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.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26.1-11

Moses spoke to the people, saying: ‘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 labour 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.

Psalm 91.1-2,9-16

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High *and abides under the shadow of the Almighty,
Shall say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my stronghold, *my God, in whom I put my trust.’
Because you have made the Lord your refuge *and the Most High your stronghold,
There shall no evil happen to you, *neither shall any plague come near your tent.
For he shall give his angels charge over you, *to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you in their hands, *lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
Because they have set their love upon me, therefore will I deliver them; *
I will lift them up, because they know my name.
They will call upon me and I will answer them; *I am with them in trouble,
I will deliver them and bring them to honour.
With long life will I satisfy them *and show them my salvation.

Second Reading: Romans 10.8b-13

What does scripture say? ‘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.’

 Gospel Reading: Luke 4.1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.”’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written,“Worship the Lord your God,and serve only him.”’Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,“He will command his angels concerning you,to protect you”, and“On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Prayers of Intercession

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, we ask you to help your Church this Lent to leave behind for a while the outward glory that we offer you, the physical ornament and the surface magnificence of our worship. Be with us as we try to share your Son’s time in the desert, stripped of all superfluity. Save us, we pray, from the temptation to bandy competing quotes from scripture to bolster the likeness of you that we have each made in our own image. In the silence of the desert, we ask you to fill our emptiness with your wholeness and give us a new vision of your kingdom.

Lord, in the stillness, make our hearts blossom as a desert rose: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, in our crowded lives together, help us to find a space, a desert, where there is time for reflection. Help our nation and those in government to stand aside for a moment from the daily routine so that they may sharpen their awareness of  the glories of your creation and those things which are of lasting significance. May these eternal verities throw into relief the petty difficulties and irritations of everyday life which confront us all.

Lord, in the stillness, make our hearts blossom as a desert rose: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The local community

Lord, help us to use this Lent to consider once again our place in the community. Strengthen us in our efforts to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. As we use this time to look inward at our devotion to you, let us also look outward at the part we play with those we live amongst, and help us be a force for good in the world.

Lord, in the stillness, make our hearts blossom as a desert rose: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Those who suffer

Lord, we pray especially today for those who, not by choice, live isolated lives and never feel over-burdened by the demands made on them. We pray for those who face daily the temptation of addiction. We pray for those who are ill. We ask you to be with them all in their silence and stillness, destroy their fears and give them courage for the journey.

Lord, in the stillness, make our hearts blossom as a desert rose: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The communion of saints

We pray for all those whom we love who have departed this life. May they rest in peace and rise in the glory of life in your presence.

Lord, in the stillness, make our hearts blossom as a desert rose: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The inspiration for today’s prayers comes from ‘Lent’, a poem by the Revd Ann Lewin. Copyright considerations prevent me quoting it here in full, but you can read it here. This is how it begins:

Lent is a time to learn to travel
Light, to clear the clutter
From our crowded lives, and
Find a space, a desert.
Deserts are bleak: no creature
Comforts, only a vast expanse of
Stillness, sharpening awareness of
Ourselves and God.

The illustration is Wilderness by: Alan M Barker Taken from GOSPEL WORDS