Light of Christ shines in Darkness

WESTPORT RISING WORSHIP SERVICE
TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
February 11, 2024

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterward.  If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook)

WELCOME
PRELUDE:   Voluntary on “Sing of God Made Manifest”          Rudy Davenport
OPENING SCRIPTURE:   Mark 9:2-10 (account of Jesus Transfiguration) 
RESPONSIVE CALL TO WORSHIP: (Inspired by Psalm 50: 1-6, prayers from the Presbyterian Outlook)

     Leader:     God summons the earth from the rising of the son to its setting.
     People:    Every time we encounter beauty, God’s perfection shines forth,
     Leader:     God’s revelation is a devouring fire, burning away our doubts.
     All:           the heavens declare God’s righteousness, for God is the creator, the redeemer and the judge.

OPENING HYMN:  Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies   GTG#662
CALL TO CONFESSION: 

Pastor:      God is vaster than the night sky, brighter than the sun, and wilder than a tornado. Yet God loves us enough to come to us in ways that we see and understand, including Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts to God, confessing the ways we have fallen short of God’s call to love our neighbor and love the Lord. We can do so knowing that our Creator, who is both the Lion of Judah and sacrificial lamb, listens. 

CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS:

     Leader:     Love God, Maker of All,
     People:    Have mercy on us.
     Leader:     Jesus Christ, Servant of the Poor,
     People:    Have mercy on us.
     Leader:     Holy Spirit, Breath of Life,
     People:    Have mercy on us.
     Pastor:      Before God, with the people of God, I confess my brokenness to the way I wound my life and the lives of others and the life of the world.
     People:    May God forgive you, Christ renew you, and Spirit enable you to grow in love.
     Pastor:      Amen.
People:    Before God, with the people of God, We confess our brokenness to the way we wound our  lives,  the lives of others and the life of the world.
     Pastor:      May God forgive you, Christ renew you and Spirit enable you to grow in love.
     People:    Amen.

AFFIRMING OF HEALING, SAVING POWER OF GOD: Goodness Is Stronger than Evil   GTG#750
PASSING OF THE PEACE:

     Pastor:      The grace, peace, love and joy of Jesus Christ be with you.
     People:    And also with you.
     Pastor:      Let us share the peace of Christ with each other.

CHORAL ANTHEM:   Days of Elijah                       Robin Marks
UNISON PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

Our God is the God who appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai and revealed God’s self to Elijah in “a sound of sheer silence” (1 Kings 19: 12). This is the same God in our midst today. This is the same God who seeks us, who created us, who loves us. Holy Spirit, move in our hearts and minds that we might hear your message for us today. 

SCRIPTURE READINGS:     New Testament:    2 Corinthians 3:1-4, 12-18;  4: 5-6
MESSAGE:   The Light of Christ shines even in times of Darkness, and Darkness has not overcome it.
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:  Sing of God Made Manifest   GTG#156
WELCOMING, NEWS IN AROUND AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:  Come, Bring Your Burdens to God   GTG#851
MORNING PRAYER, LORD’S PRAYER (Mother, Father God who art in heaven…)
CALL FOR THE OFFERING:

Offering link
God gifted us with free will that we might choose to worship the Almighty in our words, actions and thoughts. As we have offered to God ourselves and our prayers, Let us choose to honor the Word of God so our money and tithes freely given will be a blessing thru God to our neighbors.

OFFERTORY:   “Steal Away to Jesus”     arr. J. Rosamond Johnson           Sarah Baxter, alto
UNISON PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

Almighty Luminous God, on the mountain top you instructed Peter, James and John:  “this is my Son, the Beloved:  Listen to Him.”  We are listening God as well as we can, seeking with you and Holy Spirit to make the world a better place. We offer you these gifts and our hearts alongside them. May they be blessed to do your bidding.

CLOSING HYMN:   Guide My Feet (verses 1-5)  GTG#741
BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE:   Guide My Feet (verse 6)   GTG#741
CHARGE TO CONGREGATION
POSTLUDE:   The Quiet Journey by Thomas Keesecker

A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING! 

• WELCOME! MEMBERS! NEWCOMERS! FRIENDS! We are so glad you could join us for worship today!
• VISITORS, please take a moment to let us know you were here by picking up an attendance card (in the pews) and filling out whatever information you would like to share with us.
• WELCOME FAMILIES! Children’s Sunday School is back in action in the redesigned 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am.
• 2024 PER CAPITA is $43.94 per member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $9.80 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod, and $30.99 to Heartland Presbytery. If you would like to help out the church by paying your own Per Capita, make your check out to Westport Presbyterian Church or place money in a pew envelope and include “per Capita” on the memo line. Thank You!

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES: 

• Bread, Buns, Fruit, Water, Meat, Peanut Butter, Cheese are always needed for our INTERRUPT HUNGER work. WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sundays & Thursday nights. Men’s boxer brief underwear needed. Men’s and Women’s shoes. Backpacks! Coats, Sweatshirts, Warm Clothes for this cold weather! 

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK: (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)

• Monday, Feb. 12                4:30 p.m.         FREDitation – a centering prayer experience – 20 min (Chapel)
  • • • • 6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
        • 7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room
• Tuesday, Feb. 13                6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
  • • • • 7:00 p.m.         Session Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Wednesday, Feb. 14                                   VALENTINE’S DAY/ASH WEDNESDAY
  • • • • 7:00 p.m.         Ash Wednesday Worship Service (Sanctuary)
• Thursday, Feb. 15              5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
  • • • • 7:00 p.m.         Search Committee Orientation Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Friday, Feb. 16                   12 noon           Westport Center for the Arts Brown Bag Concert Series:  Kansas City Baroque Consortium “Music and Love – Wings of the Soul” (Sanctuary)
• Saturday, Feb. 17               8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
  • • • • 10-11:30 a.m.  Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
• Sunday, Feb. 18                  8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  • • • • 11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
          • • Children’s Sunday School (Upstairs Children’s Room)
        • 12:15 p.m.       Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary) 

LOOKING AHEAD: 

Wednesday, Feb. 21           8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Meeting (Zoom)
Saturday, Feb. 24               10:00 a.m.       Wesport Center for the Arts Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)