sunday march 22, 2026

Fruitland United Methodist Church
March 22, 2026

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Prelude: “To God be the Glory” by William Doane

Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.
Welcome and Announcements Pastor Jorge

*Call to Worship Leona W.
Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear our voices.
When our hearts are heavy and hope seems far away,
We wait for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.
God does not abandon us in the depths.
With the Lord there is mercy and abundant redemption.
Come, let us worship the One who calls us from death to life.
We come to worship God.
*Sharing the Peace of Christ.

*Opening Hymn: “Shine, Jesus Shine” TFWS 2173

Scripture Reading :Psalm 130 (Read responsively.) UMH 848 Leona W.

Time with Young Christians Pastor Jorge
Please write prayer concerns and celebrations on yellow notepads, to be collected.

Community Expressions Pastor Jorge & Leona
     Sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy” TFWS 2007
     Thanksgiving and Celebration
     Prayers for Healing and Wholeness
     Our Community and World
     Let us pray.
Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by they name...”

*Hymn: “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” UMH 474

Invitation to Generosity Rev. Jorge R.
Offertory: “In the Garden” by Austen Miles
*Doxology: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . .” UMH 95
All that we have is a gift from God.
Let us offer our gifts with grateful hearts.

Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45 Leona W.
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God.
People: Thanks be to God.

*Hymn: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” TFWS 2088

Sermon: “Out of the Depths... Remove the Stone” Rev. Jorge R.
There are moments in life when words rise from the deepest places of the soul. They
are not elegant words. They are not carefully prepared speeches. They are cries.

Psalm 130 begins with one of those cries: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” It
does not say from peace. It does not say from comfort. It says from the depths.

The Bible calls this psalm one of the “Songs of Ascents,” songs that the people sang
as they went up to Jerusalem to encounter God. It is interesting: the song begins
below, in the depths, but the movement of the psalm is upward. Because faith often
begins this way: at the bottom of the well.

Our Depths:
All of us know the depths: the depths of fear, the depths of exhaustion of the soul, the
depths of guilt, the depths of injustice, the depths of a world filled with noise,
violence, and division. There are personal depths: illness, loneliness, grief, questions
that have no answers.

But there are also collective depths: the depths of a society that forgets the poor, the
depths of communities where some are treated as strangers, the depths of systems
that turn people into scapegoats—people who are blamed, rejected, ignored.

And yet the psalm teaches us something profound: even from there we can pray.
Even from there we can cry out. Even from there we can hope. The psalmist says: “I
wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”

Biblical hope does not begin when everything is fine. Hope begins when we are in the
depths and still call upon God.

A Sealed Tomb:
In the Gospel of John, we find another story that also begins in the depths. Lazarus
has died. The house is filled with grief. The sisters are weeping. The community is
mourning.

And when Jesus arrives, Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days. For
the people of that time, that meant everything was finished: no hope, no possibility,
no return. Death seemed final. How many times do we feel the same? When a
relationship breaks. When a community becomes divided. When injustice seems too
strong. When we feel that something is dead and cannot live again. But then Jesus
comes to the tomb and gives a strange command.

Jesus says: “Remove the stone.” It is curious. Jesus could have performed the
miracle without help. He could have moved the stone with a word. But he does not.

Jesus invites the community to participate. “Remove the stone.” It is as if he were
saying: I will bring life. But you must open the way. And Martha responds with a very
human objection: “Lord... by now there is a bad odor.” In other words: “It is too late.”
Jesus insists. Remove the stone.

The Stones of Our Time:
The question of the Gospel is not only historical. It is deeply present. What stones
block life today? What stones prevent people from hearing God’s invitation? What
stones keep people trapped in the tomb? Perhaps they are stones of fear. Perhaps
they are stones of prejudice. Perhaps they are stones of religious legalism that
forget mercy.

Stones that prevent us from building community. Stones that make us forget that our
neighbor is the image of God. Stones that prevent us from seeing Christ in those who
suffer, in the forgotten, in the ignored. Because the Gospel reminds us of something
radical: those who suffer, the marginalized, the discarded of the world are the
face of Christ for us. And as long as those stones remain, the tomb stays closed.

When the Stone Moves:
But when the stone moves, something new happens. Jesus cries out: “Lazarus,
come out!” And the one who had been dead comes out—still wrapped in burial
cloths, still marked by the tomb, but alive. Then Jesus gives another command to the
community: “Unbind him and let him go.” Because the life that God gives is not simply
survival. It is liberation.

A Call to the Church:
The Gospel leaves us with a powerful question: If Jesus is still calling people to life,
what stones must the church remove today? -Stones that block grace. -Stones that
block forgiveness. Stones that block reconciliation.

Stones that block the possibility of a community where everyone has a place.

Because the Kingdom of God is not built on sealed tombs. It is built when someone
has the courage to hear Christ saying:

Remove the stone of fear. Remove the stone of hatred. Remove the stone of prejudice.
Remove the stone of indifference.

From the Depths to Life:
Psalm 130 begins by saying: “Out of the depths I cry to you.” But it does not end there.
It ends in hope: “For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant
redemption.” That is the movement of faith: From the depths... to hope. From the
tomb... to life. From the stone... to resurrection.

Conclusion:
Today Christ still says to his people: Remove the stone. Remove what blocks
life. Remove what blocks grace. Remove what prevents the children of God from
living with dignity. Because when the stone moves, the voice of Christ is heard.
And when the voice of Christ is heard, the dead begin to walk. And then the
church discovers its true mission: to be a community that helps others come
out of the depths into life. Amen.

*Prayer of Confession:
Let us come before God in humility and confession.
Merciful God, we confess that many times we live as if the stones of
fear, prejudice, and indifference were stronger than your life-giving
power. We confess that we sometimes close our heart to those who
suffer. We ignore the cries of those who live in the depths. We fail to
recognize Christ in the forgotten and the marginalized.
Forgive us, O Lord.

Remove the stones that block compassion in our lives. Remove the
stones that keep us from building community. Remove the stones that
prevent us from loving our neighbor. Call us again from the tombs of
fear and indifference. Unbind us from what holds us captive. Through
your grace, make us people who bring life, hope, and mercy to the
world. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

Words of Assurance:
Hear the good news:
“With the Lord there is mercy, and with him is abundant redemption.”
(Psalm 130)
In Jesus Christ, God calls us out of the tomb and into life.
People: Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Closing Hymn: “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah” TFWS 2026

Benediction: Go now in peace. When you find yourself in the
depths, remember: God hears your cry. When you encounter
stones that block life, remember Christ’s command: “Remove
the Stone.” Go and help bring life where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, and love where there is fear. In the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

*Song of Blessing: “We Are Marching in the Light of God,” TFWS 2235-b

Postlude: “Blessed Assurance” by Fanny Crosby and Phoebe Knapp

Rev. Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]