Transfiguration seems to happen out of nowhere. It always catches us by surprise. Jesus is with a few disciples on the mountain, and then “Boom!” We’re going about our February, and here it is again! Perhaps God wants us to learn something about catching us by surprise. Worship with us at Macedonia UMC.
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Our Scripture for today is: Mark 9:2-9
2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, 3 and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. 4 Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified.
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead.
For Good morning welcome to worship here at Mass uned Methodist Church my name is Kevin Johnson I serve as Pastor here it’s a joy to welcome you on this Transfiguration Sunday to worship um today uh I invite you if you’re a guest Among Us you have this connect card in
Front of you as well as this bookmark you’re welcome to take this bookmark with you and use it uh gives you just a little bit information about our church Community uh this connect card I invite you to fill that out you can drop it in
The offering plate uh or you can hand it the in at the Welcome Center on your way out the door today but we be happy just to be able to connect with you uh in that way today many of yall know miles hunt miles is serving with us as as a
Pastoral intern uh throughout this school year as he’s in his third year of Divinity School and Miles this year this uh has has been working towards um commissioning for the board of ordan Ministry of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church that is fancy language to say
That he’s had to do a lot of stuff and writing and interviews uh and and Miles this week um passed his Comm commissioning interviews and so he’ll be commissioned in the United Methodist Church I would like to say it’s all because of strong mentoring um but that
Would be a lie and so uh we are proud proud miles of you and um and and grateful that we can celebrate with you miles will be commissioned at annual conference if you’re like what is commissioning is this the military um the answer is that it’s like preordination to make sure that you’re
Not crazy um that’s the short of it um and um there’s probably a more theological term than that but that’s pretty much true of what it is so anyway uh invite you to stand as you able and join me in the call to Worship the Lord Reigns Nations TR the Lord Reigns let
Them praise God’s holy name the Lord Reigns let the in and wonder the Lord Reigns let exal I invite you to remain standing As we sing Our opening hymn The Battle Hymn of the Republic it is a patriotic song but maybe not in the way you know it to
Be um the battle hym of the Republic the text was written by Julia Ward how um during the Civil War and it is a an abolitionist song it is a freedom song um and the text mine eyes have seen the glory was quoted in Dr Martin Luther
King Jr ‘s last speech before his assassination so on this Transfiguration Sunday during the uh month of Black History Month let us stand and sing The Battle Hymn of Republic my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord he is trembling out the Vintage where the grace of rra
Stood he ha lost his faithful lightning of his ter with sword his truth ising Glory Glory Hallelujah Glory Glory Hallelujah Glory Glory Hallelujah is true his Maring he has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call Retreat he is sifting out the hearts of men before his
Judgment seek oh be swift my soul to answer him be Ju my feet our God is Maring on Glory Glory Hallelujah Glory Glory Hallelujah Glory Glory Hallelujah his Tru ising in the beauty of the ladies Christ was born across the sea with a glory in his
Bosom that transfigures you and me as he died to make holy let us to make free God ising glory glory Hallelujah Glory Glory Hallelujah Glory Glory hallelu is true is Maring God let us pray holy God upon the mountain you revealed our Messiah who by his death and Resurrection would fulfill both the law and the prophets by his Transfiguration Enlighten our path that we may dare to suffer with him in the service of humanity and so share in the
Everlasting Glory of him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God forever amen please be seated Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus look full in his wonderful things and the K of Earth will gr strange me de in the light of his glory and grace our Old Testament reading this
Morning comes from 2 Kings the 2 chapter veres 1-2 hear now this holy word now the Lord was going to take Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm and Elijah and Elisha were leaving galal Elijah said to Elisha stay here because the Lord has sent me to
Bethl but Elisha said as the Lord lives and as you live I won’t leave you so they went down to bethl the group of prophets from bethl came out to Elisha these prophets said to Elisha do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you
Today Elisha said yes I know don’t talk about it Elijah said Elisha stay here because the Lord has sent me to Jericho but Elisha said as the Lord lives and as you live I won’t leave you so they went to Jericho the group of prophets from Jericho
Approached Elisha and said to him do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today he said yes I know don’t talk about it Elijah said to Elisha stay here because the Lord has sent me to the Jordan but Elisha said as the Lord lives
And as you live I won’t leave you so both of them went on together 50 members from the group of prophets also went along but they stood at a distance both Elijah and Elisha Stood Beside the Jordan River Elijah then took his coat rolled it up and hit the water then the
Water was divided in two both of them crossed over on dry ground when they had crossed Elijah said to Elisha what do you want me to do for you before I’m taken away from you Elisha said let me have twice your spirit Elijah said you’ve made a difficult request
If you can see me when I’m taken from you then it will be all yours if you don’t see me it won’t happen they were walking along talking when suddenly a fiery Chariot and fiery horses appeared and separated the two of them then Elijah went to heaven in a
Windstorm Elisha was watching and he cried out oh my father my father Israel’s chariots and its Riders when he could no longer see him Elisha took hold of his clothes and ripped them into two this is the word of God for us the people of God thanks be to
God invite you to stand as you’re able as we continue Singing Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord Open the Eyes of My Heart I want to see you I want to see you Open the Eyes in My Heart Lord L Open the Eyes of My Heart I want to see you I want to see you to see you high and lifted
Up shining in the light of your glory pour out your power and love as we sing ho holy holy holy Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord Open the Eyes of My Heart I want to see you I want to see you Open the Eyes of My Heart
Lord open Open the Eyes of My Heart I want to see you I want to see you to see you high and lifted up shining in the light of your glory pour out your power and love as we sing Holy Holy Holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy
Holy I want to see you holy Ho Holy Holy Holy Holy hly holy holy holy I want to see you may be seated Our Gospel lesson today comes from Mark’s gospel the ninth chapter starting in verse two 6 days later Jesus Took Peter James and John and brought them to the top of
A very high mountain where they were alone he was transformed in front of them and his clothes were amazingly bright brighter than if they had been bleached white Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus Rabbi it’s good that we’re here
Let’s make three shrines one for you one for Moses one for Elijah he said this because he didn’t know how not respond for the three of them were terrified then a cloud overshadowed them and a voice spoke from the cloud this is my son whom I dearly love listen to him
Suddenly looking around they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus as they were coming down the mountain he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the human one had risen from the dead this is the word of God for us the people of God thanks
Be to God let us pray pray oh Lord let the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all of our hearts be pleasing in your sight for you oh Lord are our Rock and Our Redeemer amen now growing up I had very very little experience or exposure to what we
Would call the Christian year it wasn’t something that my church did I grew up back Baptists not many Baptists celebrate the whole church year definitely don’t have colors on like this during different seasons and things like that we had Christmas and Easter of course but none of those other things
And seasons of the world or of the church year and and and there weren’t colors like this to Mark different seasons and you might still say what are those or it just looks kind of nice or something like that or the preacher wants to have some something flashy for
A different season or something like that and I was really introduced to these ideas about the church year more while I was at Duke Divinity School and mainly because Duke is part of the United Methodist tradition United methodists celebrate the church year and there were all sorts of other
Denominations there there were also people who didn’t really celebrate the church year there and I started to understand and grasp it and what I liked the most as I started to understand the church year and make it part of who I was and and how I understood God to work
And at least understood the church CH is that the church keeps time and marks time differently and we do that through the church year our year doesn’t start in the church on January 1st with resolutions it starts with Advent and looking forward to the coming of Christ
That’s the first day of the Christian year Easter isn’t just one big day where a lot of people show up at church no Easter is a 50-day season in the church year that has its finale with the bright red of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit coming and the birth of the
Church what I found and what I find is that in the rhythms of the church year it doesn’t matter always how you feel upon coming to church the church year allows you to enter into a different Rhythm and I feel a Holiness in the rhythm of the church here here our daily
Lives as a culture keep speeding up and speeding up and there’s been a ton written on this lately even over the last 10 years and when we join in the church year and in its Rhythm we are forced to enter its speed it’s sort of like the difference between watching an action
Movie and then turning on Mr Rogers Mr Rogers moves at a different pace right Mr Roger like you pay attention to tying your shoes or right paying attention to everything just a lot slower with Mr Rogers maybe even Holier if you tried to get kids who are
Addicted to the speed of Paw Patrol Ro today to watch Mr Rogers for a full episode it’s a rather Big Challenge to them because of the speed that it moves is there any point in the Bible where God said thou must celebrate Transfiguration on the Sunday before
Lent the answer is no lent’s not in the Bible none of this is okay the story transfigurations in the Bible but there is not some holy writ that says that has to happen on this day before the first Sunday of Lent but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a helpful
Practice for us so today on this last Sunday of the season of epiphany we hear the story of Jesus Transfiguration and until I started practicing the Christian year I probably only read this story a handful of times but now well it pops up every year
For me on this day and here is what strikes me about it Transfiguration feels like it comes out of nowhere what do I mean it comes out of nowhere first liturgically we had Epiphany Sunday at the beginning of this season Epiphany Sunday marks the 12th day after
Christmas and the Magi came and visited Jesus and right after Epiphany we moved to the baptism of Jesus and we recognized that then and since then we’ve been reading these passages together from First Corinthians and those are from our lectionary a lectionary is just a set of readings that many Church Traditions
Including ours read from and we read from a three-year cycle and so that’s why on this time we read from we we read this story of transfiguration from Mark this is the mark year of that cycle of readings and we’ve kind of settled in to
A little bit of a rhythm we know that Ash Wednesday is around the corner pretty early this year and then boom it hits we read the story of trans figuration and it’s a mysterious story is it not I mean Jesus is joined by Moses and Elijah two prophets who’ve not
Been around for at least 800 years on the mountain it’s a powerful story The Cloud appears on the Mountaintop reminding us of the presence of God with Israel and God speaks from this Cloud it is a surprising story Transfiguration has been celebrated in many different times of year liturgically officially the Roman
Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration not today but on August 6th but they also read this story on the second Sunday of Lent and Protestants who follow our revised common lectionary all read this story from the gospel on the Sunday before lent begins
Why well I think it allows us to look backward Ward and to look forward Looking Backward we can remember that not long ago we celebrated Jesus baptism and what happened at the baptism of Jesus right all of a sudden the spirit descends on Jesus like a dove right the
Heavens rip open and what do we hear from the father this is my son whom I love the same words that are said right here clearly this is an important message for Jesus to hear but is also important for the disciples to hear and important for us to hear and after those
Words this is my son whom I love at the Transfiguration the father adds these words listen to him Transfiguration also allows us to look forward liturgically what do I mean well we’re about to descend into the 40 days of Lent and we follow this pattern of 40
Days because Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness and we join Jesus in this intentional period of prayer and fasting because it helps us to prepare for the Journey To The Cross and sometimes lent can feel like a really dark time honestly when lent starts in
Mid-February when the days can be gray and the mornings are cold it can feel depressing but this out of nowhere Transfiguration is like a glimpse of the resurrected Jesus for us it’s a reminder that Jesus will not stay dead it’s a reminder that Jesus will be
Glorified and that lent will have an end point so I’m grateful that the Transfiguration surprises US every year I like its mysteriousness and its Glory the Transfiguration not only surprises Us in the church year it also comes out of nowhere biblically I mean Jesus often went up
Went out to pray in seclusion in his ministry so the fact that he took Peter James and John kind of the inner three of his posi right to go on a mountain is not surprising to us reading the story Jesus has just been teaching the disciples about how they must take up
Their cross and how God’s kingdom will come in glory but that was hardly a preparation for what they experienced on the mountain of transfiguration this event surprises us because it’s unlike any other event in jesus’ Ministry we are used to the healing stories by now we’re used to The
Parables and Jesus telling them we’re used to challenges to the religious leaders we’re even used to Jesus cryptically telling his disciples about his pending death and arrest but there is no parallel for the Transfiguration in some ways there are no words for it and Jesus’s appearance
Right is is different all of a sudden he is dazzling and shining and it sounds like when Moses came down from Mount Si after being with God and his face was dazzling white in fact he had to cover it right so that because the people couldn’t look in his
Face and then in this story Moses and Elijah are there talking and let’s talk about that for a second and we understand Moses being there Moses is obviously the major hero of the Jewish tradition he led the people out of slavery into the through the pro Wilderness and up to the
Promised land he brought the Ten Commandments and the laws of God we get Moses but we as Christians in 2024 are not sure what to do with Elijah but Elijah holds a principal place in the Jewish tradition Elijah’s story is told in the end of first Kings and the
Beginning of Second Kings with the same mysterious tone of the Transfiguration Elijah prophesied to King Ahab and also lived in the desert like John the Baptist did he resurrected people and performed Miracles that the Jewish tradition even has a chair for Elijah at every single circumcision ceremony Elijah was taken
Up in a whirlwind to heaven so he did not ever die these two figures appearing out of nowhere then is quite shocking so when Peter suggests they make tents probably a better word than shrines that was read here for for Moses and Elijah Peter is simply saying whoa this is awesome if
You ask Peter to to name three people living or dead who he could have dinner with Peter would have said well that’s easy Jesus Moses and Elijah and here they are right they’re all right there so of course Peter wants to make this thing go on
Like hey you guys stay a while let’s do this and Mark tells us that Peter said this because he didn’t know how to respond Peter was surprised and taken a not because Peter was an idiot it was because this was shocking and incredible so then the cloud takes over the cloud
That symbolizes God’s presence and just like the cloud led the Israelites in the wilderness and dwelt over the Tabernacle right in the middle of their camp now on top of a mountain just like Moses and Elijah were on top of mountains God speaks from the cloud and God speaks a
Word that says Authority has passed from Moses and Elijah on to Jesus listen to him and then Moses and Elijah are gone when the cloud lifts Jesus is there alone can you imagine the hike down the mountain that day I mean I think sometimes we picture like oh they just
Went back into you know into their life or whatever like that but this may have been a multi-day journey down whatever Mountain they were on it was at least many hours if you’ve ever hiked any form of a mountain before and finally Jesus speaks finally some point along the way
And tells them not to tell anyone about this until the son of man has risen from the dead the disciples have heard this from Jesus before to not tell anyone about what he’s up to but they still don’t understand this rising from the dead business and then from this Mountaintop
Experience Jesus goes right back into the ministry that we were accustomed to the Transfiguration appears as both a blip in the story and also remark a shift in the story in Jesus ministry there is now before Transfiguration time and after Transfiguration time especially for Peter James and John so this Transfiguration event
Appears to come out of nowhere but what does it mean for us today why does it really matter for you I think it’s because God comes out of nowhere in your life we all get to to a point in life where we like our routines most of you
Are sitting in the same spots where you always sit there aren’t assigned seats here there are no plaques on any of the pews that I can see that designate that thou shalt sit there we especially don’t like the front five rows in general but we gravitate to The Familiar
Places we get comfor able with the familiar or at least we get used to it the Transfiguration is jarring to us because it reminds us that we serve a living God do you believe that you serve a living God and I don’t say that like so you can
Say it when you say the Creed or something I mean really a god who is alive because when you you do God might show up in your life as a moment of transfiguration it may not be as dramatic as clouds and fire but you will know that God was present with you and
You are forever changed from that moment on and friends we cannot manufacture this experience there is no guide to ensure that the Holy Spirit shows up in a powerful way in your life today then we would be the ones controlling God but I want us to notice how God
Shows up in this story it is when Jesus gets away into Solitude perhaps this is the best part of reading this story before lent God can and God will make God’s very self known to you it can be surprising and shocking ways like the Transfiguration if we don’t believe that
If you don’t think that God can show up in a powerful way in your life then I don’t know if if you believe in the god of scripture but God will also make God’s very self known to you as you set aside time in your ordinary day to enter into sacred
Time to place ourselves in the rhythm of God’s kingdom to enter that pace can we be reminded that our lives are played out on an eternal stage every single day and might we be open to an experience of God’s incredible Glory that might forever change
Us join me this Lent in a daily time to experience eternity within your day I’ve invited you to use this prey as you go app you’ll see information about it in your bulletin as a way to have it underg the rest of your entire day that in the midst of all that is
Going on whatever is going on in your life that you might experience the presence of God and recognize that it is always there even in the midst even in the midst of the daily craziness so that Jesus might show up for you in what seems like out of nowhere amen
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strange dim in the light of his glory and Grace as we prepare to receive God’s grace at the table I’d invite you to stand as you’re able and join me in confessing what we believe in the Apostles Creed let us say what we believe I believe in God the Father Almighty creator of Heaven and Earth I believe in
Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the Virgin Mary suffered under pontious pilate was crucified died and was buried he descended to the dead on the third day he rose again he ascended into heaven is seated at the right hand of
The father father and will come again to judge the living and the dead 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 please be seated let us pray as we hear your story of transformation
Oh God we pray for your spirit to transform us transform our eyes to see the light of your glory transform our hearts to feel the goodness of your presence transform our minds to understand a fraction of your will transform our world to recognize the ties that bind us to one another
We give thanks oh holy one for the goodness of your words the goodness of your world and the goodness of your spirit who beckons us to follow give us the mind of Peter to recognize that we stand on Holy Ground give us humility to Proclaim Lord
It is good for us to be here like Peter we want to build a tent on the Mountaintop away from the problems and distractions of the world just as you did for Peter oh God let us sit in your glory just long enough to recharge for
The journey and then send us out for service in your world holy one you sent Christ your son your beloved to show us that we too are your children make us know oh God that our worth does not come from our work our performance on tests or tasks or job
Interviews does not determine our value our worth our identity our very being comes from you oh god of Grace in your image we are created in your grace we are redeemed in your community we are loved in your spirit we are called as the disciples were oh God we
Are overcome by fear anxiety grief and sadness pour your healing into our WS wounds breathe your goodness into our doubts touch us heal us and bring us peace we lift before you the people in our church and in our world who are hurting give us the Hope and Faith Oh Holy One to
Look up and see your presence around us give us the strength to know that we are not alone We join our voice voices with your disciples across all times and places amen Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strange
Dim in the light of his glory and gra Christ Our Lord invites to this table all who love him all who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another therefore let us confess our sins before God and before for one another as we pray merciful god
We confess that we have not loved you with our whole Hearts we have failed to be an obedient church we have not done your will we have broken your law we have rebelled against your love we have not loved our neighbors and we have not
Heard the Cry of the needy forgive us we pray free us for joyful obedience through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen friends hear the good news Christ died for us while we were yet sinners and that proves God’s love toward us in the name of Jesus Christ you are
Forgiven name Jesus Christ you are forgiven glory to God Amen as a forgiven and reconciled people let us offer each other signs of Peace reconciliation and love peace be with you d well friends I want to share with you a few things going on in the life of our community
Um the first thing is that today you’ll see a special announcement in your bulletin um in that area about Methodist Home for Children Sunday you also probably received the annual report if you’re here uh in the bulletin um but the Methodist Home for Children is a really wonderful ministry that’s based
Out uh out of our conference but it’s a Statewide program um and and you you’ll see in there just the incredible work that they do um Methodist Home for Children Sunday is just an opportunity for us uh to support that Ministry um so today if you um want to make a gift you
Could if you put on the memo line of a check Methodist home or if you put in the envelope and you say that that you want it specifically to go there we’ll make sure that one lump sum goes from our church if you want to give online in
That way you can also use the usual methods of giving online that you see there in your bulletin including scanning that QR code and you’ll see Methodist home for children Sunday as an option um there when you click um also if if you’re not used to giving online I
Do invite you um to to give it a try sometime maybe this is a good time to start and just um just give it a try just as a way to say oh my gosh that’s really easy and a simple way to um to to
To commit uh and to do it that way so I invite you to look there and see uh secondly this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and so we’ll have services at noon or 6: PM you’re welcome uh to to attend either of those if you’re able to make it at
Noon um it’ll be a touch abbreviate so that we’re in within a half an hour service and then our service is at 6 PM uh that night on Ash Wednesday uh also want to share with you on Thursday night um at the KY Town council meeting uh there were 112
Representatives including six from Macedonia uh that gathered to support one wake’s effort to help the chattam states Community many of you have heard about this we’ve talked about the chadus states mobile home park um that is in the process of being bought right now and we’re really concerned about our
Neighbors who live there who specifically will not have uh housing and homes after that uh at that council meeting uh the the Cary Town Council agreed to a program called stable homes carry uh that they’re going to launch in partnership with Dorcas Ministries which is an awesome partnership between uh the
Public sphere and then the wonderful Ministry that DOR orus does um for emergency services in our Cary Community um so the Town Council committed $500,000 additional Monies to Dorcas for client services to handle um onetoone relationships with all the folks in chattam EST states in the coming year uh
And and in addition I believe about an $800,000 um $800,000 commitment um actually to help uh transitional housing uh with the opportunity for for folks in philanthropies to give more uh one wake was really really really pleased with this effort uh and with and with the Town Council will continue to give you
Updates of what’s happening there but I do thank those of you who were there representing us um at that meeting and it’s just a wonderful way that we’re connected uh to the broader issues uh concerned in our community I want to also uh encourage you to look out for
Some things this week in your Macedonia news via email that come out um my wife Laura and I are going to be le leading a trip uh in the spring of 2025 about Paul’s Journeys uh where we’ll be taking a group between our two churches to
Greece and to Turkey um so I I invite you to look for the information about that that’s going to come out um we’ll have a zoom session in this next month together and so you’ll receive information about that this week and so I invite you to look out for that
Information well now I invite you to stand as you able and join me in the great Thanksgiving friends the Lord be with you and also with you lift up your hearts we lift them up to the Lord let us give thanks to the Lord Our God it is right to give
Thanks prise it is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you father almighty creator of Heaven and Earth you formed us in your image you breathed into us the breath of life yet when we turned away and our love failed Your Love
Remained steadfast you spoke spoke to us through your prophets and made Covenant to be our Sovereign God and so with your people on Earth and all the company of Heaven We Praise Your Name and join their unending hym holy holy holy Lord God of power and might Heaven and Earth
Are full of your glory hosana in the highest blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosana in the highest holy are you and blessed is your son Jesus Christ by the baptism of his suffering death and Resurrection you gave birth to your church delivered Us
From Slavery to sin and death and made with us a new covenant by water and the spirit and the night in which he gave himself up for us our lord Jesus Took bread gave thanks to you and gave it to his disciples saying take eat this is my
Body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me in the same way when supper was over he took the cup gave thanks to you gave it to his disciples saying drink from this all of you this is my blood of the New Covenant poured
Out for for you and for many for the Forgiveness of sins do this as often as you drink in remembrance of me and so in remembrance of these your Mighty acts in Jesus Christ we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and Living Sacrifice in Union with Christ’s
Offering for us as together we proclaim the mystery of Faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again I inv you to open up your hands and receive this blessing today oh Lord pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here on those who are worshiping With Us
Online and on these gifts of bread and wine make them be for us the body and blood of Christ that we might be for the world the body of Christ Redeemed by his blood by your spirit make us one with Christ one with each other and one in
Ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final Victory and we Feast at his heavenly banquet through your son Jesus Christ with your Holy Spirit in your holy church all honor and glory is yours father almighty now and forever amen and now with the confidence of
God’s children we are bold to pray as Jesus 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 and the power and the glory forever amen friends the bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ the cup over which we give thanks
Is a sharing in the blood of Christ you may be seated friends today you’ll be invited to come forward you’ll receive a piece of the bread I invite you to take that and dip it into the cup if you need gluten-free elements those are available
As well and if you need us to come to you after others have come forward and been served we’re happy to come to you but come to taste and see that the Lord is Good are you hurting and broken within overwhelmed by the weight of your sin Jesus is Calling have you come to the end of yourself do do you thirst for a drink from the well Jesus is Calling oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide forgiveness was bought
With the Precious Blood of Jes Jesus Christ leave behind your regrets and mistakes come today there’s no reason to wait Jesus is Calling bring your sorrows and trade them for Joy From the Ashes new life is born Jesus is Calling oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ are you hurting and broken within overwhelmed by the weight of your sin Jesus is Calling have you come to the the end of
Yourself do you thirst for a drink from the well Jesus is Calling oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide forgiveness was bought with the the precious blood of Jesus Christ leave behind your regrets and mistakes come today there’s no reason to wait Jesus is Calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for Joy From the Ashes new life is born Jesus is Calling oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide forgive foress was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was B with the precious blood of Jesus Jus Christ Oh What A Savior isn’t he wonderful sing Hallelujah Christ is risen bow down before him for he is Lord of all sing Hallelujah Christ is re oh my our savior is he Wonder sing Hallelujah Christ is with bow down before for
Him for he is Lord of all sing hallelu Christ is r oh come to the altar the father’s arms are open wide forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ bear your cross as you wait for the crown tell the world of the treasure you found Friends part of the joy of the table and its mystery is that opportunity to enter into that sacred time it’s to it’s it’s to pull back for a second from the speed that we’re usually going right we could even be more efficient like we could have two lines
Or something but it’s all right might take a couple minutes more you know but that’s the that’s the practice for us of entering into that Holy time even if just for a few moments here I invite you to join me in the prayer following communion if you’re used to
The same one it’s different so don’t let it mess you up holy God we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ may we who are partakers at this table reflect his life in word and deed that all the world may know his power to change and save this we ask
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen if I just stand as you are able and join as we sing together Jesus the light of the world see the bright and Morning Star Jesus the light of the world he has risen in our hearts Jesus was the light of the world walk in the light
Beautiful light come where his love and his Mercy are bright shine all around us by day and by night Jesus the light of the world he the lamp that lights our way Jesus the light of the world step by step and day by day Jesus the light of the
World walk in the light beti for light come where his love and his Mercy are bright shine all around us by day and by night Jesus the light of the world no more darkness no more night Jesus the light of of the world he will shine forever bright Jesus the light of the
World walk in the light beautiful light come where his love and his Mercy are bright shine all all around us by day and by night Jesus the light of the world receive now this blessing glory to God who by his power at work within you is able to do
Abundantly far more than you could ever ask or imagine glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus both now and for all generations forever ever and always amen