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Lent 1 - 6th March 2022 

The Service

The above video is 20 minutes & 12 seconds long
The First Hymn
Welcome!

During Lent the church’s dominant colour is purple. This dark colour signifies that Lent is a serious time, during which we make an extra effort with our faith – both learning about it and putting it into practice. This is a time for more thoughtful praying as well as more thoughtfulness in our actions. May it be a time of blessing for us and for many.  


Psalm 25: 1-10

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

Acclamation

Jesus is King 
and we will extol him,
give Him the glory, 
and honour His name. 
He reigns on high, 
enthroned in the heavens. 
Word of the Father,
exalted for us.

The Collect Prayer

Heavenly Father,
your Son battled 
with the powers of darkness, 
and grew closer to you
 in the desert: 
help us to use these days 
to grow in wisdom and prayer 
that we may witness to your saving love 
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sharing the Peace

We are the Family of God;
In the one Spirit we were all baptised
into one body.

Let us then pursue all that makes for peace
and builds up our common life.

(At this point please think of others
and in your heart send them
the message: Peace be with you.)

Bible Reading

Luke 4:1-13 (The temptation of Jesus.)



Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone.”’ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”’ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘“He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus answered, ‘It is said: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Thought for the Day

Jesus followed the custom of waiting until he was thirty before starting his public ministry. His first action was to be baptised, standing shoulder to shoulder with the crowds of people who were ready for something new. Baptism was a symbol of dying to the past and living for the future. These men and women would not have known what this new era would look like, or what demands it would make of them, but they were ready. Jesus also declared himself to be ready, but the difference was that he knew what was about to happen. However welcome, the ending of an era and the start of a new one would be disruptive and costly. 

Many people, when faced with the realities of what was involved, would want to try and hold onto the past whilst trying to go forward. Jesus, on the other hand, knew that there would have to be a letting go in order to embrace the new. But what was this ‘old world order’ that was about to pass into the history books? We usually think of Jesus’ work as focussed on the religious and spiritual, but it went much further than that. Jesus addressed the way power and authority was exercised at all levels of society – from family to empire. 

He particularly confronted any abuse of power and position. But more than that, he showed a whole new way of understanding life and how it were to be lived. It is no wonder that at the very beginning of his work, the devil tempted him to pull rank, flirt with earthly glory, and treat himself as a special case. Jesus’ response was to have none of that. He had not come to fight corruption with corruption, or to strike a compromise, or to attempt a temporary quick fix. Instead, Jesus came to preach an uncompromising message arising out of the eternal wisdom of our Creator – that power, position and authority are given as the means for serving others in a world where all are equally honoured – and he practiced what he preached.

Let us Pray

Lord, God, you are our fortress, our defender, protector from the storm, the one in whom we take refuge. You are our foundation, our solid rock in whom our confidence rests. You are Justice, Compassion, Peace and Love. You are the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end of all things, Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Shield and defender, Tower of refuge for the weary, Deliverer, Redeemer, Forgiver. We praise your name. Amen.

Lord, at your feet we bow. God of deliverance and freedom, you taught the people of Israel to acknowledge that all things come from your bountiful hand. Deepen our faith so that we may resist temptation and, in the midst of trial, proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord. Help us to have eyes to see and hearts and minds to understand that even in the most trying of moments your grace is sufficient to support and strengthen us, now and for ever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

(Our Father, 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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.)
The Blessing

Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross, and follow him; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.


Amen.

 The Second Hymn

Bible Readings for the Week

Monday: 1 Chronicles 21:1-17; 1 John 2:1-6
Tuesday: Zechariah 3:1-10; 2 Peter 2:4-21
Wednesday: Job 1:1-22; Luke 21:34-22:6
Thursday: Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18; Philippians 3:2-12
Friday: Genesis 14:17-24; Philippians 3:17-20
Saturday: Psalm 118:26-29; Matthew 23:37-39

If you have any thoughts, questions or concerns, please contact us

Henley in Arden The incumbent/priest in charge John Ganjavi
telephone 01564 792570 or email Incumbent / Priest in charge

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I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.