Topic: Transfiguration Service of the Word
Time: Feb 14, 2021 11:00 AM
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Killiskey Parish
Sunday 14th February 2021 @ 11.00am
Transfiguration Sunday
SERVICE OF THE WORD
Preparation
GREETING
Grace, mercy and peace
from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all
and also with you.
INTRODUCTION
Transfiguration is a celebration that affirms the identity of Jesus as not only fully human but
also fully divine. It prepares us for the journey toward the cross and empty tomb.
On this day, we recall how Christ was transfigured on Mount Tabor. Let us mystically behold
him whom God the Father proclaimed as his well-beloved Son. As we worship together, may we
learn to listen to him and so be transformed and directed anew to heavenly things.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Great is the Lord — exalted among the nations.
Mighty is the Lord — King of heaven and earth.
Holy is the Lord — beyond our understanding.
Let us worship our God and King!
Opening Hymn: CH195 “Lord, the light of your love is shining”
Lord, the light of your love is shining,
in the midst of the darkness, shining;
Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us;
set us free by the truth you now bring us,
shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine,
fill this land with the Father’s glory;
blaze, Spirit, blaze,
set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth your word,
Lord, and let there be light!
Lord, I come to your awesome presence,
from the shadows into your radiance;
by the blood I may enter your brightness,
search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
shine on me, shine on me.
As we gaze on your kingly brightness
so our faces display your likeness.
ever changing from glory to glory,
mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
shine on me, shine on me.
Graham Kendrick (b. 1950)
based on John1; 1-5; 3: 19-21
2 Corinthians 3: 18; 1 John1 :7
ADORATION
Holy God, mighty and immortal,
you are beyond our knowing,
yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ,
whose compassion illumines the world.
Transform us into the likeness of the love of Christ,
who renewed our humanity through his life, death, and resurrection—
the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
PENITENCE
Radiant God, source of light,
as you surrounded Jesus with your glory,
so you come to us in penetrating brightness.
You catch us off guard and expose our weakness.
So let us now confess our sins.
Silence
God of compassion,
In Jesus Christ you reveal the light of your glory,
but we turn away, distracted by our own plans.
We confess that we speak when we should listen,
and act when we should wait.
Forgive our aimless enthusiasms.
Grant us wisdom to live in your light
and to follow in the way of your beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy on you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Almighty Father,
whose Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving presence:
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ministry of the Word
Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 2: 1-12
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha
were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah 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. The 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.’
Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the
Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. The 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.’
Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the
Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. Fifty men
of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were
standing by the Jordan. Then 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.
When 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.’ He 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.’ As 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. Elisha kept watching
and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no
longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
The Psalm: Psalm 50: 1-6
1 The Lord, the most mighty God, has spoken ♦︎
and called the world from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth; ♦︎
our God comes and will not keep silence.
3 Consuming fire goes out before him ♦︎
and a mighty tempest stirs about him.
4 He calls the heaven above, ♦︎
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 ‘Gather to me my faithful, ♦︎
who have sealed my covenant with sacrifice.’
6 Let the heavens declare his righteousness, ♦︎
for God himself is judge.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
The Epistle: 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.
Hymn before the Gospel: Thanks & Praise 135 “Spirit of God within me”
Spirit of God within me,
possess my human frame;
fan the dull embers of my heart,
stir up the living flame.
Strive till that image Adam lost,
new minted and restored,
in shining splendour brightly bears
the likeness of the Lord.
Spirit of truth within me,
possess my thought and mind;
lighten anew the inward eye
by Satan rendered blind;
shine on the words that wisdom speaks
and grant me power to see
the truth made known to all in Christ,
and in that truth be free.
Spirit of love within me,
possess my hands and heart;
break through the bonds of self-concern
that seeks to stand apart:
grant me the love that suffers long,
that hopes, believes and bears,
the love fulfilled in sacrifice,
that cares as Jesus cares.
Spirit of life within me,
possess this life of mine;
come as the wind of heaven’s breath,
come as the fire divine!
Spirit of Christ, the living Lord,
reign in this house of clay,
till from its dust with Christ I rise
to everlasting day.
Timothy Dudley-Smith (b.1926)
The Gospel: Mark 9: 2-9
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.
SERMON
COLLECT OF THE WORD
Holy God,
you have revealed the glory of your love in Jesus Christ,
and have given us a share in your Spirit.
May we who listen to Christ follow faithfully,
and, in the dark places where you send us,
reveal the light of your gospel. Amen.
Response
SCRIPTURAL AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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.
Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
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.
Hymn before Prayers: CH276 “Majesty, worship his majesty” (sung twice)
Majesty, worship his majesty
unto Jesus be glory, honour and praise.
Majesty, kingdom, authority
flows from his throne unto his own
his anthem raise!
So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus,
Magnify, come glorify Christ, Jesus the King
Majesty, worship his majesty
Jesus who died, now glorified
King Of all Kings.
Jack W Hayford (b. 1934)
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God,
you are great indeed,
clothed in majesty and splendour,
wrapped in light as with a robe.
In the solitude of a mountain height
you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ
even as he faced his crucifixion.
We praise you for this glimpse of the mystery of our redemption.
You love the world so much
that you sent your beloved Son to dwell with us.
He who bears your very image,
the firstborn of all creation,
through whom all things have been created,
took our flesh and suffered death
that we may be made whole.
By his death he conquered death,
and by his rising he gives eternal life.
We praise you for your saving grace.
Transfigure us by your Spirit,
and let your love shine in all we do and say
that all the world may see the radiant light of God
guiding all creation, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
The Word of God calls us
to see that all the places and occasions of the world,
even places of sorrow and death,
are transfigured by the presence of the glory of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us now call to mind all who are in any need
and commend them to God’s transforming care, saying,
“O merciful God,
hear our prayer.”
For those who are alone,
for widows and widowers and orphans,
and for the divorced,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For the imprisoned,
for those whose only home is the streets,
and for those caught in addiction,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For the hungry,
for those who cannot feed their children,
and for the unemployed,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For refugees,
for victims of warfare,
and for those held in poverty by racial discrimination,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For the people of our country, our neighbourhood, and our community,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For artists and writers
and for all who think on the edge of society,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For doctors, nurses and care-givers,
and for all suffering from the coronavirus,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For preachers and teachers of the light-bearing word of Christ,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
For ourselves , listening to the word of Christ,
O merciful God,
hear our prayer.
With Moses and Elijah and all the people of God,
with the church throughout the ages bearing witness
to the great light of God shining in dark places,
we commend to you all for whom we pray,
O merciful God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Closing Hymn: CH643 “Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart”
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
thou my best thought in the day and the night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, and I thy true heir;
thou in me dwelling, and I in thy care.
Be thou my breast-plate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my armour, and be thou my might;
thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tower,
raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise,
thou mine inheritance through all my days;
thou, and thou only, the first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art!
High King of heaven, when the battle is done
grant heaven’s joys to me, O bright heaven’s sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Early Irish.
Tr. Mary Byrne (1880-1931)
Versified Eleanor Hull (1860-1935) altd.
Going out as God’s People
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Let us sum up all our prayers and praises
in the words our Saviour Christ has taught us, saying:
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, the power, and the glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
Alleluia! Amen.