St Mary’s Ecclesfield

Following Jesus, Celebrating Life, Welcoming All.

Sunday 21st February 2021

The First Sunday of Lent

The grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

While I kept silence my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not hide my iniquity.

I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

(Ps 32:1-3,5)

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are 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

The Confession

In a moment of honest reflection we confess to God our failure to live as His children and our failure to love our neighbours.

We keep a time of silence.

Lord our God,

in our sin we have avoided your call.

Our love for you is like a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes away early.

Have mercy on us;

deliver us from judgement;

bind up our wounds and revive us;

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

May the loving Father who sent His Son into the world to save sinners, bring us His pardon and peace, now and forever. Amen

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is the strength of my life.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit.

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Collect

Almighty God,

whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,

and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:

give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;

and, as you know our weakness,

so may we know your power to save;

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

The Word of God

Reading - Genesis 9:8-17

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gospel - Mark 1:9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Sermon

The Nicene Creed

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 from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

and was made man.

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

The Peace

Since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, for He is our peace.

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

We share a sign of peace.

Intercessions

Response:

Lord in your mercy

hear our prayer.

At the end.

Merciful Father

accept these prayers for the sake of your Son Our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer:

Lord Jesus, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray:

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 Holy Fire,

O Holy Grace.

By your birth,

bring us life.

By your overcoming of troubled spirits,

make us strong.

By your integrity,

make us true.

By your fortitude in trials,

keep us firm.

By your self-giving death,

make us generous.

By your mission to call us to rest in you,

raise us to eternal life.

Heavenly Father,

your Son battled with the powers of darkness,

and grew closer to you in the desert:

help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer

that we may witness to your saving love

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

The Blessing

May God the Father, who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to be our Saviour, give us the grace each day to take up our cross and follow Jesus,

and the blessing of God Almighty,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever. Amen

Let us go in the light and peace of Christ.

Thanks be to God.