During the 40 days of Lent every Sunday is somewhat of an exception to the rule – already anticipating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter. This is especially true of the 4th Sunday during Lent called “Laetare” (Rejoice!), which gives it it’s other name “Little Easter”. Therefore the liturgical colour is also the exceptional “pink” instead of the regular “purple” – even if that has not quite become practice in our church yet. The readings proclaim this joy of Easter already in this time of Lent: Already – even if not quite yet! It’s this tension that is also dominant in the Old Testament reading of the holy prophet Isaiah 54,7-10 and also with the comfort in all trouble proclaimed by the holy apostle St.Paul 2.Cor.1,3-7. We are all called to faith by the most holy gospel which proclaims the exorbitant harvest, which comes from the fruitful death of the Son of God (Joh.12,20-26).

We still don’t sing the “Gloria” and the only praise is that of the quite one of the “Agnus Dei”: “Oh Christ – Thou lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us!”

John 12:24 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

This Sunday “Laetare” has the watchword from the holy gospel of St.John quoting Jesus Christ: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (12,24)

The sermon for this Sunday Laetare in 2012 is on the epistle to the Phillipians 1,15-21 and we are happy to post that in seTswana by Rev. T. Ratsefola and translated into Zulu by Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD. Read more here: Lutheran order of worship in Zulu for the 4th Sunday in Lent (Laetare) with a sermon by Rev. T. Ratshefola and Lutheran order of worship in Tswana for the 4th Sunday in Lent (Laetare) with a sermon by Rev. T. Ratshefola.

Bishop H-J.Voigt from the SELK has also thankfully posted a sermon on this text in German. He writes:

Bischof Hans-Jörg Voigt stellt uns sein Werkstück zur Verfügung. Herzlichen Dank dafür! Er schreibt:  „Liebe Predigtwerkstättler, für den kommenden Sonntag ist mein Werkstück endlich wieder einmal rechtzeitig fertig geworden. Die griechische „apokaradokia“ hat es mir angetan. Diesen Gedanken könnte man sicher noch ausweiten. Aber auch die Freude bei Paulus taugt für eine Themenpredigt an Lätare. 

Ich wünsche Ihnen und euch Lätare-Freude bei der Vorbereitung der Gottesdienste. 

Ihr / euer Bischof Hans-Jörg Voigt“ . You can read his sermon under the following link too:  Sermon on Phil 1,12-21 for 18.3.2012 – Lätare – Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt (SELK)