February 26 – First Sunday in Lent

Worship materials for the First Sunday in Lent through the Fifth Sunday in Lent were contributed by Kathy Hogman of Trinity United Church, Edmonton; Armand Houle of Mill Woods United Church, Edmonton; Donald Koots of Riverbend United Church, Edmonton; and Heather Koots of First United Church, Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.

 

Genesis 9:8–17

The covenant between God and Noah.

 

Psalm 25:1–10 (VU p. 752)

Lead me in your truth, O God.

 

1 Peter 3:18–22

Once for all—baptism saves.

 

Mark 1:9–15

The baptism, temptation, and mission of Jesus.

Spark

Provide various ways of depicting rainbows, e.g., pictures and fridge magnets, non-marking soap bubbles that display rainbow colours, a fountain with running water, a prism that can break white light into the colours of the rainbow. Those using projection might apply “Wordle” (www.wordle.net) to the focus scripture passage and create an interesting, colourful word cloud. This could be done for each week of Lent.

Theme Engagement Question

Where do you need renewal in your faith life, something new to emerge?

With Children

Explain that a covenant is a promise made between people and God or God and people. Distribute collection jars and invite each household to decide what they will promise God to do together, e.g., collect a penny, nickel, quarter, or loonie for each person at supper or for each television show watched or computer game played. Then decide as a household what cause the collection will go to at the end of Lent, e.g., M&S, local charity. How will this affect your household? Keeping covenant is not about doing or saying something once, but about changing how we act for quite some time.

Sermon Starter

This passage from Genesis is the third creation story, a sign of starting again within a relationship established with God by God. Rebirth comes out of water. This connection to baptism, new life, new world, new beginnings has become a source of Christian hope. We are reminded that God is a God of continual renewal. Lent is a beginning of a journey still in process—ever evolving. Each year we make the Lenten journey and enter into the process of renewing ourselves and our faith.

Hymns

MV 161 “I have called you” (use as a Lenten hymn that “grows” each week: week 1—verse 1; week 2—verses 1 and 2; and so on until week 5—verses 1–4 and verse 1 again)

 

Hebrew Scripture

VU 449            “Crashing waters at creation”

MV 3               “River”

MV 163           “River Run Deep”

 

Psalm

VU 560            “O Master, let me walk with thee”

VU 572            “Send me, Lord”

 

Epistle

VU 581            “When we are living”

VU 601            “The church of Christ”

MV 154           “Deep in our hearts”

 

Gospel

VU 108            “Throughout these Lenten days”

VU 114            “Forty days and forty nights”

VU 641            “Lord Jesus, you shall be my song”

VU 644            “I was there to hear your borning cry”

MV 65             “When we are tested”

MV 212           “Sent out in Jesus’ name”