Sunday 20th 3rd Sunday of Lent

Before we start today’s service, there are two messages we would like you to read and pray about.

Firstly Bishop Christopher writes:

“I write to you from the Houses of Parliament. I have been here all week. The Ukrainian Crisis has been a constant theme. Each day I’ve led prayers in the House of Lords, with the persistent threat of war in Europe lending them great urgency and poignancy.

As the week has unfolded, our worst fears have been realised and the people of Ukraine are now suffering a terrible onslaught. One of the lines from the ancient psalm I used this morning says, ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me: yea he delivered me out of all my fears’.

So, this is the time to increase our prayer and to seek the Lord, that God’s ways of peace would prevail and break through the violence. I call on all people of prayer across Coventry and Warwickshire to join the wave of prayer that is rising in the world.”

Please click here to read the remainder of Bishop Christopher’s letter…
https://www.coventry.anglican.org/news/bishops-call-to-prayer-for-ukraine.php

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Secondly:-

Will you please pray as our advert for a new minister has gone live from Friday and will be posted for the next 2 weeks.

This is for a fulltime minister for the two benefices of Fillongley with Corley and Ansley with Arley.

Thank you.

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Our Opening Hymn is Be Thou my vision

1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word

I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord.

Born of thy love, thy child may I be,

thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.

3. Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower.
Raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
Ruler of heaven, my treasure thou art.
“True Light of heaven, when victory is won
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

All: And also with you

Loving Lord,

Fill us with your life-giving,

joy-givingr peace-giving presence,

That we may praise you now with our lips,

and all the day long with our lives

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Cast your burden upon the Lord

All: And he will sustain you

Create in us clean hearts, O God

All: And renew a right spirit within us

Cast us not away from your Presence

All: And take not your Holy Spirit from us

Give us the joy of your saving help

All: And sustain us with your life-giving Spirit

Blessed be the Lord day by day

All: The God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.

We have a moment of quiet, to call to mind the things we

Have thought, said and done which we know grieve the God

who loves us

Come, let us return to the Lord and say:

All: Almighty God

Long-suffering and of great goodness

I confess to you.

I confess with my whole heart

My neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments

My wrong doing, thinking and speaking:

The hurts I have done to others,

And the good I have left undone.

O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you;

And raise me to newness of life;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

May the God of love and power

Forgive us and free us from our sins,

Heal and strengthen us by his Spirit,

And raise us to new life in Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

We praise God for his love and forgiveness with:-

Our Second Hymn is – What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there. (by Joseph M. Scriven -1855)

Our First Reading is taken from – Isaiah Chap: 55

1 The Lord says, “Come, everyone who is thirsty – here is water! Come, you that have no money – buy grain and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk – it will cost you nothing!

2 Why spend money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry? Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all.

3 “Listen now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! I will make a lasting covenant with you and give you the blessings I promised to David.

4 I made him a leader and commander of nations, and through him I showed them my power.

5 Now you will summon foreign nations; at one time they did not know you, but now they will come running to join you! I, the Lord your God, the holy God of Israel, will make all this happen; I will give you honour and glory.”

6 Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near.

7 Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.

8 “My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours.

9 As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.

This is the word of the Christ

All: Praise to you oh Christ

Our Third Hymn is – Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him;
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him. (by Joachim Neander – 1650 to 1680)

Our Second Reading is From – Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.

2 Let me see you in the sanctuary; let me see how mighty and glorious you are.

3 Your constant love is better than life itself, and so I will praise you.

4 I will give you thanks as long as I live; I will raise my hands to you in prayer.

5 My soul will feast and be satisfied, and I will sing glad songs of praise to you.

6 As I lie in bed, I remember you; all night long I think of you,

7 because you have always been my help. In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

8 I cling to you, and your hand keeps me safe.

9 Those who are trying to kill me will go down into the world of the dead.

This is the word of the Christ

All: Praise to you oh Christ

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent

Today’s sermon is based on the importance of prayer.

We need to give thanks for so much for ourselves and to pray for others especially the sick and suffering.

George Herbert the great hymn writer knew the power of prayer.

Each day he would go to his church at 10 a.m. and pray. For a while it was just him, then his family came and then the people of the parish. Even farmers would leave their work and pray.

We need to have a grateful heart.

The Lord’s Prayer covers all our needs and offers Glory to God. We need that time to talk to Jesus our friend. Prayer is needed especially for the state of the world.

Amen

Let us declare our faith in God.

All: We believe in God the Father,

From whom every family

In heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son

Who lives in our hearts through faith,

And fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit

Who strengthens us

With power from on high.

We believe in one God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for God to fill us with his Spirit.

Generous God,

we thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit.

We ask that we may be strengthened to serve you better.

Lord, come to bless us