First Sunday in Lent, Home Church, March 6, 2022. Guest Presider: Rev. Sally Bullas

First Sunday in Lent, Home Church, March 6, 2022, 

Guest Presider:  Rev. Sally Bullas

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey,

you are welcome here!

Preparing the Space Around and Within Us

Whether you are gathering on zoom or worshipping at home with the bulletin...welcome! We are one community and all part of the body of Christ. Take a breath and relax. Be present in Spirit. Allow yourself to be fully in the moment…not to keep out the realities of the world, rather to focus us in the midst of it all…on the Holy with us and in us.

Greeting                                             
One:  The grace of Christ Jesus, the love of God, 

          and the peace of the Spirit be with you all.

All:    And also with you       

Lenten Tenebrae   (From “Gathering,” adapted from liturgy written by Nora Vedress)
One:  Today we stand on the edge of wilderness and temptation. Today the Spirit of God drives us forward into the Lenten desert. In this time, we will be called to evoke our trust in God as well as the ways we break that trust. 
All:    Lent can be a difficult time as it places us before a mirror we cannot avoid.  

One:  We also hold tight to the truth that God’s promise of mercy and life will never fail us.  

All:    God of the Journey, we do not know where this wilderness will lead, but we do know we must face whatever it holds for us. 

One:  As we extinguish this light today, fill us with the courage we need to walk in your path.

          (candle is extinguished)

All:    May we know your mercy and steadfast love, O God. Relieve the troubles of our hearts and lead us out of the desert that we may bask in the light of your strength and faithfulness.

Opening Prayer                           (adapted from a prayer written by Marcia Meier)

One:  Oh, great Creator,

All:    Guide my hand…Open my heart…Quiet my mind.

One:  Allow your inspiration to flow to and through me.

All:    Make me your instrument for creativity.

One:  Allow my faithfulness to move and touch others;

          to soothe, 
All:    to bring awareness, to make life easier for others

          to bring about justice and foment peace.

One:  May I always work in a way that brings your holy spirit and love to others.

All:    May your vast love hold me safe and keep me whole as I           create in service to you and the world.

Hymn: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace -  VU# 684

1 Make me a channel of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me bring your love;

where there is injury, your healing power,

and where there’s doubt, true faith in you:

[Refrain]

O Spirit, grant that I may never seek

so much to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love with all my soul.

2 Make me a channel of your peace:

where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;

where there is darkness, only light;

and where there’s sadness, ever joy. [Refrain]

3 Make me a channel of your peace.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

in giving to all that we receive,

and in dying that we’re born to eternal life. [Refrain]

4 Make me a channel of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me bring your love;

where there is injury, your healing power,

and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Words of Assurance   -   (as written by Judy Chicago)

And then all that has divided us will merge

And then compassion will be wedded to power

And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind

And then both men and women will be gentle

And then both women and men will be strong

And then no person will be subject to another’s will

And then all will be rich and free and varied

And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many

And then all will share equally in the earth’s abundance

And then all will care for the sick and the weak and the old

And then all will cherish life’s creatures

And then all will live in harmony with each other and the earth.

And then everywhere will be called Eden once again

Peace of Christ 

Please unmute your microphones so we can pass the peace to one another. 

            A-M: The Peace of Christ be with you!

            N-Z: And also with you!

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11  -  Reader: Christine Blackburn

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”  When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.  When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.  Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 (fr. “Praying the Psalms by Nan C. Merrill)     Christine Blackburn                                             

One:  Those who dwell in the shelter of Infinite Light, who abide in the           wings of Infinite Love,

All:    Will raise their voices in praise: “My refuge and my strength;        in You alone will I trust.”

One:  For You deliver me from the webs of fear and illusion, from all that    separates and divides;

All:    You protect me as an eagle shields its young,

One:  Your faithfulness is sure, like an arrow set upon the mark.

All:    I will not fear the shadows of the night, nor the confusion that   comes by day,

One:  Nor the dreams that awaken me from sleep, nor the daily changes          that life brings.

All:    For You have sent your angels to watch over me, to guide me    in all my ways.

One:  On their hands, they will bear me up, lest I dash my foot against a        stone.

All:    Though I walk among those who roar like a lion, or are as           stealthy as the adder, in your strength will I endure.

Gospel Reading -  Reader: Charlie Blackburn                             

One:  God be with you.            

All:    And also with you.

One:  The Good News of Jesus Christ according to Luke;

All:    Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”  Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”  Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”  Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”  Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ And ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”  Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

One: This is the Gospel of Christ; 

All:   Praise be to Jesus Christ

Reflection:   -  “Where are Angels When You Need Them?”         

Silent Reflection

Special Music: On Eagle’s Wings - VU#808

Apostles Creed

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

          creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of the People   -   Susan Brockley                                                                                                                          

One:  Generous God, 

All:    Hear Our Prayer.

The Prayer of Jesus         (adapted from a prayer written by Rev. Bret S. Myers)

O God, may your peace and justice dwell among us.

May your love and compassion live within and between us.

Nourish us daily with the necessities of life;

Sustenance for our bodies, and inspiration for our Spirits.

And may the forgiveness we give be that which we receive;

The kindness we show be that which we perceive.

Lead us on virtuous paths, and distance us from evil.

Gift us with hope that leads to renewal and reconciliation.

For your world is our world,

And your reign, our reign;

Then, now, and always.  May it be so.

Offering: “Why I Give”  -  George Westarp                                         

Offering Prayer         

One:  We thank you, God, for the abundant blessings you have entrusted         to us.   

All:    Enable us to be good stewards of all you have given.  

One:  Grant us hearts of generosity to give back—
All:    to say thank you, and to follow as you lead.  Amen.

Hymn: O Jesus, I Have Promised - VU #120

 1 O Jesus, I have promised

to serve you to the end;

remain for ever near me,

my Saviour and my friend:

I shall not fear the journey

if you are by my side,

not wander from the pathway

if you will be my guide.

2 O let me feel you near me:

the world is ever near;

I see the sights that dazzle,

the tempting sounds I hear;

my foes are ever near me,

around me and within;

but, Jesus, then draw nearer

and shield my soul from sin.

3 O let me hear you speaking

in accents clear and still,

above the storms of passion,

the murmurs of self-will;

O speak to reassure me,

to hasten or control;

now speak, and make me listen,

O guardian of my soul.

4 O Jesus, you have promised

to all who follow you,

that where you are in glory

your servant shall be too.

And, Jesus, I have promised

to serve you to the end:

O give me grace to follow,

my Saviour and my friend.                  

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing                                                                                

If you are with another person, you’re invited to bless each other, taking every other line.

One:  The Creator’s blessing be yours on your road, on your journey,           guiding you, cherishing you.

A-M:  The Son’s blessing be yours, wine and water, bread and stories,            feeding you, challenging you.

N-Z:   The Spirit’s blessing be yours, wind and fire, joy and wisdom, comforting you, disturbing you.

All:    The Angel’s blessing be yours, on your house, on your living,    guarding you, encouraging you. Let us walk together, a     community on a journey, sustained in God’s blessing. Amen!

One:  Let us go now in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All:    Thanks be to God! Alleluia!