Worship Guide - Transfiguration Sunday

Worship Guide

February 19, 2023

Transfiguration Sunday

 

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

 

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

 

Greetings:

 

Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People: And also with you!

 

Special Music: “Amazing Grace” Donna

 

Centering Words:

 

 With loving hearts and open minds, we come into God’s presence. With God’s open heart and glorious presence, God welcomes us with love.

 

*Call to Worship:

 

Leader:   Listen, for God is still speaking.

People:   Look, for God is still present.

Leader:   Worship, for God is in our midst.

Leader:   Let us pray.

 

ALL: God of glory, grace us with your presence. Over whelm us with your love. Guide us with your wisdom and fill us with your Holy Spirit, as we worship and praise you this day. Amen.

 

Hymn: He is Exalted”

 

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high;

I will praise him.

He is exalted, forever exalted and I will praise his name!

He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign;

heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name.

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.

 

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high;

I will praise him.

He is exalted, forever exalted and I will praise his name!

He is the Lord, forever his truth shall reign;

heaven and earth rejoice in his holy name.

He is exalted, the King is exalted on high.

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

 

Words of Assurance

 

Don’t be afraid. We are belove children of God.

We belong to a God whose love and grace always draw us to our home in God.

Amen

 

*Old Testament Reading: Exodus 24:12-18

 

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.”

 

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

 

WORD AND RESPONSE

 

Time with Young Friends:  “Jesus Loves Me”

Children’s Message: “Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed”

 

Hymn: “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”

 

Spirit, spirit of gentleness,

blow through the wilderness, calling and free,

Spirit, spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 

You moved on the waters, you called to the deep,

then you coaxed up the mountains from the valleys of sleep;

and over the eons you called to each thing;

wake from your slumbers and rise on your wings.

 

Spirit, spirit of gentleness,

blow through the wilderness, calling and free,

Spirit, spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 

You swept through the desert, you stung with the sand

and you goaded your people with a law and a land;

and when they were blinded with idols and lies,

then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes.

 

Spirit, spirit of gentleness,

blow through the wilderness, calling and free,

Spirit, spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 

You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill,

then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still;

and down in the city you called once again,

when you blew through your people on the rush of the wind.

 

Spirit, spirit of gentleness,

blow through the wilderness, calling and free,

Spirit, spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 

You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes.

From the bondage of sorrow the captives dream dreams;

our women see visions, our men clear their eyes.

With bold new decisions your people arise.

 

Spirit, spirit of gentleness,

blow through the wilderness, calling and free,

Spirit, spirit of restlessness,

stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 

Sermon: “Super Sunday” Matthew 17:1-9

 

1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John 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 dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still   speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

 

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

   Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

 

THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION

 

Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:

 

Christ our Lord invites to his table

all who love him,

who earnestly repent of their sin

and seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God

and one another.

 

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you

with our whole hearts.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the

cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

 

that proves God's love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Glory to God. Amen

 

 The Great Thanksgiving  

 

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

always and everywhere

to give thanks to you,

Father Almighty, creator of

heaven and earth.

You formed us in your image and

breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed,

your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity,

made covenant to be our sovereign God,

and spoke to us through your prophets.

And so,

with your people on earth

and all the company 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.

 

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son

Jesus Christ.

Your Spirit anointed him

to preach good news to the poor,

to proclaim release to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

and to announce that the time had come

when you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry,

and ate with sinners.

By the baptism of his suffering,

death, and resurrection,

you gave birth to your church,

delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

and made with us a new covenant

by water and the Spirit.

When the Lord Jesus ascended,

he promised to be with us always,

in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

 

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

 

When the supper was over, he took the cup,

gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Drink from this all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it

in remembrance of me."

 

And so,

in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,

we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving

as a holy and living sacrifice,

in union with Christ's offering for us,

as we proclaim the mystery of faith

 

Christ has died;

Christ is risen;

Christ will come again.

 

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,

and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,

that we may be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory,

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

 

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,

all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and forever.   Amen

 

And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

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.

Amen

 

Sharing of the Cup and Loaf

 

Moment of Prayer and Meditation

 

Prayer of Thanks

 

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for this holy mystery

in which you have given yourself to us. 

Grant that we may go into the world

in the strength of your Spirit,

to give ourselves to others,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

 

SENDING FORTH

 

Hymn: “I Stand Amazed in the Presence”

 

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,

and wonder how he could love me,

a sinner, condemned, unclean.

 

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

 

For me it was in the garden

he prayed: “Not my will, but thine."

He had no tears for his own griefs,

but sweat drops of blood for mine.

 

 

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

 

In pity angels beheld him,

and came from the world of light

to comfort him in the sorrows

he bore for my soul that night.

 

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

 

He took my sins and my sorrows,

he made them his very own;

he bore the burden to Calvary,

and suffered and died alone.

 

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

 

When with the ransomed in glory

his face I at last shall see,

’twill be my joy through the ages

to sing of his love for me.

 

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!

Is my Savior’s love for me!

 

Benediction