Worship on the Second Sunday of Lent
Celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion
10:00 am 01 March 2026
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by the Lynn Vaughan Music director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Cheryl & Peter Sheridan Elder: Shirley Simpson Reader: Gina Kottke
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: and also with you.
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship
Call to Worship
L: Into life’s challenges and questions comes the Mystery of God,
P: and God’s truth opens our eyes.
L: Into our routines and rituals walks the presence of Christ,
P: and God’s love brings healing and hope.
L: Into our traditions and conclusions blows the wind of the Spirit,
P: and God’s people are born from above.
L: We gather in Jesus’ name to encounter God’s grace and glory.
P: Let us worship God with open hearts and minds.
Opening praise: I lift my eyes up
Prayers of approach and confession
God of majesty and mercy,
Christ, both Lord and Servant,
Spirit of new life,
your mystery embraces the vast reaches of the universe and yet you are present with us in the course of our daily lives.
Even the tiniest spark of your wisdom illuminates the greatest complexities.
With the smallest gesture of your love, you renew our hope.
Deepen our sense of your holy presence today.
Assure us that your love will never let us go.
We offer our praise and our prayers to you,
Holy God, Holy One and Holy Three,
with humble hearts and faith that seeks understanding.
God of mystery and mercy,
we confess that we prefer simple certainty to seeking deeper understanding.
We settle for what we know, ignoring our doubts and questions.
Forgive us when our faith falters because what we think no longer satisfies.
Open our eyes to the truth you hold out to us in Jesus Christ, your son,
and give us courage to rethink what we have assumed about you
and your love for the world.
We pray this all in the name of your precious Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Response: I waited, I waited on You, Lord
Assurance of God’s grace
The Apostle Paul declared that from now on, we regard no one from a human point of view. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Thanks be to God for love that gives us all a new start this very day!
We listen for the voice of God
Song: Love divine, all loves excelling (371)
Scripture readings: Psalm 121 & John 3:1-17
Instrumental Response: His truth is marching on
Message: The Gospel in a Nutshell
Martin Luther famously said, it is “the gospel in miniature, so pregnant with meaning that it can never be exhausted”. It is the most famous verse in the Bible, and with good reason. It is, of course, John 3:16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
That is the core message of the gospel, wrapped up in a single sentence – in a nutshell, you might say. So simple, but it says so much. Memorized by Christians for generations, as it should. Preached on by many a pastor, as it should. And known the world over, as it should. In fact, this verse has been translated into more languages than any other sentence.
To remind you of the importance of this verse, let me share with you two quotes. The first is almost 500 years old, credited during the Reformation in the 16th century. And the second is from just a few years ago. Both describe the importance of John 3:16. The first quote is from Martin Luther, who put it this way when he talked about this famous verse:
If you want to find God, then inscribe these words in your heart. Don’t sleep, but be vigilant. Learn and ponder these words diligently: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’. Let him who can write, write these words. Furthermore, read them, discuss them, meditate and reflect on them in the morning and in the evening, whether aware or asleep! (Martin Luther, 1483-1546)
The second quote is from the contemporary Christian author, Max Lucado, who wrote a little book called simply, “3:16”. He refers to this verse as the Hope Diamond of the Bible and begins the book with these words:
[John 3:16 is] a twenty-six word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God’s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16. He loves. He gave. We believe. We live.
(Max Lucado, 2007)
These two examples offer great insight about a great piece of scripture. A verse that should be inscribed on our hearts. A verse that begins our Christian journey and provides direction all along the way. Today, let’s look at just a couple of the words in this verse and see if we can’t learn something new about John 3:16 … or at least, be reminded about why it is so very important.
Let’s start with the very first word in John 3:16: “For”
“For God so loved the world.”
It’s not a typical way to start a sentence, is it? But when we do start a sentence this way, it is usually to connect it to the previous sentence. Therefore, it would help to reference the previous sentence. In this case, that means we need to look at John 3:14-15, two verses which are much less well-known than the one that follows. In these verses, Jesus said:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
So, the Son of Man must be lifted up, Jesus says. Why? Because God so loved the world that he gave his only son. This sentence before John 3:16 helps us to understand what it means that God gives his only son. It means that God allows his son to be lifted up, on the cross, for US. That is the measure of his love for us. That God would sacrifice a piece of himself in order to gift us with salvation from our sins.
That is what Jesus tells Nicodemus in this amazing conversation from our scripture reading. Nicodemus probably did not fully understand all of this until after Jesus was crucified; when he helped Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body down from the cross and place it in the tomb. He must have understood the words then, I imagine. And isn’t that true for us, as well? We don’t fully understand the measure of God’s love for us until we go to the cross and embrace the awe-inspiring mystery that he died on the cross not only for the world … but for you … and for me!
That brings us to our next focus word: “world”
“For God so loved the world”, Jesus says. But what does he mean, in this case, by the word ‘world’? It can mean a lot of different things, but in John’s Gospel, it is used in some specific ways. We get our first hint about what ‘world’ means in John’s Gospel back in Chapter 1, where it says:
“[Jesus] was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.”
The world did not know Jesus. That’s often the case in John’s Gospel. He is the light of the world, but so often the world is blind and can’t see this. The world even hates Jesus, as he tells his disciples in Chapter 15, and the world often hates his followers, too. So, the world is definitely not just the church. It is not just those who believe. It is everyone, even those who do not know Jesus; who reject him, even those who hate him.
But God so loved the world that he gave his only son. It’s important to recognize that John 3:16 is not just talking about you and me. This verse is also talking about people who don’t know Jesus, and it’s even talking about people who hate Jesus. For God so loved them that he gave his only son. John 3:16 is only about us if it is also about them. God loves us. And God loves them. And God asks us to love the world, even the parts of this world, and the people in this world, that are hard to love. That is yet another important message to be taken from John 3:16.
The last word I want to talk about today is: “believe”
“Everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
‘Believe’ is a verb here. It’s something that we do, not something that we have. And in fact, in John’s Gospel, ‘believe’ is always a verb; it’s never a noun. It’s never simply something that we have; it’s always something that we do. In other words, our faith is not an insurance policy that we file away in a safe place until we need it. It is, instead, something that we act upon. Something that we do, every day.
As an example of this, consider the first person who ever heard these words: the Pharisee, Nicodemus. He had visited Jesus at night to explore what Jesus was teaching. (He visited at night, no doubt, because he didn’t want the other Pharisees to know that he was there. The Pharisees, as a group, did not like Jesus and were looking for ways to destroy him.) But Nicodemus was curious, so he visited Jesus that night to explore his teachings further. And in the course of that conversation, Jesus spoke these famous words to Nicodemus:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Nicodemus was clearly changed by these words and by his conversation with Jesus. He appears twice more in John’s Gospel, and each time shows how his faith has changed him. When the Pharisees were seeking to have Jesus arrested, Nicodemus spoke up against them, defending Jesus. And when Jesus died, he was one of the men who bravely claimed Jesus’ body and prepared it for burial. This was while Jesus’ own disciples were in hiding and scared for their own safety! For Nicodemus, believing that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son changed everything for him. His faith became a verb. And for us, it does the same.
Faith changes us. Faith is not simply a way to receive eternal life. Faith is itself a way of life. Everyone who believes in Jesus is promised eternal life, but … eternal life doesn’t begin when we die. It begins when we believe!
I’m going to say that again, because I think it’s important: eternal life doesn’t begin when we die – it begins when we believe!
Eternal life is simply a way of describing our being in a relationship with the one who created life, and who promises eternity to all who believe. Whether our world knows it or not, this is what it hungers for: eternal life. And it is our blessed task to remind them of this. To remind them, through our words and our actions, that God loves them so much that He gave them His only Son, so that they, too, might come to believe. And by believing, have their life changed forever.
Based on writings by the Rev. James Laurence, First Lutheran Church of Albemarle, NC
Song: O love, how deep, how broad, how high (205)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving: Generous God, we offer our gifts to you in gratitude for all that we have received in Christ and in creation. Bless our gifts and our lives, so that we can share in the building up of your kingdom in the world you love so much that you sent your son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
Almighty God, you are our keeper,
shade in the heat of the world’s troubles,
light in every shadowed time of life.
We thank you for your care which sustains us,
and offer you our trust for those things we can do nothing about.
Thank you for the energy to focus on the things we can do day by day,
putting our love and care to work in community and creation.
By the power of your Spirit, bless us with the insight and passion to act in hope.
May your wisdom guide us in all things.
Attentive God, we bring our concerns for the world to you in these uncertain times.
We think of all those who have set off to unknown lands
and pray for people on the move:
For those seeking safety and shelter, fleeing violence;
For those settling into a new home or community;
For those who must travel, whatever the conditions.
Walk with us on the way.
We think of the Psalmist looking to the hills
And we pray for people seeking help:
For those seeking help for the earth itself as its fragile balances are threatened;
For those seeking help to make ends meet as bank balances are threatened;
For those seeking help for vulnerable people to right the balance of justice.
Walk with us on the way.
We think of Nicodemus turning to Jesus with questions in his heart
and we pray for people seeking answers:
For those with health challenges, seeking diagnosis and treatment;
For those researching problems and policies, seeking to better our common life;
For those wondering if you exist, wondering if you have a purpose for them
Walk with us on the way.
We think of Jesus, your only son, whom you sent to show us the way,
Sacrificing himself on the cross in order for us to have eternal life in You
And allowing us to know the great love you have for each one of us when we choose to believe.
We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Passing the peace
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Invitation
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus welcomes all who hunger for grace. Come to this table, whether you’re certain of your faith or still searching; whether you feel whole or broken; and receive this bread and this cup as signs of God’s forgiveness, love, and presence in the world.
If you prefer to remain seated, you are invited to pray and receive God’s blessing with us.
Come, let us share the life Christ gives.
*Song: You satisfy the hungry heart (538)
The Communion Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come to your table in awe of your love, and we praise your name. You formed the world in wisdom and love, breathed life into us, and called us to be your people. You have been faithful through every age – guiding, sustaining, correcting, and redeeming us.
We give you thanks for Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour. In him, you became one of us, living among the poor and the outcast, healing the sick, confronting injustice, and calling sinners to new life.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends, saying, “This is my body, given for you.” After supper, he took the cup, offered thanks, and said, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, poured out for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” We remember his life, his death, and his rising, and we proclaim the mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ. Make them for us the means of grace through which we are fed and healed, forgiven and restored. Fill us with the assurance of eternal life and the power of Your love to live as people of God. Unite us to Christ and to one another, that we may be one living body, sharing in his life and love.
All praise and honour belong to you, Holy God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Now, together, let us sing the prayer that you taught us …
The Lord’s Prayer (469 – sung)
Sharing of the Bread and Wine (led by the Rev Brad Childs on video)
Song: One bread, one body (540)
Prayer after Communion
Gracious God, thank you for this bread and this wine, and the gift of Christ’s presence with us. Fill us now with your Spirit, so we may carry this love into the world. Strengthen our faith, open our hearts to one another, and give us the courage to serve with justice and compassion. Guide our steps until we meet again, living as witnesses to your grace. Amen.
Song: To God be the glory (350)
Sending out with God’s blessing
As we continue our Lenten journey, remember the promise of the Psalmist: “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more.” So go now, trusting that your help comes from God, And may God’s presence strengthen you, May Jesus’ faithfulness guide you, and may the wind of the Spirit bring you energy to serve with love.
Response: Sing Amen
Music postlude
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The Communion liturgy is based on the liturgies of the PCC’s 1991 Book of Common Worship. Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
Lynn Vaughan retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as she is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is her own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.