Lent Day 9
Theme – The Fallout
Gather
Christ goes on before us, during these days of Lent, telling us to deny ourselves…
…and we take up our cross and follow.
Song – Forty Days
Prayers of the People
God who knows our every weakness, we pray this day for those along our journey who need comfort from affliction and release from bondage. You are the great and ultimate healer. May we be not mere observers and recipients of your overwhelming love, but also Spirit-led instruments that live out your redemptive story to all people.
Lord, in your mercy…
…Hear our prayer.
Confession
Source of life and all that is good…
…we confess to you how far we have journeyed astray, more often acting as if this world is home, rather than as aliens in a foreign land. We have chosen pleasure rather than justice, pride rather than mercy, and platitudes rather than sacrifice. Forgive us, O Lord.
Presentation of the Nails and Song – Sojourn
Alms Giving
If among you, one of your brothers should become poor… you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Deuteronomy 15:7-8
Lord of all…
…Take these gifts, bless and multiply them, that you may be glorified. Amen.
Reading – Genesis 8:13-22
In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Song – Dust
Benediction
Holy Father, may our first thoughts always be to praise you, in times of redemption as well as judgement. May we never take for granted the passing of the seasons in their time, for that too is a promise of your continued mercies.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen.
Next: Lent Day 10