The prelude is a time for preparation for worship.
As we enter the sanctuary, let us prepare through quiet prayer and meditation.
The service is being livestreamed and recorded and will be available on our Facebook page and on YouTube.
The People’s responses are in bold type, and directions are italicized.
As a courtesy to others, please silence your cell phone.
Prelude: Lament B. Bartok
Sorrow
Ballad
Prayer Requests & Announcements
Processional Hymn: The Hymnal 1982, #686 Come, thou font of every blessing
1 Come, thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace!
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! Oh, fix me on it,
mount of God’s unchanging love.
2 Here I find my greatest treasure;
hither, by thy help, I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
Celebrant Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;
People His mercy endures for ever.
Celebrant Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please stand or kneel if able.
Confession of Sin
Celebrant Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Leader and People
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Celebrant Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
Kyrie: LEVAS, #235 Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy.
The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Please be seated.
First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The Response: Psalm 95
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
8 Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me.
9 They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.
10 Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways.”
11 So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-11
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person– though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Please stand
Gradual Hymn: The Hymnal 1982, #343 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless
your chosen pilgrim flock
with manna in the wilderness,
with water from the rock.
2 We would not live by bread alone,
but by your word of grace,
in strength of which we travel on
to our abiding place.
3 Be known to us in breaking bread,
but do not then depart;
Savior, abide with us, and spread
your table in our heart.
4 Lord, sup with us in love divine,
your body and your blood,
that living bread, that heavenly wine,
be our immortal food.
The Gospel: John 4:5-42
Celebrant The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”
Homily The Rev. Jean Vargo
Please stand
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We 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.
We 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.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers of the People
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer—The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle East.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer—All Saints in Cincinnati, and Episcopal Relief & Development
In our Parish Cycle of Prayer—we pray for Ginny Tuxhorn, Elizabeth Wagner-Weber & Sean Weber, and Mike & Katherine Wagner.
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those on our Parish Prayer List: Barbara, Ginny, Hayward, Ann, George, Patricia, Jim, Mary-Anna, Wayne, Judy, Juanita, Rob, Susan, and the Darnell family; and for all who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Give to the departed eternal rest;
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Celebrant Thanksgiving, blessing and praise be yours, God of the incarnation; because you care for us and for our prayer. May our love for you and our likeness to you be strengthened every time we pray. Amen.
The Peace
Leader The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Offertory – The Ushers collect the offering at this time.
Please stand as the offerings are brought to the altar.
Offertory Hymn: #593 Lord, make us servants of your peace
1 Lord, make us servants of your peace:
where there is hate, may we sow love;
where there is hurt, may we forgive;
where there is strife, may we make one.
2 Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
where all is night, may we sow light;
where all is tears, may we sow joy.
3 Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
to be consoled, but to console,
nor look to understanding hearts,
but look for hearts to understand.
4 May we not look for love’s return,
but seek to love unselfishly,
for in our giving we receive,
and in forgiving are forgiven.
5 Dying, we live, and are reborn
through death’s dark night to endless day:
Lord, make us servants of your peace,
to wake at last in heaven’s light.
The Holy Communion
The Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer A, Book of Common Prayer, p. 361
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them up to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
The Celebrant proceeds It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for our-selves alone, but for him who died and rose again. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Celebrant and People
Sanctus: Wonder Love & Praise, #858 Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
The Celebrant continues
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread: and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Celebrant continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
The Lord’s Prayer, BCP p. 364
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread, BCP pg. 364
Fraction Anthem: Wonder Love & Praise, #871 Lamb of God
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: Grant us peace.
Celebrant The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance
that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
Communion Hymn: The Hymnal 1982, #679 Surely it is God who saves me
1. Surely it is God who saves me;
I shall trust and have no fear.
For the Lord defends and shields me
and his saving help is near.
So rejoice as you draw water
from salvation’s healing spring;
in the day of your deliverance
thank the Lord, his mercies sing.
2. Make God’s deeds known to the peoples:
tell out his exalted Name.
Praise the Lord, who has done great things;
all his works God’s might proclaim.
Zion, lift your voice in singing;
for with you has come to dwell,
in your very midst the great and
Holy One of Israel.
Please stand or kneel
Post Communion Prayer, BCP, pg. 366
Celebrant Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of your Son,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, Father, send us out
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
to him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Lenten Blessing
Celebrant Look mercifully on this your family, Almighty God, that by your great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Recessional: The Hymnal 1982, #685 Rock of ages, cleft for me
1 Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood
from thy wounded side that flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
cleanse me from its guilt and power.
2 Should my tears for ever flow,
should my zeal no languor know,
all for sin could not atone:
thou must save, and thou alone;
in my hand no price I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling.
3 While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyelids close in death,
when I rise to worlds unknown
and behold thee on thy throne,
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
The Dismissal
Celebrant Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Postlude: 2-part Intervention in A-minor J.S. Bach
+++++++++
Thank you for joining us in worship.
Please know that your participation with us today,
in person or online, has been a blessing.
March 8, 2026
The Third Sunday in Lent
Holy Eucharist at 11:30am
Readings:
Celebrant: The Rev. Jean Vargo
Organist: Barbara Acker-Mills
Acolyte: Jackie Hoskinson, Will Day
Lay Readers: René Meadors, TJ Walch
Chalicists: Kendall Rubino, Jim Rudd
Tech & Facebook Live: TJ Walch, Katherine Wagner
Ushers: Wayne Harper, Tony Rubino
Counters: Carol Nancarrow, Kendall Rubino
Open/Close: Wagner/Rubino
March Altar Guild: Welch Family & Janet Reuter
Candle: The Hurd Family
Coffee Hour: The Walch Family
March 15, 2026
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Holy Eucharist at 11:30am
Readings:
Celebrant: The Rev. Jean Vargo
Organist: Barbara Acker-Mills
Acolyte: Lizzie Reuter
Lay Readers: Gabriel Walch, Judy Rudd
Chalicists: Elizabeth Wagner-Weber, Caro Williamson
Tech & Facebook Live: Dave Reuter, Katherine Wagner
Ushers: Dave Reuter, Ginny Tuxhorn
Counters: Tony Rubino, Gary Welch
Open/Close: Wagner/Rubino
March Altar Guild: Welch Family & Janet Reuter
Candle: TBD
Coffee Hour: TBD
Announcements for the Week of March 8
- THE CANDLE IN THE SANCTUARY LAMP is given by the Hurd family.
- COFFEE HOUR is hosted by the Walch family
- Today, March 8 – Day of Change As clocks “spring forward,” we collect coins, cash, checks, and online gifts for the Food Pantry at St. Paul’s UMC
- COFFEE HOUR needs hosts! There are plenty of Sundays that need a host, so sign up to celebrate with your church family before the service. It’s a chance to mingle, chat, get caught up, celebrate, while enjoying light snacks and drinks.
- FIRST COMMUNION CLASSES will be held at St. Paul’s on Sunday, March 22 at 2pm.
- THE SANCTUARY LAMP NEEDS SPONSORS! For only $7.50 per week you can celebrate, honor, or remember a loved one or special event. The sign-up sheet is right outside the office, so please choose a date (or two) to keep our wonderful lamp shining brightly.
- CALLING ALL UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL GRADS! We’re planning a bulletin board in your honor, so please contact
- Our Organist Barbara Acker-Mills is playing in a recital hosted by the Dayton Music Club on Sunday March 15 at 3pm at the Piano Prep School in Beavercreek. It will be about an hour long and she will be playing about half of it. See the Lion’s Tale for more information!
An invitation from the Dioceses:
SMALL CHURCH SUMMIT, April 17-18
Calling all leaders of small churches in the Diocese of Southern Ohio! You are invited to join together for two days of worship, relationship building, collaboration, and learning with a specific focus on small church dynamics. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about how to nurture disciples through lay-led Bible study and other lay-led ministries, create solid partnerships with area churches, and make a difference in the world through community engagement. Check this week’s Lion’s Tale for more information.
LENTEN SCHEDULE
- Mar. 14, 21, 28: Stations of the Cross, 9:30am at St. Paul’s
- Mar. 10,17,24: “Rediscover Jesus” by Matthew Kelly book study; 10:30 a.m. at Epic Coffee Shop; 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
- Mar. 11,18,25: Morning Prayer will be posted on the St. Paul’s Facebook page
- Mar. 29 PALM SUNDAY: 9:30am at St. Paul’s and 11:30am at St. Mark’s
- Apr. 2 MAUNDY THURSDAY: service 7pm at St. Paul’s
- Apr. 3 GOOD FRIDAY: 11am Stations of the Cross at St. Paul’s, 12pm Service at St. Paul’s with Bp White, celebrant, 7pm Service at St. Mark’s
Prayers for the Week of March 8
For those seeking justice, peace, and belonging, especially migrants, refugees, and all who long for welcome in unfamiliar places. For all affected by the partial government shutdown. For the safety of Dayton-area residents.
For those who struggle with insecurity of any kind — in health, housing, food, or safety — that they may find stability, dignity, and compassionate support.
For those walking through grief, loss, or spiritual uncertainty, and for the healing of divisions within families, communities, and our nation.
For those on our parish prayer list: Barbara, Ann, George, Patricia, Jim, Mary-Anna, Wayne, Judy, Juanita, Rob, Susan, and the Darnell family.
For those celebrating March birthdays: 3/02 Patricia Tallman; 3/06 Juanita Limes; 3/16 Adam Oiler and Addison Oiler; 3/21: Lizzy Reuter
For those who suffer from illness, grief, or any other adversity:
Akiko, friend of Jim Tallman; Andrew, the Tallman’s son-in-law; Blaze, the Tallman’s grandson; Chip, Jim Rudd’s step-mother; Chris & family, friends of the Reuters; Chuck, friend of Tony Rubino; Clara, Pat Tallman’s cousin; Crystal, friend of the Rubinos; Emily, Ann Phillips’ niece; Emma, Lowell, & the Burton Family, friends of Juanita Limes and the Darnells; Jen, friend of the Wagners; Katie, friend of the Reuters; Luann, Sean Weber’s mother; Mary, friend of the Wagners; Natasha, the Tallman’s granddaughter; Patti, Norma Peachey’s daughter-in-law; Regina, Mary-Anna Welch’s sister; Renea, friend of Juanita and Lisa; Roberta, Tracey Swartz’s mother; Steve, friend of the Hoskinsons; Tonia, Juanita Limes’ daughter-in-law; Tony, Judy Rudd’s brother; the Younge Family, friends of Jackie Hoskinson.
For the mission work of this congregation: CARE House, Canterbury Court, St. Paul’s UMC Food Pantry, Hope4Riverside, Neighborhood Bridges, and for the seven non-profit groups who use our Community Building.
For our Diocesan Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Kristin White
For our Assisting Bishops: The Rt. Rev. Wendell Gibbs,
The Rt. Rev. Nedi Rivera, and The Rt. Rev. Kenneth Price
For our Presiding Bishop: The Most Rev. Sean Rowe
