Sermon Preview for March 15th March 11, 2026 Ru-Lee Weller Passman March 15, 2026 - Fourth Sunday in Lent Preacher: Rev. Anne J. Scalfaro Scriptures: Deuteronomy 24:17-22; Matthew 19:13-15 Title: “The Good News is…Protection and Care for the Vulnerable” Fourth Sermon in the series: Tell Me Something Good: Grounding Ourselves in the Good News this Lent Sermon Direction: This week we continue in our series—Tell Me Something Good: Grounding Ourselves in the Good News this Lent—by diving into the heart of the gospel: protection and care for the vulnerable. Caring for the child, the widow, the orphan, the immigrant—and anyone who is vulnerable—is central to Jesus’ teaching (which is rooted in his own Jewish faith). Sunday’s sermon will explore what makes certain populations of people vulnerable—in Jesus’ day and our day—and how we are called to care and respond to their needs. We’ll also explore what it means when we ourselves are the ones who are vulnerable, and how receiving care from others in those times can depend our faith and create empathy and understanding for others. The “Tell Me Something Good” sharing prompt this week will be related to sharing a time when you were in a vulnerable position or situation and experienced care or protection from others and what that felt like. We may not think that being in a vulnerable state is “good,” but while the situation or circumstance itself may not be good, what happens in those moments of connection and care between people is, indeed, good. It illuminates the heart of the gospel. Lent theme blurb: Calvary’s 2026 Lent theme comes from theologians and creatives at “A Sanctified Art"—Tell Me Something Good: Grounding Ourselves in the Good News this Lent. Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. This series focuses on what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all. Jesus’ words are easily distorted and sanitized in our modern world. Following Jesus leads to a richer, more expansive life, but it’s not necessarily comfortable. Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news? This Lent, let us remember that the good news really is good news. It is joyful—like fine wine saved for celebration. It grows like a mustard seed and smells like perfume poured from an alabaster jar. It tastes like bread passed endlessly through a hungry crowd. It sounds like laughter and feels like mercy. The good news is alive in the world. We hope this series will provide fertile ground for conversation and worship, rooting our hearts and lives in the expansive goodness of God. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward. May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good. Scripture Readings: Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 24:17-22 17 “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore, I command you to do this. 19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. 20 When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore, I am commanding you to do this. + Gospel Reading Matthew 19:13-15 13 Then children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.