Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who makes all things new, whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.

Trusting in God’s mercy, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy one, source of our renewal,
we confess that we are wrapped up in sin, and cannot free ourselves.  We have not practiced your righteousness.  Our hearts have turned away from you.  For the sake of the world you so love, forgive us, that we may be reconciled to one another for the glory of your holy name. Amen.

Thus says our God: “The former things have come to pass and new things I now declare.” God’s mercy makes us new. We are forgiven in the name of + Christ our Savior.
Amen.

Opening Hymn: ELW 315 “How Good Lord to Be Here”
How good, Lord, to be here! Your glory fills the night;
your face and garments, like the sun, shine with unborrowed light.

How good, Lord, to be here, your beauty to behold
where Moses and Elijah stand, your messengers of old.

Fulfiller of the past and hope of things to be,
we hail your body glorified and our redemption see.

Before we taste of death, we see your kingdom come;
we long to hold the vision bright and make this hill our home.

How good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain;
but since you bid us leave the mount, come with us to the plain.

Apostolic Greeting:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Hymn of Praise:
Glory be to Gob in heaven; peace, goodwill to all the earth.  Mighty God of all creation, Father of surpassing worth: we exalt you, we adore you, we lift high our thanks and praise.

Glory be to Christ forever, Lamb of God and Lord of love.  Son of God and gracious Savior, you have come from heaven above; on the cross you died to save us; now you reign at God’s right hand.

Holy One we now acclaim you; Lord alone, to you we call; Holy One in faith we name you, God most high, yet near to all: Jesus Christ, with God the Spirit, in the Father’s splendor bright.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
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.
Amen.

First Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21
¹⁶For 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. ¹⁷For 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.” ¹⁸We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹So 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. ²⁰First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, ²¹because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!

Gospel Acclamation:
Alleluia! Lord and Savior: open now your saving word.
Let it burn like fire within us; speak until our hearts are stirred.
Alleluia! Lord, we sing for the good news that you bring.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 17:1-9
This is the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the 17^th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

¹Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴Then 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.” ⁵While 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!” ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” ⁸And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

⁹As 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.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Children’s Message

Sermon

Hymn of the Day: ELW 838 “Beautiful Savior”
Beautiful Savior, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, truly I’d serve thee, light of my soul, my joy, my crown.

Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, he makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer than all the angels in the sky.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine!

Apostle’s Creed:
Let us confess our faith using the Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.*
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.

Prayers of Intercession:
Called together to follow Jesus, we pray for the church, the world, and all in need.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

We bring to you our needs and hopes, O God, trusting your wisdom and power revealed in Christ crucified.
Amen.

Sharing of the Peace:
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.

Offering:
https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

Offertory Hymn:
Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord, and fill to the brim our cups of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown, that we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and dreams of all; united them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with your presence, and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.

Offering Prayer:
Let us pray.
Liberating God, you break the bonds of injustice and let the oppressed go free. Receive these offerings in thanksgiving for all your works of merciful power, and shape us as people of your justice and freedom. You we magnify and adore, through Jesus our Savior.
Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ; who, sharing our life, lived among us to reveal your glory and love, that our darkness should give way to your own brilliant light. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, Lord God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the  Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, you have brought us this far along the way. In times of bitterness you did not abandon us, but guided us into the path of love and light. In every age you sent prophets to make known your loving will for all humanity. The cry of the poor has become your own cry; our hunger and thirst for justice is your own desire. In the fullness of time, you sent your chosen servant to preach good news to the afflicted, to break bread with the outcast and despised, and to ransom those in bondage to prejudice and sin.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection, we await the day when Jesus shall return to free all the earth from the bonds of slavery and death. Come, Lord Jesus! And let the church say, Amen!
Amen!

Send your Holy Spirit, our advocate, to fill the hearts of all who share this bread and cup with courage and wisdom to pursue love and justice in all the world. Come, Spirit of freedom! And let the church say, Amen!
Amen!

Join our prayers and praise with your prophets and martyrs of every age, that, rejoicing in the hope of the resurrection, we might live in the freedom and hope of your Son. Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
Amen.

Lord’s Prayer:
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 and ever. Amen.

O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away; you suffered death our lives to save: have mercy now, we pray.  O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away; you set us free from guilt and grave: have mercy now, we pray.  O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away; eternal peace with God you made: give us your peace, we pray.

Communion

Table Blessing:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.

Post-Communion Canticle:
O Lord, now let your servant depart in heavenly peace, for I have seen the glory of your redeeming grace: a light to lead the nations unto your holy hill, the glory of your people, your chosen Israel.

Post-Communion Prayer:
Let us pray.
Holy One, we thank you for the healing that springs forth abundantly from this table. Renew our strength to do justice, love kindness, and journey humbly with you.
Amen.

Benediction:
The God who faithfully brings forth justice and breaks the oppressor’s rod + bless, strengthen, and uphold you, today and always.
Amen.

Sending Hymn: ELW 671 “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
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, the light of your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness; Jesus, light of the
world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth you now bring us, Shine on me, shine on
me:

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.

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.

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.

Dismissal:
Go in peace. Follow in the way of Jesus.
Thanks be to God!

Postlude

 

Prayer Requests: Denise Clark, Karen Aikey, William Clewell, Loren, Ken Criswell, Robert Becker, Laurel Hertz, Amanda Galer, Peggy Dugan, Family and friends of Gladys Fawcett, Martha Ketchem, Susan Dinsmore, family and friends of Rev. Jim Fladland, Jason Russell, Annette Baker, family and friends of Jean Pfirman, Betsy Thomas, Dale Strassner, Alec Brock, Rusty, Shirley Russell, Russ Wynn, Viv Marsh, Alice Snyder, Peg Swinehart, Bob Keifer.

Are you or a loved one  in need of prayer?

Submit your prayer request by calling 570-568-2254 or emailing it to office@unitedinchristlutheran.net.
We will email your prayer request to UIC’s prayer chain and keep them on the prayer list for 8 weeks.

 

Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006.  Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L.  Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.   Used by permission.