First Sunday of Lent

The 40-day pilgrimage to Easter that began on Ash Wednesday is just a few days old. I pray that God, who sustained Jesus in his 40 days of temptations and suffering, will support us on our journey also.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening Prayer:

Lord our God, you alone do we worship, only your word gives life. Sustain your people on our Lenten journey. When we walk through the desert of temptation, strengthen us to renounce the power of evil. When our faith is tested by doubt, illumine our hearts with Easter’s bright promise. We ask this through Christ, our deliverance and hope, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
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Hymn: “Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down”

A Reading from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 26:4-10 (NLT)
[Moses summarizes the creed of the chosen people.]

The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God.

“You must then say in the presence of the Lord your God, ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live as a foreigner in Egypt. His family arrived few in number, but in Egypt they became a large and mighty nation. When the Egyptians oppressed and humiliated us by making us their slaves, we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard our cries and saw our hardship, toil, and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and powerful arm, with overwhelming terror, and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey! And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.’ Then place the produce before the Lord your God, and bow to the ground in worship before him.
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“Psalm 91” – Sons of Korah

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High | Will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty | I will say of the Lord: “He is my refuge | My God and my shield in whom I trust”

Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare | And from the deadly pestilence as well | He will cover over you with His feathers | And there under His wings you will find sleep | His faithfulness will be your shield

You’ll not fear the terror of the night time | Nor the arrow that flies by day | Nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness | Nor the plague that destroys at midday

And a thousand may fall at your side | And ten thousand right there at your right hand | But it will not harm you, you will only see | You will only observe when judgment comes

He commands his angels concerning you | To guard you wherever you may go | To be with you and lift you in their hands | So that you won’t strike your foot against a stone

If you make the Most High your dwelling | Even the Lord who is my refuge | Surely no great harm will befall you | No disaster will come there near your home

He commands his angels concerning you | To guard you wherever you may go | To be with you and lift you in their hands | So that you won’t strike your foot against a stone

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra | And trample upon the serpent’s head | You will tread upon the lion and the cobra | And trample upon the serpent’s head

Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him | I will protect him for he knows My name | He will call on Me, and I will answer | I will be with him always and I will honor him | With a long, long, long, long life | I will satisfy him with long life | With a long, long, long, life | I will satisfy him with long life
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A Reading from the Letters: Romans 10:8-13 (NLT)
[Paul teaches that faith in Christ’s resurrection is the mark of believers.]

“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 4:1-13 (NLT)
[The temptations Jesus endured in the desert are described.]

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
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Hymn: “I Am Not Alone” – Kari Jobe

Intercessions:

As we continue our Lenten journey, we remember all those in need.

+ For the Church of God throughout the world, as the Lenten pilgrimage continues…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the men and women preparing to be baptized this Easter…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the poor people of the world who will benefit from our Lenten giving…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the downhearted and discouraged who rely on the kindness of friends…. Lord, hear us.
+ For immigrants and refugees and all who seek safety and peace…. Lord, hear us.
+ For prisoners, especially young prisoners, that they may be able to rebuild lives of dignity…. Lord, hear us.
+ For our brothers and sisters who have died, especially through war and violence in the Middle East…. Lord, hear us.

Lord our God, you protect those who put their trust in you, hear our prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Hymn: “I will trust in you” – Lauren Daigle

Benediction:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen