February 14, 2027 – First Sunday in Lent

Lectionary Readings

Genesis 9:8–17
God’s covenant with Noah: I will never again flood the whole earth.

Psalm 25:1–10
Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord; do not remember my sin.

1 Peter 3:18–22
The flood of former days prefigures the sacrament of baptism.

Mark 1:9–15
After his baptism, Jesus is tested in the wilderness for forty days.

— Gathering —

Call to Worship

God’s covenant is for all creation and for all time.
Lord, have mercy on us.

God’s covenant is with us through the wilderness.
Lord, have mercy on us.

God’s covenant is alive in Christ and the Spirit.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Prayer of the Day

You are the creator of the cosmos,
and yet you tend to our every need.
With your voice you plant the seed of your will in our hearts,
where Christ waters it with an unending flow of love
and the Spirit tends it as we grow ever stronger in your ways.
We pray that, like a seedling, we might reach for the light
and stretch our roots deep into the soil
of your blessed foundation. Amen.

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Thanksgiving For Baptism

At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the mercy you so freely offer us
through the grace of our baptism—
safe passage through the sea,
justice rolling down like water,
deliverance from sin and death forever.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
teach us to love and serve you faithfully
and reconcile us to you and to one another
as members of one, living body;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
In the name of Christ, I urge you:
Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20

Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.

In the season of Lent, O God,
we say lofty words about renewing our spiritual disciplines,
journeying with you to the cross,
or denying ourselves material wants for the good of the soul.
Forgive us, O God, if our actions are in vain:
if we are concerned with the good of the soul
rather than the good of your people;
if we have twisted this season of penitence
into a reason for praise or judgment;
if we are so preoccupied with the sins of the world
that we cannot recognize and confess the sins of our own lives.
Forgive us, O God, and wash us in your mercy.
Forgive us, O God, and free us to try again.

Lifting water from the font:
Listen, the time has come at last.
Look, now is the day of salvation!
2 Corinthians 6:2

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Gracious God, our way in the wilderness,
guide us by your Word through these forty days,
and minister to us with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may reformed,
restored, and renewed;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15

After the readings:
We proclaim Christ crucified—
the wisdom and power of God.
Thanks be to God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–25

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
we bend our knees
and lift up our hearts,
giving glory to God forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:9–11

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

Season of Lent
The reconciling work of Jesus
was the supreme crisis in the life of humankind.
His cross and resurrection become personal crisis
and present hope for women and men
when the gospel is proclaimed and believed.
In this experience,
the Spirit brings God’s forgiveness to all,
moves people to respond in faith,
repentance, and obedience,
and initiates the new life in Christ.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.21