Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent
Worship with us this Wednesday, 2/14 at 3:00 p.m.
You will need your ELW for the first hymn Shine, Jesus Shine ELW 671.
INTRODUCTION
The Sundays after Epiphany began with Jesus’ baptism and end with three disciples’ vision of his transfiguration. In Mark’s story of Jesus’ baptism, apparently only Jesus sees the Spirit descending and hears the words from heaven. But now Jesus’ three closest friends hear the same words naming him God’s Beloved. As believers, Paul writes, we are enabled to see the God-light in Jesus’ face, because the same God who created light in the first place has shone in our hearts to give us that vision. The light of God’s glory in Jesus has enlightened us through baptism and shines in us also for others to see.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Synod Assembly
PRELUDE Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (Young)
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, creator of darkness and light,
word of truth, wind sweeping over the waters. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
God, our rock and refuge,
we pour out our hearts before you. We have known you but have not always loved you. We have wounded one another and sinned against you. We have not always recognized the Holy Spirit dwelling in each of us. Remember your covenant. Renew your creation. Restore us, that we might proclaim your good news to all. Amen.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. God has spoken: The time of grace is now. In Jesus, the reign of God has come near. By the authority of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. You are God’s beloved. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty God, the resplendent light of your truth shines from the mountaintop into our hearts. Transfigure us by your beloved Son, and illumine the world with your image, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
* GATHERING SONG Shine, Jesus, Shine (ELW 671)
FIRST READING: 2 Kings 2:1-12
1Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
PSALM: Psalm 50:1-6
1The mighty one, God the | LORD, has spoken;
calling the earth from the rising of the sun | to its setting.
2Out of Zion, perfect | in its beauty,
God shines | forth in glory.
3Our God will come and will | not keep silence;
with a consuming flame before, and round about a | raging storm.
4God calls the heavens and the earth | from above
to witness the judgment | of the people.
5“Gather before me my | loyal followers,
those who have made a covenant with me and sealed | it with sacrifice.”
6The heavens declare the rightness | of God’s cause,
for it is God | who is judge.
SECOND READING: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
3Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL: Mark 9:2-9
The holy gospel according to Mark. Glory to you, O Lord.
2Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
* HYMN OF THE DAY Jesus on the Mountain Peak (ELW 317)
* NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* OFFERING PRAYER
God our provider, by your merciful hand abundance springs up from the earth. Receive and bless these gifts of your own bounty. Let them be a sign of your steadfast love and faithfulness for all people, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
As we celebrate Christ embodied in human form, we pray for God’s blessing on the church, the world, and all of creation.
We pray for the church, that the transformational power of God enters the hearts of all people. May its leaders serve as examples of your grace and healing across time and space. God of grace, receive our prayer.
We pray for the creation, that we will humbly observe the swirl of wind and the heat of the bright sun. Teach us to honor all you have made and to care for the animals, plants, air, and bodies of water of this planet. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
We pray for those charged with leadership, lawmaking, and governance of our towns, states, and countries, that they will strive for goodness and justice all the days of their lives and callings. God of grace, receive our prayer.
Lord, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine, for those the Gaza Strip who are suffering the ravages of war We also pray for the Ukrainian people that they be surrounded by your love and protection against the attacks on their country. Lift them up, and protect, them, end this war against them and let your peace reign. God of grace, receive our prayer.
We pray for any who are sick and suffering. Guide us to offer hospitality, shelter, friendship, and care to any in need. We pray especially for the family of Dick Weaver, and the family of Connie Captis, Calvin, Krystal, Alexandra, Jim, Robin, Dan, Sue, Jennifer, Ray, Ashton, Justin, Lois, Kathy and Rich McLaughlin, Carol, Connor, Ana, Helen, Jose, Hoon, Pat, Hazel, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Rick, Alisia, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, Jim and those we now raise before you in our hearts. We pray for those affected by the Covid virus in mind, body or spirit. Grant them healing and wholeness. God of grace, receive our prayer
We pray for this congregation and its ministry in the wider community. May we share the transforming beauty and love of God in ways that honor the dignity of all whom we encounter. God of grace, receive our prayer.
Trusting that all the saints, prophets, and those who die in faith are held in your care, we remember in thanksgiving those who have died. Grant us your gift of salvation as we await your coming again in glory. God of grace,
receive our prayer.
Knowing the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, we offer these prayers and the silent prayers of our hearts in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
* THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift the 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, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ; who, sharing our life, lived among us to reveal your glory and love, that our darkness should give way to your own brilliant light. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
* HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
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.
* INVITATION TO COMMUNION
In this meal, righteousness and peace meet together.
Come, take your place at the table.
COMMUNION SONG
CONGREGATION SONG How Good, Lord, to Be Here! (ELW 315)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Giver of every gift, Christ’s body is our food, and we are Christ’s body.
Raise us to life by your power for the benefit of all and to your glory,
now and forever. Amen.
*BLESSING
God who names you, Christ who claims you, and the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, bless you and remain with you always.
Amen.
* SENDING SONG Alleluia, Song of Gladness (ELW 318)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. You are God’s beloved. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE: Allegro from Concerto No. 2 in G (Bach)
You are welcome to watch the live service at 10:15 am at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnslutheranfolcroft
Or you can watch live streaming on the St. John's website: https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
If you are having trouble accessing, please let us know.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of February by Rick Vanstone in remembrance of many friends and relatives.
A sign-up sheet is available on the hallway bulletin board. Sign up for the Eternal Candle is available for the year 2024. The cost is now $22.
YOU CAN HELP! You can be a good steward AND get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see MaryAnne Rossi if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our SHARING GOD'S BOUNTY WAGON. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week. If you are in need of food, please notify Pastor Wende and she will let you know what we have available.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Barb or Bud know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
Our Financial Response (January)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 8,443.07
Offering last month $ 4,884.29
Budget required to date (1 month) $ 8,443.07
Total received to date $ 4,884.29
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (1 month) $ 400.00
Total received to date $ 306.11
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month even if we are not all worshipping together inside our building.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
See the attached flyer for information on Lenten worship this year.
