Transfiguration – February 23

Come! Says the Lord. Come up to the Holy Mountain!
We are assembled in this sanctuary, this holy place.
Let us meet together here,
away from the distractions of the world.

Come! Says the Lord. Come up to the Holy Mountain!
Mighty One, we know you are a lover of justice.
You have established equity.
Our knees, yes even our souls,
quake before you for we have not done what we ought to do.

Come! Receive instruction in holiness, righteousness,
compassion, and peace.
Come! Regain insight to see the least among you,
those whose rights have been trampled upon.

Come! Let the anointing oil of my Spirit open your ears
to the sounds of weeping and the anguished cries for justice.
Come! says the Lord; receive wisdom and strength.

Open our eyes and our ears and our hearts
to receive your Word.
Anoint us as your priests to those who live on the margins –
the outcasts, the lonely, the ignored.

Anoint us as your holy people.
to receive your Word.
Come! Says the Lord. Come up to the Holy Mountain!
I am the Sovereign and Holy One. Do not be afraid.
Come! Let us worship God!

Holy God, we extol and honor you for who you are.
We praise you for your faithfulness
and for your tender mercies that are renewed every morning.
We exalt you, Sovereign One,
for every blessing of yesterday,
the gift of this day,
and the promises of our tomorrows.
Grant us an enduring faith as we strive against oppression and despair.
Endow us with contagious joy that uplifts the downtrodden
and inspires hope in you.
Increase in us
the faith and courage of the prophets,
the love of Jesus, and
the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
In your majestic name we pray, Amen.

God of Mercy and Grace,
you come to us in Jesus of Nazareth
to break down the dividing walls of hostility between us:
Yet we maintain walls that separate and isolate.

You give us the ministry of reconciliation:
Yet we nurse our wounds and withhold mercy and forgiveness.

You invite us to join with Peter, James, and John
n the mountain of Transfiguration:
Yet we deny the wonders you have worked in our own lives.

You ask us to acknowledge and share our wealth:
Yet we refuse to recognize and relieve the poverty around us.

You bless our lives with boundless love:
Yet we fail to witness to that love, and so keep others from knowing
you.

Forgive our selfishness, we pray.
Transform us by your Spirit and your Word
into that which pleases you,
the image of Christ. Amen.

Jesus admonished Peter, James, and John
not to tell of what they witnessed on the mountain until he was
resurrected.
But we can tell what we have seen and heard of God’s glory!
Here is the good news: Jesus lives! He is raised! We are forgiven!
Go, share the vision! Tell of God’s love! In this God is well pleased!

In the same way that Miriam, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel
called on God’s name in their need,
so also do God’s beloved ones call on God today.
May the offerings received today serve as an example of God’s loving response.

God of Awe and Glory,
receive these gifts as symbols of our trust in you.
Bless the givers and those who desired to give.
Multiply these offerings and the blessings they represent.
Guide the disbursement of them according to your will.
These things we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The time has come to depart this holy place.
Be not afraid.
The Spirit of the Living God
goes ahead of you, with you, guiding you.
May God bless you and keep you
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you
May God look kindly upon you and give you peace.