Transfiguration of Our Lord

Transfiguration of our Lord

February 21, 2021

WELCOME! We are pleased to have you join us this morning to worship the Risen Savior and celebrate the forgiveness that we have through Him.

AS WE GATHER – We continue our “A Walk Through the Bible” one year series. Between now and next June we will do just what the title says. We began with the account of creation in Genesis and we will end in June with the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

Jesus takes some of his disciples up a mountain and reveals to them a glimpse of His glory. They also see Moses and Elijah, but then were told to keep this a secret for a while. What do we rejoice in and share about that day now?

FACE MASKS – In order to protect one another during the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks must be securely worn over the nose and mouth upon entering the building, throughout the entire worship service, and until you exit the building. Thank you!

PRELUDE Prelude on “Rockingham”- Willan

WELCOME Pastor: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HYMN Beautiful Savior

Tune and text: Public domain

INVOCATION Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the  Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES Pastor: The Lord is great in Zion. People: He is exalted over all the peoples. Pastor: Let them praise Your great and awesome name! People: Holy is He! Pastor: The Lord’s face will shine upon us, People: and give us peace.

CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION Pastor: Today we celebrate the transfiguration of Jesus. We hear the voice of our heavenly Father saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Yet, as we follow Jesus, we have often failed to listen to His words. We have chosen to listen to the voice of the world rather than the voice of our transfigured Lord. So now, we come before our heavenly Father to ask for His forgiveness.

Silence for reflection.

Pastor: Heavenly Father, People: we confess that we have not listened to You or Your Son. We have ignored His voice and plugged our ears to His words of mercy. Forgive our sins and open our ears to Your voice once again. Pastor: 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 Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. God’s face has shined upon us. We are forgiven in Christ.

PRAYER OF THE DAY Pastor: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Pastor: Let us pray. Heavenly Father, in the transfiguration of Your Son You have shined grace and glory upon the world, and by Your own testimony we hear that Jesus is indeed Your beloved Son. Help us to heed Your voice and bask in the light of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, our transfigured Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 24:8–18 8And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17Now 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. 18Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE 2 Peter 1:16–21 16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises 4

in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

ANTHEM Savior, Thy Dying Love Chuck Naylor, soloist

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 17:1–9

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the seventeenth chapter. People:

1After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord. People:

HYMN OF THE DAY ’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here

Tune and text: Public domain

SERMON Vicar Jessy Wilson

OFFERING (You can give at www.blcdelmar.com/give or mail your check to: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 85 Elm Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054) 6

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Pastor: Dear heavenly Father, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus revealed His light and glory to Peter, James, and John. Embolden us to proclaim Christ’s light and glory to the ends of the earth. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, Peter, James, and John heard Your voice on the mountaintop. Help us to heed Your voice and Your Word that comes to us in the Scriptures. Strengthen us to listen to Your voice rather than the voice the world. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, comfort all those who are suffering in grief, [especially . . .]. Console them with the hope of the resurrection to eternal peace and life. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, Peter reminds us that no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but all prophets are carried along by the Holy Spirit. Send Your Spirit to call, gather, enlighten, sanctify, and keep Your people. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, You have shined the light of Christ on the world. Help us reflect Your light to those who are experiencing the darkness of the world. Bring community to the lonely, stability to those in transition, and safety to all those who have suffered abuse. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, look with favor upon all who are sick, injured, and recovering, [especially . . .]. Have mercy upon them and heal them according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Pastor: Lord, we commend all of these things to Your infinite mercies, which are new every morning. Lord, in Your mercy, People: hear our prayer. Amen.

PREFACE Pastor: The Lord be with you. (2 Timothy 4:22) People: And also with you. Pastor: Lift up your hearts. (Colossians 3:1) People: We lift them to the Lord. Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. (Psalm 136) People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Pastor: Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son, whose light and glory cannot be dimmed. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, liberate, and defend us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen.

THE WORDS OF OUR LORD Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25

Pastor: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My  body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My  blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST Pastor: As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26) People: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20) Pastor: O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood in this Sacrament You lead us to remember all that You have done for us before we were born, to realize that You are with us today, and to await Your promised return one day to receive us into Your eternal kingdom. So remember us in Your kingdom now and teach us to pray:

THE LORD'S PRAYER (Matthew 6:9–13) All: 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 ever. Amen.

PAX DOMINI Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you always. People: Amen.

RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION Communicants are invited to receive Holy Communion, remaining in place in your seats.

(Note: After the service, please dispose of the cup and wrapper in the wastebasket on your way out.)

DISMISSAL Pastor: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to live everlasting. Depart in peace. People: Amen.

POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING Pastor: Let us pray. We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have sent Jesus to shine on us with His glorious light. We implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us in this Sacrament and empower us to walk in Your light; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. People: Amen.

BENEDICTION Vicar: 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  give you peace. Numbers 6:24–26 People:

HYMN Go, My Children, with My Blessing

DISMISSAL Pastor: Go in peace as you serve the Lord. People: Thanks be to God!

POSTLUDE God, the Father, Be Our Stay - Scheidt

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SERVING TODAY: ALTAR - Kayt Marra; Dorothy Cartwright MUSIC DIRECTOR - Ruth Rice ORGANIST - Rhonda Ballou USHER - Dan Libutti

THIS WEEK “AT” BLC TODAY: 8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship (with Holy Communion) 10:30 a.m. – Contemporary Worship (with Holy Communion) MONDAY: 7:00 p.m. – Women’s Bible Study (in-person and via Zoom) 7:30 p.m. – Joining Jesus Meeting TUESDAY: 1:00 p.m. – Seniors’ Afternoon at the Movies 7:00 p.m. – Confirmation Class WEDNESDAY: 7:00 p.m. – Bible Study (Zoom) SUNDAY: 8:30 a.m. – Traditional Worship 10:30 a.m. – Contemporary Worship 11:30 a.m. – Joining Jesus Meeting

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QUARANTINE REMINDER: If you have any reason to believe that, in the past 10 days you have been in close contact to a person who is COVID positive, please do not enter the building. Please keep up the good work in keeping one another safe.

STAY CONNECTED:

In-person worship: If you wish to attend worship in person, remember to contact the Church Office (518-439-4328 or [email protected] during the week to reserve a seat (8:30 AM Traditional; 10:30 AM Contemporary).

Online worship: Worship services are broadcast live every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (traditional) and at 10:30 a.m. (contemporary) at www.blcdelmar.com/live-stream. And if you can’t join us live, you can access all recorded worship services at any time on our website www.blcdelmar.com/live-stream or YouTube Channel: BLCDelmar

Online Daily Devotion: Our vicar, Jessy Wilson, provides a daily devotion of readings from the Bible that encourages and assures us of God’s unending love for us. You can access them on the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Facebook page or on our YouTube Channel: BLCDelmar

For Children: Each week we are having Sunday School online for children 3 yrs. old through sixth grade. Go to our webpage: www.blcdelmar.com and click the Sunday School tab.

BIBLE STUDIES:

Women’s Monday Night Bible Study - Join us for a Women of Faith study, “Giving God Your Future”. In this 12-week class, we will examine what Scripture teaches about yielding our will to God’s and depending solely on His strength. It will help us to understand the causes and effects of our unwillingness to give God our all, to examine our alibis, to trust His promises as the only one who knows His plan for us, and to rid ourselves of the desire to control our lives. We will discover how we, like Christ, can truly pray, “Not my will, but Yours, be done”.

We continue to meet in person with a limited number of attendees each Monday night at 7:00 pm in the Lounge, following mask and spacing protocols. To inquire about space availability, please call Dorothy Schultz at 518-458-7231.

Our online class will also continue virtually each week at 7:00 pm. Please call Dawn Snay at 518-368-8138 if you would like to join the online group. All are welcome!

Wednesday Evening Bible Study – Want to learn more about both the big picture of the Bible and how all the books and stories fit together? Our “Walk Through the Bible” program continues, and there is a weekly adult Bible study that explores in more detail the Bible passage for the coming Sunday. Ask questions, join with your BLC family. Click the Zoom link we will send you each week and join us Wednesday evenings at 7PM.

Saturday Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study: The Saturday morning Men's Breakfast and Bible Study group is successfully hosting their virtual Bible study using ZOOM. The next meetings are March 6th & 20th. If you would like to be included in the study, send your email to Mike Mineau at [email protected] and he'll include you in the meeting notice.

THE SENIORS’ LUNCH AND LEARN (WITHOUT THE LUNCH!) is coming up on Tuesday, February 23 at 1:00 PM in the Contemporary Worship Space. It will feature a DVD virtual tour of three Holy Land sites especially significant in the life of Jesus. Christian commentators will take us to Bethlehem, Capernaum and Jerusalem – the towns of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. Through archeological discoveries, we gain new insights and are reminded of the significance of each place. We hope you will want to join us on this journey during the time of Lent. ALL ARE WELCOME! You don’t have to be a Senior, but you do need to register to reserve a space by calling Dorothy Schultz at 518-458-7231 or e-mail her at [email protected]. The movie lasts about 75 minutes, MASKS ARE REQUIRED. We hope to see many of you there! ~Your BLC Seniors’ Team

NEWS FROM OUR FOOD PANTRY – Thanks to the generosity of the BLC congregation, we were able to provide food baskets to several families over the holidays as well as to individuals and families throughout 2020 and now during 2021. Your donations of non-perishable food and gift cards are greatly appreciated.

We would appreciate if the following items are NOT donated to the Food Pantry:

Dog food Candy Diet food products (Atkins, South Beach, etc.) Ensure Adult incontinence products Baby products (diapers, wipes, etc.) Unpackaged individual items (e.g. microwave oatmeal packets taken out of the box) Soda Expired food

NOTES FROM BLC’S FINANCIAL SECRETARY

- Direct Deposit for Easter Holy Day Contributions Now Available Since some of our members have chosen not to receive envelopes because they now donate using our online, mobile and other direct methods, they can still donate for Ash Wednesday, Lent and Easter Holy Days by going to www.blcdelmar.com/give or using our GivePlus+ mobile app. General, Mortgage Reduction and Altar flowers are also available for online contributions.

- Reminder: when giving to 2 separate items by check, it would be appreciated if you would use a separate check for each item. Examples are Christmas Wish and General offering; Mortgage Reduction and General offering; a memorial and General offering.

- 2020 Statement Glitch. On some end-of-year giving statements you may notice a pledge line for 2016. This was included in error and does not represent your actual giving for that year. Please ignore the line. If needed, please contact the Church Office and we will get you another statement.

COVID CANCELLATIONS

Due to current restrictions and precautions, the following changes to the winter/spring calendar have been made:

Lenten Wednesday Worship: Lenten Wednesday services will be replaced by our Wednesday night Zoom Bible Study. Please join us weekly for our study of the lessons for the upcoming Sunday. Watch your email for reminders and Zoom link.

Ladies’ Candlelight Dinner: It is with sadness that we have to cancel this year's Candlelight Dinner. Thank you to all the hostesses who had volunteered to host a table for 2021. I'll keep you on the list for 2022 but will check with you closer to the end of 2021.

The prayer list is your personal invitation to join in the daily prayer ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. It is for daily prayers of praise, thanksgiving and intercession on behalf of others, personal needs, church concerns, decisions and other important matters. Please use the BLC information cards to add a name to the prayer list or email the church office at [email protected]

IN FEBRUARY WE PRAY FOR... BLC MEMBERS: Desiree Luft, Lois Gall, John & Dorothy MacMillen, Paul & Ann Kleinke, Sandy Pangburn, Ruth Rice, Kathy Palmer, Bud Bauss, Barb Van der Linden

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Adelle, Carly & Family, Zak, Laurie & Charles, Dan Hillman – loved ones of MaryLou & Steve Wahl Paul & Kristen, Bill Kelly, Grace – loved ones of Kathy Zimmerman Walter Luft, Katerina Luft, Bill Beers, the Luft family Joe Coluccio, Marianne Terry, Raymond, Stan – friend and family of Pat Harbeck Lori – daughter of Diane Bollman-Buyer Kay, Bill W. – family of Sue Plank Tad and Youngeun Dietsche, Jean, Frank, Aram & Mara, Jean – family of Sue & Dave Dietsche Norma June – mother of Trish Eberwein Karen, Tim – family of Kathy Barra Matt; Jacob – family of Marcia Luther Jeremy, Jen, Phil, Ed, Joe, Claire – friends and sister-in-law of John Matthews Marie Tompkins, Shirley Wilde – sister and friend of Arlene Abelman Tom Frazier – father of Lori Haertel Marg and Nevin Weaver – friends of Judy Nestlen Alan Whitney, Mike Lee – loved ones of Bruce & Joann Susser Rich Stoffels – nephew of Sandy & Al Pangburn Suzy Tiedemann – daughter of Frank and Ruth Rice Perrin – daughter of Mary and Keith Scott Cody McNally – son of Sue McNally and brother of Brendan McNally Irene and Gordon – friends of Marie Gauger Joshua Lang – friend of the Licht family Paul & Pauline Taylor – friends of Jackie Schrom Rebecca – neighbor or Wolfgang Wehmann Matt Buhrke – son of Deborah Fansler Marvin Staats – cousin of Hope DeBacco Betty Kircher – mother of Barb Collins Thomas McCormick – father of Joe McCormick Bob Burroughs – family of Ann Uhl Laura Aarnio – sister-in-law of Kate Aarnio Cousin of Bud LaQuire

LONG TERM PRAYER CONCERNS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS: John Matthews Betty, Ray, Richard Lostritto, Russ Bennett, Ellen Segendorph, Susan Davis, Dorothy– friends and family of Lois Miller Richard Buyer – husband of Diane Bollman-Buyer Paul Dietz – cousin of Ruth Rice Sean Murray – family friend of the Cartwright Family Ginny D – friend of Linda Greenman Melville Dwayne Herron – friend of Sue Vail Gary Mabee – family member of Barb & Tom Mabee Dmitri and family – loved ones of Eric & Dolores Jerabek Scott Bailey – brother of Diane Mineau Lisa – friend of Bonnie & Chuck Naylor Anita - friend of Sue Haswell Rick – friend of Chuck & Bonnie Naylor Floyd Sykes Tom Riescher, Gene Salvino – family of Marlene Brookins Lisa Cantina – niece of Dorothy Cartwright Richard Mabee – brother of Tom Mabee

PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN THE MILITARY: Petty Officer James Collins, son of Bill & Barb Collins; Pfc. Paul Thompson – friend of Ralph & Dorothy Schultz; , Jens Berdahl – son of friends of Sue Haswell; Alex McCoy, son-in-law of David and Susan Plank; Lt. Commander Dean Horton & family – son of Fred & Carol Horton; SSGT Jamison Kuhn (US Air Force) - grandson of Doug & Barb Kuhn; Kevin Mahoney – friend of Judy Nestlen; Jacob Adams (US Navy) – nephew of Val & Tom Newell; Senior Airman Daniel Thien (USAF)– son of Ted & Lisa Thien; Pfc (Army) Dennis Robinson, friend of J. Matthews; Colonel Michael Taylor – grandson of John and Dorothy MacMillen; Sergeant Alex Kessler – best friend of Trent Haertel; John Hillman – nephew of MaryLou Wahl