Second Sunday in Lent (Otterbein)

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Entrance

*Opening Prayer

*Call to Worship

L: Hear of God’s promise.

P: The promise rests on grace.

L: God gives life to the dead.

P: The promise rests on grace

L: God calls into being things that did not exist.

P: The promise rests on grace.

L: God came to us through Jesus.

P: The promise rests on grace.

L: Jesus died and rose again to save us.

P: God’s grace comes to us through our faith.

Amazing Grace [ Default Arrangement in G ]

Scripture Reading

Psalm 22:23-31 - Kent

Children's Message - Cindy

Scripture Reading

Job 2:11–3:10 (NIV)

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said:

“May the day of my birth perish,

and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’

That day—may it turn to darkness;

may God above not care about it;

may no light shine on it.

May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more;

may a cloud settle over it;

may blackness overwhelm it.

That night—may thick darkness seize it;

may it not be included among the days of the year

nor be entered in any of the months.

May that night be barren;

may no shout of joy be heard in it.

May those who curse days curse that day,

those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.

May its morning stars become dark;

may it wait for daylight in vain

and not see the first rays of dawn,

for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me

to hide trouble from my eyes.

Sermon

Why Me?

Last we saw Job, he was alone on a heap of ashes. Job had lost everything! His family, his flocks, his wealth, his health. In her anger and frustration, his wife has encouraged him to “curse God and die.” I don’t know very many people who can fathom what it was like for Job. I know we have all had our struggles. I know we have all lost things. But to lose everything, including the support of our family, all at once Would be pretty overwhelming and disconcerting.

But Job still has his friends. We learn as our scripture told us, When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

But when they get there, they hardly recognize him. And notice what they do. They weep, tear their robes, and sprinkle ashes on their forehead. These actions reveal both a deep grief for the situation of their friend as well as a desire to help him repent of whatever wrong he has done. The tearing of clothing and the sprinkling of ashes has a long history of signs of repentance.

And these are such good friends that they sit with Job in total silence for 7 days. Most of us couldn’t keep quiet for 7 minutes, let alone 7 days. No doubt, these friends truly loved Job. They were truly concerned for him and about him.

Then Job opens his mouth. And what would you expect him to say? “Where are my manners? You’ve been here with me for several days. Let’s get something to eat. I’ll have my wife fix the fatted calf. Oh, wait. I’ll just ask her to fix something.”

Nope. Job does the same thing you and I would do in his situation. He looks to heaven, shakes his fist, yells at God, and says “Why me?” Now, I know it doesn’t sound like it, but that is the heart of what Job says, and his struggle is so great that he goes so far as to wonder why he was even born.

He wonders, am I some type of cosmic joke? Did God allow me to be born only so I can see this day come? Have I lived all this time, been this successful, just so God can so cruelly take it away? What does any of this mean? Did God put me on this earth to suffer?

That’s a question we can all identify with. When dark days come and we feel alone and abandoned. When we wonder if things can get any worse, and then they do. When grief and sorrow and tears seem to overwhelm us. And we cry out, “Why me?” Or even worse, “Why was I even born.” “God, are you intentionally being mean to me?” Because right now, life doesn’t seem fair.

But maybe in those days, the only thing we can do, is to “stay strong”.

Stay Strong [ Default Arrangement in A ]

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

Pass Me Not [ Default Arrangement in C ]

#337, v. 1

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Lord's Prayer

Giving of Tithes and Offering

Doxology

Prayer of Dedication

Abide With Me [ Default Arrangement in Eb ]

#419, v. 1-3

*Benediction

Blest Be The Tie That Binds [ Default Arrangement in F ]