“If you are the Son of God…” Those words are spoken by the tempter in one of the most memorable, spine-tingling stories in the gospels: the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. But who is the tempter, anyway? Where did he come from, and why is he so awful?
Join us on Wednesday evenings throughout Lent for a soup supper at 5:45 pm and Lenten Worship—with Holden Evening Prayer—at 6:30 pm, and get to know some of these angels and demons! You are invited.
Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer
Union Presbyterian Church, Endicott, NY
Angels and Demons: His Devilish Ways
Matthew 4:1-11
February 21, 2024
Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
“Holden Evening Prayer,” Marty Haugen
©1987, GIA Publications, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Sung text is indented and italicized below.
Prelude Chris Bartlette
Call to Worship Rev. Pat Raube
Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening…
And the day is almost over.
Behold, now is the acceptable time.
Now is the day of salvation.
Evening Hymn
“Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory"
(All sing:)
Joyous light of heavenly glory,
Loving glow of God’s own face,
You who sing creation’s story,
Shine on every land and race.
Now as evening falls around us
We shall raise our songs to you,
God of daybreak, God of shadows,
Come and light our hearts anew.
In the stars that grace the darkness,
In the blazing sun of dawn,
In the light of peace and wisdom,
We can hear your quiet song.
Love that fills the night with wonder,
Love that warms the weary soul,
Love that bursts all chains asunder,
Set us free and make us whole.
You who made the heaven’s splendor,
Every dancing star of night,
Make us shine with gentle justice,
Let us each reflect your light.
Mighty God of all creation,
Gentle Christ who lights our way,
Loving Spirit of salvation,
Lead us on to endless day.
Evening Thanksgiving
One: May God be with you all.
All: And also with you.
One: Let us sing our thanks to God.
All: It is right to sing our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, Creator of the universe:
from old you have led your people by night and day.
May the light of your Christ make our darkness bright,
for your Word and your presence are the light of our pathways,
and you are the light of all creation.
All: Amen.
Evening Psalm Psalm 141
(All sing:)
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
O God, I call to you; come to me now.
O hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
Keep watch within me, God; deep in my heart
May the light of your love be burning bright.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
All praise to the God of all, Creator of life;
All praise be to Christ and the Spirit of love.
Let my prayer rise up like incense before you,
The lifting up of my hands as an offering to you.
Prayer
May our prayers come before you, O God, as incense,
and may your presence surround and fill us,
so that in union with all creation,
we might sing your praise and your love in our lives. Amen.
Scripture Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Response The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Meditation Those Devilish Ways
Litany and Prayers
One: (sung petition)
All: God of mercy, hold us in love.
One: …Help us, comfort us, all of our days.
All: Keep us, hold us, gracious God.
Great and merciful God,
source and ground of all goodness and life,
give to your people the peace that passes all understanding,
and the will to live your gospel of mercy and justice,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (Unison)
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.
Final Blessing
One: Let us bless our God.
All: Praise and thanks to you.
One: May God, Creator, bless us and keep us.
May Christ be ever light for our lives.
May the Spirit of Love be our guide and our path
For all of our days.
All: Amen.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude Chris Bartlette
Image: Tissot, James, 1836-1902. Jesus Carried up to a Pinnacle of the Temple, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.