FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR C

2019 - 07 April
2022 - 03 April
2025 - 06 April
2028 - 02 April
2031 - 30 March
2034 - 26 March
2037 - 22 March

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Lent season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Do not cling to events of the past 
or dwell on what happened long ago.
Watch for the new thing I am going to do.
It is happening already - you can see it now!  (Isa 43:18 TEV)

OR, use one of the standard Lent Sentences in the document 'Lent season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)
Traditional
Almighty God, 
look mercifully on your family, 
that by your great goodness 
they may be governed and preserved forever 
in body and soul; 
through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, modernised traditional
Almighty God, 
look in mercy on your family. 
By your great goodness, 
guide and protect us forever 
in body and soul. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, alternative
(Let us pray that by faith in Christ we may share in his victory. [silence])
Most merciful God, 
you saved humankind 
by the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. 
Strengthen our faith in him who suffered on the cross, 
so that we may triumph in the power of his victory. 
For he lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, new
(Let us pray that we remain united with Christ. [silence])
Jesus our Saviour, 
thank you for coming to give us life 
through your suffering and death. 
Keep us following you 
wherever you lead us, 
because we know that you have promised 
to take us home to God. 
For you live and reign 
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

FIRST READING
Isaiah 43:16-21 God promises a new deliverance for his people

PSALM
Psalm 126
Antiphon: 
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.  
(Ps 126:3 NIV)

SECOND READING
Philippians 3:4b-14 Already righteous but not yet perfect
(Begin: 'If anyone else . . .' (NRSV), or 'If any of you . . .' (TEV), or 'If others . . .' (NIV))

VERSE
Use either the Verse given in the order of service or the following verse.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection
and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death. (Phil 3:10 NRSV)

GOSPEL
John 12:1-8 Mary anoints Jesus at Bethany

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to our world 
to suffer and die for us. 
Help us to cling to you as our Saviour. 
Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER
Saving God, 
you gave up your Son 
because you love us so much. 
Help us to give ourselves 
in love for you and other people. 
Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Call to prayer
Our Lord received Mary's offering. Let us come before God our Father and offer our prayers for the world, knowing that he will hear us for Jesus' sake.

The regular response, OR:
Father, we call on you,
knowing you will hear us.

Suggested intercessions
*	for the church, that it may celebrate the coming holy days with true faith and devotion
*	for all Christians, undergoing the discipline of Lent, that they may press on towards the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus
*	for those preparing for baptism or confirmation at Easter
*	for those who prepare for the death of a loved one, and for hospices and those who work with the dying
*	for those whose lives are without hope, that they may see the new thing that God is doing through Christ
*	for lands and places experiencing drought, that God would send rain to end famine and hunger
*	for the poor, that we may serve them with the gifts that God has given us
*	for those who have been blessed by God with status and possessions, that they may count all things as rubbish in order to gain Christ and be found by him
*	that we may face death in the certain hope of resurrection, and that we may be raised up together with all who have died in the faith of Christ

Concluding prayer
Heavenly Father, Mary honoured the Lord with her gift of perfume. May we honour you in our lives by honouring all who are in need; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE
It is indeed right and good, 
Lord God, holy Father, 
that we should at all times and in all places 
give thanks to you, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
He has taken on himself our sin, 
so that we might die to sin 
and live to righteousness. 
And so, with angels and archangels, 
and with all the company of heaven, 
we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION
Every time we eat this bread and drink from this cup 
we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready. 

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
For a Lent post-communion prayer, see the document 'Lent season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Most merciful God, 
you saved humankind 
by the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. 
Through this sacrament, 
strengthen our faith in him who suffered on the cross, 
so that we may triumph in the power of his victory. 
For he lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING
This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself, 
so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven 
and the gift of eternal life; . . . 

OR, this sentence (based on Phil 3:13,14) may be used instead:
Beloved, forget what lies behind 
and strain forward to what lies ahead. 
Press on towards the goal 
for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

DISMISSAL
Go in peace, pressing on towards the heavenly goal.
Thanks be to God.  OR  In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS 

FOR THE READINGS
Please note:	* =	Modernised version available
	G3, G4 . . . =	Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . . 
	GS =	Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Isaiah 43:16-21
LHS
71	Come to Calvary's holy mountain* G5
282	Draw nigh, and take the body of the Lord* (holy communion)
306	I heard the voice of Jesus say G7
347	Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah G6
739	When the king shall come again G4
AT
137	I heard the voice of Jesus say
TIS
498	Draw near and take the body of our Lord
569	Guide me, O thou great Redeemer
585	I heard the voice of Jesus say
653	This is a day of new beginnings

Second reading: Philippians 3:4b-14
LHS
18	Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates* G5
54	When I survey the wondrous cross G5
75	We sing the praise of Him who died G5
83	Beneath the cross of Jesus G8
171	In the cross of Christ I glory G4
331	My hope is built on nothing less* G5
332	Thy works, not mine, O Christ* G8
352	Fight the good fight with all thy might* G4
361	Let us ever walk with Jesus* G5
786	In faith and hope and love
AT
206	As the deer pants
271	For the bread that we have eaten (holy communion)
279	Into your death we go
TIS
202	I know that my Redeemer
219	Jesus comes with all his grace
267	Lift up your heads, you mighty gates
342	When I survey the wondrous cross
347	We sing the praise of him who died
349	In the cross of Christ I glory
563	Let him to whom we now belong
594	Fight the good fight with all your might
605	I am alone, yet not alone
628	In faith and hope and love

Gospel: John 12:1-8
LHS 
51	Let Thy blood in mercy poured* G5
377	Take my life, and let it be* G6
385	With all my heart I love Thee, Lord* G7
AT
-
TIS
599	Take my life, and let it be
660	Myrrh-bearing Mary from Magdala came (vv 1,2)
661	Woman in the night (v 4)

psalm 126 
For musical settings of Psalm 126, see Music Packages 4, 6 and 8. TIS 80, When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, is another version of this psalm

The following paraphrase of Psalm 126 by David Schütz may be sung to the tune of Beethoven's Ode to Joy (LHS 895, TIS 152). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Schütz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

When the Lord restored Jerus'lem,
then we were like those who dream,
then our mouths were filled with laughter,
and our tongues with shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations,
'See, the Lord has worked for them.'
Yes, the Lord has done this for us,
we rejoice and sing his praise!

Like a river in the desert,
Lord, restore us once again.
May all those who sow with weeping,
harvest with great shouts of joy.
Those who bore their seed in sorrow,
going out to sow in tears,
will return with shouts of gladness,
bringing in their sheaves of grain.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ISAIAH 43:16-21: Isaiah tells Israel that its captivity in Babylon is about to terminate. The language of the prophet suggests that the mighty hand of Israel's God will accomplish even grander miracles in this coming return through the desert to the promised covenant land than Israel saw some eight hundred years before in its deliverance from Egypt. The prophecy could also be projected forward to be applied to the blessings attained by the Lord Jesus in his own exodus, suffering and death in which he carried us.

PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14: The church at Philippi was beset by false Judaising teachers who insisted that salvation through Jesus Christ was not complete without also observing the Jewish law, particularly that of circumcision. Paul reminds his readers of his own former impeccable standing as a Jew and a guardian of the Mosaic law. In becoming a follower of Christ he lost all his previous standing but counted that as refuse suitable only for throwing away. While he rejoiced in the free righteousness bestowed on him by God as a gift, he would still exert every spiritual energy he could summon in order not to lose that priceless gift, but rather to strive towards attaining God's will for his perfection and final salvation.

JOHN 12:1-8: Jesus came to Bethany on his way to Jerusalem, knowing that he would suffer and die. The home of Lazarus was a special place of friendship for Jesus. Mary's extravagant act of anointing his feet with exotic and costly perfumed oil was an act of devotion expressing his exalted person and mission. Judas's hypocritical criticism gave rise to Jesus' prophetical reference to his own burial, with the reminder that the presence of the poor need not preclude a spontaneous and effusive heartfelt offering to God.

VISUAL

visuals for the READINGS
Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the first reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Isaiah 43:16; and the second reading could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in TEV for Philippians 3:14.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'
See a drama for the day in Mega Drama  resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

dramatising the READINGS
The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading could be read by two readers: narrator and the Lord; and the gospel could be read by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Judas, Jesus.

CHILDREN

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN
Show the children a medal, ribbon or trophy that has been won in a race. In connection with the second reading, talk about running a race for a prize. Then tell them that the prize has already been won for them by Jesus when he died on the cross.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'
The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for the Fifth Sunday in Lent year C is: The Passover (Exod 12:1–30) (to be found in the original edition Series B, Semester 1, Lent 5, and in the RCL edition Series C, semester 1 for 5 Lent).