prepared by Revd Rosemary Mutopo – 9th March 2025
Call to Worship – Based on Psalm 91:1-2
Come, all who seek refuge in the Lord! Let us dwell in the shelter of the Most High.
We will rest in the shadow of the Almighty, for He is our refuge and our fortress.
Leader: Let us declare with confidence: The Lord is our God, in Him we trust!
We come to worship the One who protects, provides, and saves.
Lift your hearts in praise and thanksgiving! The Lord is faithful and His love endures forever.
Amen! We worship the Almighty, our shelter and strength!
STF 25: God is here! As we his people
Fred Pratt Green (1903–2000)
Opening Prayers
God of all places and seasons, our refuge and guide, we come before you seeking wisdom and grace.
During this sacred time of Lent, draw us closer to you in reflection and renewal. Shape us through your justice, fill us with your love, and strengthen us to work for your kingdom.
Compassionate God, we admit that we have strayed from your path. We have placed our trust in wealth and power, neglecting the needs of others. We have stayed silent when we should have spoken, allowing injustice to continue around us. Forgive us, O Lord. Turn our hearts toward righteousness and our hands toward service, so that we may live as your faithful people.
Generous God, we give thanks for the beauty of your creation, for the earth that nourishes us and the people who support us. We are grateful for your constant love and guidance, leading us through every challenge and blessing. Fill us with a spirit of gratitude and generosity, so that we may share your goodness with all. Amen.
Please read the Gospel reading: Luke 4:1-13 – Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted[a] by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b]”
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]”
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
STF 240: When we are tested and wrestle alone,
1 When we are tested and wrestle alone,
famished for bread when the world offers stone,
nourish us, God, by your word and your way,
food that sustains us by night and by day.
2 When in the desert we cry for relief,
pleading for paths marked by certain belief,
lift us to love you beyond sign and test,
trusting your presence, our only true rest.
3 When we are tempted to barter our souls,
trading the truth for the power to control,
teach us to worship and praise only you,
seeking your will in the work that we do.
4 When we have struggled and searched through the night,
sorting and sifting the wrong from the right,
Saviour, surround us with circles of care,
angels of healing, of hope, and of prayer.
Ruth C. Duck (b.1947)
Reflection
A story is told of a young boy named Alex who loved to play in his backyard. One day, he found a beautiful butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. Wanting to help, he gently pulled the cocoon apart, thinking he was doing the butterfly a favour. However, instead of flying away, the butterfly’s wings remained weak, and it never fully developed the strength to fly. Later, Alex’s grandfather explained, “The struggle of breaking free makes the butterfly’s wings strong. By helping too soon, you took away its chance to grow.”
This story connects with today’s reading where we see Jesus being led into the wilderness, where He fasts for forty days and is tempted by the devil. This scripture is a powerful reminder that even Jesus faced struggles and trials, but he overcame them through faith and the word of God. Jesus’s responses to temptation show us the importance of standing firm in truth and relying on God rather than our own strength. Each temptation Jesus faced speaks to struggles many of us still encounter today. The devil first appeals to Jesus’s physical needs and immediate gratification by tempting Jesus to turn stones into bread. But Jesus responds, “Man shall not live by bread alone,” reminding us that while material needs are important, our deepest hunger can only be satisfied by God. The devil moves to the second temptation offering Jesus power and authority over all the kingdoms of the world if only He will worship the devil. Again, Jesus rejects the offer of gaining power through compromise, showing us that true authority comes from serving God, not from seeking influence or control over others. Finally, the devil challenges Jesus to test God’s protection by throwing himself from the temple. A temptation that speaks to the desire for signs and guarantees, but Jesus refuses and plainly declares, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” This shows us that faith is not about demanding proof from God but about trusting him in all circumstances whether good or bad.
The struggles Jesus endured were not meant to break him but to strengthen him for his mission. Just like the butterfly needed its struggle to develop strong wings, Jesus’ time of testing prepared him for his ministry. Similarly, we all face our own wilderness moments—times of temptation, struggle, and difficulty. But if we hold fast to God’s word, as Jesus did, these trials can shape us into who God intends us to be. Instead of seeing hardships as obstacles, we should see them as opportunities to grow in faith and strength. Jesus’ time in the wilderness teaches us that trials are not a sign of God’s absence but a place where we can grow in faith. When we are tempted, whether by comfort, power, or doubt, Jesus’s example shows us how to respond with wisdom and trust in God.
How do we respond when faced with trials? Do we rely on God’s word, as Jesus did, or do we seek an easier way out? We need to always remember that every challenge has the potential to strengthen us if we trust in God’s plan. Instead of fearing the wilderness, we need to embrace it as a place where God refines us, strengthens us, and prepares us for the work he has called us to do. As we journey in this season of Lent, may we endure our wilderness moments with wisdom, trust in God and may we grow in faith. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
God of justice and peace, we lift before You the needs of our world.You see the brokenness, the suffering, and the longing for hope in every corner of the earth. Hear our prayers for those in distress and for the restoration of Your peace among all people.
For those suffering under the weight of poverty and oppression, bring relief and dignity. We pray for the hungry, the homeless, and those struggling to meet their basic needs. Lift up the downtrodden, provide opportunities for growth, and restore their sense of worth. May governments, communities, and individuals work together to bring justice so that all may live with dignity and security.
For leaders and decision-makers, grant wisdom and compassion in using power. Guide those in authority—governments, community leaders, and those with influence. Let their decisions be shaped by righteousness and mercy, so that they uplift the most vulnerable and seek the common good. Give them courage to lead with integrity and a heart for service rather than self-interest.
For communities divided by fear or hatred, sow seeds of reconciliation and understanding. Where there is division, bring unity. Where there is bitterness, bring healing. Dissolve the walls that separate us—whether by race, religion, politics, or past wounds— and replace them with bridges of understanding and peace. Teach us to listen, to forgive, and to see your image in one another.
Inspire us to act boldly in love, not just in word, but in deed. Make us instruments of Your peace, agents of Your justice, and bearers of Your mercy. Help us to stand against injustice, to lift up the oppressed, and to embody your love in a world longing for hope.
That your kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. May your will be done in our hearts, in our communities, and across the world. Let justice roll like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream.
We entrust all things into Your hands, O Lord, and we wait with hope for Your peace to reign. Amen.
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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.For Thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.Amen.
STF 235: Christ our Redeemer knew temptation’s hour
1 Christ our Redeemer knew temptation’s hour
in desert places, silent and apart;
and three times over met the tempter’s power
with God’s word written, hidden in his heart.
2 He makes not bread what God has made a stone,
he at whose bidding water turns to wine:
we are not meant to live by bread alone
but as God speaks the word of life divine.
3 He will not ask the fickle crowd’s acclaim,
nor flaunt the Sonship which is his by right,
nor seem distrustful of the Father’s Name
who bids us walk by faith and not by sight.
4 He seeks no kingdom but by cross and grave,
for love of sinners spurning Satan’s throne:
his triumph seen in those he died to save
who, to his glory, worship God alone.
Timothy Dudley-Smith (b.1926)
Blessing
May we follow Christ’s path, staying strong against temptation. May the Spirit fill us with courage and compassion, and may God’s love lead us in all we say and do. Amen.
