Here Is Forgiveness; Therefore You Are Feared

Pilgrim Lutheran Church

Pilgrim 75th Anniversary Celebration

June 6, 2021

Welcome to Pilgrim Lutheran Church!

We welcome all who have chosen to worship with us this morning and pray that the Holy Spirit fills you with joy.

As We Gather

Happy 75th Anniversary Pilgrim! In our celebration service today, we see three themes. First, from our Old Testament Reading we see that we are God’s treasured possession, second, from our Epistle Reading we see that we are God’s new creation, and third, from our hymns and Gospel Reading we see the beautiful theme of rededication. How do those three themes fit together, and what do they have to do with our 75th anniversary? Come find out with me today!

T Preparation T Prelude

"Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, heiliger Geist" ("Come, God, Creator, Holy Ghost") BWV 667 Johann Sebastian Bach

Greeting 2

Opening Hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB 507

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.

P Our help is in the name of the Lord, C who made heaven and earth.

P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

Confession & Absolution

P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word and to call upon Him in prayer and praise, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.. C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.

T Service of the Word T

Introit Psalm 28: 6- 9

P Blessèd be the LORD! C For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

P The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; C my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

P The LORD is the strength of his people; C he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

P Oh, save your people and bless your heritage,

C Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Kyrie LSB 204

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you. C And also with you.

P Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God, today and every day this year we praise You for 75 years of Your love, of proclaiming the Gospel, of serving You, and of serving the people around us here at Pilgrim, and we pray for many more years of the same, that You would lead this church to continue to be faithful to Your calling and Great Commission, always for Your glory; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen 6

Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 7: 6- 9 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. 7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

Special Music Cantate Domino (Sing to the Lord a New Song) By Giuseppe Pitoni Text: Psalm 149:1-2 Senior Choir Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus ejus in ecclesia sanctorum. Laetetur Israel in eo qui fecit eum, et filii Sion exultent in rege suo.

Sing to the Lord on high, sing ye a new song, His praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let all of Israel rejoice now, rejoice in Him who made them, and children of Zion be joyful and praise God their King.

Epistle Reading 2 Corinthians 5: 14- 21

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was 7 reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

R This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

Alleluia and Verse LSB 205

Holy Gospel Mark 10: 13- 16

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the tenth chapter. C Glory to You, O Lord.

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ. 8

Apostles Creed LSB 207

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life T everlasting. Amen.

Virginia Davis Announcement of Elders’ Scholarship Recipients

Hymn of the Day “ Take My Life and Let It Be” LSB 783

5 Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine; Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store; Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.

Sermon Rev. Joshua Rusert 10

Prayer of the Church

P Merciful God, just like You promised all-the-way back in Genesis 3:15, You followed through in sending Your promised Offspring to crush Satan’s head forever by the death and resurrection of Christ, Your Son and our Savior, which has forgiven us of all our sins and has made us Your purified children and heirs forever. Thank You for the last 75 years here at Pilgrim where that victory has been proclaimed here countless times by the pastor from the pulpit, font, and altar, and by the people through their care for each other and through their service and witnessing to their neighbors. Continue to comfort us with that victory Your Son has won over Satan each and every day, that amidst the trials of this life we may never lose the confidence we have in the victory of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.

P Give courage to us here at Pilgrim, O Lord, that as we believe, so we also would speak confidently of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the sure hope we have in Him, that one day, we too, will be raised and brought into His presence. Embolden us by Your Spirit to proclaim this Christian faith with joy, that, for Christ’s sake, grace may extend to more and more people and increase love, joy, and peace, always to Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.

P O Lord, You have shepherded this congregation through many challenging times, and have always been faithful to us as our Good Shepherd, never leaving our side but always leading us through even the valley of the shadow of death. Lord, as we look to the future, not only do we truly have no idea what it holds for us, but at the same time, we also know from past experience that the future will bring both joys and challenges. Help us to praise You through the good times and the bad, to relish the joys, to see the challenges as opportunities for spiritual growth and as times to remember our total dependence on You, and finally, help us to focus on seeking to be faithful to You no matter what the future brings, because we know You are always in control and that You will triumph in the end, and that means we will also triumph. Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, no kingdom divided against itself can stand and a house divided must fall. Graciously preserve our nation and its government. Frustrate the work of Satan and the seeds of destruction he would sow in every place were he not stayed by Your mighty right hand. Unite our leaders and our people for the common good, while also leading us to hope in Your eternal kingdom that is to come. Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.

P Eternal Lord God, hear our prayers for Your servants who suffer, including… By Your Holy Spirit, do not let them lose heart, but fix their eyes beyond their suffering to Your comfort, love, joy, and peace that endure through all circumstances. Through their earthly afflictions, prepare them for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, when at last You will raise us also with Jesus and bring us to Paradise with You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, we thank You for all of the wonderful memories we have of the last 75 years here at Pilgrim, whether those memories last over many years or start very recently, and by Your Holy Spirit, help us today as we rededicate ourselves to many more years of making wonderful memories here at Pilgrim, always centered around proclaiming Your saving Gospel and serving the people around us, both done always for Your glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C Amen.

The Lord's Prayer Music by Albert Hay Malotte Natalie Conte, soprano

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 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 ever. Amen.

Benedicamus and Benediction

P Let us bless the Lord. C Thanks be to God.

P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace. C Amen

Sending Hymn

“I Love to Tell the Story” LBW 390 13

Dismissal

P Go in peace and serve the Lord. C Thanks be to God!

Acknowledgments

Announcements

Our June Nehemiah Project is in support of Montgomery Hospice in Rockville. We’ve chosen this organization because of the loving care they provided former Pilgrim pastor, Rev. David Pearcy during his illness. JoAnn Pearcy created our new banner, altar cloth, and ceiling hangings for our 75th anniversary celebration. Donations to Montgomery Hospice will be given in memory of Pastor Pearcy. If you wish to donate to this project, please make checks out to Pilgrim Lutheran Church with June Nehemiah Project in the note line. We thank Mrs. Pearcy for sharing her beautiful art with us to the glory of God.

Pilgrim members and friends, our Reopening Team has decided to reopen our sanctuary for in-person worship services starting on Sunday, July 4th! The worship service time with be at 10am for July and August, and then we as a congregation will reassess from there. Please note that the date of July 4th is subject to change, especially if COVID gets worse once again. Please pray it does not. Also know that our reopening team will continue to do much planning between now and July 4th for our in-person services, so please continue to pray for our team. Finally, let Pastor Josh know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in our sanctuary for worship once again!

T Bulletin Notes T

This Week at Pilgrim

Sunday, June 13th

Adult Bible Study .………………………………………….……..………………...…..……………….…...…….……………..……... 8:15 AM Livestream Worship Service …..……………………………………………………………………………………….………….. 10:00 AM

June Birthdays

June 8Th ………………………… John Long June 9th ………………………… Chris Curl June 13th ………………………… Kevin Hatcher June 17th ………………………… Allison Fisher June 18th ………………………… Gregory Smith June 23th ………………………… Nate Weihrauch June 25th ………………………… Chris Weihrauch

Those Who Serve Today

Livestream Host: ....………….……………..……………………………….………………….….……….…………..… John Weihrauch Musician:……………………….....……………….……………………..…………………………...... Jamila Tekalli Hanner Cantor:………….…….………………………………………………….……………….....…..……………....……...…...... Natalie Conte Elder: ....……...….…………………………………………………………………….………………………..………..…………… Maria Majar Counters:……………………….………………………………………………….…………………….…...…… Bob Plitt/ Darrel Regier

Pilgrim Lutheran Church 5500 Massachusetts Ave. Bethesda, MD 20816 (o) 301-229-2800 • www.pilgrimbethesda.org • [email protected] Rev. Joshua Rusert, Pastor: 262-389-2839 or [email protected] Pastor’s Office Hours: 9 AM – 4:30 PM | Tuesday – Friday Office Manager Parvan Oliazadeh’s Office Hours: 9 AM – 1 PM | Mon. – Fri 16 Jamila Tekalli Hanner, Director of Music: 407-353-7477 or [email protected] Missionaries: Each member in daily life.