R E F L E C T I O N S

‘Faith’ here is not a general religious attitude to life. It’s not simply believing difficult or impossible things for the sake of it, as though simple credulity was itself a virtue. The faith in question, as becomes increasingly clear throughout the chapter, is the faith which hears and believes the promise of God, the assured word from the world’s creator that he is also the world’s redeemer, and that through the strange fortunes of Abraham’s family he is working to build the city which is to come.

~ N.T. Wright Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.

~ Genesis 12:1-4 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. ~ Genesis 15:1-6 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

~ Genesis 22:1-5

February 23, 2020 | Last Sunday after Epiphany p CONGREGATION STANDS Hearing-assisted headsets are available through the Sound Technician. q CONGREGATION SITS For a large-print edition of the bulletin, please call the church office.

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain. Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

q P R E L U D E

p C A L L T O W O R S H I P PSALM 42

LEADER: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long,

PEOPLE: “Where is your God?” LEADER: These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the

multitude, UNISON: leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and

thanksgiving among the festive throng. LEADER: Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? PEOPLE: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. LEADER: My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the

land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. PEOPLE: Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; LEADER: all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs

his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock,

PEOPLE: “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

LEADER: My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,

PEOPLE: “Where is your God?” LEADER: Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? PEOPLE: Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

p All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above (verses 1 & 2)

p G O S P E L MATTHEW 17:1-9 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

LEADER: The Gospel of the Lord. PEOPLE: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

p All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above (verse 3)

q C O N F E S S I O N

LEADER: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God together by praying— God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,

PEOPLE: Have mercy upon us. LEADER: God the Son, Redeemer of the world, PEOPLE: Have mercy upon us. LEADER: God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful, PEOPLE: Have mercy upon us. LEADER: Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God, PEOPLE: Have mercy upon us. Lord, forget our offenses, and the offenses of our

forefathers. In your mercy, don’t reward us according to our sins. Spare us, good Lord, spare your people, whom you have redeemed with precious blood, and by your mercy preserve us, for ever. Amen.

Please take a moment to silently confess your individual sins.

q Assurance of Pardon PSALM 103:8-12

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

p T H A N K S G I V I N G

LEADER: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; PEOPLE: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

p All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above (verse 4)

The Lord forsaketh not His flock, His chosen generation; He is their refuge and their rock, their peace and their salvation. As with a mother’s tender hand, He leads His own, His chosen band. To God all praise and glory! q Personal Testimony of Faith Liz Grubb

p C R E E D LEADER: Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: LEFT: He appeared in a body,

RIGHT: was vindicated by the Spirit, LEFT: was seen by angels,

RIGHT: was preached among the nations,

LEFT: was believed on in the world,

RIGHT: was taken up in glory. LEFT: He will return as He promised. RIGHT: We are waiting for Him. LEFT: He is alive. He lives. UNISON: This we believe. Amen.

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q P R A Y E R UNISON: Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, your unworthy servants, give you

humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.

LEFT: We bless you for such good things as surpass our understanding: you made us, you take care of us, and you fill our lives with joy. But above all we thank you for your immeasurable love demonstrated in the redemption of the world by God the Word; we are thankful for both the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

RIGHT: We ask now that you would keep us from holding too tightly to those good things you have given to us for our health and our comfort, but instead pour into our hearts such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may give you praise—not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days.

LEADER: We pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. And together we now join in one voice to pray as Jesus taught his disciples:

UNISON: 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

q C A T E C H I S M From the New City Catechism #8

LEADER: What is the law of God stated in the Ten Commandments? PEOPLE: You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself

an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below—you shall not bow down to them or worship them. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.

q O F F E R I N G EPHESIANS 5:2 Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Please fill in the pew attendance pad, pass it down the pew and then back.

q Speak, O Lord

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1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. LEADER: This is the Word of the Lord. PEOPLE: Thanks be to God.

q A Better Country Rev. Keith A. Winder Manuscripts of the sermon are available on a table in the Narthex.

p All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above (verses 5 & 6)

Ye who confess Christ’s holy name, to God give praise and glory! Ye who the Father’s pow’r proclaim, to God give praise and glory! All idols underfoot be trod, the Lord is God! The Lord is God! To God all praise and glory! Then come before his presence now and banish fear and sadness; To your redeemer pay your vow and sing with joy and gladness; Though great distress my soul befell, the Lord, my God did all things well. To God all praise and glory!

p B E N E D I C T I O N REVELATION 1:4-6

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Worship leaders are Steve Osborne (8:00am) and Joshua Kiehl (10:45am). Sermon text readers are Dallas Wolgemuth (8am) and Brooke Forbes (10:45am). All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above by Johann J. Schutz, Tr. by Frances E. Cox. Perseverance of the Saints: Matthew Monticchio. His Love Can Never Fail: Words by E. S. Hall, Music by Chris Miner; ©2004 Christopher Miner Music. UBP. ARR. The Power of the Cross: Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. ©2005 Thankyou Music/adm. by worshiptogether.com songs, adm. by Kingsway

Music. UBP. Speak, O Lord: Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. ©2005 Thankyou Music/adm. by worshiptogether.com songs, adm. by Kingsway Music.UBP. Creed adapted from 1 Timothy 3:16 and the Masai Creed. Hymns reprinted from Trinity Hymnal (©1990, Great Commission Publ.) UBP. Hymns and Praise Songs printed bulletin are used by permission

through our Church Copyright License #1020404. Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version.

L I F E T O G E T H E R This Week at Wheatland

Sunday, February 23 8:00 & 10:45am Morning Worship 9:30-10:30am Sunday Classes 6:30-8:30pm Youth Group

Tuesday, February 25 7:00am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Women’s Evening Bible Study

Wednesday, February 26 7:00am Ash Wednesday Service 9:30-11:00am Women’s Bible Study 7:00pm ESL Classes

This Week (continued) Thursday, February 27

7:30am Morning Prayer (Le Duc’s Home) Sunday, March 1

8:00 & 10:45am Morning Worship 9:30-10:30am Sunday Classes 6:00-6:45pm Lenten Evening Prayer 6:30-8:30pm Youth Group

Looking Ahead March 19 – Women’s Evening Prayer July 25 – Church Picnic

L I F E T O G E T H E R Sunday Classes Beginning Today The Word of God The Word of God: God spoke the vast universe into existence. By his voice God crafted his law and orchestrated the redemption of his people, and his spirit has ensured that we have his words in our own language. In this class we will explore the Word of God not only as the written story of God’s grace, but also as the power of creation, the beauty of wisdom and the expression of love for his people. Dan Spanjer will lead this class in the sanctuary.

A Discussion of Job The book of Job is a challenge for so many reasons. But what if the more challenging the book, the greater the probability that we stand to learn some very important things in it? That’s the premise of this class where we will follow a discussion format to explore what God has to say to each of us in this one man’s story. This class, led by Mike Kucks, will meet in the Augustine Room of the Harvest House. Ushers and Greeters Needed In an effort to be more hospitable to our visitors, members, and our community, we are looking to add more ushers and greeters. Ben Gerlach, serving as our diaconal representative, will be facilitating the work of our ushers and greeters. If you would like to serve in this capacity or have questions about ushers/greeters, please contact Ben at bgerlach06@gmail.com. Ash Wednesday Service On Wednesday, February 26 from 7:00 - 7:45 am, please join your Wheatland Family in our Sanctuary for an Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. We will pray and sing and enter this Lenten season together with intentionality and devotion. The option to receive ashes on the forehead, a public sign of humility and repentance before God and one another, will be available at the service.

Lenten Evening Prayer Services Wednesday, February 26, is the formal start to the season of Lent. Lent, a word taken from Old English that refers to the lengthening of the days at springtime, is a spiritual spring-cleaning of sorts. It is a time when the church raises the windows and invites a fresh breeze of God’s Spirit to blow through our lives. It is a season of intentional inquiring into the places our hearts are searching for satisfaction. It is a journey along the road of thoughtful and perhaps costly repentance for all the ways that we are laying up treasures in places other than God’s Kingdom. Repentance is not a grim task to dread, it is a beautiful and joyful turning to Life from all the places that we have given over space to death and disorder. The work of prayer and confession and repentance during Lent is the joyful work of preparation. Lent is a rediscovery of what it means to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. This year as we set about our task of confession and repentance together as a church family, we will gather every Sunday evening during Lent in the Sanctuary, beginning Sunday, March 1st from 6p - 6:45p for Evening Prayers. These services will be filled with prayers, Scripture readings, songs, and a brief reflection on the Gospel reading by Rev. Eli Pius, pastor from Nigeria and Wheatland member and seminary student. Please make plans to join us as we prepare our hearts and lives to receive in new and fresh ways the life that Jesus offers us in his resurrection. Nursery will be provided for infant – 3 year olds. Overflow Parking We are working on long-term solutions to our parking. In the meantime, we are able to use the parking lot at 1059 Columbia Ave (Dr. Scott Creisher) which is a half-block east of the church. Please do not park in the church grass when the ground might be soft such as following rain or snow.

Wheatland

Presbyterian Church exists to glorify God

by equipping the community of believers

to lovingly confront our generation

with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke Le Duc | SENIOR PASTOR lleduc@wheatlandpca.org Keith Winder | ASSOCIATE PASTOR kwinder@wheatlandpca.org Samuel Spatola | DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MINISTRIES & OUTREACH sspatola@wheatlandpca.org Bruce Mawhinney | PASTOR EMERITUS bmawhinney@wheatlandpca.org Trip Beans | CAMPUS PASTOR trip.beans@ruf.org Betsy Boone | ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT bboone@wheatlandpca.org & DIRECTOR OF ESL MINISTRY esl@wheatlandpca.org George Yellak | MUSIC DIRECTOR geo.yellak@gmail.com Barb Smith | FINANCIAL ASSISTANT bsmith@wheatlandpca.org Kristen Zimmerman | DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY kzimmerman@wheatlandpca.org Joel Ansel | SEXTON sexton@wheatlandpca.org Diaconate | diaconate@wheatlandpca.org

1125 Columbia Avenue Lancaster, PA 17603

717.392.5909 www.WheatlandPCA.org