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SECOND SUNDAY in LENTFIRST READING: Genesis 12:1-4aA Reading from the Book of Genesis.Now God said to Abram:Go from your countryand from your kindredand from your father's houseto the land that I will show you.I will make of you a great nation,and I will bless you,and make your name great,so that you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you,and those who curse you I will curse;and through youall the families of the earth shall be blessed.So Abram went, as God had told him;and Lot went with him.Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.Thanks be to God.YEAR A

SECOND SUNDAY in LENTPSALM 121I lift up my eyes to the hills;from where is my help to come?My help comes from God,the maker of heaven and earth.God will not allow our feet to slip;nor will the One who watches over us fall asleep.Indeed, the One who keeps watch over usshall neither slumber nor sleep.It is, after all, God who watches over us,who is our shade, who stands by our side,so that the sun shall not strike us by day,nor the moon by night.God shall preserve us from all evil,and keep us safe from harm.God shall watch over our going out and our coming in,now and for evermore.YEAR A

SECOND SUNDAY in LENTYEAR ASECOND READING: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17A Reading from the Letter to the Romans.What shall we say was gained by Abraham and Sarah, our ancestorsaccording to the flesh? If they were justified by their deeds, they would havesomething to boast about—though not before God. For what does thescripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him asrighteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a giftbut as something due. But to those who without works trust the One whojustifies the ungodly, such faith is credited to them as righteousness.For the promise that they would inherit the world did not come toAbraham and Sarah, nor to their descendants, through the law, but throughthe righteousness that comes through faith. For if the heirs to this promiseare those who live by the law, then faith is pointless, and the promise iswithout value. For with the law comes punishment. When there is no law,there can be no violation of the law.Therefore it all depends on faith, in order that the promise may reston grace and be guaranteed to all Abraham's descendants, not only to theadherents of the law but also to those who share his faith (for he is thefather of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of manynations")—all of which is done in the sight of God in whom he believed, theOne who restores the dead to life and calls into being things that do notexist.Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.Thanks be to God.

SECOND SUNDAY in LENTYEAR AGOSPEL READING: John 3:1-17The Lord be with you.And with thy spirit.The Holy Gospelof our Lord Jesus Christaccording to John.Glory be to Thee, O Lord.God be with you.And also with you.The Good Newsof Jesus Christaccording to John.Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. Hecame to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are ateacher who has come from God; for no one can do the signs and wondersyou do, except by the power of God."Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, unless one is born fromabove, one cannot see the realm of God."Nicodemus said to him, "How can an adult be born a second time? Ican't return to my mother's womb to be born again!"Jesus answered him, "The truth is, no one can enter the realm of Godwithout being born of water and the Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh;what is born of the Spirit is spirit. So do not be astonished that I said to you,'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and youhear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where itgoes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do notunderstand these things? Truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know andtestify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I havetold you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you possiblybelieve if I tell you about heavenly things?

SECOND SUNDAY in LENTYEAR A"No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descendedfrom heaven, God's Only Begotten. And just as Moses lifted up the serpentin the wilderness, so must this One be lifted up, that whoever believes mayhave eternal life. For God so loved the world as to give this One, God's OnlyBegotten, so that everyone who believes may not perish but have eternallife. Indeed, God did not send this One into the world to condemn the world,but that through God's Only Begotten the world might be saved."The Gospel of Christ.Praise be to Thee, O Christ.The Gospel of Christ.Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

SECOND SUNDAY in LENTYEAR AGOSPEL READING: Matthew 17:1-9The Lord be with you.And with thy spirit.The Holy Gospelof our Lord Jesus Christaccording to Matthew.Glory be to Thee, O Lord.God be with you.And also with you.The Good Newsof Jesus Christaccording to Matthew.Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brotherJohn and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And while they werethere he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, andhis clothes became dazzling white. Then suddenly there appeared to themMoses and Elijah, talking with him.Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I willmake three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."But while he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them,and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I amwell pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to theground and were overcome by fear.But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up, and do not beafraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himselfalone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tellno one about this vision until after God's Only Begotten has been raisedfrom the dead."The Gospel of Christ.Praise be to Thee, O Christ.The Gospel of Christ.Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Second Sunday in LentMarch 12, 2017Lent is the season of preparation for the Church's celebration of Easter,characterized by practises such as prayer, fasting, study, reflection, and good works.A prayer bowl is sounded as worship begins, calling God’s People to prayer.THE HOLY EUCHARIST10:30 a.m.The Reverend Brian E. Pearson, PresiderJeff Jones, Organist and Music DirectorThe Gathering of the CommunityWe gather, greet one another, and prepare for worship.Welcome and Opening AnnouncementsAll stand as the prayer bowl is sounded.Confession & AbsolutionDear friends in Christ,God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy,welcoming both the wounded and the wounder,and inviting them both to this table.Come, let us return to God,confident in God’s forgiveness.During the season ofLent we prepare forworship by reviewingour lives and seekingGod’s forgiveness forthose actions andintentions that preventus from being who Godhas created us to be.The people may stand, sit or kneel for the Kyrie and for the confession that follows.1

The prayer ofconfessionacknowledges ourhuman frailty andbrokenness.Most merciful God,our love for you is like the morning mist,like the dew that vanishes when sunlight comes.Have mercy on us,forgive our inconstancy,and revive our flagging spirits,that we may love and serve you anew;through Jesus Christ our Saviour.Amen.The Priest pronounces the Absolution:The God of all merciescleanse you from your sins,restore you in God’s image,and keep you in eternal life;through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.The Absolutionassures us of God’sabiding love.The Opening Prayer(traditionally calledthe Collect) identifiesa theme or themesheard in today’sservice.Opening Prayer (the congregation standing)Gracious God,by the power of your self-giving loveyou make all things new.Grant us courage to die to ourselvesand rise to the new life of Christ,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God now and forever.Amen.The Proclamation of the WordWe hear again the Christian storyand respond with our prayers and intentions.First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4aFollowing the Reading:Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.Thanks be to God.2read by Gillian BowlesThe First Reading isfrom the Hebrewscriptures, which isshared by bothChristians and Jews.

The recitation of aPsalm, a sacred poemfrom the Hebrewscriptures, has beenpart of Christianworship from earliesttimes.Psalm 121I lift up my eyes to the hills;from where is my help to come?My help comes from God,the maker of heaven and earth.God will not allow our feet to slip;nor will the One who watches over us fall asleep.Indeed, the One who keeps watch over usshall neither slumber nor sleep.It is, after all, God who watches over us,who is our shade, who stands by our side,so that the sun shall not strike us by day,nor the moon by night.God shall preserve us from all evil,and keep us safe from harm.God shall watch over our going out and our coming in,now and for evermore.Second Reading: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17read by Gillian BowlesFollowing the Reading:Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.Thanks be to God.Sequence Hymn: He Came DownGospel Reading: John 3:1-17 (the congregation remaining standing)Prior to the Reading:God be with you.And also with you.The Good News of Jesus Christ according to John.Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.The Second Reading isfrom the letterswritten by the earlyapostles to thechurches in AsiaMinor.blue insertWe stand inreverence for theGospel Readingbecause it tells usabout the life andteachings of Jesus.Following the Reading:The Gospel of ChristPraise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.Sermon3

An Affirmation ofFaith is a statementreflective of the corebeliefs of the Church.Affirmation of Faith (the congregation standing)Let us declare our faith in God, saying:We believe in God the Creator,from whom every family in heavenand on earth is named.We believe in God the Redeemer,who lives in our hearts through faith,filling us with healing love.We believe in God the Sanctifier,who strengthens uswith power from on high.We believe in one God:Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.The Prayers of the Peopleled by Ian MooreThe PeaceThe Passing of thePeace, a custom fromNew Testamenttimes, reminds us ofJesus’ command tolove one another ashe has loved us.Christ is our peace,who has reconciled us to God.God’s peace be always with you.And also with you.The People greet one another with a gesture of good will.The Celebration of the EucharistWe give thanks for Christ’s presence in our midstby which we are spiritually fed.Offertory Hymn: The GodPrayer over the GiftsBlessed be God,by whose grace creation is renewed,by whose love heaven is opened,by whose mercy our offering is received.Blessed be God forever. Amen.4blue insertDuring this hymnsymbols of our dailylives are offered forGod’s blessing: breadand wine (for use incommunion), andmoney (for theongoing witness andministry of theChurch).

Eucharistic PrayerGod be with you.And also with you.Lift up your hearts.We lift them up to God.Let us give thanks to God our Saviour.It is right to give our thanks and praise.“Eucharist” comesfrom the Greek wordfor thanksgiving,hence, this part of theservice is often called“The Great Thanksgiving”.Gracious God, it is indeed right and goodto give you thanks and praise.For in these forty days of Lentyou lead us into the desert of repentance,that through a pilgrimage of prayer and disciplinewe may grow in graceand learn to be your people once again.As we prepare to celebrate the Easter feastwith joyful hearts and mindswe bless you for your mercyand join with saints and angelsfor ever praising you and saying:5

Accept our prayers, O God,through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;who on the night he was handed overto suffering and death,took bread and gave you thanks, saying,“Take, and eat:this is my body which is broken for you.”In the same way he took the cup, saying,“This is my blood which is shed for you.When you do this, do it in memory of me.”This part of theprayer recalls thecentral mystery ofChrist’s saving act, hisdeath on the cross forour sake.Remembering therefore his death and resurrection,we offer you this bread and this cup,giving thanks that you have made us worthyto stand in your presence and serve you.Here we ask God tobless the gifts Godhas given us, thatthey may be ablessing to those whoreceive them.Send your Holy Spirit upon the offering of your holy Church.Gather into one all who share in these holy mysteries,filling them with the Holy Spiritand confirming their faith in the truth,that together we may praise you and give you glorythrough your Servant, Jesus Christ.All glory and honour are yours,now and for ever. Amen.The Lord’s PrayerAs our Saviour taught us, let us pray (saying):Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsas we forgive those who sin against us.Save us from the time of trial,and deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power,and the glory are yours,now and for ever. Amen.6The “Lord’s Prayer”is so called becausethe Gospels recordJesus teaching thisprayer to hisdisciples.

Breaking of the BreadWe break this bread,communion in Christ’s body once broken.Let your Church be the wheatwhich bears its fruit in dying.If we have died with him, we shall live with him;if we hold firm, we shall reign with him.InvitationThe gifts of God for the People of God.Thanks be to God!Communion (please remember to SIP not DIP)All who love andserve God arewelcome to comeforward to receive thebread and wine, or toreceive a blessing.Prayer after Communion (the People standing)Creator of heaven and earth,we thank you for these holy mysteries,which bring us now a share in the life to come,through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.DoxologyGlory to God,whose power, working in us,can do infinitely morethan we can ask or imagine.Glory to God from generation to generation,in the church and in Christ Jesus,for ever and ever. Amen.A doxology is aprayer of praise, inthis case a final one,drawing ourworship to a close.AnnouncementsDismissalChrist gives us graceto grow in righteousness:to deny ourselves, take up our cross,and follow him.Let us go forth in the name of Christ.Thanks be to God!Having been nurturedby Word andSacrament, we aresent out into theworld as witnesses ofGod’s love for allcreation.7

Closing Hymn: Canticle of The Sunblue insertOrgan Postlude: Cortége Solennel (Léon Boëlmann))Thank you for sharing in our worship today.Following the service you are invited to stay and join us for refreshments.8

Music and dance performed by talented young people from the community under the direction of Nick Turnbull. Nick is a young prolific composer who lives in Calgary. He has written music for various cinematic documentaries, television shows, videogames, live performances and special events. Nick's