BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//https://messiahofthemountains.org///NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.10.15// METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260415T023438UTC-1957PmeACj@https://messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260415T023438Z DESCRIPTION:We are a small church\, but big on Grace. We gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hymns\, hearing readings from the bibl e\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to live. All are invited to join us at th e Lord's table to be fed by his heavenly food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to worship with us\, we would be honored b y your presence.\nIntroduction\nBaptism is sometimes called enlightenment. The gospel for this Sunday is the story of the man born blind healed by C hrist. “I was blind\, now I see\,” declares the man. In baptism God opens our eyes to see the truth of who we are: God’s beloved children. As David was anointed king of Israel\, in baptism God anoints our head with oil\, a nd calls us to bear witness to the light of Christ in our daily lives.\n  \n \nPrayer of the Day\nBend your ear to our prayers\, Lord Christ\, and c ome among us. By your gracious life and death for us\, bring light into th e darkness of our hearts\, and anoint us with your Spirit\, for you live a nd reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit\, one God\, now and forever. \nAmen.\n \nFirst Reading:  \n1 Samuel 16:1-13\nSamuel anointed David even though he was the eighth-oldest son of Jesse and did not match his brothe rs in height or other physical characteristics. With the anointing came en dowment with the Spirit of the Lord\, designating David as the Lord’s chos en successor to Saul.\n \nPsalm: <23\nYou anoint my head with oil. (Ps. 23 :5)p>\n \nSecond Reading:  \nEphesians 5:8-14 \nBecause we now live in the divine light which is Jesus Christ\, we conduct our lives in ways that re flect the light of Christ\, so that our activity is truly pleasing to God. \n \nGospel:  \nJohn 9:1-41 \nJesus heals a man born blind\, provoking a h ostile reaction that he regards as spiritual blindness to the things of Go d. \n1  As [Jesus] walked along\, he saw a man blind from birth. \n2  His disciples asked him\, “Rabbi\, who sinned\, this man or his parents\, that he was born blind?” \n3  Jesus answered\, “Neither this man nor his paren ts sinned\; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him . \n4  We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day\; night i s coming\, when no one can work. \n5  As long as I am in the world\, I am the light of the world.” \n6  When he had said this\, he spat on the groun d and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes\, \n7  saying to him\, “Go\, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). The n he went and washed and came back able to see. \n8  The neighbors and tho se who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask\, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” \n9  Some were saying\, “It is he.” Others were saying\, “No\, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying\, “I am he.”\n 10  But they kept asking him\, “Then how were your eyes opened?” \n11  He answered\, “The man called Jesus made mud\, spread it on my eyes\, and sai d to me\, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” \n12  They said to him\, “Where is he?” He said\, “I do not know.”   \n13  They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind . \n14  Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his ey es. \n15  Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them\, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed\, and now I see.” \n16  Some of the Pharisees said\, “This man is not from God\, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Others said\, “How can a man who is a s inner perform such signs?” And they were divided. \n17  So they said again to the blind man\, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened .” He said\, “He is a prophet.”   \n18  The Jews did not believe that he h ad been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight \n19  and asked them\, “Is this your so n\, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” \n20  His paren ts answered\, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind\, \n21  but we do not know how it is that now he sees\, nor do we know who o pened his eyes. Ask him\; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” \n22   His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews\, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. \n23  Therefore his parents said\, “He is of age\; ask him.”   \n24  So for the second time they called the man who ha d been blind\, and they said to him\, “Give glory to God! We know that thi s man is a sinner.” \n25  He answered\, “I do not know whether he is a sin ner. One thing I do know\, that though I was blind\, now I see.” \n26  The y said to him\, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” \n27   He answered them\, “I have told you already\, and you would not listen. Wh y do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” \n28  Then they reviled him\, saying\, “You are his disciple\, but we are disciples of Moses. \n29  We know that God has spoken to Moses\, but as f or this man\, we do not know where he comes from.” \n30  The man answered\ , “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from\, yet he opened my eyes. \n31  We know that God does not listen to sinners\, bu t he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. \n32  Never s ince the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a pe rson born blind. \n33  If this man were not from God\, he could do nothing .” \n34  They answered him\, “You were born entirely in sins\, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.   \n35  Jesus heard that the y had driven him out\, and when he found him he said\, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” \n36  He answered\, “And who is he\, sir? Tell me\, so th at I may believe in him.” \n37  Jesus said to him\, “You have seen him\, a nd the one speaking with you is he.” \n38  He said\, “Lord\, I believe.” A nd he worshiped him. \n39  Jesus said\, “I came into this world for judgme nt\, so that those who do not see may see and those who do see may become blind.” \n40  Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him\, “Surely we are not blind\, are we?” \n41  Jesus said to them\, “I f you were blind\, you would not have sin. But now that you say\, ‘We see\ ,’ your sin remains.”\n \nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion will be offere d. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has been prepared a s Jesus has requested and now we are invited to the meal. Come to the tabl e like Peter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like James and John\ , disappointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to the table like M artha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of love and g rief. Come to the table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebellious and like Mary Magdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want to should meet God here.\nBlessing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptation of a Franc iscan Prayer)\nMay God bless us with discomfort at a Easy answers\, half t ruths and superficial leaderships so that we may live out God’s will deep in our heartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injustice\, op pression and exploration and the environments that we may work for justice \, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed for those who s uffer from pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach out with hands and hearts to help them\, walk with them and turn their pain into h ope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do what others cl aim cannot be done. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all childr en\, the poor and all others in any need.\nGod be your comfort\, your stre ngth\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light and your way\; a nd the blessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\, remain with you now and forever. https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/632-fo urth-sunday-in-lent-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-service-bishop-emily-h artner DTSTART:20260315T150000Z DTEND:20260315T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Fourth Sunday in Lent -- Year A - Worship Service - 11:00 AM Servi ce -- Bishop Emily Hartner URL:https://messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/632-fourth-sunday-in-len t-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-service-bishop-emily-hartner END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR