February 15, 2026
Transfiguration Sunday
(The last Sunday of the Epiphany Season)
Keeping our Focus on Christ’s Glory
as we Serve Him here on Earth, While
Heading Toward Our Heavenly Goal
The work of art on the preceding page is titled, The Transfiguration of Christ. It was painted by the famous Renaissance artist Raphael (1483-1520). It was the last painting he produced, and is considered by many experts to be his greatest work of art. It was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici (who later became Pope Clement VII [1523–1534]). Originally, it was produced to serve as the altarpiece of the Cathedral in Narbonne, France. Raphael worked on this master work up until his death in 1520. Today it hangs in the Vatican Art Gallery in Rome.
If you look carefully at this painting, you will notice that in its uppermost part Raphael pictured the transfigured form of Jesus high upon a mountain top, with Moses on the left and Elijah on His right. On the middle level are the three disciples who accompanied Jesus that day: Peter, James and John. You can see that they have been awakened recently, as well as that they are shielding their eyes from Jesus’ blinding brilliance. And, at the bottom of the mountain, on the right side of the painting you can see a poor demon-possessed boy. His mouth is hideously drawn, suggesting that he is wildly raving and raging. And just to the right of the boy is his desperate, discouraged father. Surrounding those two are the rest of the Lord’s disciples, some of which are pointing upward to the glowing figure of Christ, Who – obviously – will be the boy’s only answer. In this great artistic work, Raphael brilliantly captured both a glimpse of Christ’s glory as God, and the overwhelming contrast between that glorious moment on the Mount of Transfiguration and the sin-troubled world waiting below…..a troubled world to which Christ would return in order to complete His glorious mission of reconciling fallen mankind to the LORD through Good Friday’s cross and Easter’s open grave.
Today’s Place on the “Church Calendar”
This date on the “Church Calendar” has been known by a variety of names down through the centuries, such as: the Last Sunday of the Epiphany Season, the Last Sunday of “Pre-Lent,” also “Quinquagesima Sunday” and as the Sunday of the Transfiguration. Each name holds significance for us on this somewhat “transitional” Sunday.
As the traditional “Sunday of the Transfiguration,” this day “transitions” us out of Epiphany season and into the penitential season of Lent. We do so by recalling the glory and power that belong to Jesus as the Almighty God (and which He voluntarily chose to lay aside during His state of humiliation). It was His divine glory which our Savior manifested for His disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. That day He also informed His “inner circle” of apostles that, although He soon would be put to death by His enemies, He would rise three days later as the ultimate Victor over sin, Satan, and the grave. The occasion of the Transfiguration, then, is a fitting “transition” between Epiphany’s emphasis on Christ revealing His power and glory as the LORD through His message and miracles, and the season of Lent’s dual focus on Christ’s sacrificial, atoning death for our sins. (the midweek services) and Christ’s — and His believing children’s — victories over sin, death and the Devil (on the Sundays of Lent).
This morning is also, of course, the Final Sunday of the Epiphany Season. “Epiphany,” as many of you know, means “to reveal” or “to manifest.” Over the past five weeks we’ve been examining select portions of God’s Word through which Jesus’ deity has been demonstrated by either His miracles or His preaching. Sometimes those Scripture lessons also contained an evangelism/Christian witnessing element – which is another of the Epiphany emphases. Finally, today is the last Sunday of a 3 Sunday period known as “Pre-Lent.” Through the ancient (Latin) title of “Quinquagesima,” we are reminded that there are only fifty days before the Church celebrates Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday (Quinquagesima means “fifty”).
Today’s Worship Service and Lessons
The traditional thrust of this Sunday is to recall the majestic way through which Jesus displayed His divine power and authority as the only true God during a unique event in His public ministry: the transfiguration. The words of today’s Sermon Hymn capture the apostle Peter’s expression of joy at being in the presence not only of Moses and Elijah, but especially His “transfigured Lord.” In today’s Gospel Lesson (which is also our Sermon Text) Peter wanted to stay on that mountaintop, basking in the glory of God, far removed from the mundane matters and wearying pressures of daily life. But, just as Jesus had to come down from the mountaintop in order to continue His mission that would inevitably lead to Him climbing one more mountain, Calvary, on which He would suffer death by crucifixion to carry out His mission of saving sinful mankind, so Peter had to come down from the mountain and go back to the less-awesome (and arguably more arduous) side of life. At times each of us would also like to set aside our responsibilities and get away from all the headaches, hassles, and heartbreaks of life by sequestering ourselves away in a more secure and less threatening spiritual environment where all we have to do is commune with the Lord. Granted, that day will come when we will enjoy the goal of our faith: being with our glorious Lord forever in heaven (today’s Children’s Lesson). However, in the meantime, like Peter whose faith was strengthened through being an eyewitness to Jesus’ glorious transfiguration (Peter later speaks about this to encourage others in today’s Epistle Lesson), we must leave the spiritual safety of this house of worship later today and go back out into the world in which we live in order to work for our Lord here on earth — keeping our hearts and minds firmly focused on our glorious Lord and His promises to us. Most important we must remember (as Peter did) that we never come down from this mountaintop alone, nor do we traverse the other mountains of life all by ourselves; Jesus is always with us, promising to cheer and direct us with His power and through His Word, and to lovingly support us as we go through every change and challenge of life. In today’s Old Testament Lesson we see God’s glory revealed to an exhausted, discouraged Elijah who was running for his life from Jezebel’s death threats, and who was ready to just give up and die. The LORD encourages Elijah to continue in his work as a prophet, coming to Elijah – not in an impressive earthquake or violent wind (as one might expect) but – through a quiet, small voice. So, today, many people wrongly expect to be spiritually impressed by some display of God’s awesome power – and so miss out on the presence and power of the LORD as He comes to them through the simple, quiet voice of Holy Scripture.
A Word Of Welcome To Our Guests . . . Good morning and welcome to Grace Lutheran Church. We’re pleased that you’ve chosen to be a part of our worshiping assembly this morning. Whether you are a guest today or a member of this Christian family, your presence at this service is sincerely appreciated. It is our wish that the time you spend here will be enjoyable and spiritually edifying, and so it is our desire to serve you in the best way we can. If there is anything that we might do to assist you in your worship today, please speak with one of our ushers or our Pastor. They will be pleased to serve you in any way they can. Following the worship service this morning, we invite you to join those around you for some coffee, refreshments, and good conversation in our gymnasium/fellowship hall. Afterward, we hope that you will join us for Bible study in that same location.
About Our Worship Service . . . . . The order for our worship service is printed in this service bulletin. You will find that our worship is made up of three essential ingredients: praise, instruction from God’s Word, and prayer. We sing our praises to God for all of His gracious blessings. We receive instruction from His Word in our various Scripture Lessons and through the Sermon. Our prayers consist of expressions of our repentance for our sins, plus requests for God’s forgiveness, guidance, and continued blessings. A few additional, brief explanations of how we worship may be helpful. The congregation in worship (we are not part of an audience, but participants in the action of worshiping) generally are seated to listen to God’s Word and sing the regular hymns. The pastor faces the congregation when he is serving as God’s spokesman. He faces the altar both when he is serving in the capacity of the congregation’s spokesman, and when he joins the congregation as a fellow worshiper. One final note: Because Jesus is our Lord and King as well as our Savior and Redeemer, we customarily stand out of respect for the words of Jesus during the reading of the Gospel Lesson.
An Invitation To You If you have no church home of your own, and/or are looking for religious truth and spiritual certainty as a foundation for your life and to insure your eternal future, then we invite you to consider becoming a part of this Christian fellowship called Grace Lutheran Church. For further information on becoming a member of our church family, please speak with our Pastor after today’s worship service, or at your convenience. We thank you for the opportunity to serve you with God’s Word and to have you as a part of our worshiping family today. We do hope that you will worship and study with us again soon, and often. Please know that you will always be welcome at Grace Lutheran Church. May God bless you, now and always…..in Jesus’ name.
A CHILDREN’S NURSERY (with the worship service “piped in,” is available to assist parents with small children during the worship hour. We encourage parents to bring children into worship whenever possible. This helps children learn why we come here each week: to praise God and to learn from Him. In addition, we know that the power of God the Holy Spirit in the written and spoken Word blesses the hearts and souls of little children, no less than adults. But for very young children the nursery is, at times, a necessity. When situations occur where your child becomes uncomfortable during the service, we encourage you as a parent to consider bringing your child into the nursery so that he/she can once again become settled and relaxed. Once that happens, we hope that you will return to the sanctuary to continue to worship with us. The Nursery (also with a changing table) is in the first room along the north wall in our rear seating area. It is available to you at any time today.
Prayer Upon Entering Church – Heavenly Father, You showed Your grace by bringing me to faith in Christ through the work of Your Holy Spirit, and then by giving me the blessing of being called Your child. Though what I offer You today is so small, compared to all You have done for me, please accept my humble offerings of praise and thanksgiving, as well as my gifts. Also, Lord, help me gladly hear and take to heart the Good News of salvation from sin for me and all people through faith in Your Son, my Savior. Renew and invigorate me with Your Holy Spirit today and every day, that I might live a confident life of faith and love to Your glory, and that I might share, by all possible means, at every opportunity, the same Good News of salvation through Christ which has filled my life with peace and purpose. Amen.
Scripture quotations in this worship flyer, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Evangelical Heritage Version of the Bible. Copyright 2019 by the Wartburg Project;
Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary Pre-service Music
We Praise Our God
Welcome and Introduction to Today’s Worship Service
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father
Congregation Who gave us our lives through His almighty power.
P: And of the Son
C: Who redeemed our lives with His precious blood.
P: And of the Holy Spirit
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.
P: Amen.
The Psalm for Today Psalm 8
Pastor O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Congregation: You have set Your glory above the heavens.
P: Out of the mouths of babies and infants
C: You have established strength because of Your foes, + to still the enemy and the avenger.
P: When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
C: what is man that You are mindful of him, the Son of Man, that you care for Him?
P: Yet You made Him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned Him with glory and honor.
C: You have given Him dominion over the works of Your hands;
P: You have put all things under His feet:
C: all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
P: O LORD, our LORD
C: How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Opening Choral Selection “Christ Begins”
choir vv1-2
verses 3- 4 congregation & choir
We stand and we watch on the bank, wide-eyed. Water runs
and all heaven opens wide, and a voice like thunder replies,
Refrain Here’s my Prophet, my Priest, my King,
a Light in the dark, Christ steps in;
Here’s my Savior, my God, my King,
the time has come, Christ begins.
Mary’s whispering, but it’s not the time. Six jars are filled
with the finest wine. Tell me, Who is this by our side? Refrain
See the sun out-shined on the hill and hide. Clothes like lightning white, heaven opens wide and a voice like thunder replies, Refrain
We stand, gathered round on the mountain-side. Watching the
closing clouds hide Him from our yes; with a voice united we cry
Refrain
after which the Congregation will rise
We Make Confession Of Our Sins To God
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed You in my thoughts, words, and actions; I have done what is evil in Your sight and have failed to do what is good. For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, both now and for eternity. But I am truly sorry for all my sins, and trusting in the perfect life and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I plead: God have mercy on me, a sinner.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, carrying out my office as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May the peace of God rest upon all of you. Amen.
In joyful response to this reassurance of God’s love and forgiveness for us in Christ, please join me
now as we sing the praises of our gracious and majestic Lord:
“Majesty” written by Jack Hayford, Rocksmith Music
used with permission, CCLI # 13666699
Majesty, worship His majesty.
Unto Jesus, be all glory, honor and praise.
Majesty….Kingdom authority, flow from His throne,
unto His own, His anthem raise.
So exalt – lift up on high, the name of Jesus.
Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King.
Majesty, worship His majesty. Jesus Who died.
Now glorified. King of all Kings.
Our Prayer for “Quinquagesima” Sunday
Lord Jesus Christ, + You are a safe refuge in this troubled world. + In Your Word You assure us that You are our Great High Priest + Who offered Yourself as the supreme + once-for-all-time sacrifice + to deliver us from the curse of our sins + from the fear of death, + and from the Devil’s power. + In Your mercy You have exalted us + to be members of Your Church now and forever. + Precious Savior, as we mediate upon Your Word today, —- through the Holy Spirit’s working in our hearts + fill us with the desire to always love what is right + and to avoid everything that is evil in Your sight. + Enable us to follow You obediently + and to serve You faithfully all our lives + until that day comes + when You call our earthly pilgrimage to a close + and You graciously grant us the fullness + of everlasting life and glory in heaven with You. + Hear and answer our prayer, dear Lord, + as we offer it in Your name. + and for Your sake. + Amen.
After which the Congregation may be seated
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson I Kings 19:1-18
Then Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done, including the fact that he had killed all their prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to say to Elijah, “May the gods punish me severely and even double it, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like one of theirs.”
3 Elijah was afraid, and he ran for his life. He went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. There he sat down under a broom tree, where he prayed that he would die. He said, “I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 Then he lay down and went to sleep under the broom tree.
Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 Then he looked around, and near his head there was a loaf of bread baking on coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank, and then he lay down again. 7 Then the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, because the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Then, with the strength gained from that food, he walked for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He came to a cave and spent the night there.
Then the word of the Lord suddenly came to him, saying, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned Your covenant. They have torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”
11 Then the Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is passing by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains and shattered rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft, whispering voice.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
14 He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned Your covenant. They have torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”
15 Then the Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came and go to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 But I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.”
The Epistle Lesson II Peter 2:12-21
12 That is why I intend always to keep reminding you of these things, even though you already know them and are established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to keep you wide awake by reminding you, 14 because I know that the putting off of my tent is going to happen soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 I will also make every effort so that after my departure you always have a reminder of these things.
16 To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received honor and glory from God the Father, when the voice came to Him from within the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” 18 We heard this voice, which came out of heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19 We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts, 20 since we know this above all else: No prophecy of Scripture comes about from someone’s own interpretation. 21 In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 17:1-23
Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and He led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2 There He was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light. 3 Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down and were terrified. 7 Jesus approached and as He touched them, He said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they opened their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 His disciples asked Him, “Then why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus answered them, “Yes, Elijah is coming and will restore all things, 12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him. Instead they did to him whatever they desired. In the same way the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He was talking to them about John the Baptist.
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt in front of Him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son because he has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they were not able to cure him.”
17 Jesus answered, “O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it went out of the boy, and he was cured from that hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why were we unable to drive it out?”
20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen I tell you: If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
22 While they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill Him, but on the third day He will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed.
The Congregation will then be seated as we offer – set to song –
The Apostles’ Creed to the melody of “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”
I believe in God the Father, Maker of the heav’ns and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, our Savior, God’s own Son, of human birth.
Virgin born, the Lord incarnate, Whom the Spirit did conceive,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Our salvation to achieve.
Crucified, was dead and buried, Down to hell in victory;
From the dead He rose the third day;
Up to heav’n triumphantly.
There at God’s right hand He’s ruling,
By His will the world is led.
He will come to judge the nations, Both the living and the dead.
I believe in God the Spirit, In His Church, His chosen band.
They are joined in close communion,
Holy in His sight they stand.
I believe in sins forgiven; That the dead will rise again;
I believe in life eternal. Amen! Amen! A – – men!
The Children’s Lesson Philippians 3:8, 13-14
8 But even more than that, I consider everything to be a loss because of what is worth far more: knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For His sake, I have lost all things and consider them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ…..13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
THE Goal….It is what matters most!
The Hymn of the Day Hymn 95 “How Good, Lord, To Be Here”
1 How good, Lord, to be here! Your glory fills the night;
Your face and garments, like the sun, Shine with unborrowed light.
2 How good, Lord, to be here Your beauty to behold,
Where Moses and Elijah stand, Your messengers of old.
3 Fulfiller of the past, Promise of things to be,
We hail your body glorified And our redemption see.
4 Before we taste of death, We see your kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright And make this hill our home.
5 How good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain;
But since you bid us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.
after which the Congregation will rise for
The Greeting
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge
of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Text Matthew 17:1-13
When Life Is Hard, and You Feel Like
Giving Up, Focus on Jesus’ Transfiguration
after the Sermon, the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for the post-sermon blessing
Pastor To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority now and forever. Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
We will be passing an offering plate through our chapel at this point. For those unable to worship with us in person, if you would like to participate in this offering, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
2) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
As the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation rises for prayer
Today’s Special Prayers
Included in our prayers this morning is
A Prayer of Intercession on behalf of
Debbie Huebner, who will undergo knee replacement surgery
tomorrow morning at Northwest Hospital in Springdale
The Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday
We praise You, O Father, for the precious gift of Your Son and for His glorious transfiguration so long ago on that holy mountain. Please give us a greater measure of Your Holy Spirit, so that, through the eyes of faith we might properly contemplate Christ’s glory, as well as Your and the Spirit’s holiness and majesty — worshiping You as the eternal, three-in-one God in all sincerity and truth. Give each of us also the unwavering dedication to listen to Your Son, the confident commitment to believe all His promises, and the loving willingness to obey His every command. As we contemplate the appearance of Moses and Elijah on that mountain, confirm for us again that blessed are the dead who die in faith, blessed are they who live in Christ, and blessed are all who believe in You as the one, true God…..for they shall know the redeeming power of Christ’s resurrection and one day they shall, by Your grace, experience the glory and peace of heaven. O God and Father, let Your Holy Spirit find a permanent dwelling in our poor bodies, transforming our weak, sinful lives into the radiance of Christian goodness, purity, and righteousness. Also, through the Spirit’s working in the Word and Sacrament, transform our minds, our vision, our understanding, our judgments, yes, our whole persons, to reflect the mind of Christ. Take our sicknesses, pains, wounds, and hurts; take our disappointments, discouragements, defeats, and despair; take our sorrows and mourning; take our pride and anger; take our selfishness and envy; take our hate and fear; take all these, O Father, and transform them by the Spirit’s influence in the Means of Grace into noble impulses, pure motives, kind thoughts, constructive deeds, high courage, and true faith. Hear us also, Lord, as we now bring You our private petitions and praises…..
Silent prayer
Finally, look mercifully upon Your Church, O Lord, here and in every place, and grant that we and all who bear the name of Christ may daily be moved to offer up to You acceptable sacrifices of repentance, thanksgiving, love, and faithful obedience, through which we honor and glorify Your holy name. Hear our prayer and by Your mercy grant our petitions for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior and Lord, in Whose name we also pray…..
Our 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
We Celebrate the Lord’s Supper
Pastor – The Lord be with you.
Congregation (Sung) And also with You
Pastor – Lift up your hearts.
Congregation (Sung) We lift them up to the Lord
Pastor – Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
Congregation (Sung) It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Pastor – It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, and placed all things under His feet for the benefit of the Church. Now have come the salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ., To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and thanks and glory and honor for ever and ever.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper
The Distribution of the Lord’s Supper
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with
our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
To our Guests this morning, we appreciate your presence among us. It is an honor to have you join with us as we worship our Lord and listen to His Word. We truly consider it a privilege to spend this time with you! It is our hope that you will both return in the future to worship with us again, and – perhaps – that You will even choose to become part of our congregation’s membership and our Synodical (WELS) fellowship, so that you might become even more involved in worship, study of God’s Word, and in Christian ministry and fellowship with us.
In connection with our worship as Christians, we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. But, as a key part of our church’s Biblically-based communion practice, before we can ask anyone to commune with us, we are compelled to first sit down with that individual and establish (upon a comprehensive study of the teachings of Scripture) that we are united in full doctrinal/ teaching fellowship…….which Scripture requires of any and all Christians before they can commune together.
Accordingly, we can offer the Lord’s Supper this morning only to those individuals who have completed that course of study, and who have chosen to become confirmed, communicant members of Grace Lutheran congregation or from one of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) or Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) congregations.
For some guests, this Biblical practice of “Close Communion“ is both unfamiliar and (quite possibly) uncomfortable. We realize that, unfortunately, few churches today continue to follow this approach to communion…..though, in the past (when many churches were more concerned about following all of God’s Word than is the case today) nearly all did. We understand that it is not necessarily easy to watch others receiving the Lord’s Supper, while being asked – respectfully — to refrain from receiving it. Many of us who are communing today once also watched others receive the Lord’s Supper, as you are asked to do this morning, while waiting for the privilege of one day being an active partner in this “Close Communion.” We want to assure you that we are not judging your faith in Christ today. Nor it is our desire to offend you. But it also is not our desire to offend or disobey our Lord’s expectations for the proper use of His Supper. Indeed, we must all obey Him above all others, and we want to obey Him. Consequently, if you have any questions or concerns about our use/practice of the Lord’s Supper (and we invite you to ask or express them — if you do), please feel free to speak with our Pastor after the service, or at your convenience. He considers it a privilege to share with you and others the Biblical reasons for our approach to receiving and offering the Lord’s Supper. In addition, you can also find a brochure in our tract/brochure rack in the entryway; it is entitled “Our Communion Practice.” This brochure also provides our guests and friends with the Scripture-based explanation for our understanding of and use of the Lord’s Supper.
Finally, please know that we truly are grateful for your participation – as a fellow Christian – in this morning’s worship service. We also thank you for your patience and understanding, and for respecting this Biblical approach we must take as we endeavor to faithful make us of our Lord’s Supper. We hope and pray that you will come back to worship with us again — often. And that one day you might become a part of this Christian fellowship, not only as we worship and hear God’s Word from these pews, but as we receive the Lord’s Supper together. May God bless and keep you always!
The Distribution Hymn “Your Table I Approach” (TLH 310)
1 Your Table I approach; Dear Savior, hear my prayer;
Oh, let no unrepented sin Prove hurtful to me there!
2 Lord, I confess my sins And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is sure to find Forgiveness at Your hands.
3 Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken here with mouth and soul, In blest reality.
4 Search not how this takes place, This wondrous mystery;
God can accomplish vastly more Than what we think could be.
5 O grant, most blessed Lord, That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament Raise doubt within my mind.
6 Oh, may I never fail To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood, O God, my Peace and Light.
The Second Communion Hymn Hymn 315 Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face
1 Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face;
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon you lean.
2 This is the hour of banquet and of song;
Here is the heav’nly table spread anew.
Here let me feast and, feasting, still prolong
The brief bright hour of fellowship with you.
3 I have no help but yours nor do I need
Another arm but yours to lean upon.
It is enough, O Lord, enough indeed;
My strength is in your might, your might alone.
4 Mine is the sin but yours the righteousness;
Mine is the guilt but yours the cleansing blood.
Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace:
Your blood, your righteousness, O Lord, my God.
5 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear.
The feast, though not the love, is past and gone.
The bread and wine remove, but you are here,
Nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.
6 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,
Yet, passing, points to that glad feast above,
Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
The Lamb’s great marriage feast of bliss and love.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.
After which the Congregation may be seated for
The Closing Hymn “Christ’s Majesty Displayed, How Fair!”
(cwh 2001; Sung to the melody, “From Heav’n Above To Earth I Come”; CW 38)
Christ’s majesty displayed, how fair! A glimpse of what the Church shall share.
His glory on the mount He showed When brighter than the sun, He glowed.
From age to age the Word declares: To Peter, James and John, all there
With Moses and Elijah….He Revealed His heav’nly de — i – ty.
The Father’s voice, from up above Proclaims “This is the Son I love,
With all He does I am well-pleased. Let all unto His wo — rds give heed.”
This radiant Lord, God’s sinless Son, Upon the cross the vict’ry won –
For sinners He His life laid down To earn for us our heav’nly crown.
With shining face and bright array Christ manifests for us today
The glory of His dwelling place Which we’ll enjoy through fai — th, by grace. Amen.
Silent Prayer
Announcements
Post-Service Music