March 9, 2025 Service

We welcome you to EPC! May the love and warmth of God’s grace be with you as you worship. We Gather Before God Chimes Welcome & Announcements Prelude          These Forty Days       arr. Robert Powell *Call to Worship For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: There are times when we are filled with joy and hope, and other times when we are sad and scared. There are times when we laugh, and times when we weep. There are times when we are confident and strong, and times when we are unsure and weak. In every season, steadfast God, you promise to be with us. When we are tempted to despair, turn us back to your enduring promise. *Hymn No. 81    Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days    St. Flavian 1 Lord, who throughout these forty days For us didst fast and pray, Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins, And close by Thee to stay. 2 As Thou with Satan didst contend, And didst the victory win, O give us strength in Thee to fight, In Thee to conquer sin. 3 And through these days of penitence, And through Thy Passiontide, Yea, evermore, in life and death, O Lord, with us abide. 4 Abide with us, that so, this life Of suffering over-past, An Easter of unending joy We may attain at last! Call to Confession We are all sinners, we are all children of God, and precious to God. Let us confess our common humanity to the One who is generous to all. Prayer of Confession We meet you here, God of faithfulness, our hands and lives full of all our foolish ways.  We often treat the strangers who walk among us with fear and doubt. We afflict our anger on those who care about us the most.  We impose hard words on those who need to hear hope and grace in their lives. So now we bring our hearts to you, Generous God, setting them down before you in hopes that you will mend them.  As you hear our faltering words, we pray you would answer us with your forgiving love.  And as you forgive us, may we go forth to be generous with our lives towards others, even as the one who is Lord of all, Jesus Christ, has been so generous to us. Amen. (~ silent prayer) Assurance of Grace God has given us the free gift of grace - a gift which brings us joy; a gift which brings us life. We are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen. *Congregational Response  Jesus, Name Above All Names   Naida Hearn Jesu, name above all names, Wonderful Savior, Glorious Lord, Emmanuel, God is with us, Blessed Redeemer, Living Word. *Passing the Peace of Christ (please share the peace as you feel comfortable) Peace be with you. And also with you. We Listen to God’s Word Musical Offering        Spirit Song           John Wimber Chancel Choir O let the Son of God enfold you with his Spirit and his love. Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul. O let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit like a dove Will descend upon your life and make you whole. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Jesus, O Jesus, come and fill your lambs. Scripture       Luke 4:1-13         NRSVUE Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God,     and serve only him.’ ” 9 Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,     to protect you,’ 11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,     so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Sermon        Nearer to God         Pastor Suzanne Personette We Respond to God’s Grace *Hymn         Nearer, My God, to Thee (vv. 1 through 3)    Bethany 1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee! E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,  still all my song shall be,  nearer, my God, to thee;  nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee! 2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,  darkness be over me, my rest a stone;  yet in my dreams I'd be  nearer, my God,