WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026
MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICE
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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WORD OF WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: 905 “Come, Thou Almighty King”
THE INVOCATION AND OPENING SENTENCES
P. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
P. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
C. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
P. The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,
C. but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
THE PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, sometimes by my silence or even my words I have served the prosecution. I, like Peter, have denied you. But your nature is love, and your work is forgiveness. Thank you for your patience, receiving me back in spite of my sins. Now, Lord in thankfulness, help me
joyfully do the tasks you give me. In your name I pray. Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in love.
C. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
P. Confident that our God is gracious and forgiving, let us confess our sins.
O Lord, I have worried about your provision for me. I have been greedy for material things. I have sought power and glory at the expense of others. I have ignored your Word, though I know what it says. I have avoided the hard road of righteousness and taken the easy road of sin.
P. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven.” Assured by his word and promise, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
PSALM RESPONSE: Psalm 2
P. Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
C. The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.
P. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”
C. The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
P. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
C. “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
P. I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
C. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
P. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
C. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
P. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.
C. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
THE FIRST LESSON: Daniel 7:9-14
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 22:66-71
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You are right in saying I am.”
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
THE CREED
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and
born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He died and was buried. He descended into hell, and the third day he rose again. He entered into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Almighty Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life eternal. Amen.
HYMN: 451 “Stricken, Smitten, And Afflicted”
THE DEVOTION: “Called For Service”
THE OFFERING
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
P. O Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times when we, like Peter, have denied you before others, claiming not to know you out of fear of what others might think of us or because fear that we might be ridiculed or persecuted in some way. Help us to stand up for you when people ask about you and be proud to acknowledge our relationship with you. Help us through our words and deeds to encourage others to get to know you as well. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. O Son of God, give us wisdom to know when to act and when to keep our distance when you are being scrutinized. Let us never harm others in our attempts to protect you and honor our commitments to you. In everything we do to witness about you, fill us with a respect for others and a desire to understand their per-
spective on any given situation involving the life of faith. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. Leader of your people, you called Peter to feed your sheep. Help us to nourish the lives of others by sharing the words of Scripture with them and filling them with messages of your love and care for them. Let our lives serve as examples to them of how you have energized us and kept us strong in our faith through your Word and your love and care for us. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. Keeper of all promises, give us the stamina to stand behind what we say and to follow through with promises we make to one another. Help us to remember that you are with us always and will give us the courage to do what we say in accordance with your will. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
Lord of second chances, just as you accepted Peter back into the fold after his denials of you and used him to serve in your kingdom, so you welcome us back into your arms of love when we stray. Comfort us with this knowledge when we fail you and help us to rise to the challenges that you have put before us to proclaim your mercy to others who have gone away from your path. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. For these and all other things we have on our hearts, we ask for your grace, confident that you were tried and crucified to save sinners. In your name we pray.
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 BENEDICTION
Fight the good fight of faith.
C. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
C. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit.
P. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
C. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: 439 “O Dearest Jesus” (13-15)
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2026 LENTEN/EASTER SCHEDULE
REMAINING
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
