Welcome to a Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg

Keukenhof Flower Gardens

Here Is Our Order of Worship
If you are new to EChurch, please click on this link for an explanation
All prayers this week comes from Lent: One Prayer a Day link

Loving God, 
I am just beginning to realize how much you love me. 
Your son, Jesus was humble and obedient. 
He fulfilled your will for him by becoming human and suffering with us. 
I ask you for the desire to become more humble 
so that my own life might also bear witness to you. 
I want to use the small sufferings I have in this world 
to give you glory.

Please, Lord, guide my mind with your truth. 
Strengthen my life by the example of Jesus. 
Help me to be with Jesus in this week 
as he demonstrates again his total love for me. 
He died so that I would no longer 
be separated from you. 
Help me to feel how close you are 
and to live in union with you.
Amen

God of such unwavering love, 
how do I "celebrate" 
the passion and death of Jesus? 
I often want to look the other way 
and not watch, 
not stay with Jesus in his suffering. 
Give me the strength 
to see his love with honesty and compassion 
and to feel deeply 
your own forgiveness and mercy for me. 
Help me to understand 
how to "celebrate" this week. 
I want be able to bring 
my weaknesses and imperfections with me 
as I journey with Jesus this week, 
so aware of his love.
Amen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-13 (NASB Bible Gateway)

When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen

My Lord, 
your son has suffered so much, shed so much blood. 
I was born with so many faults 
and my nature is so full of weakness, 
and yet your son Jesus has died on the cross. 
For me. 
I know your grace has the power 
to cleanse me of my many sins 
and to make me more like your Son. 
Thank you for your goodness and love for me. 
I ask you, Father, to watch over me – always.
Amen

When Jesus and His disciples finished the Passover supper, they sang a hymn. It was most like the Hallel link.

 If Jesus and his friends were singing a hymn after supper, there is every reason to believe it was the Hallel—Psalms 113 through 118—sung during evening prayers on the first night of Passover from Jesus' day to our own.

To get you started on your way, here is Psalm 117 (NIV) link. Consider getting your Bible and reading through Psalms 113-118 as we meditate on what would happen to Jesus after this last Supper.

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
    extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord. (Hebrew: Hallelu Yah)