March 22, 2026 – The Fourth Sunday in Lent

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At Grace, all are welcome, which means we affirm people of every age, race, language, nationality, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, ability, family structure, or economic, social, immigration, and marital status.

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Welcome to Grace UMC! We’re blessed by your presence for worship. Please register your attendance using the red attendance pads in the Sanctuary or the link above. If you are in-person and need an assisted listening device, they are available at the back of the Nave. Please ask an usher or greeter. During worship, we use three hymnals: The United Methodist Hymnal, The Faith We Sing, and Worship & Song.

 

+Please rise in body or spirit​

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Welcome

 

Prelude, Anita Lockwood

“A Penitential Prelude” by Robert J. Powell

 

+Opening Hymn, TFWS 2220

“We Are God's People”

 

+Opening Prayer

Almighty God, you alone can gather and order the longings of the human heart: Grant your people grace to love what you command and to desire what you promise; that, amid the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may be grounded in the place where true joy is found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Silence for personal confession and assurance of pardon. 

 

Passing the Peace 

May the peace of Christ be always with you.

And also with you.

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Special Music, Jennifer Moore

“Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)" by Chris Rice

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First Lesson, Ezekiel 37:1-14

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The Lord’s power overcame me, and while I was in the Lord’s spirit, he led me out and set me down in the middle of a certain valley. It was full of bones. He led me through them all around, and I saw that there were a great many of them on the valley floor, and they were very dry. He asked me, “Human one, can these bones live again?” I said, “Lord God, only you know.” He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, Dry bones, hear the Lord’s word! The Lord God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again. I will put sinews on you, place flesh on you, and cover you with skin. When I put breath in you, and you come to life, you will know that I am the Lord.” I prophesied just as I was commanded. There was a great noise as I was prophesying, then a great quaking, and the bones came together, bone by bone. When I looked, suddenly there were sinews on them. The flesh appeared, and then they were covered over with skin. But there was still no breath in them. He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, human one! Say to the breath, The Lord God proclaims: Come from the four winds, breath! Breathe into these dead bodies and let them live.” I prophesied just as he commanded me. When the breath entered them, they came to life and stood on their feet, an extraordinarily large company. He said to me, “Human one, these bones are the entire house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely finished.’ So now, prophesy and say to them, The Lord God proclaims: I’m opening your graves! I will raise you up from your graves, my people, and I will bring you to Israel’s fertile land. You will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you up from your graves, my people. I will put my breath in you, and you will live. I will plant you on your fertile land, and you will know that I am the Lord. I’ve spoken, and I will do it. This is what the Lord says.”​

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This is the word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I cry out to you from the depths, Lord—

my Lord, listen to my voice!

    Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy!

If you kept track of sins, Lord—

    my Lord, who would stand a chance?

But forgiveness is with you—

    that’s why you are honored. R. 

 

I hope, Lord. My whole being hopes,

and I wait for God’s promise.

     My whole being waits for my Lord—

     more than the night watch waits for morning;

     yes, more than the night watch waits for morning!

     Wait for the Lord!

Because faithful love is with the Lord;

because great redemption is with our God!

     God is the one who will redeem God’s people

     from all its sin.  R.

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+Hymn of Preparation, UMH 551

“Awake, O Sleeper" vs. 1-3

 

+Second Lesson, John 11:1-45

Now a certain man was ill, Laz′arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz′arus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Laz′arus. So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Laz′arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Laz′arus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

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This is the word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

+Hymn of Preparation, UMH 551

“Awake, O Sleeper” vs. 4,5

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Sermon-The Rev. Seth O’Kegley

Before the Miracle (Click here to read text)​​​​​

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Affirmation of Faith (The Apostles Creed, ed. O'Kegley)

I believe in God, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God Almighty. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 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.

 

Prayers of the People

Gracious God, hear our prayer.

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Parish Announcements​​

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Offertory- Grace Ringers Handbell Ensemble

“With All My Heart” (based on Mark 12:33)

by Kathleen Wissinger

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-Today’s loose coin offering is for Warren Village-

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+Lenten Doxology- TALLIS CANON

Praise God throughout these forty days.

Praise Christ, our Lord, whom God did raise.

And praise the Spirit who imparts

God's love to all into our hearts. Amen.

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+Hymn of Discipleship- UMH 473

“Lead Me, Lord" sung twice

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+Benediction & Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

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Postlude- Anita Lockwood

"Sun of My Soul” (HURSLEY) from Katholisches Gesangbuch, Vienna, 1774

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Worship Leaders

The Rev. Seth O’Kegley, preaching

Joanna Hopper, liturgist

Steven Burchard, Director of Music

Anita Lockwood, pianist and organist

Jennifer Moore, vocalist

Grace Ringers Handbell Ensemble