forward, let an usher know and Pastor will come to you. If you do not wish to commune, you are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. You may wish to remain at the rail for a time of personal prayer following which you may return to your pew down the side aisle.
LAMB OF GOD (page 112)
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 sins of the world:
grant us peace, grant us peace.
COMMUNION HYMNS
God Be the Love to Search and Keep Me
ACS 1084
God, be the love to search and keep me;
God, be the prayer to move my voice;
God, be the strength to now uphold me:
Refrain
O Christ, surround me; O Christ, surround me.
Bind to myself the name of Holy,
great cloud of witnesses enfold;
prophets, apostles, angels witness: Refrain
Brightness of sun and glow of moonlight,
flashing of lightning, strength of wind,
depth of the sea to soil of planet: Refrain
Walking behind to hem my journey,
going ahead to light my way,
and from beneath, above, and all ways: Refrain
Christ in the eyes of all who see me,
Christ in the ears that hear my voice,
Christ in the hearts of all who know me: Refrain
By Your Hand You Feed Your People
ELW 469
By your hand you feed your people,
food of angels, heaven's bread.
For these gifts we did not labor,
by your grace have we been fed:
Refrain
Christ's own body, blessed and broken,
cup o'er flowing, life outpoured,
given as a living token
of your world redeemed, restored.
In this meal we taste your sweetness,
bread for hunger, wine of peace.
Holy word and holy wisdom
satisfy our deepest needs. Refrain
Send us now with faith and courage
to the hungry, lost, bereaved.
In our living and our dying,
we become what we receive: Refrain
POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray.
Living God, as the disciples ate and drank
with their risen Lord,
we have been nourished
with the very presence of Christ.
Through this meal, may we be strengthened
to keep your word
and to proclaim the power of your love
in Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.
+ SENDING +
SENDING HYMN
Restore in Us, O God
ELW 328
Restore in us, O God,
the splendor of your love;
renew your image in our hearts,
and all our sins remove.
O Spirit, wake in us
the wonder of your pow'r;
from fruitless fear unfurl our lives
like springtime bud and flow'r.
Bring us, O Christ, to share
the fullness of your joy;
baptize us in the risen life
that death cannot destroy.
Three-personed God, fulfill
the promise of your grace,
that we, when all our searching ends,
may see you face to face.
BENEDICTION
Receive the blessing of the holy Trinity:
God, who calls all things into existence,
Jesus Christ, who redeems us,
and the Holy Spirit, whose breath sustains creation,
bless you now and always.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
Traditional spiritual
arr. Mark Hayes
Liturgical Text, Music, and Visuals from With One Voice © 1995 Augsburg Fortress and sundaysandseasons.com © 2018 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, Tune: Southern Harmony, 1835, arr. Mary McDonald, b.1956. Arr. © 2012 Lillenas Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt.. Music: Carl G. Gläser, 1784-1829; arr. Lowell Mason, 1792-1872. Public domain.
Restore in Us, O God , Text: Carl P. Daw Jr., b. 1944, Text © 1989 Hope Publishing Company. Music: Hal Hopson, b. 1933. Music © 1985 Hope Publishing Company Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
What Wondrous Love, Text and music: Traditional Folk Hymn, additional words and music by Heather Sorenson, b. 1966, arr. Heather Sorenson. Text and Music © 2019 Hal Leonard LLC. Text and music streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Create in Me a Clean Heart, Music: Richard W. Hillert, 1923-2010, Music © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin Augsburg Fortress. Music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.
God, Be the Love to Search and Keep Me, Text and music: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, b. 1967. Text and music © 2004 This Here Music, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
By Your Hand You Feed Your People, Text: Susan R. Briehl, b. 1952, Music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950. Text and music © 2002 GIA Publications Inc. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me, Music: Traditional spiritual, arr. Mark Hayes, b. 1953. Arr. © 2020 Lorenz Publishing Co. Music streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
