1. Lent 2B March 1, 2015 Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38 St. David of Wales [Dewi Sant] Bishop & Saint c. 500 – 1 Mar 589 St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

2. Collect for Lent 2B O God, whose glory is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways. Bring them again with penitent hearts & steadfast faith to embrace & hold fast Your Word’s unchangeable truth, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you & the Holy Spirit lives & reigns, one God, forever & ever. Amen. Collect for Lent 2B O God, whose glory is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways. Bring them again with penitent hearts & steadfast faith to embrace & hold fast Your Word’s unchangeable truth, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you & the Holy Spirit lives & reigns, one God, forever & ever. Amen. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA -- Adult Lectionary Forum 2015 Prayer for Lent 2B [David of Wales] Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful & wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his pure life & zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen. Prayer for Lent 2B [David of Wales] Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful & wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his pure life & zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives & reigns with you & the Holy Spirit, one God, now & forever. Amen.

3. L ENT 2B: W HOA ! W HAT A C OVENANT [G ENESIS 17:1-7, 15-16] God makes covenants with Abram that, as advanced as their ages are, he & Sarai will be parents to many nations God’s Covenants with Abram Covenant sealed by Revelation --God revealed as El Shaddai [All Powerful] --Able to consummate a staggering promise to Abram & his progeny Covenant sealed by Name Change --Abram [Esteemed Father] > Abraham [Father of Many] --Sarai [my princess] > Sarah [Princess] Covenant sealed by Circumcision --Tangible reminder of God’s covenant --Signifies purification of life at its source 15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her & will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 1 When Abram was 99 years old, the L ORD appeared to him & said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully & be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me & you & will greatly increase your numbers”… 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you & kings will come from you. St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

4. God honors faith; and great faith honors God! Time Stamp: 66 AD Paul says Abraham, who trusted God's promise before the law existed, should be our model for responding in faith to God's goodness. Faith Justified God’s promise to Abraham precedes Moses laying down God’s Law Essential due to intent & effect of Law Law confined to 1 nation, Abram’s faith extends to all of us Isaac was a child of Abraham’s faith; Jesus justifies Abraham’s faith --He was delivered for our offenses --Raised again for our justification Jesus’ resurrection, ascension & intercessory position at God’s right hand verifies our sins are remitted Lent 2B: It’s a Matter of Faith [Romans 4:13-25] St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015 13 It was not through the law that Abraham & his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing & the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. Where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith… 20 His belief in God’s promise did not waiver, but grew stronger with his faith & he gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he promised… 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins & was raised to life for our justification.

5. 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things & be rejected by the elders, the chief priests & the teachers of the law, & that he must be killed & after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this. Peter took him aside & began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned & looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” L ENT 2B: T AKE U P Y OUR C ROSS [M ARK 8:31-38] Time Stamp: c. 28 AD Jesus drops a bombshell on his inner circle and prescribes strict requirements for those who would aspire to follow him from this time forward. Jesus Predicts His Death Jesus’ prediction of his own demise shocks & dismays his disciples Peter ‘s “rebuke” merely reflects what others no doubt feel; doesn’t want Jesus to “spook the herd” Jesus has another surprise in store: His fate will also be theirs! News is so contrary to what they expect that Jesus revisits subject twice more [Mark 9:31 and 10:33-34] Way of the Cross Taking up one’s Cross isn’t contrived humility It’s a call to do our best w/God-given talents & abilities Essentially: consider WWJD & to do it! St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples & said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves & take up their cross & follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me & for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?