Third Sunday in Lent

March 7, 2010

1. Gathered by the Spirit, let us return to the Lord our God, offer of our prayers of thanksgiving and pray for the church, the world and all who yearn for new life.

With my prayer, "Lord, in your love," you are invited to respond, "HEAR OUR PRAYER."

(Congregation may be invited to be seated for prayer.)

A brief silence

2. Merciful God, you call your church to repent for when it has failed to reflect your love and your courage. Even in their frailties, grant that all ministers, teachers, missionaries, relief workers, and all the baptized may be faithful to your Gospel and fruitful in their ministries.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

3. Lord of the church we pray for your guiding Spirit on this congregation, our neighboring congregations and on our sister congregations that together they might lead their members into lives of repentance and daily renewal. We pray especially for Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in North Vancouver and their pastor, Alan Lai; for St John Lutheran Church in Oliver and the ministers serving that congregation; and we pray for Hope Lutheran Church as this afternoon they install their new pastor, Terrance Richardson. May every congregation and all your servants reflect lives of humility and faithfulness.

Lord, in your love: HEAR OUR PRAYER.

4. Creator God, all you have made is good. Teach us to care for the earth, the sea, the sky, and all living things with love and with reverence.

Lord, in your love: HEAR OUR PRAYER.

5. Just God, your ways are beyond human understanding. Give those who are in positions of authority, wisdom, courage and compassion. Continue to give us willing governments and willing workers who offer relief to victims of natural disasters and human neglect.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

6. Faithful God, you hear the cries of the hungry, the lonely, those struggling with addictions and relationships, and those who are sick or dying. At this time, we pray especially for those we name aloud or quietly in our heart…

Bring healing, hope, strength and help to all in need, and lead us in this coming week to be agents of help to those in our midst and those beyond our borders.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

7. God, the giver of every good gift, we give you thanks for all your blessings:

- We thank you for all who have the gift of another birthday or another anniversary, and for those who have known the gift of new life;

- we thank you for leading us to repent when we have failed you, our neighbor or our loved ones;

- we thank you leading us into a life of daily forgiveness and daily renewal;

- we name our special, personal reasons for thankfulness aloud or quietly in our heart at this time…

Lord God, continue to open our eyes to the spiritual blessings we have experienced and continue to experience.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

8. We give thanks for all who have died especially those whose memories are still precious in our lives. Cast out our doubt and our fear, and replace it with trust in your promise to be with us now and in our death.

Lord, in your love:

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

9. Almighty God, you have commanded us to pray, and you promise to hear us. Hear the prayers of your people and grant us all that we need, for the sake of the one in whose name we pray, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. AMEN.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

10I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Luke 13:1-9

13At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, 'Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. …

6 Then he told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?" 8He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down." '