Lent1B February 22, 2015 Genesis 9: Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 Frederick Douglas Orator & Social Reformer St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

Collect for Lent 1B Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are also assaulted by many temptations; & since you know our respective weaknesses, let each one of us warrant your saving grace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for Lent 1B Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are also assaulted by many temptations; & since you know our respective weaknesses, let each one of us warrant your saving grace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA -- Adult Lectionary Forum 2015 Prayer for Lent 1B [Frederick Douglas] Almighty God, whose truth makes us free: We bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned & reasonable speech moved the hearts of a president & a people to a deeper obedience to Christ. Strengthen us also to be outspoken on behalf of those in captivity & tribulation, continuing in the Word of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you & the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting. Amen. Prayer for Lent 1B [Frederick Douglas] Almighty God, whose truth makes us free: We bless your Name for the witness of Frederick Douglass, whose impassioned & reasonable speech moved the hearts of a president & a people to a deeper obedience to Christ. Strengthen us also to be outspoken on behalf of those in captivity & tribulation, continuing in the Word of Jesus Christ our Liberator; who with you & the Holy Spirit dwells in glory everlasting. Amen.

L ENT 1B: N EVER A GAIN [G ENESIS 9:8-16] God makes a covenant with Moses that he will never again flood the Earth and establishes a visible sign of this promise for all time. God’s Covenant with Noah Similar to Babylonian flood story --Both thank God for sparing them --Both send out birds to fined dry land Promise that every living creature will never again be destroyed Order of things reconfirmed Noah and sons commanded to increase and subdue Earth Rainbow established as reminder of God’s covenant 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I make between me & you & me very living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, & it shall be a sign of the covenant between me &t he earth. 8 Then God said to Noah & to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you & your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, & every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

Time Stamp: 66 AD The writer uses Christ as a triumphal example to encourage others to embrace hope, face their own trials courageously and expect salvation in the end. Triumph Over Suffering Christ’s example argues for patience He was not exempt from suffering; why should we be? He was sinless, but we certainly are We are being tested & corrected every second, every day while we are on this earth. Encouragement in Suffering Peter’s Jewish audience engulfed by pagan world around them Encourages them by ref to Noah’s faith & patience in antideluvian trial Water separated reighteous from sin and sinners of Noah’s day The ark saved; baptism saves again Triumph Providing Salvation Christ’s sufferings resulted in our salvation Makes our suffering Lent 1B: Triumph & Encouragement [1 Peter 3:18-22] St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went & made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 & this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven & is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities & powers in submission to him.

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” L ENT 1B: W ATER, W AITING & W ANDERING [M ARK 1:9-15] Synopsis The serpent tempted 1 st Adam in Eden & 2 nd Adam in a wilderness; with different success indeed; ever since he still tempts children of both, in all places & conditions. Baptism & Testing Christ’s baptism [Vv 9-11] --1 st public appearance a special one --Heaven opens, spirit decends, God proclaims His son Christ’s temptation [Vv 12-13] --Jesus ministry is confrontational --Set to combat /defeat forces set on thwarting God’s purpose for human well-being --Evokes hope of a restored or new creation coming into being Christ’s teaching [Vv 14-15) --Having confronted Satan, braving wild animals, & with John’s ministry at an end, it is time for Jesus to go to work St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted [a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.a 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted [a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.a