Service of WorshipPark Street Church | The Lord’s Day, March 14, 2021

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

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This morning’s liturgy is similar to Park Street Church’s typical morning worship service, though with a reduced amount of music during the pandemic. Instructions are indicated by the tradi-tional symbol ¶, called a “pilcrow.” The postures for prayer include kneeling, reflecting the many biblical invitations to kneel before God and even to fall upon our faces in his presence.

When worship was translated into the vernacular during the Reformation, the familiar Latin titles for Psalms and other standard texts were preserved; for instance, we refer to the “Gloria Patri” not the “Glory Be to the Father;” some of these titles are used here.

Scripture lessons are taken from the English Standard Version.

OPENING VOLUNTARY

¶ Music is played upon the organ or by the musicians, preparing us in body and mind to enter into the Lord’s worship.

¶ At the conclusion of the Voluntary, the People stand.

CALL TO WORSHIP from Psalm 69

Leader Save me, O God, for the waters have come up even to my neck.

People I have come into deep waters, so that the floods run over me.

Leader But, Lord, I make my prayer to you in an acceptable time. Hear me, O God, in the multitude of your mercy.

People Draw near to me and save me; O deliver me because of my enemies.

Leader I will praise the Name of God with a song, and magnify it with thanksgiving.

People Let heaven and earth praise him, for God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah.

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INVOCATION

HYMN (spoken) Benedictus es, Domine (2nd. cent bc)

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

THE DECALOGUE

Leader God spoke these words and said: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods but me. You shall not make for yourself any idol. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

People Lord, have mercy upon us, and give us grace to love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Leader Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet.

People Lord, have mercy upon us, and give us grace to love our neighbors as ourselves.

exodus 20.1–17; deuteronomy 5.6–21

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CONFESSION OF SIN¶ Silence is kept. The people kneel or sit. The Leader and People say

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker and judge of us all:We acknowledge and lament our many sins and offenses, which we have committed by thought, word, and deed against your divine majesty, provoking most justly your righteous anger against us.We are deeply sorry for these our transgressions; the burden of them is more than we can bear.Have mercy upon us,Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may evermore serve and please you in newness of life,to the honor and glory of your Name;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ The Leader alone stands and declares God’s forgiveness. The People then stand for the Peace.

THE PEACE

Leader The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And with your spirit.

¶ Greet one another in the peace of Christ, refraining from handshaking and maintaining physical distancing. Following the Peace, the People are seated.

LIFE OF THE CHURCH & ANNOUNCEMENTS

FIRST LESSONIsaiah 52.7–13

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

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8The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 9Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 11Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. 13Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

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THE PSALM

¶ The People stand to recite the Psalm antiphonally. Those on the LEFT side of the sanctuary read the REGULAR type, and those on the RIGHT side of the sanctuary read the BOLD type. ALL read the Gloria Patri.

61Exaudi, Deus

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; 2from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. 3Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. 4Let me dwell in your tent for ever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! 5For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! 7May he be enthroned for ever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

All Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The Gloria Patri, or “lesser Doxology,” is traditionally sung or recited at the end of psalms, in order to place them in an explicitly Trinitarian frame.

¶ The people sit

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SECOND LESSONJohn 12.20–36

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.27“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

SERMON I am Lifted Up Mark Booker

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HYMN

¶ The People stand and sing

Lift High the Cross Crucifer

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Lift High the Cross

Repeat Refrain

Fine

Words: 1887 | George W. Kitchin (1827-1912) alt. 1916 |Michael R. Newbolt (1874-1956)Music: Crucifer, 1916 | Sydney H. Nicholson (1875-1947)

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APOSTLES’ CREED

¶ The People say together

I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there 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.

THE PRAYERS

¶ The People kneel or sit. A Minister leads the People in prayer for the world, the church, the sick and suffering, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer said by all.

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 coming day’s bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into trial, but deliver us from the Evil One. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

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OFFERTORY

¶ The People sit. Music is played upon the organ or by the musicians.

HYMN

¶ The People stand and sing

O God Beyond All Praising Thaxted

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- -- --- - -

- - -

O God Beyond All Praising

Words: sts. 1 & 3, 1982; st. 2, 1987 | Michael Perry (1942-1996) stanza 2 based on 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

Music: Thaxted, 1916 | Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Words © 1982 Hope Publishing Company. Reprinted under Onelicense.net no. A-721487

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BENEDICTION

CLOSING VOLUNTARY

¶ The people sit. The ushers will dismiss the People by rows, following the voluntary.

service leaders and participants

Mark Booker, Senior Minister

Nathan Skinner, Director of Music

Assisting Minister Tim Leary, Director of Grad Student Ministries

Elder Nick Dedeke

Lay Reader Emma Verrengia

A complete staff directory can be found at www.parkstreet.org/about-us/staff/