Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for February 11th 2024:
Lectionary Theme: Transfiguration is the connecting link of the Godhead
Visiting Preacher’s Theme: Being a true servant of Christ
Occasion: Transfiguration
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 50: 1-6
2 Kings 2: 1-12
2 Corinthians 4: 3-6
Mark 9: 2-9
Visiting Preacher’s readings:
1 Samuel 3: 1-10
Matthew 4: 18-22
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself (and/or to listen to it) and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube.
Come, people of the risen King.
Longing for Light.
Be still.
Above all powers.
Jesus calls us.
Speak, O Lord.
Christ whose glory.
You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermon:
Bible readings:
Psalm 50
1 From east to west, the powerful LORD God
has been calling together everyone on earth.
2 God shines brightly from Zion, the most beautiful city.
3 Our God approaches, but not silently;
a flaming fire comes first, and a storm surrounds him.
4 God comes to judge his people.
He shouts to the heavens and to the earth,
5 “Call my followers together! They offered me a sacrifice,
and we made an agreement.”
6 The heavens announce, “God is the judge,
and he is always honest.”
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2 Kings 2
1 Not long before the LORD took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “The LORD wants me to go to Bethel, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living LORD and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Bethel.
3 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the LORD is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don’t remind me of it.”
4 Elijah then said, “Elisha, now the LORD wants me to go to Jericho, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living LORD and by your own life, that I will stay with you no matter what!” And he went with Elijah to Jericho.
5 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, “Do you know that today the LORD is going to take away your master?”
“Yes, I do,” Elisha answered. “But don’t remind me of it.”
6 Elijah then said to Elisha, “Now the LORD wants me to go to the Jordan River, but you must stay here.”
Elisha replied, “I swear by the living LORD and by your own life that I will never leave you!” So the two of them walked on together.
7 Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river. 8 When they got there, Elijah took off his coat, then he rolled it up and struck the water with it. At once a path opened up through the river, and the two of them walked across on dry ground.
9 After they had reached the other side, Elijah said, “Elisha, the LORD will soon take me away. What can I do for you before that happens?”
Elisha answered, “Please give me twice as much of your power as you give the other prophets, so I can be the one who takes your place as their leader.”
10 “It won’t be easy,” Elijah answered. “It can happen only if you see me as I am being taken away.”
11 Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. Right away, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12 Elisha saw this and shouted, “Israel’s cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!” After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow.
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2 Corinthians 4
3 If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost.
4 The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. 5 We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. 6 The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.
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Mark 9
2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. 3 And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. 4 Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.
7 The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!” 8 At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.
9 As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death.
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1 Samuel 3
1-2 Samuel served the LORD by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the LORD hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, 3 and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the LORD’S house. They had not been asleep very long 4 when the LORD called out Samuel’s name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered. 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6 Again the LORD called out Samuel’s name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to sleep.”
7 The LORD had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. 8 When the LORD called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was the LORD who was speaking to Samuel. 9 So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I’m listening, LORD. What do you want me to do?’
Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
10 The LORD then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
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Matthew 4
18 While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their net into the lake. 19 Jesus said to them, “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” 20 Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.
21 Jesus walked on until he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus asked them to come with him too. 22 Right away they left the boat and their father and went with Jesus.
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Services? They can now be found at Worship Archive – February 4th 2024.]
Methodist Church: Hillside Circuit 
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