"Forty Days Was Jesus Tempted"

Here's a hymn inspired by the Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-13).  This text appears in the First Sunday in Lent (Lent 1C), on Sunday, February 14th, 2016.  It can be sung to several tunes as it is written in 8.7.8.7 D but is here sung to the tune EBENEZER (which is commonly used to sing "Silence!  Frenzied, Unclean Spirit").

Click here for a pdf of this hymn.

Permission is granted for use in congregational worship.  Please give the following credit:  "Copyright 2016 Stephen M. Fearing | www.stephenmfearing.com"

Forty days was Jesus tempted, Forty nights his trust was tried.
From the Jordan, Christ was driven; there would Satan be his guide.
Famished, thirsty, lost and lonely, Christ endured the toughest test.
In the wilderness, he struggled, Satan sought to do his best.

Then the devil said to Jesus, “You look like you’re moving slow.
Surely you need bread and water, take this stone and make it so!”
Jesus’ stomach sure was empty, hunger like he’d never known;
Yet to Satan he responded, “We don’t live by bread alone.”

Then the devil said to Jesus, “look at all these lands you see!
To you I will give their glory, if you only worship me.”
Jesus stopped to think it over, but he knew who he should love
Then to Satan he responded, “Worship only God above.”

Then the devil said to Jesus,”if you truly are divine,
cast yourself from this high mountain, and you surely will be fine!”
Jesus knew the holy scriptures, thus he knew the devil’s fraud.
Christ responded to his tempter, “Do not test the Lord your God.”

Help us, God, when we are tempted, fill us with your scripture’s strength
Far this Lenten journey takes us, help us trust you through its length.
Jesus knew the way to triumph, scripture was his sword and shield.
May your Spirit come upon us: send us now your Word to wield.


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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.