Westport Presbyterian Church—TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
Season of Transformations! Realizations! Surprise Appearances! Sudden Awakenings! February 19, 2023, 11:00 am
(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here. 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)
PRELUDE: When Peace, Like a River—setting by Michael Larkin
RESPONSIVE CALL TO RETURN TO OUR SOULS
Pastor: Earth, our home, rising above its moon,
People: Delights and inspires everyone who sees it from space.
Pastor: Against intense cosmic black, the blue speck evokes a deep response. People: No words express the urge to care for this tiny, fragile planet.
Pastor: Experiencing the world as One awakens a new consciousness.
People: Instead of boundaries of fear,
Pastor: A world celebrating diversity is beginning to dawn.
People: Let’s create community based on the indescribable beauty of the Earth
Pastor: And on the tremendous freedom of the human spirit.
—Fred Culver
SUNG RESPONSE: Transform Us STF#2153
A UNISON CONFESSION OF A LACK OF FAITHFULNESS—AND ABSENCE OF HOPE FOR—SPIRITUAL LIBERATION (adapted from Fred Culver’s Collegium Spiritus: words in parenthesis not spoken )
I have been bored and lonely and complied with the normal. I have settled for the dull and the common place, The trivial and the brief, The secure and the comfortable. I have engaged in stereotypes. Still, I have been inspired with supreme beauty, Especially joyous and inspiring moments. It is time to withdraw, listen for inner support and diverse support By spending enough time in contemplation and dialogue, enough time alone, Enough time with others, preparing to be an agent of transformation. What makes life worth living is To experience enthusiasm [Greek: En(In) theos(God) = in God] To find my deep center, engage with friends and Come alive! Amen.
BLESSED ASSURANCE OF GOD’S ACTIVE, DYNAMIC GRACE: Gather Us In GTG#401
BIBLE READINGS: Exodus 24:12-18 Matthew 17:1-9 Jennifer Weiman
ANTHEM: Christ, Upon the Mountain Stands—Robert Lehman
PRAYER BEFORE SERMON
Pastor: May the words of my mouth
People: And the meditations of our hearts
Pastor: Be acceptable to you, O Lord
People: Our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
MESSAGE: Transform Us, As You, Transfigured…. Rev Scott
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons) GtG#726
WELCOMING: Merged Pastoral Prayer, Matthew 25 Prayer, Lord’s Prayer
SUNG RESPONSE: Come, Bring Your Burdens to God GtG#851
OFFERTORY: Go Down, Moses—Florence Price; Emma WitbolsFeugen, mezzo soprano
Offering link
UNISON PRAYER DEDICATING OUR OFFERINGS TO GOD’S GREAT WORK AMONG US AND BEYOND US
Creator Spirit, Inspire us to risk living life in the Spirit, Developing our capacity for the Creator Spirit. Let us overcome our self! Create community as an antidote to violence. Global community as a way out of war. Show us the way to get lost into what you, the great I AM, are doing! Amen. —Adapted from a World Center for Global Community writing by Fred Culver and Rae Peterson
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: I Want Jesus to Walk With Me GTG#775
BENEDICTION
SUNG BENEDICTION RESPONSE: Goodness Is Stronger Than Evil GTG#750
POSTLUDE: All hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (CORONATION)—C. E. Walz
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Sunday, March 12 Friendship Pot Luck Lunch and Conversation after worship. The recent Session/Congregation “Affinity Process” suggested some specific follow up discussions about what people hope to talk about and see happen this Spring and the rest of the year, including seed-spreading & seed-planting small groups! This will be woven into the worship service and the pot luck table talk on Sunday, March 12.
- Rehearsals for the original Black History Play Only the Wounds and Weapons Have Changed by Jacqee Gafford and Scott Myers, have begun here. Opening night is Friday, March 17 at the Just Off Broadway Theater, 7:30 p.m. 9 performances. 1 Sunday matinee. Say WESTPORT at the box office to receive Buy 1, Get 1 Free tickets (you get two tickets for $20). Groups of 10–$75 total. ($7.50/ticket) Rocket Grant from Andy Warhol Foundation paid for the playwriting by the two playwrights.
- #GoodTrouble KC is meeting with the new KCPD police chief this Tuesday, Feb. 21 to begin discussing our 7 principles of transformation in policing. We are meeting with Mayor Quinton Lucas on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
- We are involved with Steptoe Lives in an effort to honor and preserve WHAT remains of the historic Black Westport community of Steptoe. A major event now being planned is Juneteenth in Steptoe, on the new national holiday, Monday, June 19. Want to join in the effort? Next meeting is this coming Thursday, Feb. 23 at 2:00 p.m. here at the church. Stan Morgan & Rev Scott are participating so far.
- Still need all kinds of winter clothing for Westport Showers.
- Want to join folks here for a group visit after church one Sunday to a world class art exhibit coming to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum? The exhibit is—Alberto Giacometti: Toward the Ultimate Figure, opens on March 18. Sign up sheet on the back tale for some Sunday after the opening. We need as many people who have memberships to sign up so you can bring someone who doesn’t have a membership. If we need some extra tickets, we can use “arts and spirituality” funds in the budget to supplement so there is no cost to people who want to go. We haven’t done this in some time. Sign up. It will be fun!
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