Lent 08 First Sunday
10 February 2008
THEME AND SUGGESTED SERMON TITLE:
MYSTERY AND MERCY IN TEMPTATION
LECTIONARY TEXTS
Genesis 2: 15-17; Psalm 32; Matthew 4: 1 – 11
Genesis 2:4-14
4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they
were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the
heavens, 5when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of
the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to
rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6but a
stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the
ground— 7then the LORD God formed a human from the dust of the
ground, and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life; and the
creature became a living being.
8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and put the
man in the garden. 9Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every
tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life
also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. 10A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from
there it divides and becomes four branches. 11The name of the first is
Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where
there is gold; 12and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx
stone are there. 13The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one
that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14The name of the third river
is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the
Euphrates.
Psalm 32
1Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is
covered. 2Happy are those to whom YAHWEH imputes no iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no deceit. 3While I kept silence, my body wasted
away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was
heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
- Selah
5Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I
said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Holy One,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. - Selah
6Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of
distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you
surround me with glad cries of deliverance. - Selah
8I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will
counsel you with my eye upon you.
9Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper
must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
10Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds
those who trust in God.
11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all
you upright in heart.
Matthew 4:1-11
4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. 2He fasted forty days and forty nights, and
afterwards, he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves
of bread.” 4But Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘One
does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God.’” 5Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city
and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, “If
you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘God will command angels concerning you,’ and ‘On
their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.’” 7Jesus said to the tempter, “Again
it is written, ‘Do not put YAHWEH to the test.’”
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
the dominions of the world and their splendor; 9and said to him,
“All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship
me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is
written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve God
alone.’” 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came
and waited on him.
A CALL TO WORSHIP
ONE
So many voices
So many sights
So many ideas demanding our attention
And drawing us away from you O God.
So many needs
So many situations
So many obligations demanding our emotions
And drawing us away from you O Christ.
So many broken dreams,
So many half-held promises,
So many unfulfilled expectations demanding our very being
And drawing us away from you O God.
ALL
God of mystery and mercy
Grant us new life with you
as we draw near and face our temptations during this journey of
Lent.
Amen
A CONTEMPORARY LESSON
from In Wisdom’s Path by Jan Richardson
©Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2000, p. 54
I am not asking you
to take this wilderness from me,
to remove this place of starkness
where I come to know
the wildness within me,
where I learn to call the names of the ravenous beast
that pace inside me,
to finger the brambles
that snake through my veins,
to taste the thirst
that tugs at my tongue,
But send me
Tough angels,
Sweet wine,
Strong bread
Just enough.
MUSIC
Hymns:
Forty Days and Forty Nights (Gospel)
#205 in the NCH
On Angels’ Wings (Psalm)
Jesus, Still Lead On
#446 in the NCH
Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley
Choir:
There are many 4-part and 2-part settings of Jesus Walked this
Lonesome Valley by well-known arrangers.
Here’s One: Mark Hayes, SATB acc. Pepper 1376524
Deep Within, David Haas
Two-part, GIA G-3338
MEDIA SUGGESTION
The temptation scene from the old film Jesus of Nazareth
A CONFESSION
Ever-present Comforter,
As we hear the story of Jesus’ temptation again, we face the
unchanging reality that temptations are ever before us. It’s
all-too-easy to equate “temptation” with stereotypical
“wrongs” and to look past the very real temptations of our
lives.
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