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Call to Worship

L: Let’s go up the mountain. To the place of voices and conversations,
to the place of listening.
P: To the place of meeting, to the place of mists,
L: Let’s go up to the place where the land meets the sky
where the earth touches the heavens,
P: to the place of meeting, to the place of mists,
All: Let’s go up the mountain to worship Christ the King

Call to Worship--based on Psalm 99
L: The Lord sits enthroned upon the cherubim.
P: The Lord is great in Zion, and is exalted over all the peoples.
L:  Let them praise God's great and wondrous name!
P: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord!
L: Come let us worship at the Lord's footstool!

Prayer for Illumination--from the Orthodox Tradition
I give thanks to You, Holy Trinity,
that because of Your great goodness and patience
You have not been angry with me, lazy and sinful though I am,
and have not destroyed me and my sins together,
but have shown Your usual loving kindness,
and though I inclined to despair, you have moved me to glorify Your might.

Now enlighten the eyes of my mind
and open my mouth so that I may study Your sayings,
understand Your commandments,
do Your will,
sing to You with thankful heart,
and praise Your all-holy name.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and ever end to the ages of ages. Amen.

Transfiguration Prayer--prepared by Dr. William Loader

O God,
We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light,
the light of the world,
your light.
May your light shine upon us.

We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah,
your word restoring us, showing us the way,
telling a story,
your story, his story, our story.
May your word speak to us.

We open our eyes and we see mist,
the cloud of your presence
which assures us of all we do not know
and that we do not need to fear that.
Teach us to trust.

We open our eyes and we see Peter’s constructions,
his best plans, our best plans,
our missing the point,
our missing the way.
Forgive our foolishness and sin

We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
not casting us off,
but leading us down, leading us out -
to ministry, to people.
Your love endures forever.

We open our ears and we hear your voice,
‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him!’
And we give you thanks. Amen

 

Children's Prayer
by F. Schaefer
Dear God we thank you for your awesome power that you put to work in the world for the good of all people.  Thank you for being so awesome and, yet, you handle us so gently, caring about us and loving us.  You are always near us to wipe our tears, to encourage us and to lead us on the path of righteousness.  Be with us today and in the days to come and watch over us little ones.  Amen.

Closing Prayer:
God of glory and mercy, before his death in shame, your Son went to the mountain top and you revealed his life in glory.  Where prophets witnessed to him, you proclaimed him your Son, but he returned to die among us.

Help us face evil with courage, knowing that all things, even death, are subject to your transforming power.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.