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I am inviting different people from the area to teach us how to pray for our community. Our preacher today is Catherine Howarth who runs the West London Citizens Association. With less than a year to go before the huge West London  shopping centre opens for business, she has secured a Living  Wage agreement from Westfield (in  writing!) and is negotiating hard for childcare facilities.

I pleased to welcome the friends and family of Jeff and Catherine Shaw whose daughter Rose is being christened today.

Philip and Anne are going to teach us to sing some Taize chants during Easter. The challenge for us is to learn to sing while Sam is away. He is such a good mucision that we are delighted when he is here but our singing can be hopeless when he is away. We can give him a surprise when he comes back.

There is a Lent Course starting this week for any who are interested at the house of Mary Rodney (99 Godolphin Road). This will be a five part study course looking at the Lord’s Prayer held on Wednesdays during Lent – February 14th, 21th, 28th, March 6th, 13th. The time will be 7pm

Easter day is on March 23rd!! The Easter day service will be a Hat’s Service – come dressed in your finest. We are then planning a big celebration for afterwards.

Processional Hymn                    277 All for Jesus

Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Reading                 Romans 5.12-19                                (p.105)
12Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned – 13sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.  15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  18Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so the act of righteousness of one leads to justification and life for all. 19For just as by the one person’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Gradual Hymn                    175 Come down O Love Divine

GOSPEL                          Matthew 4.1-11     (p.108)
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ 4But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’5Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’ 7Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; 9and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,  “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Amazing love, oh what sacrifice
The Son of God, given for me
My debt He paid, and my death He died
That I might live, that I might live

Offertory Hymn             278 Alleluia Sing to Jesus (3 verses)         

Communion Hymn      Taize    

Post Communion Prayer
Lord God, you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven; by it you nourish our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love: teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread, and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from out of your mouth; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Recessional Hymn                     232 For All the Saints

Coffee in church after the service

Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops' Council 2000. Collect (1st of Lent) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662).

NOTICES

THIS WEEK:

THIS MONTH - PCC Meeting 25th February
NEXT MONTH - Confirmations at St Paul’s 22 March at 7pm

NEXT SUNDAY:            17 February 2008         Second Sunday of Lent

10 am SUNG EUCHARIST
Celebrant and Preacher – The Reverend Dr Bob Mayo
Romans 4.1-5, 13-17 (p 119), John 3.1-17 (p 111)

Sunday School meets in St Stephen's School
Sunday Youth meets in the Glebe Maisonette
Small Children are welcome to play in St Thomas's Chapel, near the porch
Baptised Communicants of other Churches are encouraged to receive communion
Children and other non-communicants are invited to come to the altar for a blessing
The Ministry of Healing is offered in the Chapel, after Communion is given

What about today’s Gospel

1. Where did Jesus go right after his baptism?
2. How long did Jesus stay there?
3. How did the devil ask Jesus to prove he was the Son of God?
4. What did the devil promise Jesus if he would worship him?
5. What was the second way the devil asked Jesus to prove that he was the Son of God?
6. How did Jesus answer the devil?
7. Did Jesus do anything the devil asked him to do?

INTERCESSIONS
Please pray for
- The sick and suffering: especially Felix Okike, Lucilda Bernard, Joan Andrew, Elizabeth Dorsett, Ivy Smith, Susie Leach, Norbert Edwards, Brother Paul Anthony, Sylvia Steed, Caroline Nevill, Tracey Davies, Esme Young, Roger Cox, Pam Coelho