Lent 1
21.02.21
West Dartmoor Mission Community
Welcome to Nosh@Home
Dear friends,
Welcome to Nosh@Home for Sunday 21st February.
Today is the first Sunday of Lent and our service will focus around the theme of “being ready to face the
wilderness of today’s world.”
Remember, you don’t have to follow everything on the presentation – the purpose is to help you with your
worship. There are two options for the intercessions, so you can choose which one to use.
For other services offered by the West Dartmoor Mission Community, please visit our website:
www.westdartmoor.church Kind regards
The Nosh Team
As usual, a huge thank you to rootsontheweb for the use of the materials for this presentation.
Apologies if any YouTube links have adverts.
This week we explore being ready to face the wilderness of today’s world.
Introduction: What are you wearing?
Think about the clothes you are wearing. Why did you choose those particular items? Are the clothes different from what you wear to go to other places?
During the last year, when you haven’t been able to go out as much as usual, have you been wearing different clothes to those you would normally wear? Perhaps you’ve been in your pyjamas or dressing gown a bit more! Do we judge people – or make assumptions about them – based on what they are wearing?
What do your clothes say about you?
Self-portraits
You will need: pens and paper.
Draw a caricature or a portrait of yourself; include things to represent your personality, hobbies, etc.
If possible, share your picture with the group, explaining (if they would like) what things they most like about themselves and what they would change if they could.
Today we are going to explore how Jesus discovered who he was, what God wanted him to
be, and how that helped him to face difficult challenges. And we shall ask how that helps us to know who we are, and how we might face the challenges in our lives and be the person God calls us to be.
Gathering prayer
Loving God, thank you
for drawing us together to be your people.
Thank you that we can still stay connected with you
and each other through technology.
Even though we can’t be in the same room,
help us, as we meet together,
to see ourselves as you see us.
Give us faith to hear your words of love
beyond some of the hard realities of our lives.
May your Holy Spirit guide and inspire us
to recognise your presence in all we do.
For those who have a
birthday in February…
♫Happy birthday to you,
♪To Jesus be true,
♫May God’s richest blessings
♪Pour down upon you.
Time to say we are sorry:
Beloved Lord Jesus, you stepped from water to wilderness,
from God’s voice to the taunting voice of the enemy.
In the wilderness of today’s world, we face many enemies, many temptations.
Forgive us for succumbing to selfishness, greed, anger and power.
Lord, forgive us, we pray.
Sometimes difficult times follow fast on the heels of one another.
And it’s hard to keep our focus on you. Forgive us.
Help us not to wallow in selfish self-centredness,
but to remember your promises and recognise you in those you bring alongside.
Lord, forgive us, we pray.
Forgive us when our minds fail to focus on you and your word.
Help us to remember that no matter what we’re going through, you’ve been there before us.
Whether we’re swimming in the warm waters of your love,
or journeying through the arid wilderness,
help us not to lose sight of your guided and protecting hand.
Lord, forgive us, we pray. Amen.
Listen to: In Christ alone
Open the Bible at Mark 1.9-15
Introduction: In Mark’s typical style, it is ‘immediately’ after Jesus’ baptism that he is ‘driven’ into the wilderness. The baptism shows God’s affirmation of Jesus
as God’s beloved Son. This is in stark contrast to the tough temptations Jesus then faces in the wilderness. But Mark, by placing them in this way, indicates that Jesus’ baptism prepared him not only for his future ministry but also to endure the temptations.
This experience places knowing who he is before what he does. Thinking about our identity, both our own individuality and our identity as a child of God – knowing God, and that we are loved by God – may help us cope with our difficult ‘wilderness’ experiences, whatever their nature might be.
Before reading, try this simple meditation:
Shut your eyes and try to imagine the river Jordan with John the Baptist standing in the water, baptizing people.
What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? What does it feel like to be there (e.g. exciting, or worrying)?
Now read verses 9-11 slowly:
9Not long afterward Jesus came from Nazareth in the province of Galilee*, and was baptized by John in the
Jordan. 10As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, he saw heaven opening and the Spirit coming down
on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.”
After a brief silence, imagine a wild and desolate place – hot and desert-like. Again, imagine what you are experiencing and what it feels like to be there (e.g. are there any wild animals?).
Now read verses 12-14 slowly:
12At once the Spirit made him go into the desert, 13where he stayed forty days, being tempted by Satan.
Wild animals were there also, but angels came and helped him. 14After John had been put in
prison, Jesus went to Galilee and preached the Good News from God. 15“The right time has
come,” he said, “and the Kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News!”
Now, think about how Jesus would have felt when John was put into prison. How did he react to the news? After a slightly longer silence, slowly come back ‘into the room’. You could offer this short prayer,
Holy God, open our hearts and minds to know who you made us to be. Help us to live every day knowing that we are your children.
Open our eyes to see not only others, but also ourselves, through the eyes of your love. Amen.
[*Stop and share: Neither Nazareth nor Galilee were very important places at this time. Therefore, people probably wouldn’t have thought Jesus was the ‘powerful’ person John had told them about.]
A time for quiet reflection
Talk together:
• What does it feel like when someone says something encouraging to you?
• What words might describe Jesus’ feelings when he heard God’s voice calling him ‘beloved’?
• How can we remind ourselves who God says we are when we face difficult circumstances or decisions?
A few Active Worship Ideas
Consider how God equips us for our own calling You will need: pens and paper
Draw a garden with a compost heap in the corner. Now draw flowers in the garden and reflect on the positive things in your life. Write or draw your experiences of difficult situations, or ‘wilderness’ in the compost heap. Finally, draw a large lid on the
compost heap.
Think about what happens to compost in real life.
Reflect about the things you have written in the compost heap, and how they might turn into beautiful soil to help other things grow.
Praying with portraits - Reflect on our own identity You will need: self-portraits from our opening activity.
Use the self-portraits from the beginning of the session and write ‘thank you’ prayers for the things that you like about yourself. Challenge yourself to thank God for the things you don’t like so much. Use your prayer to thank God that he loves and cares for you.
Decorate picture frames - A reminder that we are affirmed by God
You will need: plain wooden picture frames, paint and paintbrushes (or marker pens), other craft materials.
Ask the children what encouraging and affirming words God might use to describe them, e.g. beloved, precious, daughter/son. Encourage everyone to decorate their frames with the positive words they have chosen, as well as pictures or designs.
Invite the children to place a photograph of themselves in the frame when they get home, to remind them how precious God thinks they are.
Postscript:
The Diocese of Exeter are producing a weekly Roots and Shoots Community News email. You can subscribe to receive the email direct into your inbox at
https://exeter.anglican.org/resources/worship/sunday-services-to-watch-online/
The Diocese are offering a weekly 10 minute sermon that you might like to watch and listen to. It can be found via the link on the Roots and Shoots email or by the following link:
Time to pray – option 1
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
In situations where I have no answers, and your presence seems distant:
to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
When the ways of the world
seem to overcome the light of Christ: to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
When the world seems chaotic,
wars continue and disasters proliferate: to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
When it seems that those I pray for remain unhealed:
to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
When I despair and turn from you, when I fall or fail:
to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me.
Time to pray – option 2
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
Gracious Lord, we pray for all those
being tested by wilderness times of illness and sadness. May we be the voices that cheer them,
and the hands that meet their needs. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
We pray for those who feel surrounded by the wild beasts of hunger and poverty. During this Fairtrade Fortnight,
may we use our resources to help them. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
We pray for all those longing for the angels of kindness to meet them in their loneliness. May we be friends to them
and point them towards your love. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
I put my trust in you.
We ask all this in Jesus’ name.
