Worship I 3/22/20

Even though we aren’t gathering in person today, we invite you to join your SSUMC community by reading through this worship guide. Together, we’ll say the same prayers, read the same scripture, and reflect on where God is calling us in this wilderness season of Lent and Coronavirus pandemic. May we pray and worship without ceasing. This is the day the Lord has made: Let us rejoice and be glad in it! 

The Worship of God
Sandy Springs UMC I Online Worship Guide
March 22, 2020 | 4th Sunday of Lent

Today we’ll hear the story of how Jesus encountered a man born blind--society rejected and judged this man, condemned him and forced him to live on the margins of society, begging for his food. And yet Jesus sees this man’s humanity, beauty, and dignity and says: the light shines through him. How can we let this story be a guide for us, and pay attention to who is lost and who Jesus calls us to encounter with love and light?

Call to Worship 

When the world is dark and full of hate and fear,
when we cannot see God
we will turn on the light.
When we cannot find our way back to love and peace
we will turn on the light.
When our vision dims due to the darkness within
we will turn on the light.
Christ opens our eyes with the gift of sight.
The light of the world is Jesus Christ.
Come and worship the one
who brings sight to the blind.
Praise God, the light of the world!

Opening Song

Children’s Moment

Download Coloring sheet for this Bible story. 

Download a Secret Code worksheet. 
 

Prayers of the People and The Lord’s Prayer

And now let us pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us saying: 

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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

Scripture: John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesusto be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.

This is the Word of God, for us, the people of God: Thanks be to God!

Reflection

Reflection Questions: 

Spend some time in silence reflecting on scripture and answering the following questions:

How can I work to encounter Jesus intentionally during this time of uncertainty? 

How can I serve others with what I have right around me?

Song: Come and Find the Quiet Center

Prayer of Confession 

Holy Jesus, we confess that we fail to question our own sightlesssness.
Being so sure that we “see”, we miss the truths you would teach us.  
With the healing balm of your love, cure this blindness.  
Open our eyes to our own misunderstandings, 
our own failures and our own faults.  
Make our “shadow side” known to us 
and help us to diminish it with the light of your grace. 
For it is only when we see ourselves clearly 
that we can worship you truly.

Offering

During this time, listen to the music, and prayerfully consider writing a check to the church and putting it in the mail; or go to your bank’s website and set-up automatic bill pay.

Offertory Song

Benediction 

Benediction Response - Sanctuary