Worship Guide - Third Sunday in Lent, Year B

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
~John 2:19

The 1967 Dutch hymn (Glory to God 404) comes to mind as Jesus clears out the temple:
What is this place, where we are meeting?
Only a house, the earth its floor.
Walls and a roof, sheltering people,
windows for light, an open door.
Yet it becomes a body that lives
when we are gathered here,
and know our God is near.

Perhaps we hear this wistfully, exactly one year in from meeting in the house we know for our common worship. The hymn speaks truth: it has become a body that lives, a place of shelter, memory, voice, sharing, and wonder for a beloved community. We have a new appreciation for that place. Surely absence, exile makes the heart grow fonder as Israel knew in its wanderings, finding clarity in the covenant and commandments that grew from those experiences.

And yet, we continue to be a church, a body, Christ’s body in the world. Nothing changes that, not an empty building, not a temple 46 years in the making, razed. This was Jesus’ very point in the Gospel lesson today. God is not ever confined to a building. What is to be learned here? What do we know now about a church that we didn’t know a year ago?

Enter into worship.

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You can watch all of this Sunday's worship service in a series of linked videos, one after the other, by clicking this link. Just press the button that says "PLAY ALL" and lean in to worship. You can also just click on the graphic to the left.

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If you have prayers you would like to share, please do so here. These will be shared by email to our St Andrew prayer list so that we pray for what you hold by name. This information is not shared online in a searchable form.

We continue to keep our financial commitments to our mission partners and staff. Thank you for remembering to send in your financial pledges and offerings. ​