Home Church, February 27, 2022, Transfiguration Sunday, Guest Presider:  Rev. Sally Bullas

Home Church, February 27, 2022, Transfiguration Sunday, Guest Presider:  Rev. Sally Bullas

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey,

you are welcome here!

Preparing the Space Around and Within Us

Whether you are gathering on zoom or worshipping at home with the bulletin...welcome! We are one community and all part of the body of Christ. Take a breath and relax. Be present in Spirit. Allow yourself to be fully in the moment…not to keep out the realities of the world, rather to focus us in the midst of it all…on the Holy with us and in us.

Greeting                                             
One:  The grace of Christ Jesus, the love of God, and the peace of the     Spirit be with you all.

All:    And also with you       

Lighting the Christ Candle              (From “Gathering,” written by Fern Gibbard)  

One:  The light of Christ shines on us and in us.       

All:    The light of Christ leads us.

          The light of Christ transforms us.

One:  We light this candle in the certainty that Christ’s presence is here  with us today.

Call to Worship                      (From “Gathering,” written by Richard Bott, adapted)

One:  Who is Jesus for us?  
All:    The promise of something new.

          The presence of God’s love.  

One:  Who are we for Jesus?  

All:    The promise of something new.

          The presence of God’s love.  

One:  In God’s love— 

All:    he was changed, transfigured, and transformed.

One:  In God’s love—

All:    we are changed, given hope, made new.

One:  As people changed and changing, as disciples of Christ, as followers of Jesus’ Way—

All:    We gather in God’s love.

Hymn: “Shine, Jesus, Shine              (as written by Graham Kendrick, adapted)

Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me

[Refrain]

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, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By your love I may enter your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me [Refrain]

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 [Refrain]

Send forth your
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there
Send forth your word
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light      

Opening Prayer & Prayer of Confession 

                                                      (From “Gathering,” written by Robin Wardlaw, adapted)

One:  O Spirit, breathe among us here,

All:    inspire us in God’s love. 

One:  Visit each of us with your amazing grace, your mindfulness, 

          your peace.  
All:    We want to be on the mountain top with you:
          a time of perfect awareness of your goodness,
          a time of sacred communion with all life.

One:  We want to know we are loved and to know how to love.  

          We want the light, the cloud of joy, the voice of reassurance.

All:    And yet we know our wretchedness, our imperfect attention to your way of love, our willingness to lower our gaze and turn away from your call.

One:  We err, Holy One.  

All:    We err against you, and each other, and all earth.

One:  Save us.

All:    Save us from ourselves.
          Save us from temptation.
          Save us from the tests we cannot pass.                                                                              

Silent Prayer

Words of Assurance            

Your mercy, O Holy One, reaches into the depths of the seas and the highest of mountain tops. With gratitude and thanksgiving we open ourselves to the life and love found in your all-encompassing forgiveness and love. Holy are you, O Giver of Life!             

Peace of Christ 

Please unmute your microphones so we can pass the peace to one another. 

            A-M: The Peace of Christ be with you!

            N-Z: And also with you!

First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35                                  Reader: Charlie Blackburn

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Psalm 99 (From “Praying the Psalms by Nan C. Merrill)      Reader: Charlie Blackburn                                        

One:  Awaken, O you people!  Entrust your hearts to Love.

All:    For the Beloved reigns supreme; let all the earth give thanks!

One:  Your unseen Presence is great in the land;

All:    You sit with the leaders of nations.

One:  Let them be silent and guided by your Voice!

All:    Holy are You!

One:  You are mighty and love justice,

All:    You establish equity;

One:  Out of the Silence, your Word can be heard in the land

All:    inviting the nations to live in peace.

One:  Listen O you people!  Open your hearts to the Beloved,

All:    that Truth may be born anew!

One:  Many who have gone before you followed the Beloved’s Voice,

All:    the unknown saints of all generations.

One:  They surrendered themselves into the Beloved’s hands,

All:    and walked with confidence.

One:  They were guided through difficult times,

All:    keeping to Love’s way, and trusting in Love’s promises.

One:  O Heart of all hearts, You answered their prayers;

All:    With Mercy, You forgave them their wrongdoings, always inviting them to new life.

One:  Sing praises to the Beloved, and aspire to ascend the holy mountain.

All:    Holy are You, O Giver of Life!

Gospel Reading                                                             Reader: Angela Nutter                              

One:  God be with you.            

All:    And also with you.

One:  The Good News of Jesus Christ according to Luke;

All:    Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

One: This is the Gospel of Christ; 

All:   Praise be to Jesus Christ

Reflection: “On Being Radiant”  - Rev Sally Bullas

Silent Reflection

A New Creed

Let us affirm our faith . . . 

We are not alone,

    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:

    who has created and is creating,

    who has come in Jesus,

       the Word made flesh,

       to reconcile and make new,

    who works in us and others

       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

We are called to be the Church:

    to celebrate God’s presence,

    to live with respect in Creation,

    to love and serve others,

    to seek justice and resist evil,

    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,

       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,

    God is with us.

We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

Prayers of the People      Betty Schultze                                                             

One: Loving God,

All:    Hear Our Prayer.

The Prayer of Jesus      (From the Syriac Aramaic)

O Thou, the Breath, the Light of All,

Let this Light create a heart-shrine within,

And Your Counsel rule, ‘till Oneness guides all.

Your One Desire then acts with ours, 
as in all light, so in all forms.

Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.

Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, 
as we release the strands we hold of other’s faults.

Don’t let surface things delude us,

But keep us from unripe acts.

To You belongs the ruling mind,

              the life that can act and do,

              the song that beautifies all;

              from age to age it renews.

In faith, I will to be true.  Amen.      

Offering: “Why I Give”    Robert and Susan Brockley

Offering Prayer                               (From “Gathering,” written by Laura Turnbull)

One:  Mysterious God, we are transformed by the awe and delight of encountering you.

All:    We are radiant as we offer our gifts of time, talent, and treasure.

One:  May we always be filled with amazement as we commit ourselves to sharing our gifts.

All:    We give them in the name of the transfigured Christ.  Amen.

Hymn: Teach Me, God, to Wonder                                              VU#299

Teach me, God, to wonder, teach me, God, to see;

let your world of beauty capture me.

[Refrain]

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,

life be celebrated, joy you give.

Let me, God, be open, let me loving be;

let your world of people speak to me. [Refrain]

Let me, God, be ready, let me be awake,

in your world of loving my place take. [Refrain]

Teach me, God, to know you, hear you when you speak,

see you in my neighbour when we meet. [Refrain]

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessing                                                                                

If you are with another person, you’re invited to bless each other, taking every other line.

One:  The Creator’s blessing be yours on your road, on your journey,           guiding you, cherishing you.

A-M:  The Son’s blessing be yours, wine and water, bread and stories,            feeding you, challenging you.

N-Z:   The Spirit’s blessing be yours, wind and fire, joy and wisdom, comforting you, disturbing you.

All:    The Angel’s blessing be yours, on your house, on your living, guarding you, encouraging you. Let us walk together, a     community on a journey sustained in God’s blessing. Amen!

One:  Let us go now in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All:    Thanks be to God! Alleluia!