The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) offers a three-year cycle with four readings for every Sunday in the Church Year.
These readings are:
A Lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures (or Acts during the Season of Easter)
A Psalm
A Lesson from the Epistles or Acts
A Lesson from the Gospels
The following prayers follow a traditional form using the pattern of ACT (Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving).
There is also an opening prayer which can be used at the beginning of a service.
First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16, Romans 10:8b-13,
Luke 4:1-13
OPENING PRAYER
Today we meet to declare our faith.
In God the Father, creator of all.
In Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord.
In the Holy Spirit, breath and life.
Today we meet to worship
The One who loves us
The One who sustains us
The One who saves us
The One who we serve
Today and all days. Amen
ADORATION
For the blessings of each day
we praise your holy name
For strength to endure
in the winter of strife,
shelter from storm,
protection through life.
For the blessings of each day
we praise your holy name
For footsteps to follow
a road that is true,
a love that endures
whatever we do.
For the blessings of each day
we praise your holy name
For faith to believe
hope in our heart,
your Spirit enabling
as we play our part.
For the blessings of each day
we praise your holy name
CONFESSION
You call us to follow
and our footsteps falter,
reach out your hand
and we treat you as stranger,
whisper our name
and we simply ignore you.
Gracious God,
slow to anger,
swift to bless,
forgive us,
restore us.
Grant us hearts that stand firm,
a faith that is strong
and a hope that endures. Amen
THANKSGIVING
Gracious God, you look at hearts, not heads,
judge not by words expressed,
but how lives are led,
faith confessed.
Gracious God, your children span this world,
all considered of equal worth,
both Jew and Gentile,
one Lord of all.
Gracious God, the love which you have shown,
through creativity and cross,
demands response,
sacrifice
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