SERVICE OF WORSHIP

February 22, · 10:00 AM

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE                                     “Bryn Calfaria”                                     arr Johnson

CHORAL INTROIT            "Come Build A Church"                                                

Come build a church with soul and spirit,

Come build a church of flesh and bone.

We need no tower rising skyward;

No house of wood or glass or stone.

Come build a church with human frailty,

Come build a church of flesh and blood.

Jesus shall be its sure foundation.

It shall be built by the hand of God.

CALL TO WORSHIP                               

Leader:    Beloved, we are God's children now.

People:   What we will be has not yet been revealed.

Leader:    What we do know is this:

People:   When he is revealed, we will be like him,
for we will see him as he is.

All:           Almighty God, whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death on the cross:
Give us faith to perceive his glory,
that being strengthened by his grace,
we may be changed into his likeness,
and follow Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

*HYMN                       “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah                         No. 281

*CALL TO CONFESSION                                                   Leader: Jim Henderson

*UNISON PRAYER OF CORPORATE CONFESSION

God of compassion,
in Jesus Christ you reveal the light of your glory,
but we turn away, distracted by our own plans.

We confess that we speak when we should listen,
and act when we should wait.

Forgive our aimless enthusiasms.
grant us wisdom to live in your light
and to follow the way of your beloved Son,

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

*SILENT PRAYER OF PERSONAL CONFESSION

*DECLARATION OF PARDON

*PASSING THE PEACE

*GLORIA PATRI                                                                                                  No. 579

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

OLD TESTAMENT READING                                                            2 Kings 2:1-12

The time came for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, and on the way Elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to Bethel." But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you." So they went on to Bethel. A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha answered. "But let's not talk about it." Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to Jericho." But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you." So they went on to Jericho. A group of prophets who lived there went to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha answered. "But let's not talk about it." Then Elijah said to Elisha, "Now stay here; the Lord has ordered me to go to the Jordan River." But Elisha answered, "I swear by my loyalty to the living Lord and to you that I will not leave you." So they went on, and fifty of the prophets followed them to the Jordan. Elijah and Elisha stopped by the river, and the fifty prophets stood a short distance away. Then Elijah took off his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it; the water divided, and he and Elisha crossed to the other side on dry ground. There, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what you want me to do for you before I am taken away." "Let me receive the share of your power that will make me your successor," Elisha answered. "That is a difficult request to grant," Elijah replied. "But you will receive it if you see me as I am being taken away from you; if you don't see me, you won't receive it." They kept talking as they walked on; then suddenly a chariot of fire pulled by horses of fire came between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. Elisha saw it and cried out to Elijah, "My father, my father! Mighty defender of Israel! You are gone!" And he never saw Elijah again. In grief Elisha tore his cloak in two.

 

ANTHEM                    "Joy in the Morning Shall be Mine"                   DE Wagner

               Senior Choir, Calvin Youth Choir and Joyful Ringers Handbell Choir

EPISTLE READING                                                                     2 Corinthians 4:3-6

For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost. They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

GOSPEL READING                                                                                      Mark 9:2-9

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, and his clothes became shining white—whiter than anyone in the world could wash them. Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, "Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

He and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say. Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, "This is my own dear Son—listen to him!" They took a quick look around but did not see anyone else; only Jesus was with them.

As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has risen from death."

CHILDREN’S TALK                                                                                   Pastor Sam

*HYMN                      When in Our Music God Is Glorified”                       No. 264

SERMON                                                                                      “Glimpses of Glory"

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                                                                  Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

*DOXOLOGY                                                                                                       No. 592

OFFERTORY                       “Children of the Spirit"                    O'Brien & Ogilvie

                                                      Calvin Youth Choir

PRESENTATION OF OFFERINGS

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

SHARING JOYS AND CONCERNS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER

                                         (Saying, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”)

*HYMN                               “O God of Earth and Altar”                                 No. 291

*BENEDICTION – concluding with

Pastor:  God is good,                         

People:  All the time!

POSTLUDE                                      “Toccata”                                                  Young