First Presbyterian Church
Order of Worship

Link to our livestream worship page.

The Third Sunday in Lent
March 30, 2025 - 10 a.m. EDT

Order of Worship

Prelude - Prelude in G Major
C.V. Stanford

Ringing of the Church Bell
Fred Abraham

Invitation to Worship
Wallace Bubar

One: God’s reach is endless.

All: God’s mercy is unstoppable.

One: God’s grace is lavish.

All: God’s love is constant.

One: God’s wisdom is vast.

All: God’s hope is stubborn.

One: God’s presence is here –

All: with us, among us, moving through us.

One: We are in God’s house.

All: Let us worship the One who welcomes us home.

Hymn 475 - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Lillian Dickinson, acolyte

Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart; O take and seal it;
seal it for thy courts above.

Prayer of Confession [unison]

Gracious God, the prodigal son isn’t given a name. But we know his name. It sounds like ours. And we know his story. It sounds like ours. For who among us hasn’t burned a bridge? Who among us hasn’t forgotten that we belong to one another? Who among us has not ached for home? The prodigal son isn’t given a name, but we know his name. Forgive us, God. We want to come home. Amen.

Kyrie
Marty Haugen

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison, eleison, eleison.

Assurance of Forgiveness

Sharing the Peace

Welcome and Announcements

Scripture Reading - II Corinthians 5:16-21
Dryden Dickinson, liturgist

Anthem - Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain
Larry Shackley
The Angel Choir
Joy Hire, director
Meredith Needham, piano

Word with Children
Jenni Whitford

Scripture Reading - Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon - “The Real Prodigal”

Hymn 418 - Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me.
See, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

“Come home, come home!
You who are weary, come home.”
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, “O sinner, come home!”

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me?

“Come home, come home!
You who are weary, come home.”
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, “O sinner, come home!”

O for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.

“Come home, come home!
You who are weary, come home.”
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, “O sinner, come home!”

Affirmation of Faith [unison]

We believe in a God who waits in the driveway for us. We believe in a God who leaves the porch light on and throws a feast when we are found. We believe in a God who doesn’t stop looking for us when we get lost. We believe in a God of prodigal grace — excessive, extravagant, over-the-top grace. In response to this grace, we hold tighter to each other. We remember that humans are not meant to go through life alone; so we look for ways to welcome each other in, to live like we are family, and to lead with grace — excessive, extravagant, over-the-top grace. We believe that this is our call. Let it be so. Amen.

Prayers of the People

One: Lord, we look to you,

All: Receive our prayer.

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.

Offering

Offertory - My Song Is Love Unknown
arr. Larry Shackley

Give online at granpres.org/give

Doxology 606

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn 215 - What Wondrous Love Is This

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb, I will sing;
to God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
while millions join the theme, I will sing!

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and through eternity I’ll sing on.

Charge and Benediction

Postlude - O Day of Peace
arr. Charles Callahan
Philip Everingham

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service has been obtained from ONE LICENSE with license A-722069.