Third Sunday of Lent: Water

Call to Worship 

One:     God split rocks in the wilderness and gave drink to all the people, 

             as from the deep. 

Many:  Give us that water so that we may never be thirsty. 

One:     God made streams come out of the rock,

             and caused water to flow down like a river. 

Many:  Give us that water so that we may never be thirsty. 

One:     God turned the desert into pools of water,

             the parched land into springs of water. 

Many:  Give us that water so that we may never be thirsty.

One:     As a deer longs for flowing streams,

             so our souls long for the living God. 

Many:  Come to us, God, and give us that water

             that brings love out of hate and life out of death. 

Confession

Dear God, as the days lengthen and the rivers fill with water, this is what we pray: fill us with your love.  Let the wellsprings of living water spring up in us for we are in a desert place.  Our words have been sharp and brittle.  We have not watered our relationships with others or with you.  We make war and not art.  We ignore the torn and jagged edges of our world...

Loving God, this is our prayer: rain down your mercy upon us.  Offer us a cool cup of forgiveness so that we too might drink deeply and change our ways…

Words of Assurance

Jesus says, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of living water.”

Friends, drink deeply of this good news: today you are loved, today you are forgiven, and today you have been set free to sin no more. 

Benediction 

Brothers and sisters, go now in peace, marked by the water of your baptism and refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers you.  Listen for the parched voices of the least of these; search out the dry places and the arid souls, and become for them a spring of living water, gushing up to eternal life.  And, now, let all God’s people say, Amen. 

Music Ideas 

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Be Still, My Soul

I’ve Got Peace Like a River 

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Thanks to the amazing Windsor Sisters for their watery talents - the beautiful result of years of vigorous ballet training.  Well done, ladies, well done!  Also, a big thanks to Liz for penning, curating, begging, borrowing, and stealing these worship words for Sunday!