Prelude Pass me not, O gentle Savior Dale Wood
Welcome And Opening Prayer
One: God meets us in the night—
All: Before the sun rises,
Before the wound heals,
Before there are answers,
Before there is closure.
One: God meets us in the light—
All: Where joy is effervescent,
Where laughter is contagious,
Where flowers bloom from cracks in the sidewalk,
And where people gather around the table.
One: God meets us at the threshold—
All: At the edge of the water,
At the beginning of the wilderness,
At the start of something new,
On the edge of faith.
One: And if God meets us in all those places,
Then surely God meets us in between—
All: Staying with us through the wilderness.
One: We are not alone. God is all around.
All: Let us worship the God of the here and now.
Hymn Gracious Spirit
Gracious Spirit, heed our pleading;
fashion us all anew.
It’s your leading that we’re needing;
help us to follow you.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come to teach us; come to nourish
those who believe in Christ.
Bless the faithful; may they flourish,
strengthened by grace unpriced.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Guide our thinking and our speaking
done in your holy name.
Motivate all in their seeking,
freeing from guilt and shame.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Not mere knowledge, but discernment,
nor rootless liberty;
turn disquiet to contentment,
doubt into certainty.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Keep us fervent in our witness;
unswayed by earth’s allure.
Ever grant us zealous fitness,
which you alone assure.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Come, come, come Holy Spirit, come.
Confession of Sin/Assurance of Pardon
One: God who meets us where we are—
There is nowhere we can go that you are not.
All: You were with Jesus at his baptism.
You were with him in the wilderness,
And even in between, you were there,
Saying aloud, “This is my beloved.”
One: We know that you are with us too—
In the good, the bad, and everything in between—
But so often we act like we are alone.
All: Instead of coming to you with our hurt,
We hold it in or cast it onto others.
Instead of coming to you with our joy,
We credit ourselves and offer you nothing.
One: How can we long for a deeper relationship with you
While living like you are nowhere to be found?
All: Forgive our self-centered ways.
Remind us that in every breath, in every step, you are there.
One: You are the God who meets us where we are.
All: Before and behind, above and below, within and around. Amen.
(Silent Confession)
Declaration of Forgiveness
God is here. God sees you. God knows you. God meets you at the edge of every new beginning, And God calls you beloved.
All: We are washed by the water.
We are called beloved.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
Scripture Reading Mark 1:9-13
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Sermon “Tempted” Nick Wallwork
Affirmation of Faith
We believe in a God who is everywhere and right here,
Bigger than the sky and in the smallest details,
All at once and in every moment.
We believe that God meets us where we are—
In heartbreak and high hopes,
Around crowded tables and in quiet homes,
In joy and in suffering,
In loneliness and in connection,
In sanctuaries and in living rooms,
In marches and in waiting rooms.
We believe that nothing we do or leave undone
Can distance us from God’s love.
God is forever drawing us close and pulling us in.
Again and again, God meets us where we are
And invites us into wholeness.
Thanks be to God for a love like that.
Offertory What a Friend we have in Jesus Robert Hobby
Lenten Testimony Emily Rishel
Pastoral Prayer/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.
Hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.
Light breaks through our clouds and shadows;
splendor bathes the flesh-joined Word;
Moses and Elijah marvel
as the heavenly voice is heard.
Eyes and hearts behold with wonder
how the law and prophets meet:
Christ, with garments drenched in brightness,
stands transfigured and complete.
Strengthened by this glimpse of glory,
fearful lest our faith decline,
we like Peter find it tempting
to remain and build a shrine.
But true worship gives us courage
to proclaim what we profess,
that our daily lives may prove us
people of the God we bless.
Benediction
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