Worship for the Third Sunday of Lent

Opening Rite

If you’re at home you might wish to light a candle, make sure you are sitting comfortably and take a few deep breaths to still yourself. 

The Lord is here  His Spirit is with us

Prayers of Penitence

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.

Let us confess our sins remembering before God the times when we have fallen from temptation into sin. 

We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

The president declares God’s forgiveness.

May almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you his pardon and peace, now and for ever. Amen

The Collect

You might like to keep a few moments of silence

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Isaiah 55:1-9

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.  I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.  See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.  See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.  Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm 63:1-9

/R: My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God 

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; my soul is athirst for you. My flesh also faints for you, as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. /R:

So would I gaze upon you in your holy place, that I might behold your power and your glory.  Your loving-kindness is better than life itself and so my lips shall praise you. I will bless you as long as I live and lift up my hands in your name. /R:

My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed and meditate on you in the watches of the night. /R:

For you have been my helper and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.  My soul clings to you; your right hand shall hold me fast.  /R:                     

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.  Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

The Gospel according to Luke                                             chapter 13:1-9

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’ Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

This is the Gospel of the Lord  Praise to you O Christ

Reflection

This passage comes just ahead of last week’s reading in which Jesus speaks openly about his identity and coming death. Ahead of that exchange, Luke records for us some teaching about the kingdom of God, and the ‘narrow door’ by which it is entered. That set of teachings is introduced by today’s passage. Jesus picks up on some current ‘news stories’ of the time: people who died in a building collapse and the mistreatment of some pilgrims who have come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple. Pilate was known for his ruthless behaviour and inflammatory treatment of the Jewish people, including massacres, the raiding of the Temple treasury and the bringing to Jerusalem of Roman flags bearing the image of Caesar. The question being addressed, however, is whether these people suffering at the hands of Pilate or in the ruined building were being punished for their sin. Jesus is clear that those who died were not being singled out for judgement. Rather, judgement is coming to all, and the only way to survive this is to ‘repent’.  ‘Repentance’ denotes a change of direction. It is an encouragement to stop living as has previously suited and to live in a different way, which brings about different results. The point is to stop being out-of-step with God and, instead, to live in God’s way as the people of God. The fig tree parable raises a number of questions (for example, the identities of the vineyard’s owner and the gardener, why a fig tree would be planted in a vineyard and why the tree has not previously been dug around and manured). However, it makes the point that another chance to repent, to change direction, is being given – and that these chances will, at some point, run out.

© Reproduced with permission ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com 2002-2021  

Prayers

Spend a few moments praying for the people you know and love, for the world, for peace and for the relief of refugees everywhere. 

On the Third Sunday of Lent

Eternal God, give us insight to discern your will for us, to give up what harms us, and to seek the perfection we are promised in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Praying for the Earth                                                       Wind energy

The Holy Spirit, like the wind, sweeps over the face of the earth, giving life to the world. We pray for those who seek to harness the power of the wind, and for those concerned about the siting of wind turbines. Grant wisdom and integrity to the people responsible for forming opinions and making decisions. Amen

From the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer for the Church

Porvoo Communion: Diocese of Lund (Church of Sweden), Diocese of Cashel, Ossory and Ferns (Ireland), Diocese of Ely

Anglican Communion: Iglesia Anglicana de la Region Central de America Primate: Most Revd Juan David Alvarado Meigar

Diocese of Møre, Outer Nordmøre Deanery: Parishes of Kornstad, Aure and Stemshaug

Bellingham Deanery: St George’s Church, Wall

Please pray for all gathering at the Cathedral today as Bishop Helen-Ann licenses Dean Kelly Brown Douglas as our first Anglican Communion Canon

From our Parish Prayer Cycle this week

Pray for all residents of Stokesley Grove and Cotswold Gardens

For the sick and those being cared for in hospital or at home      

For those in residential care    

For those whose year’s minds are this week 

Charles Bird, Minnie May Murdock, Ethel Maud Rootham, Thomas Gates, Sally Bailes, Ruth Millican, Joe Stothard, Isabella Buston and Evelyn Graham

You might like to end your prayers with The Lord's Prayer  

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 Conclusion

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Let us bless the Lord! Thanks be to God!