Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church 16935 W. 14 Mile Road, Beverly Hills, Michigan 48025 Phone: 248.644.8890 Web: www.ascensionofchrist.org The Reverend Daniel E. Grams, Pastor A member congregation of The English District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod The Transfiguration of our Lord Sunday, February 15 th A.D. 2015
+IN THE NAME OF JESUS+ WELCOME to the Divine Service at Ascension of Christ! We pray that you will be richly blessed by God as you hear His Word, receive His gifts and worship Him with your prayer and praise! TO OUR GUESTS Welcome, we are so glad that you are here today! While greeters and ushers are the front line of our hospitality, we recognize that making God s house a home involves the entire congregation. Don t hesitate checking with an usher or greeter if you have any questions. Please take a moment to sign our guest register and be sure to introduce yourself to our Pastor! We invite you to consider Ascension of Christ if you are looking for a church home. Join us for coffee and treats after church. And, please, come back again! CHILDREN IN WORSHIP The joyful noise of children is a welcome addition to our congregation s worship. As Jesus received the little children, so do we rejoice in the presence of the smallest members of the body of Christ in worship. Parents should feel free to make use of the busy bags located in the back of the sanctuary. We also have a team of Mothers Helpers that are eager to assist you should you need an extra pair of hands. One of our ushers will be glad to assist you if you have any questions or to direct you to a helper. THE LORD S SUPPER IS JOYFULLY RECEIVED HERE TODAY At the altar, our Lord Jesus Christ delivers His true body and blood into our mouths. His gift of body and blood given in, with, and under the bread and wine, bestows tremendous benefits. His body and blood forgives our sins, strengthens our faith, binds us to the Lord, and unites us with each other. In this is life and salvation. All members of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have publicly confessed this sacred gift and its blessings and so are encouraged to commune. When you have examined yourself according to Christ s bidding (1 Corinthians 11:28), come to His Supper rejoicing, just as Jesus asks, knowing that our Lord meets you at His altar with joy. If you are a guest and would like to learn more about the practice of the Lord s Supper at Ascension of Christ, or if you are uncertain about whether you should receive the Lord s Supper, please speak with Pastor Grams before communing for the first time. THE LITURGY FOR TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY Christians long to be in the real presence of Jesus. And we are. Through the Word and Sacraments Christ s saving presence is made known on earth. We stand with Moses and Elijah who have beheld the glory of God and Peter, James, and John who were with Jesus on the mountain. All people are changed when they can truly see Jesus.
PRELUDE +GOD GATHERS US BEFORE HIS HOLY PRESENCE+ Please note the symbol is used to indicate a sung response. WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS Stand OPENING HYMN JESUS ON THE MOUNTAIN PEAK LSB 415 INVOCATION P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen. EXHORTATION P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. P Our help is in the name of the Lord, C who made heaven and earth. P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Kneel/Stand Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination. CONFESSION P O almighty God, merciful Father, C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being. ABSOLUTION P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 99:1 5; antiphon: Psalm 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain;* for the LORD our God is holy! The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!* He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion;* he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name!* Ho- ly is he! The King in his might loves justice.* You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool!* Ho- ly is he! Glory be to the Father and to the Son* and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the be- ginning,* is now, and will be forever. Amen. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain;* for the LORD our God is holy! KYRIE GLORIA IN EXCELSIS
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY P The Lord be with you. C And with thy spirit.
Sit P C Let us pray. O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. +GOD SPEAKS TO US IN HIS WORD+ OLD TESTAMENT 2 Kings 2:1 12 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel. But Elisha said, As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you? And he said, Yes, I know it; keep quiet. Elijah said to him, Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But he said, As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you? And he answered, Yes, I know it; keep quiet. Then Elijah said to him, Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. But he said, As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you. So the two [Elijah is taken up into heaven.] of them went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me. And he said, You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so. And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. A This is the Word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God.
CHOIR Beautiful Savior EPISTLE 2 Corinthians 3:12 13; 4:1 6 [The Light of the knowledge of glory in the face of Jesus Christ.] Since we have such a hope, we are very case the god of this world has blinded the bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from over his face so that the Israelites might not seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of gaze at the outcome of what was being Christ, who is the image of God. For what we brought to an end. proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Therefore, having this ministry by the Lord, with ourselves as your servants for mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we Jesus sake. For God, who said, Let light shine have renounced disgraceful, underhanded out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of tamper with God s word, but by the open God in the face of Jesus Christ. statement of the truth we would commend A This is the Word of the Lord. ourselves to everyone s conscience in the sight C Thanks be to God. of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their Stand ALLELUIA C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. HOLY GOSPEL Mark 9:2-9 [Jesus is transfigured.] P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 9 th chapter. C Glory be to Thee, O Lord. And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son; listen to him. And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
CREED Nicene Creed (Back Cover of Hymnal) Sit HYMN OF THE DAY THE BODY OF OUR LORD INSERT SERMON +GOD RECEIVES OUR PRAYERS & OFFERINGS+ Kneel/Stand PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Sit OFFERING We ask all members and guests to please sign the attendance pads in the pews. Stand OFFERTORY
+GOD GIVES US A FORETASTE OF THE FEAST TO COME+ PREFACE PROPER PREFACE It is truly meet, right, and salutary Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying: SANCTUS
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. In the beginning You created all things by Your Word; in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh. We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink his blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face. Hear us as we pray in His Name and as He has taught us: LORD'S PRAYER THE WORDS OF OUR LORD PAX DOMINI A The peace of the Lord be with you always. C Amen. AGNUS DEI
Sit DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS 'TIS GOOD, LORD, TO BE HERE LSB 414 HOW GREAT THOU ART LSB 801 Stand DISMISSAL P The true body and precious blood of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart in peace. C Amen. NUNC DIMITTIS
THANKSGIVING & POST-COMMUNION PRAYER A O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good. C and His mercy endureth forever. P Let us pray. We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. +GOD BLESSES US AND SENDS US FORTH TO SERVE+ SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS P The Lord be with you. C A C And with thy spirit. Bless we the Lord. Thanks be to God. BENEDICTION P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace. C Amen. Sit SUNDAY SCHOOL DISMISSAL & ANNOUNCEMENTS Stand CLOSING HYMN ALLELUIA, SONG OF GLADNESS LSB 417:1,3,4