Liturgy: Lent 1 Lessons and Carols, John 3-4 (March 9, 2025)

 *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Additional Hymns:

Hymn GTG #482, “Baptized in Water”

Hymn GTG #456, “Listen, God Is Calling”

Hymn GTG #166, “Lord, Who throughout These Forty Days” [vv. 1, 3, & 4]

This insert will be offered each week to help us think about conflicts in scripture and in our lives.

Call to Worship (based on John 4:14-15)

Leader: Come, all who thirst.

People: We are here to drink deeply from the water that Jesus gives.

Leader: Whoever drinks from the spring of eternal life will never be thirsty again.

People: Lord, give us this water, we pray!

Leader: Let us worship the one who pours out this precious gift upon us.

People: Let us worship the God of our salvation!

Call to Confession (based on John 4:23)

Leader: The time is coming – indeed, it is already here! – when Christ’s true followers worship in spirit and truth. But if we do not honestly and humbly confess our sins, then we are neglecting truth in our worship. Let us pray together, then, for the sake of God’s truth.

Popcorn Prayer of Confession (based on John 3:19-20)

You are invited to speak a word or short phrase that describes a personal or collective sin of which you repent and seek forgiveness. 

When the gathered community is finished sharing, we pray together:

People: Heavenly One, we confess that we are deserving of your harshest judgment. You have sent your light into the world, yet we love the darkness. We cling to the shadows, because the light exposes our sin. We are afraid to face your Truth, O God, and we are ashamed. Forgive our evil actions and our efforts to conceal them. We know that it is only in the light of your grace that we can find forgiveness. In your mercy, hear our prayers…

(Silent prayers of personal confession)

Declaration of Forgiveness (based on John 3:16)

Leader: We know this to be true: that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. Therefore, I declare to you that in Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven!

People: Thanks be to God!

LESSONS AND CAROLS FROM JOHN

Readings are done by three people: one representing Jesus, one representing Jesus' supporters, and one representing Jesus' opponents. They each wear a white, green, or red stole, respectively, to help clarify their roles. 

Jesus & Nicodemus John 3:1-21

Hymn GTG #53, “O God, Who Gives Us Life” [vv. 1 & 2]

John Talks about Jesus John 3:22-4:3

Hymn GTG #163, “Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice” [vv. 1 & 3]

Jesus & the Samaritan Woman John 4:4-30

Hymn GTG #479 “Ho, All Who Thirst”” [Refrain, v. 3, Refrain]

Harvest Time John 4:31-42

Hymn GTG #719, “Come, Labor On” [vv. 1, 2, & 4]

The Royal Official’s Son John 4:43-54

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord!

People: Thanks be to God!

Hymn GTG #749, “Come! Live in the Light!”