FREELTON STRABANE UNITED CHURCH
To Live Our Discipleship With Integrity And Grace
Horseshoe Falls Regional Council
Transfiguration
Sunday, February 15 2026
Rev. Will Wheeler BA M. Div. E-mail: [email protected]
Organist : Joan Simpson
Call To Worship
Take this moment sign and space
Take my friends around
Here among us make the place
Where your love is found me
(Iona Abbey Music book pg 122)
One: God reigns; let the people rejoice. God rules over all creation.
All: We praise our great name and come to find direction
One: God fills our lives with hope and anticipation and changes them in the likeness of Christ.
All: We extol your name, O God of all people, for with you there is perfect freedom.
Prayer of Approach
Prayer. God of glory, we long for glimpses of your splendor, and for the day when the whole earth will be awash with your glory. Help us to recognize the hidden glory of the cross. May its splendour sustain us in our times of suffering. May its love compel us to minister in Christ’s name to a suffering world. May we find our true life in him who suffered there for our sakes. Amen
One: The Word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God
One: Let us continue to listen to the wisdom God has given us as found in 2 Peter 1:16-21
One: This is part of Journey
All May these words strengthen us for the Journey
One: The Light of Gods Love illuminates our lives in the Good news found in the teaching of our Saviour Let us listen to the Gospel of our Lord our lesson is taken from the Gospel Matthew 17:1-9
One: The Word of God for the People of God
All Thanks be to God
How amazing it is that some small act some small change can transform how we see things, our world our perceptions.
Here we have Jesus once more saying to Peter James and John “Come on Boys” They follow Jesus up the mountain. A very high mountain. When one of them exclaims Holy Moses Elijah and Jesus. No they are not cursing, Jesus is not alone on the mountain there he is changed shining like the Sun hitting the Swiss alps on the day after the rain. Standing with none other than Moses, the law giver and Elijah the great prophet. Well there’s something you don’t see every day.
Peter all ways thinking on his feet and most of time tripping says “hay lets capture the moment stay on the mountain let’s build a both, a dwelling and road side shrine.”
Before he could find the hammer the voice of God sounds in the big white cloud This is my Son the Beloved with him I am well pleased listen to him.
Skip the Hammer and hit the ground the voice of God.
Then Jesus says get up don’t be afraid. Easy for him to say
Tell no one. Like anyone will believe us.
That’s a mountain top experience.
Welcome to the mountain top experience.
I hope at some time in your life that you have had one of these moments. The moment of complete wonder, awesome beauty, Moments of complete understanding, complete clarity. Complete knowing of direction to know which road to take. Complete understanding of God in your life, the voice saying you are my beloved with you I am well pleased. The times when we in our lives are intensely aware of God’s presence with us. Moments of prayer, of insight or comfort, when we are emptied of pain and doubt and despair and are filled with faith hope and peace.
I have travelled up the mountain of where it is believed that the Transfiguration happened. It is not just a little hill, It is a steep slopped tell with a hair pin drive up with shear drops on the side and boys on bike freewheeling it down
At the top there is (no surprise) a monastery and two principle churches. The one are the ruins of the original church and then a more modern one.
And the view is outstanding you can only imagine what it would have been like that night with Jesus, no light pollution, stunning canopy of stairs that touch the horizon. Yes it is a hike to get there but when you arrive. Who wouldn’t want to stay. Yet you cannot stop time and stay we are called back to the world
Today we are brought to the mountain to once more be reminded of how we are not to stay in the moment but to see where we have been and look to where we are to go, to be in the moment with God, to be filled with the spirit and allow our souls to be transformed
We have the ability to make God’s presence known in our communities. The question is what do we do when we journey off the mountain. This is not a scripture about being on the mountain, it is a reminder that the work the ministry of God happens on the return journey
Here in this pivotal moment we need to ask how will we allow ourselves to be changed and how are we going to work to change how we see ourselves as a community of faith making a difference in this place.
Lent is upon us and in many ways it is the journey off the mountain to the Valley of the Spiritual quest. About self-examination. How am I living that belief in God? Am I hearing what God is saying to me through his son? Through scripture, or even through one of my sisters or brothers of the faith. Am I really open to the changing, transforming, action of the Holy Spirit?
The mountain top experiences in all of its forms strengthens our faith with hope. Henri Nouwen states that “ hope makes it possible to look beyond the fulfilment of the urgent wishes and pressing desires and offers a vision beyond human suffering and even death. …. This hope stretches far beyond limitations of one’s own strength for it is anchored not just in the soul of the individual but in God’s self disclosure in history.
May we now leave the mountain filled with faith and hope for the journey for it is the love of God’s presence in Christ felt in the Holy spirit that will sustain us in the valley.
May we have the courage to go where God will lead us. May we have the insight to use the wisdom we have found on the mountain, May we be transformed by God’s Spirit. May we have the courage to transform the world in which we live. . May we continue the journey as brother and sisters in Christ. Travelling together knowing that we are not alone. Thanks be to God Amen
Prayers of the people
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God
Hear our prayer we humbly offer
Grant to us your peace O God.
Prayers God of the sacred moments, how good is it that we should find these quiet times of prayer and reflection. In these times we one more known your glory, as the disciples saw your glory in the Christ transfigured. It is this which gives us hope as we pray for the world in which we find ourselves. We continue to hold the people of Turkey and Syria in our hearts in these trying times. We hold in our hearts all of those within the world that struggle under extreme circumstances. As we leave the mountain top we see the work below that you have set for us. We offer prayers for healing, for courage, for strength for those that we name…for those we hold in our hearts…and for ourselves. Lord how Good to be here and yet we may not remain but take your promise and leave the mountain for our work in spreading the hope that comes in knowing you is down on the plain. Walk with us as we strive to be your church as we move boldly forward to tell your story We offer you our own prayers in the silence of our hearts knowing that in your time and way they shall be answered. Our comfort is the prayer which binds us as one. Our Father…
Offering
We give thee but thy own. The work of the Church continues and there are three ways you can continue to support that work. Consider using PAR, use the donate button on our Web Site or drop your gift at the Manse. Let us make our offering and give thanks.
One: Praise God who from all Blessing flow
Prayer
On the mountaintop in the joys and celebrations of everyday life, in the valley, when the stress of life gets to us you are for us and with us, O God. These gifts are a reminder of the ways in which you bless us. Bless those who receive the gifts close at hand and far away, that they may know the you glorious giver. For your spirit is with those who care and speak out for truth and justice as Jesus did.
Amen
Sending Forth and Blessing.
One: The holiness of God shines upon you and empowers your witness and service.
All: We will meet God in prayer and walk with god in places of human need.
One: In all times and places God blesses us. We go now to be channels of God’s blessing
VU 4
God of all places present unseen
Voice in our silence song in our mist
Send us your people knowing and sure
Called to spread the word.
amen amen amen
Yesterdaywe honour our heritage.
Todaywe know that we are not alone,that we live in God's world.
Tomorrowwith God,we will discoverthe undiscovered country.
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