FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
ORDER OF WORSHIP
February 11, 2024
PRELUDE Beautiful Savior, arr. David Paxton
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-CHRISTIAN ED & FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE will meet following the worship service today, Feb. 11.
-BLADE ARTICLES are due Tues., Feb. 13 for March/April issue.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at 9:30ish AM at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House
- PIECES AND PRAYERS will meet on Tuesdays at 1:30 PM at the FPC Quilting Room
-ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE will be held on Feb. 14 at 5:30 PM in the sanctuary.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY at 9:30 AM in the FPC Center Meeting Room
-SISTERHOOD will meet Thursday, Feb. 15 at 11:30 AM at the First Lutheran Mission Coffee House.
-MEN’S BROTHERHOOD will meet Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 PM at the church lounge
-WORSHIP COMMITTEE will meet next Sunday, Feb. 18 following the worship service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Jesus touches the world,
and the world changes.
Jesus touches us,
and we are transformed.
On the mountaintop and in our valleys, Jesus reaches out
In gratitude we worship God. Alleluia! Amen!
*OPENING HYMN #403 (Red) Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
Open now thy gates of beauty, Zion, let me enter there,
where my soul in joyful duty waits for God who answers prayer.
O, how blessed is this place, filled with solace, light, and grace!
Gracious God, I come before thee, come thou also unto me;
where we find thee and adore thee, there a heaven on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter thou, let it be thy temple now!
Speak, O Lord, and I will hear thee, let thy will be done indeed;
may I undisturbed draw near thee while thou dost thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows, here is balm for all our woes.
CALL TO CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, You have given us a love more fully than anything we could experience in this world. But we do not hold on to it, and we look to our own means of assurance and security. Forgive us. Call us back to You that we may put our trust in You and not be afraid. May we hear the words clearly as the disciples did on the day of the transfiguration; may we rise up, and not be afraid. In the name of Jesus, who loves us and offers us forgiveness, we pray. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Exodus 34:29-35
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
2 Kings 2:1-3 and 9-12
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.”
--Elijah and Elisha continue to travel and then they cross the Jordan river and the reading continues…
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 horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
SERMON Experiencing the Transfiguration
*AFFIRMATION OF FATIH--APOSTLES' CREED (in unison)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #193 (Red) Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain
Jesus, take us to the mountain, where, with Peter, James, and John,
We are dazzled by your glory, light as blinding as the sun.
There prepare us for the night by the vision of that sight.
What do you want us to see there, what your close companions saw?
Your divinity revealed there fills us with the self-same awe.
Clothed in flesh like ours you go, matched to meet our deadliest foe.
What do you want us to hear there, that your dear disciples heard?
Once again the voice from heaven says of the Incarnate Word,
“Listen, listen, everyone: This is my beloved Son.”
Take us to that other mountain where we see you glorified,
Where you shouted “It is finished!” Where for all the world you died.
Hear the stunned centurion: “Truly this was God’s own Son!”
We who have beheld your glory, risen and ascended Lord,
Cannot help but tell the story, all that we have seen and heard:
Say with Peter, James, and John: “You are God’s beloved Son!”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Concerns:
Charlotte and Trayce (friends of the Kemps)
Betty (sister of Judy McCann)
Susan (Ginny C’s sister)
Theresa (Skip W’s niece)
Our homebound or in care members:
Richard C (Dolores as caregiver), Bob J (Jan as caregiver), Darwin L (Jeanne as caregiver), Bob O (Nancy as caregiver),
Delores K, Rose P, Joyce R, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families:
Marlys M, Nancy & Bob O, Dave & Lee P
Those Who Mourn:
The Moerke family in loss of mother
The Roden and Scubelek families in the loss of relative, Tina Heesch
The family/friends of John Peterson
and all who have lost loved ones
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC For Where Love Is, There is God (Choir)
INVITATION TO OFFERING and PRAYER OF DEDICATION
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL GIFTS
*CLOSING HYMN #192 (Red) Lord, the Light of Your Love is Shining
Jesus, 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.
Refrain:
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. [Refrain]
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. [Refrain]
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Praise Him! Praise Him!, Mary McDonald
ORDER OF WORSHIP
February 11, 2024
PRELUDE Beautiful Savior, arr. David Paxton
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
-CHRISTIAN ED & FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE will meet following the worship service today, Feb. 11.
-BLADE ARTICLES are due Tues., Feb. 13 for March/April issue.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at 9:30ish AM at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House
- PIECES AND PRAYERS will meet on Tuesdays at 1:30 PM at the FPC Quilting Room
-ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE will be held on Feb. 14 at 5:30 PM in the sanctuary.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY at 9:30 AM in the FPC Center Meeting Room
-SISTERHOOD will meet Thursday, Feb. 15 at 11:30 AM at the First Lutheran Mission Coffee House.
-MEN’S BROTHERHOOD will meet Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 PM at the church lounge
-WORSHIP COMMITTEE will meet next Sunday, Feb. 18 following the worship service.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Jesus touches the world,
and the world changes.
Jesus touches us,
and we are transformed.
On the mountaintop and in our valleys, Jesus reaches out
In gratitude we worship God. Alleluia! Amen!
*OPENING HYMN #403 (Red) Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
Open now thy gates of beauty, Zion, let me enter there,
where my soul in joyful duty waits for God who answers prayer.
O, how blessed is this place, filled with solace, light, and grace!
Gracious God, I come before thee, come thou also unto me;
where we find thee and adore thee, there a heaven on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter thou, let it be thy temple now!
Speak, O Lord, and I will hear thee, let thy will be done indeed;
may I undisturbed draw near thee while thou dost thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows, here is balm for all our woes.
CALL TO CONFESSION
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, You have given us a love more fully than anything we could experience in this world. But we do not hold on to it, and we look to our own means of assurance and security. Forgive us. Call us back to You that we may put our trust in You and not be afraid. May we hear the words clearly as the disciples did on the day of the transfiguration; may we rise up, and not be afraid. In the name of Jesus, who loves us and offers us forgiveness, we pray. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA PATRI (on screen)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Exodus 34:29-35
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
2 Kings 2:1-3 and 9-12
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.”
--Elijah and Elisha continue to travel and then they cross the Jordan river and the reading continues…
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 horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
SERMON Experiencing the Transfiguration
*AFFIRMATION OF FATIH--APOSTLES' CREED (in unison)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN OF RESPONSE #193 (Red) Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain
Jesus, take us to the mountain, where, with Peter, James, and John,
We are dazzled by your glory, light as blinding as the sun.
There prepare us for the night by the vision of that sight.
What do you want us to see there, what your close companions saw?
Your divinity revealed there fills us with the self-same awe.
Clothed in flesh like ours you go, matched to meet our deadliest foe.
What do you want us to hear there, that your dear disciples heard?
Once again the voice from heaven says of the Incarnate Word,
“Listen, listen, everyone: This is my beloved Son.”
Take us to that other mountain where we see you glorified,
Where you shouted “It is finished!” Where for all the world you died.
Hear the stunned centurion: “Truly this was God’s own Son!”
We who have beheld your glory, risen and ascended Lord,
Cannot help but tell the story, all that we have seen and heard:
Say with Peter, James, and John: “You are God’s beloved Son!”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Concerns:
Charlotte and Trayce (friends of the Kemps)
Betty (sister of Judy McCann)
Susan (Ginny C’s sister)
Theresa (Skip W’s niece)
Our homebound or in care members:
Richard C (Dolores as caregiver), Bob J (Jan as caregiver), Darwin L (Jeanne as caregiver), Bob O (Nancy as caregiver),
Delores K, Rose P, Joyce R, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This Week’s Prayer Families:
Marlys M, Nancy & Bob O, Dave & Lee P
Those Who Mourn:
The Moerke family in loss of mother
The Roden and Scubelek families in the loss of relative, Tina Heesch
The family/friends of John Peterson
and all who have lost loved ones
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC For Where Love Is, There is God (Choir)
INVITATION TO OFFERING and PRAYER OF DEDICATION
*DOXOLOGY (on screen)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL GIFTS
*CLOSING HYMN #192 (Red) Lord, the Light of Your Love is Shining
Jesus, 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.
Refrain:
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. [Refrain]
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. [Refrain]
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Praise Him! Praise Him!, Mary McDonald