Description
Mark 9:2-9
Mark records the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him to the mountain. And there He is transfigured. His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear and are speaking with Jesus. And the voice of God is heard from the clouds saying, “This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him.” And Jesus orders them not to tell anyone about this, until after He rises from the dead.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
Beautiful One
Tim Hughes, ©2002 Thankyou Music
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, & Scott Cash, © 2012 Worship Together Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sixsteps Songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) A Thousand Generations Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Alletrop Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Goodness of God
Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, & Jenn Johnson, © 2018 Alletrop Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Fellow Ships Music (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) So Essential Tunes (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Bethel Music Publishing
[Traditional Options]
God Has Spoken By His Prophets
CH 407; HLC 223; LBW 238; LSB 583; LW 343; RS 654; WC 311; UMH 108; WAR 667
O Wondrous Type, O Vision Fair!
EH 136; ELW 316; LBW 80; LSB 413; LW 87; NCH 184; PH 75
Let All Together Praise Our God
ELW 287; LBW 47; LSB 389; LW 44
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Worshipers
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Worshipers
Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Pastor / Worship Leader
Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Worshipers
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.”
Pastor / Worship Leader
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Worshipers
Praise the Lord Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
O God, we open our eyes, and we see Jesus, the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light,
the light of the world, your light. May your light shine upon us. We open our eyes, and we see Moses and Elijah, your word restoring us, showing us the way, telling a story, your story, his story, our story. May your word speak to us. We open our eyes, and we see mist, the cloud of your presence which assures us of all we do not know and that we do not need to fear that. Teach us to trust. We open our eyes, and we see Peter’s constructions, his best plans, our best plans, our missing the point, our missing the way.
Forgive our foolishness and sin. We open our eyes, and we see Jesus, not casting us off, but leading us down, leading us out – to ministry, to people. Your love endures forever. We open our ears, and we hear your voice, ‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him!’ And we give you thanks. Amen.
Worshipers
Amen!
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Lord, we confess.
Worshipers
Forgive us, God, when we linger too long by the waters, and on the mountain tops, enthralled with the glory that flows from you.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Forgive us when we fail to listen to your voice leading and guiding us, shake us from our contentment
and send us forward endowed with your power.
Worshipers
Forgive us, God, for accepting mediocrity in your name and calling it good enough.
Pastor / Worship Leader
Forgive us our selfish concerns with earthly things and our failure to acknowledge your glory in the face of Jesus Christ, for that blindness to the wonder of your presence that causes us to live our lives from day to day without knowing you.
Worshipers
Have mercy on us, give us grace to discern the suffering servant Lord in the midst of our lives, to worship and serve you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Pastor / Worship Leader
May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins and restore us in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Worshipers
Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading 2 Kings 2:1-12
The writer of the second book of Kings tells of the taking up to heaven of the prophet Elijah. Elisha, devoted to Elijah and his ministry to the end stays by his side. And for his own ministry, Elisha asks for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah. As a company of prophets watch, Elijah parts the waters and the two of them cross on dry ground. Chariots and horses of fire appear, and Elijah, like Enoch before him was taken to heaven without experiencing death.
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” 4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” 6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. 7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. 10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two
