Sunday Worship + February 7, 2021

Welcome!

While we are practicing social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 there is also a need to imagine what worship could look like more creatively. We will have worship on Sunday mornings at 10:00am EST on our Facebook Page.

Below you will find interactive bulletins for our Sunday morning services. Bulletins will include music, prayers, scripture readings, and an audio recording of the sermon. You may choose to worship on your own schedule using the resources provided or use them to follow along in the service on Facebook. If for some reason the Facebook stream stops working you can find the video on Holy Trinity’s YouTube channel.

Licensing

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is covered under the following licenses:

• CCLI: 1510407
• OneLicense: 732293-A
• Augsburg Fortress: SAS006846

Licensing

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is covered under the following licenses:

• CCLI: 1510407
• OneLicense: 732293-A
• Augsburg Fortress: SAS006846

+ In Deuteronomy God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses, who will speak for God; in Psalm 111 God shows the people the power of God’s works. For the church these are ways of pointing to the unique authority people sensed in Jesus’ actions and words. We encounter that authority in God’s word, around which we gather, the word that prevails over any lesser spirit that would claim power over us, freeing us to follow Jesus. +

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
whose voice is upon the waters,
whose mercy is poured out upon all people,
whose goodness cascades over all creation.
Amen.

Let us confess our sin, trusting in the abundant grace of God.

+ Silence is kept for reflection. +

Holy God,
you search us and know us.
You are acquainted with all our ways.
We confess that our hearts are burdened by sin—
our own sins and the broken systems that bind us.
We turn inward, failing to follow
your outward way of love.
We distrust those who are not like us.
We exploit the earth and its resources
and fail to consider generations to come.
Forgive us, gracious God,
for all we have done and left undone.
Even before the words are on our tongues,
you know them;
receive them in your divine mercy.
Amen.

How vast is God’s grace!
Through the power and promise of ☩ Christ Jesus,
our sins are washed away
and we are claimed as God’s own beloved.
Indeed, we are forgiven.
In the wake of God’s forgiveness,
we are called to be the beloved community
living out Christ’s justice
and the Spirit’s reconciling peace.
Amen.

GATHERING HYMN: Gather Us In (ELW #532 + Verses 1 & 4 )

1 Here in this place the new light is streaming,
now is the darkness vanished away;
see in this space our fears and our dreamings
brought here to you in the light of this day.
Gather us in, the lost and forsaken,
gather us in, the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken,
we shall arise at the sound of our name.

4 Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away—
here in this place the new light is shining,
now is the kingdom, and now is the day.
Gather us in and hold us forever,
gather us in and make us your own;
gather us in, all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950
Text © 1982 GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

HYMN OF PRAISE: Lord I Lift Your Name On High (ELW #857)

Lord, I lift your name on high.
Lord, I love to sing your praises.
I’m so glad you’re in my life,
I’m so glad you came to save us.

You came from heaven to earth, to show the way.
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay;
from the cross to the grave,
from the grave to the sky;
Lord, I lift your name on high.

Text and music © 1989 Maranatha Praise, Inc., admin. Capitol Christian Music Group

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint. Make us agents of your healing and wholeness, that your good news may be made known to the ends of your creation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

READINGS

Isaiah 40:21-31

+ The Judeans in exile have a good reason to be hopeful: the one who will bring them to freedom is the God who created the world, the God who subdues the rulers of the earth and gives strength to those who are weary. +

The first reading comes from Isaiah beginning at the 40^th chapter.

²¹Have you not known? Have you not heard?
  Has it not been told you from the beginning?
  Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
²²It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
  and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
 who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
  and spreads them like a tent to live in;
²³who brings princes to naught,
  and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

²⁴Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
  scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
 when he blows upon them, and they wither,
  and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

²⁵To whom then will you compare me,
  or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
²⁶Lift up your eyes on high and see:
  Who created these?
 He who brings out their host and numbers them,
  calling them all by name;
 because he is great in strength,
  mighty in power,
  not one is missing.

²⁷Why do you say, O Jacob,
  and speak, O Israel,
 “My way is hidden from the Lord,
  and my right is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard?
 The Lord is the everlasting God,
  the Creator of the ends of the earth.
 He does not faint or grow weary;
  his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹He gives power to the faint,
  and strengthens the powerless.
³⁰Even youths will faint and be weary,
  and the young will fall exhausted;
³¹but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
  they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
 they shall run and not be weary,
  they shall walk and not faint.

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 147:1-11, 20c

+ The Lord heals the brokenhearted. (Ps. 147:3) +

Together we will read responsively from Psalm 147.

 ¹Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!
  How pleasant it is to honor God with praise!
 ²The Lord re-builds Jerusalem,
  and gathers the exiles of Israel.
 ³The Lord heals the brokenhearted
  and binds up their wounds.
 ⁴The Lord counts the number of the stars
  and calls them all by their names.
 ⁵Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
  there is no limit to God’s wisdom.
 ⁶The Lord lifts up the lowly,
  but casts the wicked to the ground.
 ⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
  make music upon the harp to our God,
 ⁸who covers the heavens with clouds
  and prepares rain for the earth, making grass to grow upon the mountains.
 ⁹God provides food for the cattle
  and for the young ravens when they cry.
 ¹⁰God is not impressed by the might of a horse,
  and has no pleasure in the speed of a runner,
 ¹¹but finds pleasure in those who fear the Lord,
  in those who await God’s steadfast love. ^20c Hallelujah! 

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

+ God entrusted Paul with the responsibility of bringing the gospel to diverse people. Hence the focus of Paul’s ministry is not his own rights or privileges as an apostle but the privilege of serving God by freely sharing the good news of Christ with others. +

The second reading comes from 1 Corinthians beginning at the 9^th chapter.

¹⁶If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. ¹⁸What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
  ¹⁹For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. ²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

For the Children’s message this week we invite you to check out back episodes of Morning Watch by Pastor Matt and Pastor Jesse, who are good friends of mine and ELCA pastors in Greensboro, NC. Each week day they engage children and adults alike with scripture, music, and prayer. A link to their videos is linked in the interactive bulletin found at holytrinitybellerose.wordpress.com.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS

Mark 1:29-39

+ Everywhere Jesus goes, many people expect him to set them free from oppression. Everywhere he goes, he heals people and sets them free. Disease, devils, and death are running for their lives. The forces that diminish human life are rendered powerless by Jesus. +

The Holy Gospel according to Mark beginning at the 1^st chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.

²⁹As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
³²That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
³⁵In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. ³⁶And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” ³⁸He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” ³⁹And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

HYMN OF THE DAY On Eagle’s Wings (WOV #779 + Verses 1 & 3 )

1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in this shadow for life,
say to the Lord: “My refuge,
my rock in whom I trust!”

Refrain
And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of his hand.

3 You need not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day;
though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come. 

Final refrain
And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of his hand;
and hold you, hold you in the palm of his hand.

THE NICENE CREED

Let us confess our faith saying the words of the 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 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. 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 he 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

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Guided by Christ made known to the nations, let us offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all people in need.

+ A brief silence. +

For all who share the gospel and proclaim freedom in Christ throughout the world: prophets, teachers, pastors, deacons, and lay leaders; for the church and its ministries, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For all God’s works in creation: plants and animals, water and soil, forests and farms; and for those tasked with protecting our natural resources and all that exists, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For government and leaders: cities and nations, rescue professionals and legal aid attorneys, elected officials and grassroots organizers; for all responsible for the well-being of civil society, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For those who suffer in mind, body, or spirit: those who are sick and hospitalized especially Florence Buckley Karen McKenzie, David Snow, Dylan Pearce, Karol Alvarado, Roger Tanner, Caroline Sikoryak, Chip Haas, Barney Gallagher, Mary Kilafofski, Artie Kellerman and Madeline Kellerman, and Terri Evans. We also pray for  those living with HIV/AIDS, those struggling with mental illness, those who are hungry or homeless, and all in any need; for caregivers, hospice workers, and home health aides, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For the concerns of this congregation: those who travel, those absent from worship, those celebrating birthdays or anniversaries; for the people of God in this place and for other needs in our community. We celebrate with the members with birthdays in January especially Gabrielle Blom, Kayla Persad, Kathy Gallagher, Lorraine Scalice, Samantha Chell, Kristian Persad, Erin Robinson, Buddy Poje, Jeanie Koller, Hannah Bakhsh, Denice Watkins, Barney Gallagher, Carol Robinson, and Alaina Povalitis, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For comfort and healing of those who cry out to you. Surround everyone in need of healing in body, mind, or spirit with your tender presence. Come to our aid as the Coronavirus spreads globally, heal those who are sick, support and protect their families from being infected, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For all who experience racism as part of their daily realities, those who feel fear for their own safety and that of those whom they love.  We pray for all who are not treated with the respect they deserve, for we are all your children, created in your image.  We pray for those who are scared and angry that they’re fighting a seemingly endless battle for safety.  We pray for the families and friends of those who have been lost.  We pray for wisdom and safety for public officials and law enforcement.  We pray that no more harm come to our communities by anyone for any reason. We pray for peace, and we long for a future where the dignity of all God’s children is respected and upheld let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

For the covenant God made with us in the waters of baptism, in thanksgiving for the baptized who have died in the Lord, let us pray.
Have mercy, O God.

Merciful God, hear the prayers of your people, spoken or silent, for the sake of the one who dwells among us, your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.

SHARING OF CHRIST’S PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you always!
And also with you!
Let us share Christ’s peace with one another.

OFFERING MESSAGE & PRAYER

Please consider continuing to mail in your offering or giving online!  We continue to have expenses that need to be covered during this time. We are most grateful for your generosity.

O God,
receive these gifts as you receive us:
like a mother receives her child, with arms open wide.
Nourish us anew in your tender care,
and empower us in faithful service
to tend to others with this same love,
through Jesus Christ, our saving grace.
Amen.

OFFERTORY HYMN: We Are an Offering (ELW #692)

We lift our voices, we lift our hands,
we lift our lives up to you: we are an offering.
Lord, use our voices, Lord, use our hands,
Lord, use our lives, they are yours: we are an offering.
All that we have, all that we are,
all that we hope to be, we give to you, we give to you.
We lift our voices, we lift our hands,
we lift our lives up to you: we are an offering, we are an offering.

Text and music © 1984 Word Music, LLC. All rights reserved. Used By Permission.

COMMUNIONON

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 our thanks and praise.

PREFACE  

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 on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.

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 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.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
In great love you sent to us Jesus, your Son,
who reached out to heal the sick and suffering,
who preached good news to the poor,
and who, on the cross, opened his arms to all.

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.
Remembering, therefore, his death, resurrection, and ascension,
we await his coming in glory.

Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray in our hearts 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.

All are welcome to share this meal in Holy Communion with God’s beloved community. It is because we are community called to care for one another that we wish to receive the elements as safely as possible. Once the service concludes the ushers will guide you toward the exit in the Narthex where you may receive bread and juice. You are invited to partake on the lawn, in your car, or at home, wherever you feel most comfortable. If you wish to bring Holy Communion to a neighbor who is not able to be with us in person, we will have pre-packaged elements for you to do so. We will have Holy Communion available for our online viewers from 11:00-11:15am at the church entrance. After 11:15am it will be available in the bucket outside the red office doors for those who want to come by the church to receive the elements. Thank you for doing your part to make this sacred meal a place where there is room for all. 

TABLE BLESSING & COMMUNION PRAYER

The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.Amen.

Let us pray,

We give you thanks, gracious God,
that you have once again fed us with food beyond compare,
the body and blood of Christ.
Lead us from this place, nourished and forgiven,
into your beloved vineyard
to wipe away the tears of all who hunger and thirst,
guided by the example of the same Jesus Christ
and led by the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

DROP-IN HOLY COMMUNION THIS SUNDAY

February 7th from 11:00am-11:15am. After that Communion can be picked up from the bucket located outside the office door to the church building on Sunday.

CONFIRMATION

February 7th at 11:30am via Zoom. See email from Pastor Analyse for this week’s Zoom Link, class materials, and reminders about sermon notes!

COFFEE HOUR
11:00am via Zoom.  Contact Carol Robinson for additional information.  It’s an opportunity to stay in touch with fellow Members.

COUNCIL MEETING
February 9^th meeting via ZOOM @ 7:30 pm

WORSHIP BULLETINS

Worship bulletins are available on Tuesdays for the following Sunday and may be found outside the red doors at the entry door for the office.

CELL PHONE DONATIONS

Holy Trinity is in need of a few more spare smartphones for Worship live streaming. If you have a spare iPhone or Android phones that you would be willing to donate please contact the church office, Ruth, Pastor Analyse, or Carol R. to make arrangements to drop them off. We can wipe the memory from the phone for you and it will be used to record video and audio. Thank you to those who have already donated. We really appreciate it.

“SOUPER” BOWL SUNDAY

Sadly there will be no “Souper” bowl Sunday this year.  However, there is a Super Bowl Pool.  The cost is $5 per box.  Payment can be mailed, dropped at the office or through Tithe.ly.  Indicate if you want specific numbers or quick pick.  Deadline is February 5^th.

A donation to the Food Pantry would be appreciated if you aren’t interested in the pool.

NEW PARAMENTS

We are in the process of buying some much needed paraments for the altar. We welcome any gifts to purchase them as they are quite expensive.

WOMEN’S GROUP

February 17 via ZOOM @ 7:00 pm a discussion of the book “The Takeaway Men” 

With the cloud of the Holocaust still looming over them, twin sisters Bronka and Johanna Lubinski and their parents arrive in the US from a Displaced Persons Camp. In the years after World War II, they experience the difficulties of adjusting to American culture as well as the burgeoning fear of the Cold War. Years later, the discovery of a former Nazi hiding in their community brings the Holocaust out of the shadows. As the girls get older, they start to wonder about their parents’ pasts, and they begin to demand answers. But it soon becomes clear that those memories will be more difficult and painful to uncover than they could have anticipated. Poignant and haunting, The Takeaway Men explores the impact of immigration, identity, prejudice, secrets, and lies on parents and children in mid-twentieth-century America.

COVID VACCINE

As of January 11 we are in Phase 1B of COVID Vaccination, which includes all individuals age 65 or over in addition to certain professions. To see if you qualify, find the location for your vaccination, and to make an appointment visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or you can call 1-877-VAX-4NYC (1-877-829-4692) NOTE: When you make an appointment you must fill out the form at https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine.

If you need to find a COVID test, locations are updated by zip code weekly at nyc.gov/covidtest or by calling 1-212-COVID19 (1-212-268-4319).

Holy Trinity is happy to help you with this process. Please contact Pastor Analyse at pastoranalyse@holytrinitybellerose.org or 516-400-2438.

Other announcements are located in the downloadable bulletin at the top of this webpage.

BLESSING

God the creator strengthen you;
Jesus the beloved fill you;
and the Holy Spirit the comforter ☩ keep you in peace.
Amen.

SENDING HYMN: Spread, Oh, Spread, Almighty Word (ELW #663 + Verses 1 & 4 )

1 Spread, oh, spread, almighty Word,
spread the reign of God the Lord.
Send forth our Creator’s call,
heaven’s gifts extend to all.

4 Lord of harvest, great and kind,
rouse to action heart and mind;
let the gath’ring nations all
see your light and heed your call.

Text: Jonathan F. Bahnmaier, 1774-1841; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, alt.
Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

DISMISSAL

What is our mission? Welcoming all to grow in faith; living Christ’s message of serving and loving neighbors near and far.

Go in Peace. Be the light of Christ. Thanks be to God!