Lent
“A journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the ‘bright sadness’ of Lent, we see - far, far away - the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom.”
- Alexander Schmemann.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Christian gospel, and Good Friday and Easter are two of the most significant celebrations of the Christian year. Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big events in our personal lives... Lent invites us to make our hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ passion and celebrating Jesus’ resurrection (From The Worship Sourcebook).
- Calling -
O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy:
O come, let us adore him.
- Constitution -
Read/Listen, Meditate, Pray, and Contemplate on God’s Word, remembering that God is with you and ready to speak to you because he loves you.
Praying the Psalms
Psalm 37
Of David.
[1] Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
[2] For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
[3] Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
[4] Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
[5] Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
[6] He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
[7] Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
[8] Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
[9] For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
[10] In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
[11] But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
[12] The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
[13] but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
[14] The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
[15] their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
[16] Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
[17] For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
[18] The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
[19] they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
[20] But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
[21] The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
[22] for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
[23] The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
[24] though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.
[25] I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
[26] He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
[27] Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
[28] For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
[29] The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
[30] The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
[31] The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
[32] The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
[33] The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
[34] Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
[35] I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
[36] But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
[37] Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
[38] But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
[39] The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
[40] The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 38
A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.
[1] O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
[2] For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
[3] There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
[4] For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
[5] My wounds stink and fester
because of my foolishness,
[6] I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
all the day I go about mourning.
[7] For my sides are filled with burning,
and there is no soundness in my flesh.
[8] I am feeble and crushed;
I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
[9] O Lord, all my longing is before you;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
[10] My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
[11] My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
and my nearest kin stand far off.
[12] Those who seek my life lay their snares;
those who seek my hurt speak of ruin
and meditate treachery all day long.
[13] But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,
like a mute man who does not open his mouth.
[14] I have become like a man who does not hear,
and in whose mouth are no rebukes.
[15] But for you, O LORD, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
[16] For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
who boast against me when my foot slips!”
[17] For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever before me.
[18] I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
[19] But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
[20] Those who render me evil for good
accuse me because I follow after good.
[21] Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
[22] Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Old Testament Reading
Proverbs 19
[1] Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
[2] Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
[3] When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.
[4] Wealth brings many new friends,
but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
[5] A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
[6] Many seek the favor of a generous man,
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
[7] All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
[8] Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
[9] A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
[10] It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
[11] Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
[12] A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
[13] A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
[14] House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
[15] Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
[16] Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
[17] Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will repay him for his deed.
[18] Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.
[19] A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
[20] Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.
[21] Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
[22] What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
[23] The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
[24] The sluggard buries his hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
[25] Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
[26] He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.
[27] Cease to hear instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
[28] A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
[29] Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and beating for the backs of fools.
New Testament Reading
Colossians 2
[1] For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, [2] that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [4] I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. [5] For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
[6] Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, [7] rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
[8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. [9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10] and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. [11] In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. [13] And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. [15] He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
[16] Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. [17] These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. [18] Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, [19] and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
[20] If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—[21] “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” [22] (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? [23] These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
- Communion -
Pray for yourself, others, our church, our neighbors, and the world.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer & the collect of the week:
Our Father who art in heaven...
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
- Commission -
After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. (1 Peter 5:10-11)
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.