SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2026 4th SUNDAY IN LENT
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
PASTOR: Rev. Harry M. Krolus
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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WELCOME to everyone who is worshiping with us today. We are glad that you are here! We pray that your worship experience here at Christ The King is spiritually uplifting and rewarding. If you are visiting, please sign our guest book and introduce yourself to Pastor Harry.
(Please turn off all electronic devices before worship begins; or, if you are using a Bible app to enhance your worship experience or to use PayPal, please enable the do not disturb function on your phone.)
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WORDS OF WELCOME
THE HANDSHAKE OF CHRISTIAN PEACE
OPENING HYMN: 433 “Glory Be To Jesus”
THE CALL TO WORSHIP
L. We lift up our hearts to the Lord! We praise you, our Father; Giver of all things. We acknowledge you as Creator and Source of all that is.
C. Lord God, you made us! You have poured out your bounty upon us. You have opened your hand and satisfied the needs of every living thing!
L. We praise you, Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man. You are the Lamb of God; the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
C. Lord Jesus, you have gone to the cross for us, and by your death and resurrection, you have made it possible for us to be restored to life. You have opened your hands, loved us, embraced us, and made us your own!
We praise you, Spirit of God, our Counselor and Lord of Life. You were sent from the Father, and the Son to call us to faith and to new life.
C. Holy Spirit, you are the Giver of Life. You breathe in us, and we are made new. You open your hands, and we are recreated,
redesigned, and remodeled. Open our hearts, we pray, that we may walk in your way, praising you in all things and serving you with gladness!
RESPONSE: “Oh That I Had A Thousand Voices” (811)
Oh, that I had a thousand voices
To praise my God with thousand tongues!
My heart, which in the Lord rejoices,
Would then proclaim in grateful songs
To all, wherever I might be,
What great things God has done for me.
THE CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
L. We confess our sins together.
C. O Lord our God, you call us to life in you, and to follow you. Sometimes, we flatly refuse. Forgive our arrogance, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
O Lord our God, you call us to life in you and to follow you. Sometimes, we say “yes,” but mean “no.” Forgive our foolish and dishonest games, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
O Lord our God, you call us to life in you and to follow you. Sometimes, we say “yes,” and mean “yes,” but wander off and do our own thing anyway. Forgive our weakness, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
L. We all like sheep have gone astray; we each have turned to our own way.
C. But, the Lord laid on Christ the iniquity of us all.
L. He bore our griefs.
C. He carried our sorrows.
L. He was wounded for our transgressions.
C. He was bruised for our iniquities.
L. We have good news to share with one another! Because of Jesus
Christ our Savior, because of his suffering, death, and resurrection; we are really free! Our sins are forgiven! Our Savior even gives us the power we need to live for him, to follow him, and to serve in his Kingdom.
RESPONSE: “Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow” (805)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, O heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
THE PSALM FOR THE DAY: Psalm 142
L. I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.
C. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.
L. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me.
C. Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
L. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
C. Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
L. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.
C. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 42:14-21
“For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn rivers into islands and dry up the pools. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame. “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious.
THE SECOND LESSON: Ephesians 5:8-14
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
VOLUNTEER TIME
THE GOSPEL LESSON: John 9:1-41
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded.
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
“Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
HYMN: 744 “Amazing Grace”
THE MESSAGE
THE PROCLAMATION OF FAITH
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all that is seen and unseen.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried; On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven, And is seated at the right hand of the Father. 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 Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE OFFERING
AN OFFERING SONG (783)
Take my life, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use every pow’r as thou shalt choose.
RESPONSIVE PRAYERS
L. Almighty and everlasting Lord, we thank you for entrusting to us your holy Word. Its light shines in the darkness of this world to enlighten us, to strengthen us, to change and remodel us by the grace of Christ.
C. Hear our prayer of thanksgiving.
L. We pray for all people according to their needs. We also remember to pray for ourselves.
(A few moments for personal petitions.)
L. From the spiritual storms of life that sometimes rage within us, weakness of faith; lack of spiritual growth; lack of trust in your care; selfishness, pride, and unchristian character; even when you so lovingly have remodeled us in Christ:
C. Good Lord, deliver us.
L. From the daily storms that rage about us in our world, attacks on your teaching and your way of living; attacks on families and children from peers and media; attacks directly, especially on those who have been redesigned by Christ:
C. Good Lord, deliver us.
L. From the physical storms of life that seem always present; perils of weather; quarrels and violence; illness and death; unemployment and job related troubles; helplessness and fatigue:
C. Good Lord, deliver us.
L. For the joys we receive at your hand, both spiritual and temporal; for your forgiveness and love; for Word and Sacrament; for unity and peace; for good government, families, homes, churches, schools, and for one another:
C. Good Lord, receive our thanks!
L. For all the ministries of the Church, for professional church workers and laymen; for parents, teens, and children; for old and young; for missionaries everywhere:
C. Good Lord, receive our thanks, grant to them all, your blessing.
L. For the many opportunities and abilities to love and serve you whom we adore:
C. Good Lord, receive our thanks!
L. For unity in the Church, that we could join together as one, living for him who died and was raised again; and that all who have been redeemed and remodeled by Christ might proclaim and live your grace and Gospel:
C. Good Lord, grant us your Spirit.
L. Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
THE BLESSING
L. May our triune God, who has brought us safely to the beginning of this day, grant us his peace, now and always.
C. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: 423 “Jesus, Refuge Of The Weary”
2026 LENTEN/EASTER SCHEDULE
REMAINING
Wednesday, March 18
Soup & Sandwich at 6:30 PM
5th Mid-Week Lenten Lenten Service at 7:30 PM
Wednesday, March 25
Soup & Sandwich at 6:30 PM
6th Mid-Week Lenten Service at 7:30 PM
Palm Sunday, March 29
Palm Sunday Worship Services at 10:30 AM
Maundy Thursday, April 2
Maundy Thursday Worship Service at 7:30 PM
Good Friday, April 3
Good Friday Worship Service at 7:30 PM
Easter Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunrise Service at 6:00 AM
Easter Egg Hunt at 9:00 AM
Easter Worship Celebration at 10:30 AM
