Order of Worship for the First Sunday of Lent, March 6, 2022:
Prelude: “Be Thou My Vision,”- arr. Bober
Meditation
These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to the God who rescues, to receive the gifts of God’s grace, to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God’s love in Jesus, and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us.
Confession and Forgiveness
In the name of God, who makes a way in the wilderness, walks with us, and guides us in our pilgrimage.
Amen.
Holy One,
we confess that we have wandered far from you: we have not trusted your promises, we have ignored your prophets in our own day, we have squandered our inheritance of grace, we have failed to recognize you in our midst. Have mercy on us! Forgive us and turn us again to you. Teach us to follow in your ways, assure us again of your love, and help us to love our neighbor.
Amen.
Beloved in Christ, the Word draws near to you, and all who call out to God shall be saved. In Jesus, God comes to you again and again and gathers you under wings of love. In ☩ Jesus’ name, your sins are forgiven. God journeys with you and teaches you how to live in love.
Amen.
Opening Hymn: ELW 320- “The Glory of These Forty Days.”
Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The annual harvest festival, called the Feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In this text, worshipers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.
1When 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, 2you 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. 3You 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.” 4When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5you 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. 6When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, 7we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8The 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; 9and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10So 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. 11Then 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: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
God will give the angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways. (Ps. 91:11)
1You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty—
2you will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my stronghold,
my God in whom I put my trust.”
9Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
and the Most High your habitation,
10no evil will befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your dwelling.
11For God will give the angels charge over you,
to guard you in all your ways.
12Upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13You will tread upon the lion cub and viper;
you will trample down the lion and the serpent.
14I will deliver those who cling to me;
I will uphold them, because they know my name.
15They will call me, and I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and honor them.
16With long life will I satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13
Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.
8b“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart”
that is, the word of faith that we proclaim; 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil, he defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where 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. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
5Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And 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. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”
9Then 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, 10for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,’
11and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Sermon: Pastor Vince Marolla
Hymn of the Day: ELW 319- “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days,” all verses.
Prayers of Intercession
Drawn close to the heart of God, we offer these prayers for the church, the world, and all who are in need.
We pray for the church. Sharpen its proclamation of the word so that your people learn to reject voices of deception and distraction. Strengthen all who are tempted to believe lies about themselves or others. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We pray for the earth and all its creatures. Protect wilderness places and all plant and animal species that call them home. Sustain farmers and all laborers who work the land and harvest the fruits of its abundance. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We pray for the nations of the world. Awaken elected leaders and government officials to the needs of those who are oppressed and grant them compassion to deal mercifully with immigrants and refugees who reside among us. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We pray for those in need. Rescue those experiencing mental illness or contending with addiction. Ease the anxiety of those who live with dementia. Command your angels concerning all who are sick especially Ruth Mortland; Richard Mowery; Melvin Neu; Sky Stoutt; Gary Berg; Jeanna LaRue; Bruce and Sandy Wright; Betty Lee; Julie Prenatt; David Neu; Sheri Stoutt; Nan Hibbs; Everett Noah; Libby Hofsas; Noah Stoutt; Shelley Collis; Richard Hotchkiss; Charysse and Adean Heritage and Family; Randy McIntyre; Karen Bemowski; Marilyn Hubbard; Helen Schubert, and all those we name before you now, aloud or in our hearts…
Give patience to those waiting for answers. Grant hope to those who have reached the limits of treatment. Give compassionate hearts to those who accompany loved ones through illness and uncertainty. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We pray for this assembly. Bless those who bake bread and prepare the table for our communion celebration. Accompany those who share the bounty of this meal with those who are homebound or hospitalized. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for those who have died. Gather them with all the saints into your heavenly dwelling place. Encourage us with the promise that all who call upon your name are saved. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Accept the prayers we bring, O God, on behalf of a world in need, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Peace
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord’s Prayer
Lamb of God
Communion: ACS 918- “Now is the Time of Grace.”
Communion: ELW 768- “Lead Me, Guide Me.”
Prayer after Communion
Blessed Jesus, in this rich meal of grace, you have fed us with your body, the bread of life. Now send us forth to bear your life-giving hope to a world in need.
Amen.
Blessing
You are children of God, anointed with the oil of gladness and strengthened for the journey. Almighty God, motherly, majestic, and mighty, ☩ bless you this day and always.
Amen.
Sending Hymn: ELW 733- “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” all verses.
Dismissal
Go in peace. Jesus meets you on the way.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” – arr. Young (One License #106175)
Facebook link to Lenten service at First Evangelical Lutheran Church:
https://www.facebook.com/190629367619921/videos/2887892698174430
Image credits: Jesus-is-Tempted-Matthew-4, liturgytools.net and What is Lent?, Caritas.us
Music credits:
Pam Edwards: Music Director/ Organist/ Pianist
Mike McCalester: Assisting Minister
“Be Thou My Vision.”- arr. Bober. Used with permission.
“The Glory of These Forty Days.” Text: Latin hymn, 11th cent.; tr. Maurice F. Bell, 1862 – 1947, alt.. Music: J. Klug, Geistliche Lieder, 1543. Text copyright Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
“O Lord, throughout These Forty Days.” Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838 – 1898; para. Gilbert E. Doan Jr., b. 1930. Music: A. Davisson, Kentucky Harmony, 1816; arr. Theodore A. Beck, 1929 – 2003. Text copyright 1978 Lutheran book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Arr. copyright 1969 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
“Now is the Time of Grace.” Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950, based on 2 Corinthians 2:6 and Isaiah 58:6-9. Music: Marty Haugen. Text and music copyright 2009 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
“Lead Me, Guide Me.” Text: Doris Akers, 1922 – 1995. Music: Doris Akers. Text and music copyright 1953 Doris Akers, admin. Unichappell Music, Inc.. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
“Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Text: Thomas O. Chisholm, 1866 – 1960. Music: William M. Runyan, 1870 – 1957. Text and music copyright 1923, ren. 1951 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
“My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” arr. Gordon Young. Music – ©1994 Hope Publishing Company. (One License #106175) All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream and print the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-704843.
Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Reprinted/ streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS006904. Duplication in any form is prohibited without permission or valid license from the copyright administrator.