Transfiguration Sunday '24

CALL TO WORSHIP -

Lord, you have called us to the mountaintop.

Help us to look forward to where you would have us go.

Help us to listen carefully to the words of your healing love.

Open our hearts and spirits to receive your glorious directions.

Place your trust in the Lord in all your ways.

Lord, we have come here to give our lives to you. AMEN.

GATHERING SONG “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” #834

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who stretches out the heavens,

who sends light to the nations, who gives breath to us all.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

Loving God,

we confess that we have turned from your way to follow our own ways.

Forgive us for the times;

we have spoken or acted too quickly;

we have not spoken or acted at all;

we have hurt those closest to us;

we have hurt those we have yet to know;

we have thought more about ourselves than others;

we have thought less of ourselves than we ought.

Turn us around, and give us a fresh start,

so that we can live again as your children.

Amen.

Even when we have done wrong, God makes us right.

Even when we have messed up, God puts us together.

God’s love never runs out. God never tires of calling us beloved children.

Hear God say to you now:

Your sins are forgiven, for the sake of ☩ Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

THE FIRST LESSON: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

PSALM 99

The LORD is king; let the people tremble. The LORD is enthroned upon the cherubim;

let the earth shake.

The LORD, great in Zion, is high above all peoples.

Let them confess God's name, which is great and awesome;

God is the Holy One.

O mighty king, lover of justice, you have established equity;

you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Proclaim the greatness of the LORD and fall down before God's footstool;

God is the Holy One.

Moses and Aaron among your priests, and Samuel among those who call upon

your name, O LORD,

they called upon you, and you answered them,

you spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud;

they kept your testimonies and the decree that you gave them.

O LORD our God, you answered them indeed;

you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.

Proclaim the greatness of the LORD and worship upon God's holy hill;

for the LORD our God is the Holy One.

THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Mark 9:2-9

The holy gospel according to Saint Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon "Listen" Pastor Phil Wold

HYMN OF THE DAY “Hosanna, All Hail the Power"

THE APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

RESPONSE TO THE WORD (Mark 9)

As they were coming down the mountain,

Jesus ordered his disciples to tell no one about what they had seen,

for his time was not at hand.

How can we keep silent when we have seen what we have seen

and heard what we have heard?

Will not the heavens proclaim it?

Will not the earth announce such news?

Yes, now is the day and now is the time,

for Jesus Christ has died and is raised in glory.

Shout it to the highest mountain and announce it in the lowest valley:

Jesus Christ, the glory of God, the Son of righteousness, the Prince of Peace, is here!

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING

We proclaim Jesus Christ with our mouths, in our actions, and through our lives.

Let us offer up our lives to Christ, that in our lives we may be servants of Jesus Christ.

THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER

Lord Jesus,

all that we have is yours,

and all that we are is yours.

In offering these tokens of our lives,

may all that we do

serve you to the glory of God. Amen.

THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED

The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

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.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. AMEN

BLESSING

SENDING SONG “This Little Light of Mine”

SENDING

Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.