Sunday, February 28, 2021

The Holy Communion on the Second Sunday in Lent, 10:30 a.m.

 The livestream may be found here. You nned not have a Facebook account to watch the livestream.


February 28, 2021

The Second Sunday in Lent




SECOND 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 of both the suffering and the royalty of Jesus.

 

OLD TESTAMENT: God’s covenant with Abram identifies the covenant people as the tribes descended from Abram and Sarai. As a sign of the covenant which God makes, Abram and Sarai receive new names. Abram (‘God is lofty’) becomes Abraham (father of a multitude), and Sarai becomes Sarah (princess). It is from this people that God’s message of salvation will be brought to all the world.

 

NEW TESTAMENT: Paul emphasizes the faith of Abraham to underscore his teaching that inclusion in the covenant people of Christ is neither conditional upon physical descent from Abraham nor keeping the Torah, but that God’s promise is received by faith. Even Abraham is chosen by grace alone received through faith. Believing Gentiles, who can claim neither Abrahamic descent nor Torah obedience but who live by faith in God’s promise in Christ, stand within the promise of the covenant which has reached its culmination in Christ.

 

GOSPEL: Immediately after Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah, Jesus begins to teach his disciples about his suffering, death and resurrection. This runs counter to every expectation about the Messiah. Indeed, Peter’s rebuke echoes Satan’s temptations in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, that Jesus can choose the way of power and self-determination rather than the way of suffering and the cross. Jesus rejects the temptation and calls his disciples anew to the way of self-denial and cross-bearing.

 



 

OPENING MUSIC                                                     The God of Abraham Praise

                        Flor Peeters

                                                                       

Please meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played:

 

1              The God of Abr’ham praise,

                who reigns enthroned above;

                Ancient of everlasting days,

                and God of love.

                Jehovah, great I Am!

                by earth and heav’n confessed;

                I bow and bless the sacred name

                forever blest.

 

2              The God of Abr’ham praise,

                at whose supreme command

                from earth I rise and seek the joys

                at his right hand.

                I all on earth forsake--

                its wisdom, fame, and pow’r--

                and him my only portion make,

                my shield and tow’r.

 

3              The God of Abr’ham praise,

                whose all-sufficient grace

                shall guide me all my pilgrim days

                in all my ways.

                He deigns to call me friend;

                he calls himself my God!

                And he shall save me to the end

                through Jesus’ blood.

 

4             He by himself has sworn;

                I on his oath depend.

                I shall, on eagle wings upborne,

                to heav’n ascend.

                I shall behold his face;

                I shall his pow’r adore,

                and sing the wonders of his grace

                forevermore.

 

Text: Thomas Olivers, 1725-1799, alt.

 

 

CONFESSION OF SIN

(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.)

 

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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.                                    Exodus 20:2-17

  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

Ever-faithful God,

you were well-pleased with Abraham’s obedience

and you accepted the sacrifice of your Son,

who gave himself up for the sake of us all.

  Train us by Christ’s teaching

  and school us in his obedience,

  that as we walk his way of sacrifice

  we may come to share in your glory.

We ask this through Christ,

our deliverance and our hope,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.                           

  Amen

 

CALL TO THE WORD

No distrust made Abraham waver in the promise of God,

but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.

  Let us hear the Word of the Lord.                                                 Romans 4:20

                               

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First READING                                                                Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

 

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
15God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

 

The Word of the Lord.  

  Thanks be to God.

 

PSALM 22:22-30                           

The psalm is read responsively between the pastor and the people.

 

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.      (vs. 26)

  All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.

 

22 Praise the Lord, | you that fear him;*

                stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;

all you of Jacob's | line, give glory.

23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;

neither does he hide his | face from them;*

                but when they cry to | him he hears them.

24 My praise is of him in the | great assembly;*

                I will perform my vows in the presence

of those who | worship him.

25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,

and those who seek the | Lord shall praise him:*

                "May your heart | live forever!"

26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn | to the Lord,*

                and all the families of the nations shall | bow before him.

27 For kingship belongs | to the Lord;*

                he rules o- | ver the nations.

28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow | down in worship;*

                all who go down to the dust | fall before him.

29 My soul shall live for him; my descend- | ants shall serve him;*

                they shall be known as the | Lord's forever.

30 They shall come and make known to a people | yet unborn*

                the saving deeds that | he has done.

 

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.

 

SECOND READING                                                                 Romans 4:13-25

                                                                                     

13The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

      16For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 23Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

 

The Word of the Lord.  

  Thanks be to God.

 

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VERSE

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

  so that everyone who believes in him may not perish,

  but may have eternal life.                                                                            John 3:16

 

Gospel                                                                                             Mark 8:31-38

                           

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark.

  Glory to you, O Lord.

 

31[Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

 

The Gospel of the Lord.                                

  Praise to you, O Christ.

 

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Sermon                      

  

 

HYMN OF THE DAY                                   Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart

 

Please meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played.

 

1              Lord, thee I love with all my heart;

                I pray thee, ne’er from me depart;

                with tender mercy cheer me.

                Earth has no pleasure I would share,

                yea, heav’n itself were void and bare

                if thou, Lord, wert not near me.

                And should my heart for sorrow break,

                my trust in thee can nothing shake.

                Thou art the portion I have sought;

                thy precious blood my soul has bought.

                Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,

                forsake me not! I trust thy word.

 

2              Yea, Lord, ’twas thy rich bounty gave

                my body, soul, and all I have

                in this poor life of labor.

                Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place

                may glorify thy lavish grace

                and serve and help my neighbor.

                Let no false doctrine me beguile,

                let Satan not my soul defile.

                Give strength and patience unto me

                to bear my cross and follow thee.

                Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,

                in death thy comfort still afford.

 

3              Lord, let at last thine angels come,

                to Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,

                that I may die unfearing;

                and in its narrow chamber keep

                my body safe in peaceful sleep

                until thy reappearing.

                And then from death awaken me,

                that these mine eyes with joy may see,

                O Son of God, thy glorious face,

                my Savior and my fount of grace.

                Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,

                and I will praise thee without end!

 

Text: Martin Schalling, 1532-1608; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878, alt.

 

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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.

 

For your Church, that our Lenten journey may strengthen us to take up our cross and live in the covenant of baptism; Lord, in your mercy,

  hear our prayer.

 

For our bishop Dan, our pastors Maurice and Harvey, for our St Stephen faith family, and for the whole people of God; Lord, in your mercy,

  hear our prayer.

 

For the nation and our communities; for all who serve in public office, for those who work for peace, justice, health and protection; Lord, in your mercy,

  hear our prayer.

 

For all who long for the promises of God to be fulfilled in their lives, especially for those around the world preparing for baptism and for the faithful nearing death; Lord, in your mercy,

  hear our prayer.

 

For those who suffer from any malady of body, mind, and spirit; for those who need our prayers:

 

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.

 

For the time when all who have lost the world for your sake will receive all things in the kingdom to come; 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.

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The Lord’s Table is prepared.

 

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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.

  In the life of Abraham, you showed forth the faith by which we take hold of your promise of life in Christ. Seeking this life above all things, we hear with joy your call to take up our crosses and follow him who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

  And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

               

                Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might!

                Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

                Hosanna in the highest!

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

 

The poor shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the LORD.                                       Psalm 22:25

  Thanks be to 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

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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.

 

Please meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played.

Around You, O Lord Jesus

 

1      Around you, O Lord Jesus,

        your own you gather still

        to share the feast you give us

        with grace our lives to fill.

        You say to us so lovingly,

        “Take, eat! This is my body!

        Take, drink! This is my blood!”

 

2      We hear your invitation,

        and heed, O Lord, your call;

        your word of consolation

        is spoken here to all.

        It draws us to your loving heart;

        it brings to us your blessing,

        which never will depart.

 

3      We are your own forever;

        until our final breath

        we will be true and never

        in joy, in grief, in death

        depart from you, for you are still

        among your people dwelling,

        as you have said you will.

 

Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772-1847; tr. composite

Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

 

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                                                        

 

 

OUR STEWARDSHIP of GOD’S GIFTS

                                                

                Ash Wednesday Attendance:  13 + 12 = 25

Last Weekend’s Attendance:  11 +  18 =  29

 

Offering: 2/21/2021 (Ash Wednesday Offering included)

                Towards Budget:                                   $         2,523.00

Itemized Non Budget:

              Lenten Offering:                $        365.00

           Devotional Books:                 $             5.00       

                                                              

                                                Total:                        $          2,893.00

               

V IN YOUR PRAYERS 

Linda Armento, at home

Matthew Armento, at home

Mary Jo Bondi, at home

Linnese Dawe, at home

Ruth Duessel, at Concordia, Rebecca

The Rev. Carl Hendrickson, at home

Elsie Kemmler and Bill Roth at Concordia, South Hills

Scott Klammer, at Concordia, South Hills

David Noel, at Kane Rehab, Scott Township

Geneva Schrag, at Consulate Health Care, Canonsburg

William Wetzel at Concordia, Cabot

 

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.

 

OUR PURPLE LENTEN OFFERING ENVELOPES will support Carlynton High School’s ‘backpack program,’ which provides free weekend meals to students who might ordinarily go hungry. The backpacks contain two breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners. Students pick the backpacks up on Friday and return them Monday. The money we give will be used to purchase meals for the students. This is important this year as the normal fund-raisers which support this program have not been able to occur due to COVID-19.

 

FOOD BANK SUNDAY is next weekend.  Please consider bringing any non-perishable food items to church next weekend to be donated to the food pantry of St Andrew Lutheran Church in East Carnegie. Monetary donations are also accepted. Thank you.

 

KINDLY REMEMBER TO PAY FOR THE FLOWERS you ordered for the weekend Altar and for the special occasions.  Altar flowers are $20/vase. Checks can be made out to St. Stephen Lutheran Church with a notation “flowers” and placed in the offering plate.

 

 ALTAR FLOWERS FOR 2021: Please see the sign-up sheet available in the Narthex for altar flowers. If you are unable to sign up in person, you may call or email the office to make a request for a date(s). We will assign date(s) in the order in which the requests are received. The process will repeat until the slots are filled. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. The cost per arrangement is $20.

 

THE 2020 CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS have been mailed to your home.  If you have any questions regarding your 2020 contribution statement, please contact Marci Shekerko at 412-400-8840 or mshekerko@verizon.net. Thank you.

 

 

DAILY DEVOTIONS, including THE WORD IN SEASON, PORTALS OF PRAYER AND CHRIST IN OUR HOME (January, February, and March 2021) are available on the table in the Narthex. Take one or more to share with family and friends. If you are able, a donation would be welcomed to help defray the cost to the congregation for these resources. Thank you!

 

2021 ‘DAILY TEXTS’ are available in the Narthex. A donation of

$10 per book would be appreciated to help cover the cost of the books. Thank you.

 

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 28          WORSHIP 10:30 AM

                                Prayer at the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM

Wed/ Mar 3        Evening Prayer (livestream) 7:00 PM

                                ZOOM Bible Study 7:30 PM

Sat/Mar 6            NA Meeting 11:00 AM

SATURDAY EVENING WORSHIP 6:30 PM

Food Bank

Sun/Mar 7           WORSHIP 10:30 AM

                                Prayer at the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM

                                Food Bank

                                                               

                               

                               

 

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.

Shkolnik, Dmitry, 1960-. Icon of Abraham, Sarah, and Moses, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55123 [retrieved February 22, 2021]. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/5741246105/.

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org


 


St Stephen Lutheran Church

55 Forsythe Road

Pittsburgh PA 15220

(412) 279-5868

office@ststephenpittsburgh.org

www.ststephenpittsburgh.org