Sunday Bulletin
Celebration Service March 2, 2025 9:30am
Prelude “The Transfiguration” Dom Paul Benoit
Introit “Jesus, Teacher, Brave and Bold”
Welcome & Announcements Nancy Jeffries-Dwyer
Call to Worship
Let’s go up the mountain.
Let’s go up to the place where the land meets the sky
where the earth touches the heavens,
to the place of meeting,
to the place of mists,
to the place of voices and conversations,
to the place of listening.
Let us go up the mountain and worship God.
Hymn “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” #233
Unison Prayer
Reveal your presence to us this day,
O God of light, love, and glory.
As you did to your servants at the foot of the mountain,
send your Spirit to show us your story.
May the brilliance of your face
illuminate this place
as we dare to proclaim your Word
and may we, your people, be never unable
to tell all of that we have heard. Amen
The Lord's Prayer #307
Children’s Message
Psalm 121 Lay Reader: Sandi Kuhl page 571
I lift up my eyes to the hills from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Gloria Patri #35
Anthem “I Sing the Greatness of Our God” Fred Bock
Prayers of the People
Reading Reading Luke 9:28-36 page 69
Message Rev. Ann Larson
Hymn "Transform Us” #182
Offering
Click here to make an online donation
Offertory “Praise God, All Mankind” Walther
and organ)
Doxology* #46
Offertory Prayer* Giving God, we give You thanks and praise for all of Your gifts to us. We know that you are the source of every good thing, light and love come from You. As we dedicate this offering, we offer ourselves too, for these gifts of money are but tokens of ourselves. Take and use us, that our hands may reach out in service,
our feet may walk the difficult path of reconciliation, and that our words may be words of peace. For this we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Communion (Please see the communion insert at the end of this online bulletin.)
Hymn* “Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken” #387
Benediction
Closing: “Here I am, Lord” #452
Postlude "All Glory Be to God on High” Flor Peeters
====================================================
Calendar of Events
Monday, 3/3 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, 3/4 5:00 Children’s Fat Tuesday; pancakes at FH
5:30 Shrove Tuesday at St. John’s pancakes
7:30 AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, 3/5 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall
Noon to 2:00 Ashes To Go in front of Church
5:30 Choir Rehearsal in Organ Loft
7:00 Ash Wednesday service at St. John’s
Happy Birthday this week to:
Bob Marshall today 3/2
Oliver Brault, Joshua Vaus and Caroline Williams on 3/3
Dan Haugh and Zachary Rhodes on 3/5
Sarah Kartluke and Oana-Maria Louviere on 3/6
Spencer King and Ryan Percy on 3/7
Julie Anne Glowac on 3/8
Happy Anniversary this week to:
Andrew and Jennifer Bennett on 3/7
Announcements
The ushers today are the Deacons. Thank you for helping today.
Our deepest sympathies to Ruth and David Roy and family for the loss of her brother Galen Mudgett who was born to eternal life on February 20, 2025. His service was on March 1, 2025.
Our deepest sympathies to family and friends of Jay Van Blarcom who was born to eternal life on February 21, 2025. A celebration of her life will be here soon.
Thank you to Rev. Ann K. Larson for leading us in worship today.
The Rev. Ann K. Larson, a retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, grew up in New Jersey and has lived in Essex, Vt. since 2002 with her cats. For forty years, she served campus and/or interim ministries in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, California, Indiana, and Vermont and now does supply preaching. Other work experience includes religious publishing and volunteering in efforts to combat domestic, sexual and child abuse, among other things. Through the United Way she teaches sessions of Bone Builders and she helps friends in the challenge of downsizing. She is an avid reader (two book groups; one specializes in mysteries), and sings in the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Syrinx—a small a capella ensemble-- and with her guitar at occasional open mics.
SCC Green Tip for March 2025
I am reading Yvon Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing, a book about the history of the Patagonia gear and clothing company and their philosophy of business, people, and environment. I’ve learned that even our clothing selections play a key role in the care of our planet. Two examples: traditionally grown cotton requires intensive chemicals, fertilizers, defoiliants, and soil additives, all of which degrade the soil, air, and waterways, not to mention the health of farm workers. https://www.patagonia.com/our-footprint/cotton-for-change.html Irresponsibly sourced down originates from farms that cram birds into small cages and rely on live feather plucking and inhumane slaughter practices. It’s easy to assume that cotton and down are somehow more ‘pure’ because they are natural, but their cultivation practices prove otherwise. Check out wool cultivation and you’ll be similarly astonished! I encourage you to read Chouinard’s book or explore Patagonia’s Environmental Impact page to learn more about the responsible sourcing of clothing fibers: https://www.patagonia.com/environmental-responsibility-materials/ .
Ushers:
We would love to see your smiling face at the front door when we come in to church on Sundays! This is an excellent opportunity for you to greet the congregation as they come in.
If you’re new to the church, it’s a great way to put names with faces, as well as a way for others to get to know you! If you’re a long-time member of the church, this would be the time for you to get to know new members and greet face to face with dear friends.
It’s not a difficult job, but an important one. This is our first opportunity to greet folks and make them feel welcome….because they are.
There is always a sign up sheet in the narthex, and also in the weekly Quest. Please lend a hand and be a welcoming presence for our beautiful church.
Please contact Nan Myers @802-244-1471 with any questions and for details on what the “job” entails. I’m happy to assist!
Save the Dates:
Tuesday, March 4, 5:00 to 6:30 in Fellowship hall, we are thrilled to invite all Stowe Community Church children along with their friends, to our Fat Tuesday Pancake Dinner. Join us for an enjoyable evening filled with board games, puzzles, crafts and music. We hope you can be part of this fun event where kids can play and connect with one another. Please RSVP by Sunday March 2nd to Oana Louviere at oana.louviere@louvierembc.com
Please join St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal church and Stowe Community Church for the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 4 between 5:30 -7:00 pm at St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church. This evening of fun, also known as Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday, is hosted by the Men’s Group of St. John’s, who will prepare delicious meals of buttermilk, blueberry, and gluten free pancakes, sausage links, coffee, tea and orange juice, with Stowe maple syrup supplied by Nebraska Knoll Sugar Farm. Pancake toss competition at 6:15pm. Pastor Dan is the two-year reigning champion! $10 suggested donation.
Please join St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church and Stowe Community Church for Ash Wednesday Holy Communion with the Imposition of Ashes on Wednesday, March 5 at 7:00 pm. The service will be held at St. John’s Church. The service will be led by Fr. Rick Swanson and Pastor Dan Haugh will offer the sermon. Music will be led by Dr. Sara Huff of St. John’s Church and an anthem will be performed by Stowe Community Church choir under the direction of Karen Miller.
Cross Country Skiing at Trapp’s Ski Center
XC Ski Day at Trapp Family Lodge Ski Center. Sunday, March 9th at 2:00 pm please join Lynne Von Trapp, Meg Scotti and Dan for a cross country ski day. This will be a complimentary ski afternoon. Special thanks to Trapp Family Lodge. Ski rentals would be extra. Afterwards we are meeting at Trapp’s Bier Hall at 4:00. Come join us even if you couldn’t make the skiing. Hope to see you there! Please contact megscotti@mac.com if you are interested.
March 17, 2025 Stowe Community Church Open House for Saint Patrick’s Day, 9am to 6pm. Bake Sale, Irish Dancing, Celtic Music, games for kids in the afternoon and more. More information to follow.
If you, or someone you know, would like prayers for comfort or healing, the members of the Prayer Team are ready to support you. Please fill out the prayer request form in the pew and put it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher to deliver to the office.
Please do not forget our neighbors in need by donating food for the Lamoille Community Food Share. Non-perishable items can be put in our two bins, one in the Narthex and one in the hall downstairs. Thank you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Musical Notes by Karen Miller
Prelude: The last Sunday of Epiphany, the last before Lent begins, is sometimes termed Transfiguration Sunday to celebrate the event where Jesus took his disciples Peter, James, and John up Mt. Tabor. There Elijah and Moses appeared to them and Jesus' face and countenance became white and glistening. This moment was captured musically by Luxembourg monk and organist Dom Paul Benoit (1893-1979). Offset two-note chords in eighth notes create an ethereal mood as the pedal line states a melody line. This tune moves to the soprano line over running sixteenth notes and then moves to the tenor line. A return to the beginning ends the piece. Benoit's music was influenced by Debussy, and this is a good example.
Anthem: Fred Bock (1939-1998) was organist at Bel Air Presbyterian Church and then the First Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. He founded his own publishing house, Fred Bock Music Company, Inc., and became well-known for his over 300 arrangements of gospel songs and spirituals. To create this anthem he used an altered version of Isaac Watt's text "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" and the hymn tune "Ellacombe". Both can be found as hymn No. 64 in the Chalice Hymnal, "We Sing Your Mighty Power, O God".
Offertory: The chorale tune "Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich" (Praise God, all Mankind" was written by Nicolas Herman (1485-1561) in 1554. Several Baroque organ chorale prelude composers as J. S. Bach, Walther, and Buxtehude wrote pieces based on this melody. Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748) wrote a set of five variations on this tune. Heard today is the first variation. Walther's organ music was overshadowed by that of his illustrious cousin, J. S. Bach, but Walther was highly regarded in his time. He made many transcriptions of organ concertos and was also a theorist and philosopher.
Postlude: Both the text and music to the hymn "All Glory Be to God on High" were adapted by Nicolas Decius and first appeared in published form in the Rostock Gesangbuch of 1525. The music was probably adapted by Decius from an old Gloria tune of an Easter Mass. The tune's name, "Allein Gott in der Hoh", is the first line of the hymn in "High German". Nicolas Decius
(ca. 1490-1541) became a monk and was provost of the Benedictine nunnery at Steterburg. He became involved in the Reformation and studied under Martin Luther. He later became a Calvin sympathizer and wrote a number of Lutheran hymns. His sudden death could have been at the hands of his Roman Catholic enemies.
========================================================================
The Sacrament of Communion 3/2/25 (congregation, please say the words in bold print)
The Lord be with you!
And also with you!
Life up your hearts!
We lift them to God!
Let us give thanks to God our Creator!
It is right to give God thanks and praise!
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, sharing our life, lived among us to reveal your glory and love, that our darkness should give way to your own brilliant light. 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, God of power and might.
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory,
Hosana, Hosanna.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest!
We praise you, all-holy God,
our maker, our lover, our keeper,
For the universe beyond our knowing,
for lands and seas and all their animals,
And for friends and strangers and family,
for homes and grocery stores and schools,
We praise you for your covenant people,
for Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Mirriam,
And for centuries of faithful Christians,
for Mary and Mary Magdalene, Peter and Paul,
We praise you for your Son Jesus Christ,
who saves us from sin and from evil.
Who on the night before he died, 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.
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
We pray for your Holy Spirit,
Your breath, your fire, your wisdom,
Nourish us with the body and blood of Christ,
Inspire your people for service,
And renew the world with your mercy,
With your healing, your justice, and your peace,
We praise you, all-holy God,
The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit,
Today, tomorrow, and forever.
Amen! Amen!
Distribution of the Bread and Cup
May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
Strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Prayer of Thanksgiving :
We give you thanks, almighty God,
That you have refreshed us
Through the healing power of this gift of life.
In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(from “A Vairable Eucharistic Prayer,” Gail Ramshaw, Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks, Augsburg, 21017)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------