A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR

Greetings,

Last week we celebrated Transfiguration Sunday. The mystery and wonder of our Lord’s transfiguration on the mountain with Moses and Elijah should lift our spirits. David Macbeth and our choir presented the Faure anthem in a manner that filled the sanctuary with the glory of God. In the biblical context, the transfiguration is the bridge between our Lord’s public ministry and his passion. From this moment on, his face is set toward Jerusalem and the cross.

We noted the Collect from The Book of Common Prayer. “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, forever and ever. Amen.

We enter the Season of Lent with our hearts and minds encouraged by the mystery and wonder of the transfiguration. Will we be strengthened “to bear our cross?” We pray for our newly ordained and installed elders and deacons! By God’s grace, we took a big step into the future of the church with their calling into service.

Our Lenten theme will be, “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” Each Sunday we will explore a different aspect of the meaning of the cross. You are invited each week to bring a cross from your home and place it upon the communion table prior to the service.

You are invited to memorize this verse:
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18).

May our journey through this Lenten season help us to comprehend the meaning of this verse from the beloved hymn, Beneath the Cross of Jesus.

“And from my humbled heart with shame
Two wonders I confess:
The wonders of redeeming love
And my own lovelessness.”

Peace,

Pastor Bill

PCUSA STATED CLERK TO VISIT MARCH 12 WORSHIP SERVICE WILL BE AT 11:30 A.M.

The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson II, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), will be with us on Sunday, March 12 to show his support for our congregation. 

Rev. Nelson will join our Hearts N Minds adult education class from 10 to 11 a.m., and then lead worship in the Sanctuary from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.  A light lunch and a question-and-answer discussion with the Stated Clerk will follow in Fellowship Hall at 12:30 p.m.

Rev. Nelson is the highest elected officer in our denomination of 1.5 million members and about 9,600 congregations. The PC(USA), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is the largest Reformed denomination in the United States.

Please note this change of worship time and plan to join us on this special day!

NEW MEMBER'S CLASS STARTS THIS SUNDAY

Are you interested in becoming a member of The First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem PC(USA)? If so, please join Pastor Bill this Sunday at 10 a.m. in Room 412 as he starts the first in a series of three Inquirer’s Classes that will seek to assist you in making an important decision along your spiritual journey.

Over the course of three sessions, we will explore personal faith in Jesus Christ, we will learn what it means to be “Presbyterian,” and we will be introduced to the many ways to follow Jesus into faithful service through the ministries and mission of our congregation.

These one-hour classes will be offered on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. on March 5, March 19, and March 26. If you prefer, we will offer the same classes on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. on March 7, March 21, and March 30.  All classes will be held in Room 412.

Following these classes, if you choose to become a member of the church, we will welcome you during our 8:30 a.m. worship on Sunday, April 2.

If you are interested, please join us at 10:00 a.m. this Sunday or email Pastor Bill at Bill.Hess@FPCB-PCUSA.org  if you prefer the Tuesday sessions. We will be most pleased to explore the meaning of membership with you.

HEARTS N MINDS ADULT ED

Please join us at 10 a.m. this Sunday, when we start a discussion of a book that one of our men’s groups called the most profound study it has done in more than a decade.

Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace by Dave Burchett, on the surface, is the  story of a man and his Labrador retriever and what their friendship can show us about life, grace, and long walks in the park.

Hannah was Dave’s best friend. He couldn’t imagine starting a day without her tail wagging an energetic greeting, her body wiggling with sheer gratitude when her food dish was filled, and her unbridled enthusiasm for tennis balls. So when Dave learned of Hannah’s cancer diagnosis, he decided to take whatever time he had left with Hannah to cherish the moments and capture his thoughts in a journal.

As he wrote about his canine friend, he soon realized that Hannah was an able mentor of faith, grace, kindness, and forgiveness. The lessons were invaluable: from being present to trusting the master. Through Hannah’s antics, God was preparing Dave for life itself.

Hearts N Minds Adult Education class meets in Room 400.  Whether you prefer to join in the conversation, or just listen, we hope you will join us.

CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE 

SUNDAY, MARCH 5:

• Rev. Bill Hess preaching, 8:30 a.m., in the Sanctuary
• Hospitality in Fellowship Hall immediately following the service
• Hearts and Minds Adult Education class, 10:00 a.m., in Room 400
• New Members Class with Pastor Bill, 10:00 a.m. in Room 412

MONDAY, MARCH 6:

• Hi Neighbors, 9:15 a.m., in the Parlor

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8:

• Choir Practice, 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Choir Room

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 - WORSHIP SERVICE TIME CHANGE:

• Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) to preach
• WORSHIP SERVICE WILL BE AT 11:30 A.M., in the Sanctuary
• Luncheon and Reception, 12:30 p.m., in Fellowship Hall

PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 9:

• Worship Service, 8:30 a.m., in the Sanctuary

MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 13:

• Maundy Thursday Communion Worship Service, 6:00 p.m., in the Sanctuary

• Good Friday Worship Service, 6:00 p.m., in the Sanctuary

• Easter Sunday Worship Service, 8:30 a.m., in the Sanctuary

KOINONIA GROUP NEWS

This Sunday is the last day to sign up to join a Koinonia group. Sign ups will be held after worship during hospitality in Fellowship Hall. 

A member of our Koinonia committee will be available to talk with those who wish to find out more about the value and experience of deepening their faith in this way. New groups will start the week of March 5. Groups will meet for 8 sessions, twice a month into June. Everyone is welcome to sign up.

For more information or questions, please contact Gail Watts at gnwatts848@gmail.com or 570-449-8791.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING BANKS

Don't forget to pick up a One Great Hour of Sharing fish bank in the Narthex on Sunday!  The banks should be brought to worship on Easter Sunday where they will be dedicated and celebrated!

During Lent, we are asked to consider others. Ash Wednesday starts the season for One Great Hour of Sharing. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering, a PC (USA) project, serves as a witness to resurrection hope. Money from the offering helps oppressed and disadvantaged persons achieve self-sufficiency. OGHS gifts help Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) respond quickly to refugee crises around the world.

Each week we will highlight another way the OGHS offering can make a difference in the lives of real people.  Discussing your gift with your children and grandchildren can be a teachable moment. Would you consider giving the equivalent of an hour’s wage to fight the root causes of injustice? Your sacrificial gift could mean life or death to a child in a far away land or right here in the USA. For more OGHS information. 

HI NEIGHBORS STARTS MONDAY, MARCH 6

Fellowship time with coffee and refreshments will start at 9:15 a.m. followed by two separate programs, one from 9:45-10:45, the second from 11-11:45. All are welcome and there is no cost or pre-registration required.

HI NEIGHBORS MARCH SCHEDULE

COMMUNITY EVENTS 

ANTI-RACISM WORKSHOP, SATURDAY, APRIL 1

AAUW 55TH ANNUAL USED BOOK FAIR

Sale Days: Thursday, April 20 to Monday, April 24
At Bethlehem’s Memorial Pool Bldg., 359 Illick’s Mill Rd.

Donations Accepted at the Pool Building
March 23 to April 14, Monday-Saturday, 9 am-Noon
New or gently-used hardcover and paperback books for adults and children, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs are welcomed. They do not accept textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias, Readers Digest books, VCR tapes, records or cassette tapes.

Proceeds Benefit Scholarships and Other Educational Programs. For more information.

LISTEN TO PAST SERMONS

If you missed one of our services, you can listen to or download past sermons on our website.  Our Sunday morning sermons can be found on our Sermons Page. 

CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS

If members of the FPCB-PC(USA) congregation are hospitalized and would welcome pastoral and hospital ministrant visitors and/or prayers, please contact Ginny Shunk at 610-865-1948 or at Fredginny@aol.com

At this time there is no way for hospitals to distinguish between the two congregations associated with our church.

****

“Friendship, generosity, deep caring for each other and openness to the world are the marks of a growing community.”     Submitted by Ralph Laurita

CONNECT WITH US

For questions, please visit our website: www.fpcb-pcusa.org

You can also connect with us on Facebook.

First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem PCUSA

Rev. Dr. William D. Hess II, Interim Pastor

Phone: 484-354-0191   Email: Bill.Hess@fpcb-pcusa.org

David Macbeth,Director of Music Ministries/Choirmaster

Phone: 610-742-3611   Email: David.Macbeth@fpcb-pcusa.org

Ginny Shunk, Care Concerns

Phone: 610-865-1948   Email: fredginny@aol.com

Mailing Address: PO Box 20604, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0604