Welcome!
“O Father, with the eternal Son And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace To see Thy glory face to face!”
(LSB 413:5)
EIGHTH (LAST!) SUNDAY after EPIPHANY
TRANSFIGURATION DAY – MARCH 2, 2025
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH HIDEWOOD TWP, SD
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH WATERTOWN, SD
To prepare yourselves for worship you are welcome to meditate on:
Today’s Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!
2 The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name – He is holy.
4 The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool – He is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
8 You answered them, O Lord our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9 Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.
ORDER for WORSHIP
The bell calls us for worship
Opening Prayer
P: Dear Savior Jesus, we praise You for Your grace and mercy which led You to give Yourself as a sacrifice for our sins. Come to us today in Your Word and in the Lord’s Supper that we may learn from You and find rest for our souls. Amen.
Hymn 135
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL SING: Amen.
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P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God, our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
ALL SING: Who made heaven and earth.
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P: I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.
ALL SING: And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
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ALL: O almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess to You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray that of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son Jesus Christ, You will be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P: Upon this your confession, by virtue of my office as a called servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the place and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
ALL SING: Amen.
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Hymn – Alleluia, Song of Gladness – (LSB 417; melody: Hymn 50)
1. Alleluia, song of gladness Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding Thus they sing eternally.
2. Alleluia, thou resoundest, True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother, All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters Mourning exiles now are we.
3. Alleluia cannot always Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming When our tears for sin must flow.
4. Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee, Grant us, blessed Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Easter With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing Alleluia joyfully!
First Reading – Old Testament – Deuteronomy 34
Moses’ service ends; Joshua’s begins
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
P: Blessed are they who hear and believe God’s Word! Hallelujah!
ALL SING: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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2nd Scripture Reading – New Testament Gospel – Luke 9:28-36
Luke’s account of Jesus’ transfiguration
ALL SING: Glory be to You, O Lord!
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28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
P: So far with our second Scripture reading.
ALL SING: Praise be to You, O Christ!
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CONFESSION OF FAITH – THE NICENE CREED
ALL: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary And was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, And sits at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, And I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen.
Hymn – Down from the Mount of Glory
(O Sing of Christ 292:1-4; melody WS 718)
1. Down from the mount of glory Came Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Recall the wondrous story Rich gem in sacred Word.
Again your faith will view Him In double glory here;
The greater homage due Him Will in your life appear.
2. Transfigured Christ, the lowly, Stood radiant in the light,
Light found in God-head solely, For human eyes too bright.
Then came a voice from heav-en, Confirmed what here we see;
The words “My Son” were given To seal His deity.
3. Yet mark this glory hidden! See Him the mount descend
And, by the Father bidden, His willing footsteps bend
To seek humiliation In deepest depths of woe,
To suffer degradation No mind can probe or know.
4. Strange how His journey ended! In love that is His fame
Our Lord again ascended A mount – the hill of shame.
Upon the cross He proffered Himself to agony;
His holy soul He offered To set the guilty free.
Sermon Text – Genesis 45: 3-15
3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” ...
15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him.
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ALL SING: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your free spirit. Amen.
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Hymn 532
Offering is collected / brought forward
Prayer by the pastor
P: Majestic Lord, to You be adoration, exultation, glory, praise, and honor. We bring You our humble offering of worship. Our lips, though unworthy to speak Your holy name, sing boldly of Your eminence and splendor.
In the routine of our lives, our eyes are dulled to Your great majesty. Our spirits, too small to bear the knowledge of Your grandeur, accept Your love and favor as if those were our due. Rouse us to discern Your glory and Your eminence. Help us grasp the wonder that You who are equal to God stoop down to serve and save us who are so petty, mean, and insignificant. It is good for us to be wakened over and over again to an understanding of the exalted place You occupy at the heavenly Father’s side so that we may begin to fathom Your great grace in regarding us of low estate.
Royal David’s Son, let the knowledge of Your splendor do more than prompt our worship and our praise. Let it be the motive for a closer walk in Your commands through the long and tedious hours of each day. We do not stay atop the mountain to bask forever in the grandeur of Your kingship. We walk the common path, fulfill the daily round in the service of You who are our King throughout the week. Let every action of ours bring You the acclaim You deserve.
Great God, the rulers of this world need You to guide them. The masses in our day need You to control and govern them. Do not forsake our world, or it is doomed. When Your time has come, rule over us in heaven, forever free from the threats to this world’s life and peace.
Preserve, watch over, and give peace to those in need of it. With confidence, we place ourselves, all those we love, and all people into Your hands, King of kings, our great and mighty God. Amen.
P: any special prayers there may be will be offered here...
P: And so we join to pray the words Jesus taught us:
ALL: 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...
ALL SING: For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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WORDS OF INSTITUTION
P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always!
ALL SING: Amen.
ALL SING: O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us Your peace. Amen.
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COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION – Hymn 528
Communicant members of Zion or Trinity Lutheran Church or of a sister CLC congregation are invited to come forward. For more information regarding the Lord’s Supper, please see the “Note” box below. You are also welcome to speak with the pastor after the service. Thank you!
Note to Visitors about Holy Communion at Trinity and Zion today
Holy Communion is rightly called a ‘Sacrament’ because it is a “sacred act;” not in what WE do for Christ, but in what Christ does for US! Because God’s Word presents the reception of this Sacrament as a most intimate expression of spiritual and confessional unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; 10:16-17 Romans 16:17-18), we ask that only those who have publicly professed such oneness of faith with us by membership at Trinity or Zion or another CLC church come forward to receive the Sacrament. This is not a judgment of anyone’s faith, but rather an expression of ours. Please speak with the pastor if you are seeking a church home or have any questions. We’d love to have you!
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ALL SING: Lord, now You let Your servant depart in peace according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.
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The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you His peace.
ALL SING: Amen, Amen, Amen.
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Hymn – Down from the Mount of Glory
(O Sing of Christ 292:1-4; melody WS 718)
5. Then hail the double glory Of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
And let the wondrous story Full peace and joy afford!
The holy mount acclaims Him The majesty divine;
Mount Calvary proclaims Him Redeemer – yours and mine!
STATISTICS – week of 2/23/25
Zion: 23; SS: 5; Trinity 36; SS: 7; Wed BC: 14; Ladies’ Aid Bible Study: 8(+PK); Avantara-Watertown devotion: 5
Zion Lutheran Church Hidewood Township, SD – 8:30 a.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church Watertown, SD – 10:30 a.m.trinitywatertownsd.com
Members: Church of the Lutheran Confession www.clclutheran.org
Pastor Paul Krause. . . parsonpaulkrause@gmail.com cell:920-238-5775
Teacher Collette Krause . . collettekrause@gmail.com cell: 920-238-5132
Church and School: 886-2976
Organists: John Klatt, Rebecca Larson, Naomi Rehder
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CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS
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TODAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service, then Sunday School
>> Trinity – 9:20 a.m. Sunday School; 10:30 worship service
>> Holy Communion celebrated at both congregations
WED >> Louis Jenson - catechism class – after school
>> 5:45 p.m. Soup supper at Trinity
>> 7:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday service at Trinity
THU >> 4:30 p.m. Lucas Bruna - catechism class
>> 7:00 p.m. Midweek Lenten service at Zion
NEXT SUNDAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service, then Sunday School
>> Trinity – 9:20 a.m. Sunday School; 10:30 worship service
>> Trinity School Board meeting after church
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
3/14-16 CLC Gradeschool basketball tournament – ILC – Eau Claire, WI
3/14-21 Trinity school spring break
ASH WEDNESDAY SOUP SUPPER There is a sign up sheet on the back table at Trinity for food items needed for our annual supper on Ash Wednesday. Please take a look to see how you can help!
MIDWEEK SERVICES DURING LENT This week we begin our custom of special services during the season of Lent as we focus on Jesus’ Passion. At Trinity, Pastors Cory Drehle and John Klatt will be trading off with Pastor Krause; and at Zion, there will be services on Thursday nights in the weeks when Pastor Krause is preaching at Trinity on Wednesday.
MANY THANKS!
>> Many thanks to Lois Fuerstenau for taking Trinity’s altar hanging and PK’s gowns in to get them dry cleaned – they look great!
>> Do you have something you are thankful for at Zion/Trinity? Let Pastor Krause know, and he will be happy to include it in the bulletin!
CHURCH DIRECTORY Copies of the church directory are available on the back table at Zion and Trinity. The directory is also available under the “members only” tab on Trinity’s website. Ask Pastor for the password access.
CLC NEWS
Undecided calls:
Teacher Claire Abbas, Inver Grove Heights, MN, to Fond du Lac, WI
Pastor Caleb Schaller, Eau Claire, WI, to Valentine/White River/Mission
Pastor Johnathan Schnose, Morris, MN, to St. Louis, MO
DUMMANN INSTALLATION Pastor Nathan Pfeiffer (MN conference Visitor sends the following... The members of Faith, New Ulm, invite you to join them in giving thanks to the Lord of the Church for supplying them with a pastor. George Dummann will be installed as pastor of Faith on Sunday, March 30 at 4 pm. A meal will be provided following the service. If you plan to attend, please let your pastor or Pastor Nathan Pfeiffer know by Sunday, March 16 ( revpfei@gmail.com ).
ILC TOUR CHOIR The Immanuel Lutheran College Spring Choir Tour to the Pacific Northwest is about a month away. Check tourchoir.org for information regarding the tour.
CLC YOUTH CAMP AT PILLAGER 2025 Registration opens Saturday March 15th at 10am CST. CLC Youth Camp at Pillager is for campers entering grades 6th-12th. Camp runs June 8-14th, 2025. For more information please visit our website, https://youthcampclc.wixsite.com/camp, or contact Amber Casto and Ethan Sydow at youthcamp.clc@gmail.com.
CHRIST’S EXPLORERS RETREAT Pastor David Pfeiffer sends the following... We are pleased to announce that we will be opening up registration for our young adult Christ's Explorers Retreat on Saturday, March 1, at 9am EST. The information and registration website is www.ChristsExplorers.com.
Our theme for the retreat is "Discovering Your Purpose". We will dig into God's plans for our lives here on Earth and how we should use our gifts and talents to serve him through every aspect of our lives. We will also look at how God guides us to find His intended purpose for us and how we can look to Him to guide us in our lives. The discussions will be led by Pastor Glenn Oster and Professor Joe Lau.
This retreat is geared toward high school and college aged youth. It is hosted by Holy Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church of West Columbia, SC. The retreat will be held in the beautiful mountains of Bryson City, NC, where we will stay in large group cabins and spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying God's creation. We will have outings to include hiking, river tubing, and outdoor exploration.
The retreat is June 19-22. Check-in will begin around 4pm on the afternoon of June 19. The retreat will conclude with a worship service on Sunday morning and dismissal at 11am.
The cost of the retreat is $150, and this includes all expenses for the weekend (lodging, food, activities, etc.). Due to our lodging capacity, registration will be limited to 50 guests.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to any of the camp directors. Greg & Sara Kloke, Kevin & Karen Howell, and Shaun & Julie Levandoski are working together to facilitate the retreat. Contact information is on the website.
TRAVELING VBS is a program of the CLC Mission Board which connects willing kingdom workers with CLC congregations across the United States in need of helping hands. Six congregations have already reached out for help so far! There are a variety of ways you can serve: teacher, recess or craft help, local canvassing, etc. Congregation members are delighted to host you for the week and show you local attractions on your downtime. The TVBS program covers your travel expenses. You could volunteer on your own, together with a friend, or accept the challenge as a family mission adventure. E-mail pastor_daub@hotmail.com for further information.
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE IN AFRICA The following is excerpted from Missionary Bruce Naumann’s latest blog post. To read the full report, go to: https://clc-tz.blogspot.com/2025/02/ the-pearl-of-great-price-in-africa.html
In this blog I write mostly about the work we do. If you'd like to get some insights about our daily life here in Tanzania, see Paula's journal entry for February at https://drive.google.com/file/d/ 1UdFj0V54Pra0Vgy9k5i_dAFT10Onetvn/view
When traveling in the East African country of Uganda, you are regularly reminded of the nation's tourism motto, which promotes it as the "The Pearl of Africa." The name certainly fits when it comes to the natural beauty and wildlife that is found there. For me, though, this motto speaks to people I have met and worked with in Uganda who highly prize the Gospel of Christ crucified for sinners. Like the merchant in Jesus' parable, they recognize that the things of this world have no value at all compared to knowing Jesus - His obedience for us, His death in our place, and His resurrection that guarantees our own eternal life.
Paula and I had a week-long visit to two church bodies in Uganda, from February 12-19. We flew from our home in Tanzania to Entebbe, Uganda. We were met there by Pastor Andrew Schaller of Fond du Lac, WI, who came to represent the CLC Board of Doctrine.
Our first destination was a 6-hour drive east of the capital, Kampala, to visit the members of the Confessional Lutheran Synod of Uganda (CLSU). This is an independent group of about 20 Lutheran congregations, with whom we have had extensive written discussions about Bible teaching. They operate a seminary in Ibanda, with 8 students attending. Pastor Schaller and I were tasked with having face-to-face meetings with the leaders of the CLSU, to determine whether we in the CLC are in full agreement with them in doctrine and practice. In the course of our discussions we were mutually convinced that we are in agreement. We have forwarded our reports to CLC President Michael Wilke for his consideration. We were also able to visit several of the CLSU congregations. ...
THE HAND OF THE LORD
Introduction to the theme of our midweek Lenten services
Whether tightening a bolt, crocheting, or typing on a computer, there is so much that we do with our hands. The Greek physician Galen called them the instrument of instruments. Indeed, hands are instruments that can do a great deal of things. Hands can be used to heal or hurt, work or wreck, build or break, seize or surrender, and on and on. Hands are so often central to the ways we interact with the world that they have also become figurative symbols of power, control, craftsmanship, and possession. We daily speak of hands in many phrases, such as “Lend a hand,” “Things are out of hand,” “Working together hand in glove,” and “Close at hand.” Moreover, in our modern era of robotic, machine, and computer processing, adding “hand” as a prefix to many words can often communicate something that is personal and intentional. Labeling something as handpicked, handwritten, or handmade adds a personal touch and significance. Our Creator has bestowed on us these amazing instruments. It is no surprise that mentions of hands appear all over the Bible as God’s Word speaks to us in ways that we can understand. All things are the work of the hand of the Lord (Psalm 102:25).
The Lord’s hand is referred to over two hundred times in the Old Testament. The Lord’s hand is active in creation, power, control over happenings of the world, judgment, and salvation. The hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel when He gave him a vision (Ezekiel 3:22), and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines in the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:13). The hand of the Lord is both Law and Gospel.
Perhaps surprisingly, specific references to the “hand of the Lord” are not all that frequent in the New Testament. However, it is precisely in the New Testament where the hand of the Lord takes on literal meaning. The One through whom all things were created took on real, literal hands in His incarnation (John 1:1–14). We have several examples throughout Scripture that speak of the way that Christ used His hands alongside His life-giving words to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation. The work of Christ’s hands helps us to see the merciful and personal way that He has condescended to us. He has given us something to grasp, even as He holds us. Jesus used His hands to save drowning Peter, to feed the multitudes, to touch those who were unclean, to stop a funeral procession in its tracks, to lift up Jairus’s daughter, and to bless the children. The hand of the Lord has come to us in Jesus.
On the other hand, the literal and figurative actions of mere human hands in the Bible are often the means of our own sin. After all, our own Lord was “delivered into the hands of men” (Luke 9:44). However, on a greater level, we know that it was the hand of the Lord at work all along, most especially in His crucifixion. Christ laid down His life of His own authority as He allowed Himself to be delivered into the hands of sinful men (John 10:18). His hands were pierced for the sins of the world. His hands rested on Holy Saturday. Yet, on the third day, He rose again. He now holds us in His hands, and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). Our Lord has hands, real hands. Jesus has accomplished all that we need. Amazingly, He takes our manipulative, distorted, self-serving hands and restores them into useful hands for His purposes, both to literally use them in service and to make our whole lives into His instruments of witness, service, and praise.