The traditional Christian church calendar has seven seasons beginning with the Advent season. We are in the third of the seven seasons identified as the “Time after Epiphany.” Epiphany is the last day of the Christmas season and traditionally marks the time Jesus is revealed as a special teacher of the message of peace.
Brief Order For Confession and Forgiveness
Music to accompany this worship may be found on Spotify at:
Entrance Hymn
O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High
Kyrie
Hymn of Praise
Prayer of the Day
O God, in the transfiguration of your Son you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the witness of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice from the bright cloud declaring Jesus your beloved Son, you foreshadowed our adoption as your children. Make us heirs with Christ of your glory, and bring us to enjoy its fullness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The First Lesson
Exodus 24:12-18
12. The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”
13. So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.
14. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.”
15. Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16. The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud.
17. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.
18. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Psalm
Psalm 99 (9)
1. The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2. The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
3. Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he!
4. Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5. Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he!
6. Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
7. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them.
8. O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9. Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy.
The Second Lesson
2 Peter 1:16-21
16. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
18. We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19. So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
21. because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. This is my | Son, my Chosen,
lis- | ten to him! Alleluia. (Luke 9:35)
The Gospel
Matthew 17:1-9
1. Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.
2. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.
3. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
6. When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
7. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”
8. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
The Sermon
Do we listen for what we should do?
The Hymn of the Day
God of Wonders
The Creed
The Peace
Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
The Prayers
The Offering
Communion
The Lord’s Prayer
Communion Hymns
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
Communal Blessing
Dismissal
The Bible readings are from the New Revised Standard Version. I wish to thank the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA, and its predecessor bodies for all their teaching throughout the years. I’ve used the Lectionary published on the ELCA website at elca.org in preparation of this worship.