April 5, 2015 Easter Liturgy

Call to Worship: Psalm 2:10-12

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Amen!

Song: Psalm 2 (to the tune of Hark the Herald Angels Sing)

Why do heathen nations rage? Why do peoples folly mind?
Kings of earth in plots engage, Rulers are in league combined;
Then against Jehovah high, And against Messiah’s sway,
“Let us break their bands,” they cry, “Let us cast their cords away.”
“Let us break their bands,” they cry, “Let us cast their cords away.”

But the Lord will; scorn them all; He will laugh who sits on high.
Then his wrath will on them fall; Sore displeased he will reply:
“Yet according to my will I have set my King to reign,
And on Zion’s holy hill My Annointed I’ll maintain.
”And on Zion’s holy hill My Annointed I’ll maintain.”

His decree I will make known; unto Me the Lord did say,
“Thou art my Beloved Son; I’ve begotten thee this day.
Ask of Me and Thee I’ll make Heir to earth and nations all;
Them with iron Thou shalt break, dashing them in pieces small.
”Them with iron Thou shalt break, dashing them in pieces small.”

Therefore, kings, be wise, give ear; Hearken judges of the earth;
Serve the LORD with godly fear; Mingle trembling with your mirth.
Kiss the Son, His wrath to turn, Lest ye perish in the way,
For His anger soon will burn. Blessed are all that on Him stay.
For His anger soon will burn. Blessed are all that on Him stay.

Prayer of Adoration

Prayer of Confession: 1 John 1

You, O God, are light. In you there is no darkness at all.

If we say we have fellowship with you while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as you are in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus your Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have not sinned, we make you a liar, and your word is not in us.

Absolution of Sin: 1 John 2

My little children, do not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked….little children, your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake…. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

All: Thanks be to God!

Confession of the Christian Faith

What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

What things are necessary for you to know, that you, enjoying this comfort, may live and die happily?

First: how great my sins and miseries are;
second: how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries;
third: how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

Song: Psalm 110

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 40:34-38

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.  Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out.  But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

New Testament Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.  And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Gospel Reading: Mark 9:1-8

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

Reader: This is the Gospel of Jesus
All: Praise to you, O Christ!

Prayer:

Praise and Thanksgiving
Prayers for the Church
Prayers for the Nations
Prayers for the people
The Lord’s Prayer

Sermon: Mark 9:1-8 – From Grief to Glory

Offering:
Doxology

Songs: Hymn 276 Up from the Grave He Arose

Hymn 358 For all the Saints

Prayer of Commitment

Almighty God, we thank you for sending your beloved Son into this world to redeem us from our sins, and to loose us from the bondage of the evil one. You have justified Christ in the Spirit by raising him from the dead, and we thank you for raising us together with him, that we may live righteous lives in a new humanity in Jesus. Help us to forsake the ways of our old father Adam and to follow the ways of Christ. And we will praise you forevermore through the Spirit at work in us. In Jesus’ Name we promise this, Amen.

Benediction

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.