Forty days and forty nights
Thou wast fasting in the wild,
Forty days and forty nights
Tempted and yet undefiled.

Let us thine endurance share,
And awhile from joys abstain,
With thee watching unto prayer,
Strong with thee to suffer pain.

And if Satan, vexing sore,
Flesh or spirit should assail,
Thou, his vanquisher before,
Grant we may not faint nor fail.

Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
Every constant by thy side,
That with thee we may appear
At the eternal Eastertide.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ✝

And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

From Easter to Pentecost:

Alleluia. Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

 

In Lent and other penitential occasions:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;

His mercy endures for ever.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

This prayer is omitted during Lent and Advent:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.  Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.  Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 Holy God, holy and mighty ✝, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

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.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

 This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Qui habitat

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, *
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 He shall say to the Lord,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold, *
my God in whom I put my trust.”

9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,

10 There shall no evil happen to you, *
neither 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 They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.

14 Because he is bound to me in love,
therefore will I deliver him; *
I will protect him, because he knows my Name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; *
I am with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and bring him to honor.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, *
and show him my salvation.

Romans 10:8b-13

“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Praise to you O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone

But on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you O Christ, king of eternal glory!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Luke 4:1-13

✝️ ✝️ ✝️

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

What strikes me about the readings this afternoon is the eternal echo of God’s Word in Scripture.  We hear it in the phrase “forty days and nights,” a familiar set of numbers found both in the Hebrew Scriptures and here in the gospels; in the use of the phrase “not by bread alone;” and in the quotation of the marvellous Psalm 91, which offers a vision and a promise of angelic protection from temptation.

The realization that it was Jesus who used the words of Scripture as the greatest shield against temptation offers further confirmation of the power of the Word.

Luke tells a story that has been told by Matthew in a similar manner, and by the laconic Mark in only two short verses.  In all three instances, Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness comes after the tender declaration by the Spirit of God to the newly baptized Jesus: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And immediately, the Tempter arrives.

We can pause for a few minutes to contemplate the drama of this story, told here in the simplest metaphorical language.  When and why did Jesus recount this experience to his disciples–for it could only have been reported by him who lived it–we don’t know.  We can imagine them all at twilight, gathered around their Teacher, confessing their own temptations, bewildered by them, and Jesus, in his mercy, telling them, “You are not alone.” The enormity of the temptations he encountered after God affirmed him as his beloved Son cannot be described in our limited language.  There is much symbolic reference to the disciples’ own culture and traditions–the forty days, the wilderness, the quoting of Scripture,  the pinnacle of the temple.  Forty days stand for a long time, for a fast that lasts for quite a while as long as water is available.  There are many who have experienced the kind of hunger that gnaws at one’s flesh when one is truly famished –some because of illness, others because of the deprivations of war.  It is an unrelenting hunger, bringing with it a weakness that cannot be described unless experienced.  And in this weakened state, there is nothing more tempting than the offer of food.  Yet this offer by Satan comes with the temptation of the quick fix, of magic.  This is not how God works.  Bread is vital for our survival, but not bread alone.  Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, but Luke does not complete the quote, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  Jesus uses the Word to silence the enemy.  The needs of the body must be satisfied, but not at the expense of our souls.  Only the Word who emanates from the Father eternally can offer us the strength to withstand the temptations that result from such needs.

In the second temptation, we hear a response that is probably never found among lesser human beings. The hunger for power and money, for control, and for the exploitation of others runs rampant in today’s world. It was thus also during the Roman Empire.  The devil’s words are frightening.  He claims all authority, “for it has been given over to me,” he says, “and I give it to anyone I please.”  We pause to ask, “Who gave him such authority?” and to conclude: “So that’s why the world is in such a mess.”  Whatever the meaning of this claim to authority, we hear a resounding No in the answer Jesus gives, again from Scripture.  His devotion to God is unequivocal, his obedience total, his love single-minded.  He cannot be tempted away from the worship of the One God.

The third temptation is the most intriguing because in this instance Satan himself quotes Scripture, and does so most effectively.  He chooses the words of the beautiful, comforting Psalm 91, as we know it:

For he shall give his angels charge over you…
they shall bear you in their hands,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Again, here is a universal experience.  Who among us has not stumbled against a stone, against temptation?  Moreover, we are reminded once more that the Enemy also quotes Scripture, many times cleverly, to silence the Spirit.  Look at how the Bible is used as a weapon against the children of Light in today’s world.  This is the most seductive power of the Enemy. We must always be alert to the misuse of the Word, to the exploitation of the good news for the purpose of hurting the least of these, our brothers and sisters.  Jesus will not have it.  He relies on Scripture as he responds with clarity, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Throughout history, human beings have tried to bargain with their Creator, to test the one who has given them life.  We see it in all mythology, and even between the ancient Hebrews and their God. Jesus rejects such bargaining, even when it uses the words of Scripture.  What did the disciples take away from this remarkable story?  After the Ascension, we hear Peter use the words of Scripture repeatedly when he teaches, interprets, and preaches the Good News of Christ.

What should stay with us?  We see how the Tempter arrives when we are at our height of spiritual awareness: maybe after doing something good for someone else. Temptation arrives when we feel that we are so close to who we are called to be, that we run the danger of pride and a fall.  This is a most opportune time for the Tempter.  Stones surround us; we are always prone to dash our foot against them.  Who will bear us up?  Most of us resort to prayer, which comes in many forms.  The most reliable and the strongest, as we see here, is to use the words given to us in Scripture. In The Anglican/Episcopal Church, we have the additional treasure of the Book of Common Prayer.  They come to us, these ancient words, echoing through the centuries, tried and blessed, because they have become part of us, of our subconscious, and our memory.  This passage reminds us not to neglect to read, study, and memorize the words of the Bible because we never know when they will serve as our two-edged sword, or as our only shield against the Enemy.  We must be prepared.

Let us then recall and rest upon the Word, and the Word will not fail us.  As St. Paul reminds us:

“The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart.”

May it always be so.

Amen.

Please stand for the Nicene Creed.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

Let us pray for the world and for the Church:

Prayers of intercession are now said and at the end of each prayer the priest says:

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

or

Lord hear us,

Lord graciously hear us

At the conclusion of the prayers the priest says:

Almighty God, who has promised to hear our prayers.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 Jesus said: Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

or

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

First Sunday in Lent

6th March 2022 – First Sunday in Lent – Year C

a) Let us pray to the Father, who through the Son has shown us the way of righteousness.

b) Grant that the church, confessing the faith of the Lord Jesus, shall never cease to praise you for your mercies… Give to your people strength to resist temptation, and to acknowledge you, the only God.

We pray for the welfare of your church here on earth; guide and govern it by your Spirit, so that all Christians may be led in the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and  righteousness of life.

We ask your blessing on +Vsevolod our Bishop, on this, our parish of St. George – for its work, its worship and its witness. We pray particularly for Fr. David in his ministry to us at this time of great personal sorrow and desolation, and for all members of our congregation, be they near or far.

1 Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer.

c) Bless the Earth so it might give food for our needs… Prosper the work of those who produce and distribute food… Bring relief to those who live in barren places, and struggle for existence.

d) Bless our families and friends with stability in our homes and sufficiency for our needs… Keep us in harmony with our neighbours, and those with whom we work, making us free from all that seems to divide us.

We pray for the leaders of all the nations of the world, most particularly for the King and Government of Thailand at this time of unrest, and also in the countries from which we come. We remember also all the people in countries that have had problems of any kind during this past week, praying fervently for a speedy end to the atrocities in the Ukraine.

Grant wisdom to those in authority in every land, and give to all people a desire for righteousness and peace, the will to work together in trust, to seek the common good, and to share with justice and equity the limited resources of the earth.

2 Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who are prevented from or persecuted for practising their faith, wherever they may be. We pray for our fellow Christians, both here in Thailand, and also in our own home countries.

We pray for all those who suffer in body, mind and spirit; the sick; the poor; the depressed; the lonely; the afraid, the unloved; the persecuted; the unemployed and those who care for them. Those who grieve; and those who have nobody to pray for them.

4 Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer.

e) Have mercy on those who lack the means of life…  Deliver from evil all who feel temptation, and show them the way of righteousness.

We remember all those who have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic; particularly here in PattaYa. We give you thanks that Thailand has now reopened to visitors from abroad, as the outbreak is essentially being reasonably contained, and for the progress which has been made with the vaccination programme,

Amongst the sick we remember;

Fr. Tom,  Terry, Brian, Colin, Mavis, Patricia, Eric, Kent, Elizabeth, Conrad, Griselda, Jun, Martyn, Dave, Carole, Emilia, Jean-Pierre, and any others, known personally to each and every one of us…

5 Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer.

f) We give thanks for the faithful departed, who in their lives confessed Jesus as Lord… By his rising from the dead, Grant them eternal life.

We bring to you all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, especially the millions who have perished in the COVID pandemic –for Mick (4), John (1), another John(1)……….. and all those whose anniversaries occur at this time and known to us, either collectively or individually.

6 Lord, in your mercy Hear our prayer.

[DAVID] – g. g) Strengthened by the example of Christ, we pray that we may be saved from all sin.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE CONFESSION:

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, welcoming sinners and inviting them to the Lord’s table.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God’s forgiveness.

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, and in what we have failed to do: we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves; we repent and are sorry ✊ for all ✊ our sins ✊, Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

**(Note: all are encouraged to strike their breast 3 times following the lead of Fr. David as he utters the words: ‘sorry for all our sins’)**

Almighty God, who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith, pardon you ✝ and set you free from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE PEACE:

The congregation stands.

We are the Body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please greet each other with a sign of peace.

Be thou my guardian and my guide,
And hear me when I call;
Let not my slippery footsteps slide,
And hold me lest I fall.

The world, the flesh, and Satan dwell
Around the path I tread;
O, save me from the snares of hell,
Thou quickener of the dead.

And if I tempted am to sin,
And outward things are strong,
Do thou, O Lord, keep watch within,
And save my soul from wrong.
Still let me ever watch and pray,
And feel that I am frail;
That if the tempter cross my way,
Yet he may not prevail.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫

THE OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and the service of your kingdom.

Blessed be God forever.

 Let us pray

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  Amen.

The Lord be with you.

and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

Proper Preface

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. ✝  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body ✝ which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood ✝ of the new covenant,

which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice, made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father, as our Saviour has taught us:

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.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  ✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.✋

**(Note:  All are encouraged to tap their breast three times following the example of Fr. David as he utters the words ‘…have mercy, …have mercy and …grant us peace’)**

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

This is the Lamb of God ✝, who takes away the sins of the world;

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy ✊ to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to strike breast following the example of Fr. David as all utter the words ‘not worthy’)** 

After Communion the celebrant and the congregation say

 

Let us pray.

Father of all we give you thanks and praise that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. 

Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name.

Father, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ✝, be amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ.  Amen.

O kind Creator, bow thine ear
To mark the cry, to know the tear
Before thy throne of mercy spent
In this thy holy fast of Lent.

Our sins are many, this we know;
Spare us, good Lord, thy mercy show;
And for the honour of thy name
Our fainting souls to life reclaim.

Give us the self-control that springs
From discipline of outward things,
That fasting inward secretly
The soul may purely dwell with thee.

We pray thee, holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
That we from this our abstinence
May reap the fruits of penitence. Amen.

♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫