SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR B

2018 - 25 February
2021 - 28 February
2024 - 25 February
2027 - 21 February
2030 - 17 March
2033 - 13 March
2036 - 09 March

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Lent season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

The Lord said to Abraham: I will establish my covenant between me and you:
an everlasting covenant, 
to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  (Gen17:7a,c NRSV)

OR, use one of the standard Lent Sentences in the document 'Lent season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)
Traditional
O God, 
since you know that by ourselves 
we have no strength: 
Keep us both outwardly and inwardly, 
that we may be defended from all adversities 
that may happen to the body, 
and from all evil thoughts 
that may assault and hurt the soul; 
through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, modernised traditional
Lord God, 
you know that by ourselves we have no strength. 
Defend us from all calamities 
that may happen to the body, 
and cleanse us from all evil thoughts 
that may attack the soul. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, new (revised alternative)
(Let us pray that we deny ourselves and trust in Christ. [silence])
Merciful God, 
we thank you for sending your Son 
to suffer and give his life for all people. 
Teach us, who have been born again, 
to forget ourselves 
and rely only on Christ our Saviour. 
For he lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

FIRST READING
Genesis 17:1-7,15,16 God's promise to Abraham and Sarah

PSALM
Psalm 22:23-31
Antiphon: 
They will proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn.  
(Ps 22:31 NRSV alt)

SECOND READING
Romans 4:13-25 Abraham received God's promise through faith

VERSE
Use either the Verse given in the order of service or the following verse.

(Jesus said:) 'If any want to become my followers, 
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'  (Mark 8:34 NRSV)

GOSPEL
Mark 8:31-38 The cost of discipleship

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Lord Jesus, thank you for suffering, dying, and rising again 
for our sake. 
Help us to carry our cross and follow you. 
Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER
Lord God, help us always rely on your promises to us. 
Strengthen us for service 
as your followers. 
Lead us to forget ourselves for your sake, 
and give of ourselves for others. 
Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Call to prayer
God called Abraham to follow him and promised him a son through whom blessing would come to all nations. Let us pray for the people of every nation, that God would bless them through Jesus Christ his Son.

The regular response, OR:
Save your people, and bless your inheritance.
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Suggested intercessions
*	for the nations of the world, that they may receive the blessing of peace
*	for all travellers, exiles and refugees, that God would guide them to a home to call their own
*	for all who inquire into the Christian faith (and for members of the pastor's class)
*	for those who preach and teach the gospel
*	for the Jewish people, that they may look to Christ as their messiah
*	for those preparing for baptism or confirmation at Easter.

Concluding prayer
Father, you justified Abraham because he believed your promise. Grant that all may believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, so that they may not come into judgment, but receive life, forgiveness, and salvation, through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR
Use ATO 403 'God of Abraham' as a sung prayer.

OR
Almighty God and Father, we do not come to talk with you this morning because we think we are so good and wonderful, but because you have been so good and wonderful to us, adopted us into your family and blessed us as your children.

Help us to cling to the promises you make to your family:
*	to love us when we see only our selfishness and lack of love to you
*	to forgive us, because of everything Jesus did for us in his life of love and in his dying on the cross 
*	to give your family a share in the resurrection when their bodies are worn out and rest in dust and ashes.

We thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord, who walks out in front of us to lead your people safely through the difficult and trying times ahead. We marvel that he would turn his back on a big name for himself in his life on earth, and choose to go to the place of suffering and death, out of love for all people in the world. There he identified with all godly people who have called out in despair: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'

May your Spirit help us to carry the cross for people in need of our loving concern, doing the best we can for their special needs without counting the cost to ourselves.

Bless all those who feel like giving up,
those who feel they cannot take any more sickness and suffering,
those who care for the sick, the dying, and those who grieve inwardly.

Bless our leaders who have big responsibilities to carry:
*	the leaders of our country, including the prime minister 
*	the leaders of the churches, including all presidents and bishops 
*	the leaders of our congregations, including our pastors, elders and church council.

Give us new strength by your Holy Spirit as Christ comes to us in his supper. Refresh us for the journey ahead, replenish our faith, and give us new confidence for the future. We ask this in Jesus' name. 
Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE
It is indeed right and good, 
Lord God, holy Father, 
that we should at all times and in all places 
give thanks to you, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
He has taken on himself our sin, 
so that we might die to sin 
and live to righteousness. 
And so, with angels and archangels, 
and with all the company of heaven, 
we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION
Every time we eat this bread and drink from this cup 
we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready. 

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
For a Lent post-communion prayer, see the document 'Lent season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Merciful God, 
we thank you for sending your Son 
to suffer and give his life for us 
and to make us your people. 
Teach us, 
who have received his body and blood 
in this holy meal, 
to forget ourselves 
and rely only on Christ our Saviour. 
For he lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING
This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) Christ our crucified Saviour draw you to himself, 
so that you may find in him the assurance of sins forgiven 
and the gift of eternal life; . . .

DISMISSAL
Take up your cross and follow Christ.
Thanks be to God.  OR  In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS
Please note:	* =	Modernised version available
	G3, G4 . . . =	Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . . 
	GS =	Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Genesis 17:1-7,15,16
LHS 
456 	The God of Abraham praise G7
AT 
403 	God of Abraham (selected verses) 
TIS 
116 	Begin my tongue some heavenly theme 
125 	The God of Abraham praise 

Second reading: Romans 4:13-25
LHS 
142	We all believe in one true God* G3
322 	Dear Christians, one and all rejoice* G3
323 	Blessed are the sons of God *G4
324 	Salvation unto us has come *
326 	O how great is Thy compassion * G3
413 	Why should cross and trial grieve me? 
AT 
130 	I am covered over 
TIS 
195 	Salvation now to us has come 
196 	Dear Christians, one and all rejoice 
219 	Jesus comes with all his grace 
435	We all believe in God who made

Gospel: Mark 8:31-38
LHS 
156 	Jesus our Saviour, of true joy the giver* G3
336 	'Come follow me', the Saviour spake* G3
351 	'Take up thy cross', the Saviour said G9
361 	Let us ever walk with Jesus* G5
385 	With all my heart I love Thee, Lord* G7
750 	When Jesus lived among us  G7
AT 
261 	From heaven you came, helpless babe 
401 	Follow me 
413 	Will you come and follow me 
495	Come and follow me
506	O let's get up to love and serve
TIS 
208 	Jesus has come, and brings joy as our Saviour 
251 	Lord Christ, we praise your sacrifice 
256 	From heaven you came, helpless babe 
583 	'Take up your cross', the Saviour said 

PSALM 22:23-31
For musical settings of Psalm 22:23-31, see Music Package 5.

The following paraphrase of Psalm 22:23-31 by David Schütz may be sung to the tune 'Vine and fig tree', ATN 36 (note that in the second last bar the second crochet must be played as two quavers. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Schütz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

Now praise the Lord, everyone who fears him!
All Jacob's children, praise his name;
and all you children of Israel, fear him,
and glorify him every day!
For he does not despise the poor,
those who are down are not ignored.
He did not hide his face from me,
he heard my cry and answered me.

So when I stand in the congregation,
there all my praise will come from him.
And in the presence of those who fear him,
there I will pay my vows to him.
Then there will be food for the poor,
then they will all be satisfied.
Praise him, all those who seek the Lord,
and may your spirit never die.

Then shall the ends of the earth remember
and ev'ry land turn to the Lord,
and all the fam'lies of ev'ry nation
shall worship him and hear his word.
For all dominion is the Lord's,
power and might belong to him.
He rules the nations as their king,
he brings his love and grace to them.

Then even those who have died will worship,
and I will always live for him.
And generations to come will serve him,
for they will all be told of him.
They will proclaim his saving love
to those who have not yet been born.
They will be told what we have learnt
that, by the Lord, it has been done.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

GENESIS 17:1-7;15-16: The covenant made with Abram in Chapter 15 is here repeated. This time the stipulation 'walk before me and be blameless' is added. The promise is not only that 99-year-old Abram and similarly aged Sarai will have a son, which is miracle enough! But above and beyond this, nations (not just one nation) and kings will be descended from him and Sarai also. The name changes (Abraham and Sarah) emphasise a change in identity through God's covenant. We are among those promised to them as their descendants, but in a far more blessed covenant.

ROMANS 4:13-24: Our faith in what God brought about for us through the death of Christ for our sins, and his resurrection to prove it, is what puts us right with God. Keeping the law does not.  There is no forgiveness through the law because of our sin and imperfection. Therefore the law can only bring wrath. Abraham believed God's promises to him, which included the Saviour King and his kingdom which would never end. Thus God counted Abraham's faith to him as righteousness. His confidence and his hope rested not on himself but simply on trusting the impossible Why? Because God had said it.

MARK 8:31-38: To the Jews of Jesus' day there was a popular saying, 'There will be no more misery when Messiah comes'. Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the Christ (that is, the Messiah!), and now Jesus tells the disciples that the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem to be rejected by the religious leaders, and to suffer and to die. Peter's well-meant discouragement of this idea is treated by Jesus as nothing less than Satan's work. Because the cross and all it means is central to receiving eternal life, we need to embrace it as God's plan for our life with him and be ready to put it before all else, even if it means suffering and even death.

VISUAL

visuals for the READINGS
Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the gospel could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for Mark 8:34.

CROSS
The gospel tells us to take up our cross. Most of our churches have a cross or a crucifix as part of the furnishing of the sanctuary. Consider doing something to highlight the cross in some visual way. Perhaps if a large wooden cross is used during Holy Week, it could be carried into the church on this Sunday.

DRAMA
'MEGA DRAMA'
See a drama for the day in Mega Drama  resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

dramatising the READINGS
The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the gospel could be read by two readers: a narrator and a person taking the part of Jesus.

CHILDREN

CROSS
The cross is a focal point of today's gospel. The children may carry a large wooden cross into the church at the beginning of the service, and set it in place in the sanctuary.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'
The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is 'The way of the cross'. This is a new story,  found in 
Revised RCL Edition, 2 Lent, year B