Bulletin – Sunday, February 18, 2024 – First Sunday in Lent

Sunday, February 18, 2024
First Sunday in Lent

We Gather as People of Faith

Welcome

Acknowledgement to the Territory:

Indigenous peoples, for thousands of years, have walked on this land. We acknowledge the first peoples and their stewardship throughout the ages. The relationship with the land we worship and live on is part of Treaty 1 and is the center of our lives. Our water comes from Treaty 3 and our hydro from Treaty 5 territories. We acknowledge errors made in the past by those arriving from other lands and we pledge to work towards the right relationships with all First Nations people.

Announcements

Call to Worship

One:   With all our longings we come.
All:      We seek the gift of God to heal.

One:   With all our doubts we come.
All:      We pray that God will reassure.

One:   With all our sadness we come.
All:      We sit with our emotions expecting God’s love to enfold.

One:   With every part of who we are we worship our Creator.
All:      We praise and give thanks to our God who knows us inside and out.

Hymn – “Come and Journey with a Saviour”

Come and journey with a Saviour who has called us from our birth,
Who has washed us in the waters, and who loved us on the earth.
Come and journey, come and journey, with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God’s sons and daughters. In the Spirit we are one.

Come and journey, journey inward, come and seek him deep within.
Where he meets us in our living, in our striving and our sin.
Come and journey, journey outward, where the cross calls us to care,
Where injustice and where hunger and the poor call us to share.

Come and journey, journey upward. Sing God’s praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness, find God’s presence everywhere.
Come and journey, journey onward, all our gifts we now shall bring,
To the building of a city that is holy, Christ its king.

Candle Liturgy

One:   We have come together this morning for renewal—in worship and as a community of faith. We’ve greeted on another, laughed and hugged. But now the time of reflection and stillness is upon us, it is the first Sunday in Lent—the season for journeys of the heart. Close your eyes. Be still. Listen. We are entering a hoy time. The Lenten candles have been lit, but over the next six weeks the light will slowly fade into darkness. For we are retelling the story of Jesus’ betrayal and suffering and death. We do this not to be morbid, but because in the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God is revealed—in the amazing transformation of death into life, in endings transformed into beginnings, and in dead-ends that become a source for new possibilities.

One:   This is the sacred center of our faith—the truth made manifest in Jesus Christ—that God is in each and every one of us, quietly transforming us and the world. In his pain and suffering, Jesus speaks to every pain and loss you have endured and offers you the promise of transformation. It’s an old story, but it still has the power to reveal, to heal, and to redeem. Jesus is at the heart of our faith, in the depth of our souls. He is waiting for us, inviting us to leave ordinary time and follow along with him on the journey that brought him to the Cross. Listen in silence, for Jesus is calling you.

(Silent Time)

One:   As we extinguish this light, we acknowledge the darkness and pain of injustice in the world.

(A candle is extinguished)

One:   Let us pray:
All:      Loving God, as we journey through this holy season of Lent, give us strength and courage to make the changes that are needed in our lives. Open our hearts and minds to your steadfast presence and help us to put our trust in you. Amen.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

One:   Dear God, our desire this Sunday in February is to feel your presence among us today. Help us to create a space that is safe, that lends itself to your voice. Speak to us of your vision for this church as it moves into the future. Give us insight into our own spiritual journey as we struggle with doubts and moments when we wonder why. As we come before you, may we be reassured of your love for us and the world we live in. May we in turn, learn to share that love with all we meet. Amen.
All:      Oh God of the wilderness, help us to resist the temptations that come to us every day. We are shown a world of treasures, we are offered status, or we are encouraged to worship other gods. In a world filled with stuff, we ask that we resist the desire to keep wanting more by remembering that these tings will pass away, but your vision for our world will never pass away. Help us to be your servants on earth as we continue your message of justice and peace for all. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Sung Response – “How Deep the Peace” (MV #95)

How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose wrongs are forgiven.
How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose hearts are healed.

We Hear God’s Word

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture Reading:        Genesis 9:8-17

⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹ “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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.” ¹² 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: ¹³ I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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.” ¹⁷ 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.”

Scripture Reading:         Mark 1:9-15

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. ¹¹ And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

¹² And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness forty days, tested by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him.

¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God!

Hymn – “You Call Us to the Wilderness”

You call us to the wilderness,
An empty, barren land.
The challenge is to break away
And then to trust your hand.

You call us to the wilderness
To concentrate the mind
On letting go of many things
That stifle humankind.

You call us to the wilderness
But all we see is loss:
For it’s a challenge to believe
The “power’ of the cross.

You call us to the wilderness
To show a stronger way:
That power only has effect
When weakness wins the day.

You call us from the wilderness
And emptiness gives way,
Enlivened by your Spirit’s breath,
Returning to the day.

You call us from the wilderness
To diff’rent barren lands
To breathe the message of the cross
For other empty hands.

Meditation – “God’s Good News”

Anthem – “Jesus, Take All of Me”

Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me.
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

Just as I am Thou will receive,
Will welcome pardon, cleanse, relieve.
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

Jesus, take all of me.
I come to You, I run to You.
There is nothing that You don’t see.
You love me just as I am.

Just as I am broken in two.
Just as I am, I come to You.
Because I know Your Word is true,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

Jesus, take all of me.
I come to You, I run to You.
There is nothing that You don’t see.
You love me just as I am.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken ev’ry barrier down.
Now to be Thine, yes, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

I come,
O sweet Lamb of God, I come,
I come.

We Respond to God’s Word

An Invitation to Share

As we come to know God we are called to shine God’s light upon others. We do so by sharing from our blessings that others may have their needs fulfilled. We present our gifts as we sing our offering song and we pray.

Offering Response – “These Lenten Gifts We Bring”

These Lenten gifts we bring,
Our living faith expressed,
We offer them, most lovingly,
And thus our hearts are blessed.

O loving God receive
These gifts we gladly give,
That show our faith and hope and trust;
Your way we seek to live.

Offering Prayer

Prayers of the People

One:   Dear God, you know the world we live in is far from perfect. We cry out with anger and frustration that there is so much unfairness all around us. As we look to your for guidance, give us courage to find ways to bring your good news of love to the specific needs we meet every day. Help us to take steps and be proactive in our belief in your Almighty name. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   Help us, Creator God, to respect your creation. May we be the stewards we were meant to be as we find ways to clean our waterways and stop so many forest fires. We pray for wise choices as we make decisions about the kind of country we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   We pray for the leaders in our world. The leaders from all levels of government. We ask that they may show wisdom as they work to make a better way for the people. May they be led by justice and peace instead of war and greed. May they see that the never-ending cycle of violence is not the answer to solve disagreements. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   Thank you for all that you provide, dear God. With gratitude we continue the work of Windsor Park United Church. We pray for guidance as we continue our search for a minister. We trust all will unfold according to your will. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   We sometimes struggle with physical or mental illness, dear God. We pray for your healing touch. May all those who are suffering know that they are not alone. Help them find peace, help them to know that they are not forgotten. Lord, in your Mercy.
All:      Hear our prayer.

One:   We have been gifted with your son, Jesus and Christ continues to live among and within each of us. May we follow his example and say this prayer that he taught all of his disciples:
All:      Our Father / Mother, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

We Go Into God’s World

Hymn – “Spirit God, Be Our Breath” (MV #150)

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn…
Spirit God, be our song.

Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.
Comfort us.
When we know you are near we grow more certain, our vision is clear.
Patient God, clam our fear.

Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer.
Reaching out, joining hands as we share,
We seek your guidance through friendship and care.
Loving God, be our prayer.

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Through change, through challenge, we’ll greet the new dawn.
Spirit God, be our song.

Benediction

One:   Love, peace, and faith are all actions words, yet as we face our good news / bad news world, we realize that we cannot change a thing without prayer and the guidance of our Almighty God. The onus is on us to rise above the pull of this world’s temptations and work toward God’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth.
All:      Grounded by God’s love, we seek inspiration from the Holy Spirit as we follow the example of our beloved Jesus. We leave this place knowing that God’s good news will not fail us as we work toward a better world, Amen.

Response – “From This Place of Prayer and Praising”

From this place of prayer and praising,
Cross and table, well-worn pews,
God, we leave to work and witness,
Living every day for you.

Bless us on our Lenten journey,
Loving Parent, Holy Friend;
Spirit, guide your people onward
Till once more we meet again.