FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
3rd Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2025
PRELUDE Precious Lord, Take My Hand with In Christ Alone - arr. Anna Laura Page
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP: 9:30ish AM, Mission Coffee House.
-WEDNESDAY LENTEN LUNCH & WORSHIP: 11:30 AM at the First Lutheran Church Activity Center.
- LENTEN SOUP SUPPER (soup provided by CE/Fellowship) on Wednesday, March 26 at 5:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM, center meeting room.
CALL TO THE CROSS
Lord, we are weary and burdened.
Have mercy on us and give us rest.
The weight of sin is great, but your love is greater.
Your grace is our hope and our salvation.
In your mercy, lead us to new life.
We trust in you, O Lord, our Redeemer.
*OPENING HYMN #84 (blue): “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o'ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me:
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving God, teach us let go of the apathy, the weariness, the pain, the bitterness, the anger of our lives, and guide us to be kind, tender-hearted, and gentle towards each other, forgiving as God has forgiven us. We ask this so that we might be the hope and love others need in their lives, seeking eternal life with you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 55: 1-3, 6-9 (responsively)
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Luke 16: 1-13
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you?
Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now?
My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg--
4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
This is the word of God for the people of God. Amen.`
SERMON Stories of Jesus – The Shrewd Manager
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #388 (blue) “O Jesus, I Have Promised”
O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.
O let me feel Thee near me, the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin.
O let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou guardian of my soul.
Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my friend.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH -- (from the Scots Confession of 1560)
We confess and acknowledge one God alone, to whom alone we must cleave, whom alone we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom alone we put our trust. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible; one in substance and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Concerns: Jan J, Judy Se., Pam K (Delores K’s daughter), Nancy T
Our homebound or in care members: Richard & Dolores C, Bob F (Pat caregiver), Jan J, Darwin L (Jeanne caregiver), Marlys M, Bob O (Nancy caregiver), Rose P, Joyce R, Steve VB, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Ian & Abby G & Violet; Jon & Linda G & family Grace & Lottie
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.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN (in bulletin and on screen) “A Charge to Keep I Have” (Charles Welsey)
A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
Who gave His Son my soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!
Arm me with jealous care
As in Thy sight to live,
And now Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!
Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Lead On, O King Eternal - arr. Gilbert Martin
ORDER OF WORSHIP
3rd Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2025
PRELUDE Precious Lord, Take My Hand with In Christ Alone - arr. Anna Laura Page
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP: 9:30ish AM, Mission Coffee House.
-WEDNESDAY LENTEN LUNCH & WORSHIP: 11:30 AM at the First Lutheran Church Activity Center.
- LENTEN SOUP SUPPER (soup provided by CE/Fellowship) on Wednesday, March 26 at 5:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: 9:30 AM, center meeting room.
CALL TO THE CROSS
Lord, we are weary and burdened.
Have mercy on us and give us rest.
The weight of sin is great, but your love is greater.
Your grace is our hope and our salvation.
In your mercy, lead us to new life.
We trust in you, O Lord, our Redeemer.
*OPENING HYMN #84 (blue): “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
When the woes of life o'ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me:
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.
When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.
Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Loving God, teach us let go of the apathy, the weariness, the pain, the bitterness, the anger of our lives, and guide us to be kind, tender-hearted, and gentle towards each other, forgiving as God has forgiven us. We ask this so that we might be the hope and love others need in their lives, seeking eternal life with you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 55: 1-3, 6-9 (responsively)
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Luke 16: 1-13
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you?
Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now?
My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg--
4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
This is the word of God for the people of God. Amen.`
SERMON Stories of Jesus – The Shrewd Manager
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #388 (blue) “O Jesus, I Have Promised”
O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.
O let me feel Thee near me, the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me, around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin.
O let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion, the murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen, Thou guardian of my soul.
Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow, my Master and my friend.
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH -- (from the Scots Confession of 1560)
We confess and acknowledge one God alone, to whom alone we must cleave, whom alone we must serve, whom only we must worship, and in whom alone we put our trust. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible; one in substance and yet distinct in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Concerns: Jan J, Judy Se., Pam K (Delores K’s daughter), Nancy T
Our homebound or in care members: Richard & Dolores C, Bob F (Pat caregiver), Jan J, Darwin L (Jeanne caregiver), Marlys M, Bob O (Nancy caregiver), Rose P, Joyce R, Steve VB, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families: Ian & Abby G & Violet; Jon & Linda G & family Grace & Lottie
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.
OFFERING OF OURSELVES AND OUR RESOURCES
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN (in bulletin and on screen) “A Charge to Keep I Have” (Charles Welsey)
A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
Who gave His Son my soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!
Arm me with jealous care
As in Thy sight to live,
And now Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!
Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Lead On, O King Eternal - arr. Gilbert Martin