The Transfiguration of Our Lord Sunday, February 26, 2017 St. Paul s Lutheran Church 215 N. Warren St. Orwigsburg, PA 570-366-2316 www.stpauls-orwigsburg.org 1
Rev. Lee A. Diefenderfer 610-858-4136 1295 Red Dale Road Orwigsburg, PA 17961 Justin McClure, Organist/Choir Director 570-573-4076 Cody Wertman, Sexton 570-366-1520 Karen Travor, Treasurer 570-366-8757 Wayne Lutsey, Financial Secretary ******************************************************************* Welcome to worship. Today we are using Evangelical Lutheran Worship, the red book, found in the pew racks. Introduction to the day: Today s festival is a bridge between the Advent- Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close today and the Lent-Easter cycle that begins in several days. On the mount of transfiguration Jesus is revealed as God s beloved Son, echoing the words at his baptism. This vision of glory sustains us as Jesus faces his impending death in Jerusalem. We turn this week to Ash Wednesday and our yearly baptismal journey from Lent to Easter. Some churches put aside the alleluia at the conclusion of today's liturgy. This word of joy will be omitted during the penitential season of Lent and will be sung again at Easter. ******************************************************************* GATHERING PRELUDE Fanfare and Processional L. Trapp CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS Blessed be the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, who stretches out the heavens, who sends light to the nations, who gives breath to us all. Amen. Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another. Loving God, we confess that we have turned from your way to follow our own ways. Forgive us for the times we have spoken or acted too quickly; we have not spoken or acted at all; 2
we have hurt those closest to us; we have hurt those we have yet to know; we have thought more about ourselves than others; we have thought less of ourselves than we ought. Turn us around, and give us a fresh start, so that we can live again as your children. Amen. Even when we have done wrong, God makes us right. Even when we have messed up, God puts us together. God s love never runs out. God never tires of calling us beloved children. Hear God say to you now: Your sins are forgiven, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. THE PEACE The Peace of the Lord be with you all. And also with you. GATHERING HYMN Shine, Jesus Shine #671 GREETING The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. 3
HYMN OF PRAISE 4
PRAYER OF THE DAY O God, in the transfiguration of your Son you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the witness of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice from the bright cloud declaring Jesus your beloved Son, you foreshadowed our adoption as your children. Make us heirs with Christ of your glory, and bring us to enjoy its fullness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. ANTHEM (10:30) * Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain C. Schalk Chancel Choir WORD A Reading from Exodus 12 The LORD said to Moses, Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction. 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them. 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. (Exodus 24: 12-18) 5
Psalm 2/Children s Sermon 1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling 12 kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him. A Reading from Second Peter 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1: 16-21) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 6
Verse Gospel Matthew 17: 1-9 The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. 1 Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. The Gospel of the Lord. SERMON 7
HYMN OF THE DAY How Good, Lord, to Be Here! #315 APOSTLE S CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen PRAYER PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Called to be a light to the nations, let us pray for God s justice, peace, and healing. A brief silence. Each petition ends: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Receive these prayers in the name of Christ, the light of the world, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. 8
OFFERING Offertory Voluntary in C J. Krebs OFFERTORY HYMN OFFERTORY PRAYER Merciful God, receive the gifts we bring, ourselves, our time, and our possessions. Through this meal unite us as your body, shining with the light of your justice and mercy; for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 9
MEAL GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy and join their unending hymn: SANCTUS 10
WORDS OF INSTITUTION In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. 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, and the power, and the glory, forever and forever. Amen. INVITATION We who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Come. Be filled with light and life. 11
DISTRIBUTION/AGNUS DEI COMMUNION HYMNS Beautiful Savior #838 O Savior, Precious Savior #820 TABLE BLESSING The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Heavenly Father, you revealed the radiance of your Son in the glory of His Transfiguration. Give us the grace and vision to behold our Lord in the food we receive from heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 12
SENDING BLESSING The God of glory dwell in you richly, name you beloved, and shine brightly on your path; and the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. SENDING HYMN Alleluia, Song of Gladness #318 THE DISMISSAL Go in Peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God! POSTLUDE The Rejoicing C. Callaha Please join us for breakfast, downstairs in Reidler Hall, immediately following 10:30 AM Worship. Our Liturgy and Music are used by permission through Augsburg Fortress License #20611. ******************************************************************* *Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain was presented in loving memory of their loved ones by Bill and Eleanor Paul. (1995) Altar flowers are presented in memory of Harry Lafko by his family. Today s bulletins are presented in honor of Ann and Lamar Butler by Tina & Scott Butler. SERVING TODAY: 8:00 AM LECTOR:; COMMUNION ASSISTANT: Ron Rozansky; USHERS:; GREETER: Danielle Richards; ALTAR GUILD: Crystal Brensinger & Cindy Ritschel; COUNTERS: Connie Teter, Jean Premich, & Barb Sterner. 10:30 AM LECTOR: Jennifer Betz; COMMUNION ASSISTANT: Jeff Ritschel; USHERS: Scott Butler & Steve Zimmerman; GREETERS: Wayne Lutsey & Greg Sklar; ACOLYTE: Trisha Teter; CRUCIFER: Maddie Swick. 13
SERVING NEXT WEEK (3/5/17): 8:00 AM LECTOR: Ruth Ann Withers; COMMUNION ASSISTANT: Gail Rarick; USHERS: Ruth Ann Withers & Nevin Zehner; GREETER: Beth Post; ALTAR GUILD: Barb Sterner & Sue Schenck; COUNTERS: Sarah Kramer, Tom & Gwen Wehr. 10:30 AM LECTOR: Cindy Ritschel; COMMUNION ASSISTANT: Greg Sklar; USHERS: Sandy Freeman & David Kriner; GREETERS: Scott Butler & Carol Heydt; ACOLYTE: Emily Heydt; CRUCIFER: Austin Heydt. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Adult Sunday School Honoring Our Neighbors Faith A study of Christian Denominations and Non-Christian Traditions. 9:15 AM in the Parlor. Join us at Adult Sunday School as we continue our insightful discussions and explorations of our neighbors' faith. Not only do we discuss and learn about the basic tenets of a certain religion, but we also discover the history and progression of the religion as well. Our conversations have lead us into the deeper topics and questions such as: what is grace? and what is one`s concept of hell or heaven? Don`t miss out! March 5 March 12 March 19 March 26 Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints or Mormons Quakers Seventh -Day Adventist Church of the Brethren +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ash Wednesday Worship 12 Noon & 7:00 PM March 1 st Imposition of Ashes/Kneeling Communion 14
Another Get Together A Field Trip to Friendly s Confirmation Age Sunday School Students High School Age Can you meet Pastor s twelve dip challenge? (Two parents needed!) Today, Sunday, February 26 5:30 PM +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Calendar Today, February 26 5:30 PM Friendly s Trip Monday, February 27 6:00 PM Day Care Tuesday, February 28 10:00 AM Newsletter Helpers 7:00 PM Property Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 1 Noon Worship 7:00 PM Worship Thursday, March 2 6:30 PM Christian Ed. Saturday, March 4 5:30 PM Worship Sunday, March 5 8:00 AM Worship 9:15 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Worship Office hours for the week of 2/27/17 Wednesday: 10-3 Friday: 10 3 15
PAINT AND ENJOY Will benefit the St. Paul s Youth Gathering Team. Get together with friends and create a beautiful painting to display in your home. No painting experience is needed. There are two sessions to choose from: Sunday, March 26, 2017 2:00 4:30 PM or 5:30 8:00 PM St Paul s Lutheran Church 215 N. Warren Street, Orwigsburg Tickets are available for purchase. $35.00 per person. All supplies will be provided for the event. Light refreshments will be available. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Masters A Lenten collection about the artisans of 33 A.D. Wednesdays Noon and 7:00 PM Each week we will meet a new craftsperson from Jerusalem. They unknowingly create the very items that are used for Jesus' crucifixion. Wednesday, March 8 The Tanner Would you like to read a script? Check the sign-up sheet in the narthex. 16