Cycle B Transfiguration

2/15/2015 Confession(s)

Sunday Title: The Transfiguration- God Sunday

Sermon Title: How hard is it to let God be God?

Previously: 

Sunday Title: Shine Sunday

Sermon Title: A Message from God.

Sunday Title: The Transfiguration: Deal with it Sunday

Sermon Title: “Listen up!”

Sunday Title: Transfiguration Sunday

Sermon Title: "Enter the Mystery"

Scripture Cuttings:

2 Kings 2:1-12 When 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."

Psalm 50:1-6 The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth….

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Mark 9:2-9 Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them.

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Almighty God, we cannot grasp your Glory,

   yet you reveal your faithfulness in the face of our sin.

(pause to ponder the contrast between God's Glory and our unfaithfulness)

P:  Lord,

C: we are not faithful in the face of fear,

  we do not listen when you speak

    we do not trust you in time of loss

      we do not seek your Spirit as a gift

        we are blinded by the world's way

          we are confused disciples.

Lord our sin is that we will not rely on you as our God.

  (pause for self-examination)

P:  God's faithfulness is not detoured by our wanderings. In Christ Jesus, God's Glory shines out of the darkness and into our hearts. For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, our sins are forgiven. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we too proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord in all we do and say. This to the glory of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!

-or-

All may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of baptism

as the presiding minister begins:

P:  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen

P:  Heaven and earth are witnesses to the judgment of God’s people. (pause)

  Almighty God,

C: can we be servants for Jesus' sake

  while we actually avoid coming fully into your presence?

We prefer to be part time followers and temporary believers.

  We pretend we would be loyal in a biblical epic

    but when asked to stand

      against the undertow of wrongdoing

        we become turncoats.

We do not speak against outrage

  and we sin with the tools of our own fear and ignorance

    as well as our obsessive pursuit of pleasure.

We readily participate with the gods of this world

  in blinding the minds of unbelievers.

Lord forgive the sins we name,

save us from the sins we hide. (pause for reflection and self-examination)

P:  Heaven and earth are witnesses to the judgment of God’s people. God is revealed in glory, showing mercy and forgiveness on God’s loyal followers. Through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Beloved, our sins are forgiven. By the power of the Holy Spirit we may abandoned our allegiance to the gods of this world and become loyal followers of our risen Christ. In the name of the Father, and the Son, + and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen -wjw

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always!

C: And also with you!