Radiant Silence

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY / BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 15, 2026

PRELUDE: Sun of My Soul arr. AP Iderstind
CALL TO WORSHIP: (from the poem I, Too by Langston Hughes)

One: I, too, sing America.
All: I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
One: Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
All: Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.

OPENING HYMN: O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair (verses 1, 3, 4, 5)  GTG#189
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:

All: God of radiant light, we confess that we are a people
sometimes too comfortable dwelling in the twilight of shadows.
We say we want things to change, that we do not accept the way things are.
But, in reality, we want someone else to take care of the changing.
We resist transformation and sometimes do not even believe it is possible.
Forgive our unbelief. Soften our hearts toward one another and ourselves.
Fill our ordinary lives with the flickering strangeness of your new energy,
for the sake of this world you love. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE:

One: The good news is this: while we do not always – or perhaps often – get it right, God is faithful. God keeps God’s promises. Let this truth deep down seep into your weary bones: in Jesus Christ we are forgiven and set free for life in God’s Spirit. All: Thanks be to God! Amen.

SUNG RESPONSE: In My Life (verses 1-2)   GTG#468
[Time with Young Disciples]
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST:

One: The peace of Christ be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Let’s share the peace of Christ with one another.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One: Holy Wisdom, your Word is at once ancient and brand new. As we read together this day, enlighten our hearts and minds. May we be transformed. In Jesus’ name.
All: Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 2      Matthew 17:1-7

One: May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All: Thanks be to God.

CHORAL ANTHEM: Fairest Lord Jesus arr. Apgar
MESSAGE: Radiant Silence
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Every Time I Feel the Spirit   GTG#66
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:     Kum ba Yah (verses 1, 4)   GTG#472
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, BLESSINGS, AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Our Mother and Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE:

One: We are created in the image of a generous God, and we participate in God’s generosity when we share of what we have with one another. Not because we have to, but because we are grateful, let us a return a portion of what God has so given to us through our tithes and our offerings.

OFFERTORY SOLO: Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies arr. R. Lee        Joshua Stark, baritone
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:

One: Gracious and holy God, we give you thanks for the many gifts in our lives. We are well and truly blessed. We dedicate these offerings to you. Multiply them beyond our imagining, that others might experience your love and grace, your mercy and justice. May we come to know a world where each person is enough and has enough. These things we ask boldly in Christ’s name.
All: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN: Lift Every Voice and Sing (verses 1, 3)   GTG#339
CHARGE AND BLESSING
POSTLUDE: Shine, Jesus Shine arr. M. Hayes

 

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! NURSERY care is available in the upstairs children’s space. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once). Children’s Sunday School usually meets during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, but is on break. Children are invited to remain in the service until the “Time for Young Disciples” and then they can go play in the upstairs children’s room.
• HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES available upon request. Talk to Deanna up in the front of the sanctuary at the livestream table if you would like to use one.
• 2026 PER CAPITA is $45.91 per church member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $11.26 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod of Mid-America, and $31.50 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!
• CHILDREN’S CHOIR PRACTICE: Any kids that want to sing the anthem with the choir on Feb. 22 please join Renee at the front of the sanctuary 10:00-10:15 starting January 25.

CONNECTION HOUR SMALL GROUP:
Sunday Mornings
10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group readings related to various topics including faith, art, culture, politics, earth care. Currently reading Breathing Under Water: The Spirituality of the 12 Steps, by Richard Rohr.

MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:

• WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sunday mornings & Thursday nights. Items Needed for our CLOTHING CLOSET include: Sneakers, T-shirts, Underwear (Men’s Boxer Briefs), Socks, Women’s pants/shorts size 0-8, Men’s pants/shorts size 28-40, Bandaids, Sweatpants, Leggings, Belts, Backpacks, Body wash, Sports bras, & Washcloths.
• WESTPORT SHOWERS is looking for additional volunteers to help with Sunday mornings. With the increase in guests, we would like to have teams of 2 volunteers upstairs working together at the door and 2 downstairs working in the shower/laundry room each Sunday. You would be working with experienced volunteers who can train you in what is needed. If you would like to help, and are willing to volunteer 1 Sunday morning a month, reach out to Drew Irwin or Allison Rozga for more information.
• We are giving out lunches on Fridays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of fruit cups, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.
• WINTER WEATHER CLOTHING DRIVE: Through the cold weather months Westport Showers will be collecting coats, hats, gloves, warm socks, shoes and boots. Look through your closets and see if you have any extra items you can donate.
• BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED & PAID PART-TIME POSTITIONS AVAILABLE: Westport Center for the Arts, an non-profit organization founded by our church that has dedicated itself to bringing free art exhibits, concerts, dance performances, etc. to the neighborhood, has several positions that need filling. They need a board president to set a meeting agenda and keep track of who is doing what, and they are looking to fill several paid positions: Photographer, Grant Writer, Visual Arts Program Director. If interested, email [email protected] or speak with Josh Stark or Deanna Capps.

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

• Monday, Feb. 16 PRESIDENTS’ DAY
  6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
  7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
• Tuesday, Feb. 17 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
• Wednesday, Feb. 18 6:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service (Sanctuary)
• Thursday, Feb. 19 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non- conforming people (Basement)
• Friday, Feb. 20 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Resource Center Open & Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
  12:00 p.m. Westport Center for the Arts – Brown Bag Concert Series:  La Gioia Winds, Quintet (Sanctuary)
• Saturday, Feb. 21
  8:30 a.m. Private Rental – Meeting (Storefront)
  10:00 a.m. Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
  11:00 a.m. MO Workers Center Training Weekend (Westport Rising Room)
  1:30 p.m. AIRR Immigration Rapid Response Training    (LAMP, 3210 Michigan Ave. KCMO)
  2:30 p.m. PNC Meeting (Fellowship Room)
• Sunday, Feb. 22 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
  10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group
  10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
  11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
  Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
  11:00 a.m. MO Workers Center Training Weekend (Westport Rising Room)
  12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD:

• Saturday, Mar. 7 5:45-7:30 p.m. Iftar Gathering/Ramadan Fast Breaking Dinner
  Second Pres, Rolling Hills Pres & Westport Pres
  with the Dialogue Institute of Kansas City
  (at Second Presbyterian Church, 318 E 55th St, KCMO)

MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:
from Riva and the League of Women Voters

• Bill #: SB 1239: provides that retail sales of food shall be exempt from state sales taxes.
• BUDGET NEWS – “budget calamity” The state faces declining revenues and a shrinking surplus.
• Missouri lawmakers are looking to find “unspent or underutilized funds that could be cut from next year’s budget” in order to protect vital health programs for Missourians. The governor’s proposed budget for 2027 asks for a $17.5 million reduction in funding for families to hire, train and manage care staff for their family members with disabilities, cut $61.7 million from providers of structured group programs, eliminate $500,000 in grants for the use of medication-assisted treatment as part of the state’s drug and DWI courts, cut $350,000 for drug use resistance education in schools and $300,000 from youth tobacco use prevention initiatives. Missouri spends only about $7 per person on public health.
• State Rep. Betsy Fogle of Springfield asked about the unspent monies for certain budget items when public health seems underfunded in Missouri. Rep. Chappell supports “right sizing the budget” but this would still require painful budget cuts to programs like disability care services.
• For the full article: Missouri Independent, February 10, 2026.
• Despite these budget issues, the Legislature wants to eliminate state income tax which will greatly decrease incoming revenue for the state. Last year they eliminated taxes on capital gains.
• To reach out to your legislators, go to senate.mo.gov (the MO senate home page), scroll down right side of page until Legislator Lookup. Click on this, fill out your address and it will show you your elected officials for your area.