Today Is: First Sunday in Lent

Collect for: First Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament
Deuteronomy 26:1-11

1 And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. 3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, 'I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.' 4 Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. 5 And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God: 'My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, 'a land flowing with milk and honey'; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me.' Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God. 11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.

1 Officiant: The Word of the Lord.
The People: Thanks be to God.

Psalm
Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.' 3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.'

*At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

New Testament
Romans 10:6-13

6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, 'Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' ' (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, ' 'Who will descend into the abyss?' ' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'

Officiant: The Word of the Lord.
The People: Thanks be to God.

Gospel
Luke 4:1-13

Introduction to the Gospel:
Deacon:The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you. Or And with your spirit
Deacon: May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
People: Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Deacon: We are reading from Luke's Gospel chapter 4, beginning at verse 1.

1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.' 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' ' 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.' 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' ' 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' 11 and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' ' 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' ' 13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says:
Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, Lord Christ.

Prayers of the People

Prayers of the People for: First Sunday in Lent

Brothers and sisters, as we begin our Lenten journey, let us prayerfully bring our needs and those of the whole world to our Heavenly Father.

For the Church; that She will faithfully preach 'whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord Jesus will be saved'.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For missionaries; that they will have the needs of their mission met and their families protected.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For governments; that they will administer justice and mercy to all their citizens without prejudice.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For the grace and strength to resist the temptations that so easily entangle us.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For a heart that rejoices in every good thing that the Lord has given us.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For those who are overwhelmed by fear and anxiety; that they will remember the words of the Psalmist and acknowledge that the Lord is their refuge and their strength.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

For the conversion of Islam and other world religions that are in opposition to the Word of God.
Lord in Your mercy,            Hear our prayer.

Loving Father, You have assured us that whoever believes in You will not be put to shame. Hear our prayer and give us the grace to confess Jesus as Lord of all at every opportunity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN