Worship for The Transfiguration of Our Loed
February 14, 2021
Prepare for worship with a bowl of water, candles, bread, and wine. Join us on Zoom at 9 am on Sundays for worship.
Gathering
Thanksgiving for Baptism[1]
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism,
clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness,
let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
Holy God, fountain of living water,
source of mercy, tender and mighty,
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your love flows through water,
satisfying the thirst of all living things,
sustaining life in this community,
nourishing and delighting us.
We bless you for these gifts of water:
Penn’s Creek and the Susquehanna River.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your love flows through water,
a sign of your saving power:
Noah and the animals survive the flood,
Hagar discovers your well.
The Israelites escape through the sea,
and they drink from your gushing rock.
Naaman washes his leprosy away,
and the Samaritan woman will never be thirsty again.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your love flows through the water of baptism
joined to your life-giving Word:
your well of mercy and cleansing flood,
your sea of deliverance from death into life,
your healing river washing sin away,
your living water springing up to eternal life.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Your steadfast love fills the earth.
Shower us with your Holy Spirit.
Fill us with your love.
Clothe us and all your people with grace.
Embolden us to do justice.
Bless us to love mercy.
Guide us to walk humbly with you,
whom we thank and praise, through Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen
Gathering Song – ACS 978 – “God Welcomes All”
Nate and Kate Williard
Greeting
Lowell
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray,
A period of silence for reflection.
Almighty God, the resplendent light of your truth shines from the mountaintop into our hearts. Transfigure us by your beloved Son, and illumine the world with your image, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
Word
First Reading – 2 Kings 2:1-12
Amy
A reading from Second Kings.
1Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.” 6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its drivers!” But when Elisha could no longer see Elijah, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm – 50:1-6
Nate and Kate Williard
Refrain – Sing twice at the beginning and once at the ℟
Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth in glory.
1The mighty one, God the | Lord, has spoken;
calling the earth from the rising of the sun | to its setting.
2Out of Zion, perfect | in its beauty,
God shines | forth in glory. ℟
3Our God will come and will | not keep silence;
with a consuming flame before, and round about a | raging storm.
4God calls the heavens and the earth | from above
to witness the judgment | of the people.
5“Gather before me my | loyal followers,
those who have made a covenant with me and sealed | it with sacrifice.”
6The heavens declare the rightness | of God’s cause,
for it is God | who is judge. ℟
Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Amy
A reading from 2 Corinthians:
3Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In 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. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For 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.
Gospel – Mark 9:2-9
Lowell
The holy gospel according to St. Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
2Six 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, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then 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.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus 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.
Homily
Hymn of the Day – ACS 917 – “Dazzling Presence on the Mountain”
Gaye Wetzel
Prayers of Intercession
Lowell
All are invited to unmute on Zoom and join in the prayers, responding to each petition with “Have mercy, O God.”
Peace
Lowell
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
All share the peace of Christ with one another.
Meal
Announcements
Lowell
Offertory – ELW 593, Refrain – “Drawn to the Light”
Nate and Kate Williard
Offering Prayer
Brittany
O God,
receive these gifts as you receive us:
like a mother receives her child, with arms open wide.
Nourish us anew in your tender care,
and empower us in faithful service
to tend to others with this same love,
through Jesus Christ, our saving grace.
Amen.
Great Thanksgiving
Lowell
All are encouraged to unmute and join in the responses in bold.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our 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 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.
Blessed are you, O holy God:
you are the Life and Light of all.
By your powerful word you created all things.
Through the prophets you called your people to be a light to the nations.
Blessed are you for Jesus, your Son.
He is your Light, shining in our darkness
and revealing to us your mercy and might.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus 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 preaching and healing,
his dying and rising,
and his promise to come again,
we await that day when all the universe
will rejoice in your holy and life-giving light
as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
By your Spirit bless us and this meal,
that, refreshed with this heavenly food,
we may be light for the world,
revealing the brilliance of your Son.
Through him all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church,
both now and forever.
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
Invitation to the Table
These are indeed the gifts of God for you, the very much beloved people of God. Taste and see that God is good.
Communion
All distribute to one another saying:
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
After communing Brittany distributes to Lowell
Blessing at the Table
Lowell
May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in eternal life.
Prayer after communion
Brittany
Christ Jesus,
at this table we have feasted on your very life
and are strengthened for our journey.
Send us forth from this banquet
nourished in body and in spirit
to proclaim your good news
and serve others in your name.
Amen
Sending
Sending of Communion
Lowell
Gracious God, as we gather as one body this day and feast at your table, our assembly is incomplete for there are many unable to join us today. We long for the day when we are reunited as one body around a common table and we pray that you extend our gathering into homes and campsites, yards and porches, and strengthen all who hear your Word and feast at your table with the abiding presence of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace.
Amen.
Sending Song – ELW 671 – “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
Jillian and Hannah
Dismissal
Brittany
Go in peace. Be the light of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
Join us on Zoom for Coffee Hour.
Storytime for the Smaller Children of God will be on Zoom at the beginning of Coffee Hour.
Liturgy from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and Sundays and Seasons © Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission under Augsburg Fortress Annual Liturgies License SBT002156. Music is used by permission under OneLicense.net # A-715196.
[1] All Creation Sings – Form E © 2020 Augsburg Fortress.