Transfiguration Sunday Worship Bulletin

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church                

Transfiguration of Our Lord      Coronavirus

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

02-27-2022     10:00AM Worship

 

THE GREETING AND OPENING VERSES          Carol Lee + Judy Echols

L   Blessed be the holy Trinity, (+) one God,
who creates us and forms us, who redeems us and calls us, who unites us and sends us.

C    Amen. 

L    God does rule over this world!
Let all the people tremble, let this little earth quake!

C    Even when the earth shakes and shivers,
and fires rage through the canyons,
and floods overflow the lowlands,
and humans and their various tools, toys, and treasures are laid low,
GOD IS LORD AND MASTER OVER ALL THE EARTH!

L   God does rule over this world
Let all the people tremble, let this little earth quake!

C    Even when men turn against one another,
and nations are engaged in war,
and violence and injustice are heaped upon God’s creatures,
and hurt and hatred seem to have the upper hand,
GOD IS LORD AND MASTER OVER ALL THE EARTH!

L   Scattered in many places but gathered in Jesus’ name, let us humble ourselves before God’s power… and wonder with awe at God’s mercy and grace!

C    Brought together for this worship, let us bow our hearts in humble confession and weakness… and accept God’s forgiving, empowering love!

L   God fills our lives with hope and anticipation…
and changes us into the likeness of Christ.

C       God does rule over this world!
Let all the people tremble, let this little earth quake!
GOD IS LORD AND MASTER OVER ALL THE EARTH!

OPENING SONG:    “MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY”    Paul Samuel                Brown #297

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY:     Judy Echols       

Let us pray.

God of both mountain and valleys, we gather here, in this place apart, to experience your glory. Come and touch us, teach us and transform us with your light, with your love, with your holiness.
Then give us the courage and conviction to be led by Jesus on the way of the cross as we follow him down into the valley to serve.

Lord, let the world see Jesus shining through our lives! So be it, Amen!    

FIRST READING: EXODUS 34:29-35   [The face of Moses glows after his exchange with God. Let us also shine!]  Alex Harris

34:29 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.

34:30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

34:31 But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.

34:32 Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

34:33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face;

34:34 but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,

34:35 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 him.

BLACK HISTORY MOMENT:   “The Unheard-of Famous Black Historians”   Juanita Williams

SECOND READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:12 – 4:2   [Face to face with God, our faces reflect God’s glory.]  Diane Hughes

3:12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,

3:13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside.

3:14 But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.

3:15 Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds;

3:16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

3:18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

4:1 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.

4:2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

GOSPEL VERSE:    Charlotte Webb 

“Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always remember Jesus, Jesus.

Always keep Him on your mind.”

THE GOSPEL:   LUKE 9:28-43a    [The glowing face of Jesus changes the disciples’ faces.]        Micah Gillum

9:28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

9:29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

9:30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.

9:31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

9:32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

9:33 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 said.

9:34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.

9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

9:36 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.

9:37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.

9:38 Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child.

9:39 Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him.

9:40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

9:41 Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

9:42 While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

9:43a And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

THE SERMON:        Pastor Neil or Pastor Gwen

SONG SELECTION      ?

A CREEDAL STATEMENT FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH:       Valerie Taylor Samuel

We believe that God has been present with us in our past. In the challenges and triumphs of our individual and collective narratives, God has been there, God has seen us through, and God has done some mighty good things. God calls us to retell both the pleasant and the unpleasant, our whole story, lest we forget whose we are and where we have come from and how we got through.

We believe that God is present with us here and now as we seek to hold onto our identity as God’s children and our purpose as God’s anointed. We are called to be bearers of light, makers of justice and peace, and heralds of the good news to all the world. No matter this world’s trials, tribulations, and temptations, we will not give in, we will not give up, we will not worry about failure. We are somebody, created by God, saved by Jesus, and guided by the Spirit… with something to share, special gifts for service, compassion to offer, a story to live. We don’t believe God brought us this far just to leave us.

We believe that God will be with us as we go forward to shape our story in the days ahead. We will seek to stay in the path of faithful living and fervent loving that Jesus has demonstrated and commanded. We will hold onto the promise that, no matter what, everything is gonna be alright… that, one day, hatred and sin and suffering will cease… and that, now and forever, we are held in the loving arms of our God. Amen.

OFFERING  [Transformed by the presence and power of Jesus in our own lives, let us be willing and courageous to touch and change the lives of many. The mission is not impossible if we will live with hope and act with boldness.]  

THE OFFERTORY SONG:     “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE”                               

• This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…  (3X)

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!                Hillsman-Mathis Family 

• Ev’rywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine…  (3X)       

• Jesus gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine…  (3X)

OFFERING PRAYER:    Xavier        

O Lord our God, You have anointed us to bring good news and to proclaim liberty, to bind up the brokenhearted and to liberate the oppressed. Help us to shine forth always and in all ways with the bright glory of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION:        “LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING”     Dennis Fortune            Brown #296

THE PRAYERS…  We pray that the joy and light of JESUS CHRIST will touch all lives!     Pastor John Gottschall

THE LORD’S PRAYER

SONG SELECTION     Black History Month Choir 

THE BENEDICTION