Image: 1872, “Christ in the Wilderness”, Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi
You can watch the bible readings and sermon here, or scroll down to read the rest of the Sunday prayers and content, and watch this video at the point it occurs during worship.
GATHERING THE PEOPLE
Welcome and Announcements
Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge that the First Peoples of this land had already encountered the Creator God before the arrival of the colonisers, and that the Spirit was already in the land revealing God to the people through law, custom and ceremony. We recognise the continued ministry of First Peoples within the church, and their continuing connection to their land and living cultures. Lent is a time of walking with Jesus towards Jerusalem, a walk motivated by love, a walk seeking justice.
All: In Lent, we recommit ourselves to the path of reconciliation and justice that God lays before us.
Lighting of the Christ Candle/Prayer Of Welcome
Let us pray: Jesus – earth-shaker, dream awakener!
Tune us into your voice,
your love,
your presence,
your joy.
Be with us today. Amen
Let us light the Christ candle (light the candle)
Call to worship
Hear the call to worship: No more mucking around –
Jesus the Beloved Son is on the move!
Jesus pushes into the wild places.
He keeps company with the wild beasts
as well as the angels
and he centres us all on the Big Picture:
The dream of God that reshapes the whole world.
Come, let’s worship!
Let’s allow God to turn our worlds upside-down.
Jesus is near;
the reign of God is here.
Hymn: Loving Spirit, Loving Spirit
Prayer of adoration and confession
One: In the wilderness of our lives, there are all kinds of temptations –
All: We want to soothe our discomfort.
One: We want to manage our anxiety.
All: We want to run and hide from our pain.
One: We want to give ourselves some breathing space from the very real vulnerability that comes with being human.
All: Lord, we confess that we check out in ways that aren’t helpful or healthy,
that do not bring closeness with you or others.
One: We choose all kinds of ways of numbing and distracting ourselves.
All: It’s hard in the desert.
One: Lord, have mercy.
All: Christ, have mercy.
Words of Assurance/Affirmation
One: Jesus is merciful and understanding.
All: God joins us in the wilderness,
carrying bread, wine, and a message of forgiveness.
One: Jesus announces that even in our struggles,
the reign of God is right here, right at this moment.
Return. Come home. Trust.
You are forgiven.
All: Thanks be to God
Prayer of Thanksgiving
You, O God, are the glorious spirit-lifter!
Our souls delight in you.
You evoke wonder from the depths of human hearts.
Those deep parts of us know and trust in your artistry;
We want to be shaped and moulded by you –
to know the work of your hands.
Show us how you go about things, loving God,
teach us your ways.
Thanks be to the God who lavishes love upon us!
Our souls delight in you.
Hymn: Like The Murmur of The Dove’s Song
HEARING THE WORD
Readings
Reader: Let us pray. God, please open our ears and minds and hearts so that as we hear the words of the Bible, you will speak to us and bring us new life.
Genesis 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark.
I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:
I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Mark 1:9-15
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Reader: Through these readings we hear God speak.
All: Thank you, God, for your words of life.
Reflection: Sue, using an essay written by Debie Thomas, author, on this week’s lectionary readings. This essay appeared first in February 2021 on Journey with Jesus.
RESPONDING TO THE WORD
Offertory prayer
Thank you to everyone as you bring your gifts of loving service and financial support through online giving. If you prefer to use cash, it can be placed in the wooden box at the back, and you can also make one-off donations via the QR code on the box. Let us pray:
The skies open, and God’s love shines upon us. Let’s reflect on this loving intention in our giving today.
Loving God, receive our offerings. May they help spread your warmth and light into places they are most needed. Amen.
Prayers of the people
Most high God – we are looking to you.
Our hopes are bound up in your strength,
in your faithfulness,
we’re banking on your capacity to come good for your people and for the world.
And so, we share the burdens of our hearts.
God,
we pour out our concerns,
the things we need help with,
the challenges we are facing,
the calamities we are staring down –
both those close to home
and those big-picture things the whole world is worried about…
Pause to allow people to pray quietly about their concerns.
Show us how you work, God,
form us in your ways.
Grab us by the hand and lead us into wisdom and truth.
Set the world straight, O God.
Line it all up with your goodness – starting with us!
Be our leader, our guide, our light and our rock – we can’t make it on our own.
We look to you, God most high.
We look to you, God of loving faithfulness.
Amen.
Hymn/Song: Love Will Be Our Lenten Calling
Benediction
As you prepare to go from here,
hear the loving words of God spoken over you:
You are my beloved child; with you, I am well pleased!
Know that the same Spirit that drove Jesus out into the wilderness
sends you out from this place now.
May the shining joy of God go with you,
bursting from your heart, overflowing into all the world.
Go in peace. Go with courage. Amen.
Benediction Song: Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace
DISCIPLESHIP THOUGHT
In the wilderness, it’s the wild beasts that emerge before the angels come and attend to Jesus. Maybe this is one way of describing what happens in the desert experiences of our lives. The desert is a confronting place. The desert can be a place of testing. It can be a lonely place. The desert is a place of vulnerability. So, it makes sense that we might encounter some wild beasts – maybe parts within us that seem unruly or intimidating, parts we might be able to ignore at different times of our lives. Perhaps Lent is a time of becoming still enough to encounter the wild or uncomfortable things that accompany us in the desert of our lives. If, throughout Lent, you find yourself coming into contact with wild things, do not presume that healing, newness, and transformation are out of sight. The dream of God is close behind; angels will also come and attend to you. But sometimes, the wild beasts must come first.
Mark 1:9–15
Though life can be uncomfortable and confronting, God’s healing, renewing dream for the world is sometimes closer than we might realise.
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