The livestream may be found here. You need not have a Facebook account to view the livestream.
February 21, 2021
The First Sunday in Lent
The color purple is used for
the vestments and paraments in Lent. After he was condemned to death, Jesus was
clothed in a purple robe and mocked as ‘King of the Jews’ (Mark 15:17-20). We
clothe our icons and symbols of the Lord in purple to remind us both of the
suffering and the royalty of Jesus.
OLD TESTAMENT: The theme of covenant reverberates through the Old Testament
lessons in this year’s cycle of Lenten readings. In the ancient church, Lent
was a forty-day period of preparation for catechumens who were to be baptized
into the new covenant in Christ. The baptismal covenant is foreshadowed in the
covenants of the Old Testament, beginning with the covenant with Noah.
In his reading of Scripture, Martin Luther describes God’s ‘alien work’
in opposition to his ‘proper work.’ The work that is proper to God’s nature is
to save and make alive. When chaos threatens to overwhelm human community, God
must resort to the alien work of punishment, as here in the flood, for the sake
of life, holiness, and purity. As Luther reads the Bible, he discerns that
God’s wrath is ever is in the service of God’s love – the rainbow, the sign of
God’s promise, is given to Noah and to all humankind.
NEW TESTAMENT: The apostle Peter links the
water of Noah’s flood with the covenant of baptism. Interestingly, in this
lesson we have one of the only scriptural referents for the line in the
Apostles’ Creed ‘he descended into hell’ (or, ‘he descended to the dead.’) In
the Spirit, Jesus made a proclamation to the ‘spirits in prison’ who did not have
the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Presumably, he released from hell those who
heard and trusted in him. This makes Christ the true ‘Lord of hell,’ if you
will. Satan is not triumphant even in hell. Christ does not descend to endure
more punishment, but to assert his kingship ‘in heaven, on earth, and under the
earth’ (Philippians 2:10)
GOSPEL: Immediately following his
baptism, the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness. In the midst of
temptation, he is sustained by the Word of the covenant God has made with him
in baptism: ‘You are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ The Son
of God is predecessor and pattern for all those who are baptized. They are
claimed as God’s sons and daughters and called to the covenant until the day
when all temptation has ceased.
OPENING MUSIC Lord
of Our Life
I.
Roger Petrich
II.
J.M. Strobel
Please
meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played:
star of our night and
hope of ev'ry nation;
hear and receive your
church's supplication,
Lord God Almighty.
2 See round your ark the
hungry billows curling,
see how
your foes their banners are unfurling.
Lord,
while their poisoned arrows they are hurling,
you can
preserve us.
Lord,
you can save when deadly sin assails us;
and, in
the day when hell itself appalls us,
Grant
us your peace, Lord:
peace in your church,
where kindred souls are raging,
peace, when the world
its endless war is waging,
peace in your heaven.
Text: Matthäus A. von Löwenstern,
1594-1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799-1855, alt.
(Though God’s promise knows no season, we fast from
hearing the public announcement of the forgiveness of sins during the forty
days of Lent. The Great Three Days begin on Maundy Thursday with the
pronouncement of forgiveness.)
Stand
Blessed be God: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit,
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever.
Amen
Hear the commandments of God to his people:
I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the house of slavery.
You shall have no other gods.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not make wrongful use
of the name of the LORD your God.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Honor your father and your mother.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not murder.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not commit adultery.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not steal.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
or his male or female slave, or his ox, or his donkey,
or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
These are the commandments of the LORD our God.
Lord, have mercy on us sinners,
and incline our hearts to keep your law.
The almighty Lord bless us,
forgive us our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,
strengthen us in all goodness,
and by the power of the Spirit keep us in eternal life.
Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:13
And also
with you.
PRAYER OF
THE DAY
God of the covenant,
as the forty days of deluge swept away the world’s
corruption
and watered new beginnings of righteousness and
life,
so in the saving waters of baptism
your people are washed clean and born again.
Throughout these forty days,
unseal for us the wellspring of your grace,
cleanse our hearts of all that is not holy,
and cause your gift of new life to flourish
once again.
Grant this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
CALL TO
THE WORD
The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;
repent
and believe in the good news.
Let us hear the Word of the
Lord. Mark 1:15
Sit
First READING Genesis 9:8-17
8God said to
Noah and to his sons with him, 9“As for me, I am establishing my
covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every
living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every
animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11I
establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by
the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the
earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make
between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future
generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a
sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds
over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember
my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh;
and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When
the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant
between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17God
said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between
me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 25:1-9
The psalm is read responsively between the
pastor and the people.
Your
paths are love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant. (vs. 9)
Your paths are love and
faithfulness to those who keep your
covenant.
1 To you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul; my God, I put my | trust in you;*
let
me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph | over me.
2 Let none who look to you be | put to shame;*
let
the treacherous be disappointed | in their schemes.
3 Show me your | ways, O Lord,*
and
teach | me your paths.
4 Lead me in your | truth and teach me,*
for
you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all | the day long.
5 Remember, O Lord,
your compas- | sion and love,*
for
they are from | everlasting.
6 Remember not the sins of my youth and | my
transgressions;*
remember
me according to your love
and
for the sake of your good- | ness, O Lord.
7 Gracious and upright | is the Lord;*
therefore
he teaches sinners | in his way.
8 He guides the humble in | doing right*
and
teaches his way | to the lowly.
9 All the paths of the Lord
are | love and faithfulness*
to
those who keep his covenant and his | testimonies.
Your paths are love and
faithfulness to those who keep your
covenant.
SECOND READING 1 Peter 3:18-22
18Christ also
suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to
bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the
spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the
spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God
waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which
a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21And
baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the
body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand
of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
One does not live
by bread alone,
but
by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Gospel Mark 1:9-15
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
9In those days
Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And
just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and
the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from
heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He
was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild
beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming
the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise
to you, O Christ.
Sit
Sermon
HYMN OF THE DAY Lord,
Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
Please meditate on the
text of the hymn as it is played.
1 Lord, keep us
steadfast in your word;
curb those who by
deceit or sword
would wrest the
kingdom from your Son
and bring to naught
all he has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ,
your pow'r make known,
for you are Lord of
lords alone;
defend your holy
church, that we
may
sing your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of
priceless worth,
send peace and unity
on earth;
support us in our
final strife
and lead us out of
death to life.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr.
Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878, alt.
CONFESSION OF FAITH
The pastor and people confess the faith
of the Church in the words of the Nicene Creed.
X At the words ‘For us and for our salvation,’
and continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow is appropriate to
praise the incarnation of our Lord.
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.
X For us and for our salvation
he
came down from heaven;
by
the power of the Holy Spirit
he
became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and
was made man. X
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.
With
the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He
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
PRAYERS
Let us pray for the whole
people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
Silence is kept.
That the covenant
you have made with us in Baptism may sustain your Church through the forty days
of Lent: Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
That our Faith Family may continually grow closer to
one another and to you: Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That all who serve in public office and those who
protect and serve us may be sustained and strengthened for their callings: Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That those who work in
business, technology, media, and research be motivated not simply by hope of
gain but by desire to benefit all: Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
That all who are tempted may cast their cares on Jesus
the Lord who was also tempted. Give them strength and peace: Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
That you would hear the prayers of those who suffer
from any illness, injury, or need; and our prayers for others:
The pastor
reads the names on the prayer list.
The people
are invited to offer intercessions and thanksgivings.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That we may come to that day when all your saints will
be gathered around Jesus, who returned from the wilderness to establish his
covenant with us: Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your hands, Father, we
commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Amen
Peace
The peace of the Lord be with
you always.
And also with you.
The
people exchange a sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
God of mercy and compassion,
your Word calls us home to faith and
love.
accept all we offer you this day,
and prepare us to receive Him
who in great mercy is offered for us:
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
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 him thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all
places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, through Christ our
Lord.
Living in the
covenant of his baptism, he endured temptation in the wilderness so that he
might make covenant with us; and, confident in this hope and sustained by his
Spirit, we journey through the wilderness of this world toward the life of the
world to come.
And so, with the Church on earth
and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of
hosts;
the whole earth is full of his
glory!
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the LORD!
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed are you, O Lord our God.
You created us in your image;
and in the mystery of your great love for us
you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ,
born of Mary by the power of the
Spirit.
Led by that Spirit he was tempted
as we are tempted;
He
proclaimed your forgiveness to sinners;
he loved even his enemies.
Despised and rejected,
he
bore the alienation of the world
as he stretched out his arms on the cross;
and by this all-sufficient sacrifice
he has drawn all people to himself,
giving his life as a ransom for many.
As we gather in his name and
celebrate his testament,
send your Spirit upon us
and upon these gifts of bread and wine,
that they may be for us
the very body and blood of your Son,
Christ Jesus, redeemer of the world.
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.
Let us proclaim the mystery of
faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ
will come again.
Blessed are you, O Lord our
God.
By your Son's life-giving passion
and death,
and
by His resurrection and ascension into glory,
our
Lord Jesus continually intercedes for us
and
for all he has claimed as his own.
As we now share together
this
Bread of Life and this Cup of Salvation,
unite
us with all your faithful people
in
the forgiveness of sins,
and
bring us, at length, to that eternal celebration of life
at
the Lamb's high feast.
Through
him, with him, in him,
in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all
honor and glory is yours,
almighty
Father, now and forever. Amen
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the
Spirit,
we pray to his Father,
saying:
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
Here is God’s Son, the beloved; with whom he is
well pleased. Mark 1:11
Thanks be to God.
We
adore Christ with the words of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; Grant us peace. John 1:29, see also Luke 17:13
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the
Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who
are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread
and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The communicants will be
invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not come forward until the
pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all the way to the table
until the pastor has retreated, and please do not remove your mask until you
have reached the table with the elements on it.
When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ,
given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed
for you,’ drink the wine. Please take
the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.
Please put your mask on before returning to your seat.
Those who are able may kneel at the altar rail as a
sign of reverence and homage to the Lord Jesus who comes to us in the bread and
the wine.
Please meditate on the text of
the hymn as it is played.
O Bread
of Life from Heaven
1 O bread of life from
heaven,
O food to pilgrims
given,
O manna from above:
feed with the blessed
sweetness
of your divine completeness
the souls that want
and need your love.
2 O fount of grace
redeeming,
O river ever
streaming
from Jesus' wounded side:
come now, your love
bestowing
on thirsting souls,
and flowing
till all are fully
satisfied.
3 We love you, Jesus, tender,
in all your hidden
splendor
within these means of
grace.
Oh, let the veil be
riven,
and our clear eye in
heaven
behold your glory
face to face.
Text: Latin hymn, c. 1661; tr. Hugh T.
Henry, 1862-1946, sts. 1, 3; tr. Philip Schaff, 1819-1893, st. 2
When all have received, the congregation stands at the direction of the
pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
Lord, now you let your servant
go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the
salvation
which you have prepared in the
sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the
nations
and the glory of your people
Israel.
Glory 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 Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
Almighty
God,
you gave your Son both as a sacrifice for sin
and a model of the godly life.
Enable us to receive him always with thanksgiving,
and to conform our lives to his;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
BENEDICTION
God the
Father,
who does
not despise the broken spirit,
give to
you a contrite heart.
Amen
Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
who bore
our sins in his body on the tree,
heal you
by his wounds.
Amen
God the
Holy Spirit,
who leads
us into all truth,
speak to
you words of pardon and peace.
Amen
The blessing of God, Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit,
be upon you and remain with you forever.
Amen
DISMISSAL
Go
in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
CLOSING MUSIC
REMINDERS FOR THOSE PLANNING TO ATTEND WORSHIP
SERVICES
·
If
you wish to attend worship, you will need to pre-register every week
by either calling the office or sending an email.
·
Registration
ends Saturday at 12 noon.
·
Masks
are required to be worn while in the building.
·
Upon
entering and leaving the church, you must sanitize your hands or wash them with
soap and water.
·
You
should not loiter for greeting or conversation in the narthex, but instead go
directly to your place in the church. After worship, you should not loiter in
the nave or the narthex, but immediately exit the building.
·
Everyone
must sign in when entering the church. This way we can keep track of who was in
the church and when.
WORSHIP SERVICES are held every Saturday
evening at 6:30 PM and Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. Pastor Frontz also
livestreams Compline (Prayer at the Close of the Day) on Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
and Vespers (Evening Prayer) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. These can be accessed on
the church’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ststephenpittsburgh).
AN ONLINE BIBLE STUDY meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:30, following the
livestreamed service of Evening Prayer. The topic is Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians. Please contact Pastor Frontz if you would like the ZOOM link. You
can also watch Facebook Live if you do not want to or cannot ZOOM.
ST STEPHEN COUNSELING CENTER: A site of Pittsburgh
Pastoral Institute/PPI). For
marriage, family, teen and individual counseling – for first appointment call
PPI at 412-661-1239. St. Stephen Center is
412-279-5452. Counseling opens doors to hope. Counselor: Caroline
Graham-McGuire.
THIS WEEK FOR THE FAITH FAMILY Sun/Feb 21 WORSHIP 10:30 AM Prayer at
the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM Wed/ Feb 24 Evening Prayer (livestream) 7:00 PM ZOOM
Bible Study 7:30 PM Sat/Feb 27 NA Meeting 11:00 AM SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP 6:30 PM Sun/Feb 28 WORSHIP 10:30 AM Prayer at
the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
From Sundays and
Seasons.com. Copyright 2021 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by
permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer reprinted with
permission from A Little Book of Canons
by Rod L. Ronneberg, STS, ©1997
and ©2010.
Common Worship:
Times and Seasons, material from which is included in this
service, is
copyright © The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2006.
Prayer of the Day
from Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language,
copyright 1997
International Commission on English in the Liturgy. All rights reserved.
Ermakova,
Natalia. Noah's Ark Icon, from Art
in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt
Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56487 [retrieved February 17, 2021]. Original source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/4338027250/ - Jim Forest.
Agnus Day appears
with the permission of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
