The Celebration of the Gospel
February 7, 2016 —Sunday of the Transfiguration
A cloud came and overshadowed them;
and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
—Luke 9.34-35
_______ We Gather as the Body of Christ_______
GREETING
PRELUDE Blessed Jesus, At Thy Word J. S. Bach
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP adapted from Psalm 99
[The Psalm urges us to worship at God’s holy mountain: to center our worship in God’s law of love. Leading the Hebrews in the Exodus, God speaks from the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.]
Leader: Yahweh Reigns! Let the people tremble!
All: Yahweh is great! Holy is God!
Praise Yahweh our God, and worship at God’s holy mountain.
For Yahweh our God is holy.
Mighty Ruler, lover of justice, you have established equity.
You have brought forth righteousness and justice.
You led your people and spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.
Alleluia! God of love, lead us by your light,
transform us by your grace, that we may truly follow Christ. Alleluia!
* SONG We Have Come at Christ’s Own Bidding Black hymnal # 2103
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
___________ We Attend to the Word___________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Be Thou My Vision John Rutter
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of love, your Word is made flesh, your law fulfilled and the prophets revealed in Christ. Your light shines among us. Speak, for we are listening. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Exodus 34.29-35
[Moses returns from the mountain where he has received the Ten Commandments, his face shining with light so bright from his face-to-face encounter with God that we wears a veil.]
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with God, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with God.
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NEW TESTAMENT 2 Corinthians 3.12-18
[Paul, recalling Moses’ veil, says we wear a veil of misunderstanding when we read scripture unless we have faith. Meanwhile God’s glory shines in each of us as in Moses.]
Since we have the hope that we do, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the glory even as it was fading. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when people hear the reading of covenant in the old way, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, whenever scripture is read without faith, a veil lies over people’s minds; but when one turns to God, the veil is removed. Now God is Spirit, and where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of God as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image— from one degree of glory to another. This comes from God, the Spirit.
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GOSPEL Luke 9.28-36
[Jesus shines with God’s glory on the mountaintop and talks with Moses the law-giver and Elijah the prophet about his “exodus.” Jesus is the “pillar of light” who leads us to life.]
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but as they began to awaken, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
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SERMON
SONG Open My Eyes Blue hymnal # 454
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
God of all Creation, we trust in you. Love is your light, and mercy is your glory.
Christ, word of God made flesh, light of the world, God’s Beloved, in you we see God’s glory, and in you we see our own true glory. Your love is light for our path, and your love is our path.
Holy Spirit, light of God in us, we give you our hearts, that we may always accompany you in your journey of justice and liberation, that we may always wonder, that we may always listen. Light of love, lead us, and we will follow. Amen.
* SONG Lead me, Lord Blue hymnal # 473
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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. Amen.
PASSING THE PEACE
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS
* OFFERING SONG Doxology Blue hymnal #94
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Fill us with wonder and awe, fill us with love and courage, and lead us by your light, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Lead me, Lord Blue hymnal # 473
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE Fugue In A Minor J. S. Bach
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]