Sunday March 9, 2025 Worship Service
Livestream at 11:10 a.m.

Gathering in God’s Name

Prelude — Fairest Lord Jesus — Herman Schroeder                               
As the prelude begins, you are invited to begin your personal preparation for worship.

Silent Meditation
Holy and loving God, as we worship you today, we long for your Spirit to both comfort and challenge us, to help us become more holy and more loving.  In a world that does not understand repentance, we pray for new understanding, humility, patience, and discipline that will help us die to sin and live for Jesus.  Amen.

Call to Worship — based on Psalm 91
Where is our home?
       Our home is in the shelter and shadow of God.
How can this be our refuge?
       Because God’s angels will guard your house and those in it from evil and threat.
How can we flourish?
       Staying close to God’s ways will bring our lives to abundance.
Let us worship God together!                                                                                                          

Praise and Adoration

*Opening Hymn #39 — Great Is Thy Faithfulness — FAITHFULNESS         
(*Please stand, if you are able)

Confession and Pardon

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession
God of mercy, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost.  We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way.  We are misled by pride, for we see ourselves pure when we are stained and great when we are small.  We have failed in love, neglected justice, and ignored your truth.  Have mercy, O God, and forgive our sin.  Return us to paths of righteousness through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Silent Prayers of Confession and Petition

Confessional Response (#417) — Lord Jesus, Think on Me — SOUTHWELL                                   

Assurance of Pardon

Welcome and Announcements

Fellowship of Prayer

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Proclamation of God’s Word

Scripture Lesson — Luke 4: 1-14 — page 835 of the pew Bible

Sermon — “No Shortcuts to Glory” — Dr. Zieman

*Lenten Sermon Response
Jesus the Christ, you refused to turn stones into bread.
       Save us from using our power, however little, to satisfy the demands of selfishness in the face of the greater needs of others.
Jesus the Christ, you refused to leap from the temple top.
       Save us from displaying our skills, however modest, to win instant popularity in the face of nobler calls on our abilities.
Jesus the Christ, you refused to bend the knee to a false god.
       Save us from offering our devotion, however weak, to cheap or easy religion in the face of the harder path on which you bid us to follow you.
Jesus the Christ,
       give us wisdom to discern evil, and in the face of all that is deceptively attractive help us to choose the will of God. Amen.

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

 Offertory — Thou Hidden Love of God — J. Aaron McDermid

The Sacrament of Holy Communion
The elders will serve you in the pews.  All baptized Christians are invited to partake. 
We ask that you hold on to the piece of bread or the cup until all have been served, so that we may partake as one body. 

Invitation to the Lord’s Table

Prayer before Communion

*Affirmation of Faith — from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Question 43
Q:What further benefit do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross?
A:Through Christ’s death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him.

*Sanctus #569 — Holy, Holy, Holy — SANCTUS (Oliver)

The Words of Institution

Serving of the Bread         
The pastors will walk down the aisles with gluten–free bread.

Anthem — For the Bread Which You Have Broken — Craig Carnahan

Serving of the Cup of the New Covenant

*Prayer of Dedication
Almighty God, your Son fasted forty days in the wilderness and was tempted as we are but did not sin.  Give us grace to direct our lives in obedience to your Spirit, that as you know our weakness, so we may know your power to save through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

*Hymn of Dedication #166 — Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days — ST. FLAVIAN

*Charge and Benediction                                                      

Postlude — What a Friend We Have in Jesus — Robert Hobby