First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to the God who rescues, to receive the gifts of God’s grace, to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God’s love in Jesus, and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us.
+ GATHERING +
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
Holy God, Holy and Glorious
Briehl / Farlee
CONFESSIONS AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Compassionate One,
you are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,
but our lives do not always reflect you
and your love for the world.
We do not show others the tender compassion
you have shown to us.
We do not welcome others with the radical hospitality
you grant to all people.
We oppress others,
even though you have set us free again and again.
We squander the abundant gifts of the earth.
Transform our lives
and guide us again in the way of the cross.
Amen.
Beloved in Christ,
God’s arms are always stretched open wide
to welcome the wandering ones home.
In Christ your sins are forgiven.
You have a place in God’s house forever.
Amen.
GATHERING HYMN
Bless Now, O God, The Journey
ELW 326
Bless now, O God, the journey
that all your people make,
the path through noise and silence,
the way of give and take.
The trail is found in desert
and winds the mountain round,
then leads beside still waters,
the road where faith is found.
Bless sojourners and pilgrims
who share this winding way;
your hope burns through the terrors,
your love sustains the day.
We yearn for holy freedom
while often we are bound;
together we are seeking
the road where faith is found.
Divine eternal lover,
you meet us on the road.
We wait for land of promise
where milk and honey flow,
but waiting not for places,
you meet us all around.
Our covenant is written
on roads, as faith is found.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE ELW 155
Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison. Christe eleison. Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
+ WORD +
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The annual harvest festival, called the Feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In this text, worshipers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.
1 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 (sung responsively by full verse)
Refrain: How safe it is, this hiding place
beneath God's everlasting wings.
SECOND READING: Romans 10:8b-13
Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.
8b “The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart”
that is, the word of faith that we proclaim; 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Let your steadfast love come to us, O Lord.
Save us as you promised, we will trust your word.
GOSPEL: Luke 4:1-13
After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil, he defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”
1 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 tempted 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 their glory and all this authority; 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 took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON Pastor Jeanette Sweet
HYMN OF THE DAY
The Glory of These Forty Days
ELW 320
The glory of these forty days
we celebrate with songs of praise;
for Christ, through whom all things were made,
himself has fasted and has prayed.
Alone and fasting Moses saw
the loving God who gave the law;
and to Elijah, fasting, came
the steeds and chariots of flame.
So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
delivered from the lions' might;
and John, the Bridegroom's friend, became
the herald of Messiah's name.
Then grant, O God, that we may, too,
return in fast and prayer to you.
Our spirits strengthen with your grace,
and give us joy to see your face.
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.
Hear Our Prayer
ELW 178
Hear our prayer, hear our prayer,
Lord make us whole:
peace to all people,
hope for each soul.
God of grace, in this place,
hear now our prayer.
Gracious God, speak your word anew among your church. Strengthen it to withstand the temptation to turn inward in fear or complacency. Embolden church institutions to turn from self-preservation toward the self-giving love of Jesus. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Mothering God, speak the word of life into wilderness places and fertile fields. Grant wisdom to your people, that we may quell the urge to strip lands of their resources and instead preserve first fruits for future generations. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Almighty God, speak a word of wisdom to people in positions of power: mayors, councils, and tribal leaders, legislators, judges and juries, presidents, and monarchs. Help them discern your voice and follow your guidance, resisting the temptations of the evil one. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Steadfast God, speak words of courage to your people in the wilderness. Protect migrants and refugees on perilous journeys, that they find safe refuge and a portion in the bounty you have given humanity to share. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Loving God, speak gently to all who are alone. Bless lay ministers, home communion teams, and others who attend to those who are overlooked, vulnerable, or lonely, that all find belonging in your love. We pray for all who are ill especially Cissy, Joey, Mary, Mabel, Doris, June, Barbara, Ann, Julie, Sydney, Brooklyn, Carol, Anne, Judy, Tom, Lydia, Brian, James & Grace, Wil, Amy, Bob & Jane, Scott, Ron & Flo, Mac, Monica, Tom & Leona, Avery, Doris, Natalie, Elaine, John, Tim, Betty, Linda, Paul, Jeff, Henry, Gary, Mary, Greg, Helen & Ron, and Max. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God be with Grace’s Call Committee, for their diligence and faithfulness as servants of Christ. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon them. Blessing, strengthening and empowering them for the task of calling a new pastor. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Living God, we give thanks for all the faithful who have crossed the threshold from death to life. Guide us who are living to learn from their wisdom and follow their example. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.
Amen.
SHARING OF THE PEACE
Peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
+ MEAL +
OFFERING
You may place your offerings in the offering plate as it is passed during the service. Alternatively, some are using Tithe.ly for online giving or are using their bank’s online banking option. Whichever way you choose to give, we are grateful for your stewardship and generosity.
OFFERING MUSIC
Cornerstone
Myrin, Morgan,Liljero, & Bradbury
OFFERTORY
Create in Me
ELW 188
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with your free Spirit.
OFFERING PRAYER
Gracious Provider,
you set your immense treasures among us,
opening your heart to the world.
As we prepare to feast on your bountiful love,
deepen our commitment to sharing those
treasures with others,
through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen
HOLY COMMUNION
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
DIALOGUE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
You call your people to cleanse their hearts
and prepare with joy for the paschal feast,
that renewed in the gift of baptism
we may come to the full-ness of your grace.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of Sabaoth, adored;
Heav'n and earth with full acclaim
shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest,
sing hosanna to the Lord;
Oh, how blest is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
LORD'S PRAYER (sung)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us;
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the pow'r,
and the glory are yours
now and forever.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Come to the banquest, for all is now ready.
DISTRIBUTION
This holy meal is for all the baptized children of God. We commune at the altar rail. The ushers will direct you down the center aisle. Please go to an open spot at the altar rail. After you have received the host, the first chalice is for intinction and the second chalice is for drinking. A third chalice of grape juice is also offered. Please let the Pastor know if you wish to receive gluten-free wafers. You may wish to remain at the rail for a time of personal prayer following which you may return to your pew down the side aisle.
Lamb of God, Your Only Son
ELW 336
Your only Son no sin to hide
But You have sent Him from Your side
To walk upon this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God
Refrain
Oh Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God
I love the holy Lamb of God
Oh wash me in His precious blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God
I was so lost I should have died
But You have brought me to Your side
To be led by Your staff and rod
And to be called a lamb of God Refrain
HYMNS DURING COMMUNION
We Walk by Faith
ELW 635
We walk by faith and not by sight;
with gracious words draw near,
O Christ, who spoke as none e'er spoke:
"My peace be with you here."
We may not touch your hands and side,
nor follow where you trod;
but in your promise we rejoice,
and cry, "My Lord and God!"
Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and may our faith abound
to call on you when you are near
and seek where you are found:
For you, O resurrected Lord,
are found in means divine:
beneath the water and the word,
beneath the bread and wine.
And when our life of faith is done,
in realms of clearer light
we may behold you as you are,
with full and endless sight.
We Are Baptized in Christ Jesus
ELW 451
We are baptized in Christ Jesus,
we are baptized in his death;
that as Christ is raised victorious,
we might live a brand new life.
And if we have been united
in a dreadful death like his,
we will all be reunited, for he lives.
In the water and the witness,
in the breaking of the bread,
in the waiting arms of Jesus
who is risen from the dead,
God has made a new beginning
from the ashes of our past;
in the losing and the winning we hold fast.
Glory be to God the Father,
glory be to Christ the Son,
glory to the Holy Spirit,
ever three and ever one;
as it was in the beginning,
glory now resounds again
in a song that has no ending. Amen
TABLE BLESSING
God our tender parent,
God the crucified one,
God the reconciling Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Generous Host,
you have shared your feast with us and made us new.
Send us now to set tables of love and grace in our communities,
that your liberating love might nourish the world into freedom,
in the name of the crucified one, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
+ SENDING +
SENDING HYMN
Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer
ELW 618
Guide me ever, great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your pow'rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain
where the healing waters flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv'rer, strong deliv'rer,
shield me with your mighty arm,
shield me with your mighty arm.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs and praises, songs and praises,
I will raise forevermore,
I will raise forevermore.
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us.
The Lord lift up his countenance upon us,
and give us peace, now and forever more. Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace and pray for the world.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
I Want Jesus to Walk With Me
African American spiritual
Liturgical Text and Music from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and All Creation Sings, © 2006, 2020, 2022 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761. All rights reserved.
Holy God, Holy and Glorious, Text: Susan R. Briehl, b. 1952. Text © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Music: Robert Buckley Farlee, b. 1950. Music © 2001 Robert Buckley Farlee, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Bless Now, O God, the Journey, Text: Sylvia G. Dunstan, 1955-1993. Text © 1991 GIA Publications, Inc., Text reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved. Music:Welsh tune, 19th cent. Public domain.
Kyrie, Music: Russian Orthodox traditional, Public domain.
Psalm 91, Text from Evangelical Lutheran Worship © 2006. Refrain Text: Martin Leckebusch © 2006 Kevin Hayhew Ltd. Refrain Music: (RYBURN fragment) Norman Cocker, 1889-1953, © Oxford University Press. Psalm tone: © Faith Alive Christian Resources. Text and music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Lenten Acclamation, Text from Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Music: Robert Buckley Farlee, b. 1950. Text and music © 2006 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
The Glory of These Forty Days, Text: Latin hymn, 11th cent.; tr. Maurice F. Bell, 1862-1947, alt. Music: J. Klug, Geistliche Lieder, 1543. Public domain.
Hear Our Prayer, Text and music: Paul Andress, b. 1956. Text and music © 2006 Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Cornerstone, Words: Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan, Eric Liljero,and Edward Mote. Music: Reuben Morgan, Eric Liljero, and William Batchelder Bradbury. Words and music © 2011 Hillsong Music Publishing Austrailia. Words and music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under CCLI License # 2241477. All rights reserved.
Create in Me a Clean Heart, Music: J. A. Freylinghausen, 1670-1739. Public domain.
Holy, Holy, Holy, Text: Stephen P. Starke,, b. 1955. Text © 1998 Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House. Music: Carl Schalk, 1929-1921. Music © 1983 Augsburg Publishing House. Text and music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
The Lord's Prayer (minor key version), Music: Jack S. Upton, Jr., 1944-2013, Used by permission.
Lamb of God, Words and Music: Twila Paris, b. 1958. Words and music © 1985 Mountain Spring Music | Straightway Music. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under CCLI License # 2241477. All rights reserved.
We Walk by Faith, Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt. Music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950. Music © 1984 GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
We Are Baptized in Christ Jesus, Text and Music: John C. Ylvisaker, 1937-2017. Text and music © 1985 John Ylvisaker. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer, Text: William Williams, 1717-1791; tr.William Williams and Peter Williams, 1722-1796, alt. Music: John Hughes, 1873-1932. Public domain.
I Want Jesus to Walk With Me, Text: African American spiritual, Public domain. Music: African American spiritual,arr. hymnal version, Arr. © 2006 Augsburg Fortress, Music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274. All rights reserved.
