Grace Lutheran Church
Proclaiming the grace of Christ in Word and Sacrament
Feast of the Transfiguration
✠ February 15th, 2026 ✠
3410 Community Church Road
Pfafftown, NC 27040
Feast of the Transfiguration
February 15th, 2026
Our service begins with the ringing of bells. Please stand, as you are able, as indicated by *
* Entrance Hymn: “How Good, Lord, to be Here!” LBW #89
* Confession & Forgiveness
P: In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit
C: Amen. Matthew 28:19
P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify Your holy name, through Jesus Christ, our Lord:
C: Amen
P: Beloved in the Lord: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
P: Most merciful God,
C: We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Amen.
P: Almighty God, in His mercy, has given His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, and for His sake, He forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
C: Amen John 20:22
* Introit
P: The lightnings light- | ened the world*
The earth trem-| bled and shook.
How lovely are Your tabernacles, O | Lord of hosts.*
My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts | of the Lord.
C: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the | Holy Spirit, *
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be fore- | ver, Amen
P: The lightnings light- |ened the world*
The earth trem-| bled and shook.
Psalm 77:18; Psalm 84:1
*Kyrie (chanted)
P: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy Mark 10:47
P: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy
P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
*Hymn of Praise
P: This is the feast of victory for our God, Alleluia!
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
Whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
And honor and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia!
Sing with all the people of God,
And join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honor and glory and might
Be to God and the Lamb forever, Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God
For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia, alleluia. Revelation 5:12-14
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you. Ruth 2:4; 2 Timothy 4:22
P: O God, at the glorious transfiguration of your only Son, you confirmed the mystery of our faith by the witness of the disciples and by your own voice from the cloud. Mercifully complete our adoption as your children, and give us, with our King, an inheritance of his glory. Grant this, we pray, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen. Matthew 3:13-17
After the Prayer of the Day, you may be seated.
The First Reading: Exodus 24:8-18
8 Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. 12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
L: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Psalm 2:6-13
6 “I myself have | set my king*
upon my holy | hill of Zion.”
7 Let me announce the decree | of the Lord:*
He said to me, “You are my Son; this day have I be– | gotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for | your inheritance*
and the ends of the earth for | your possession.
9 You shall crush them with an | iron rod*
and shatter them like a | piece of pottery.”
10 And now, you | kings, be wise;*
be warned, you rulers | of the earth.
11 Submit to the | Lord with fear,*
and with trembling | bow before him;
12 Lest he be angry | and you perish;*
For his wrath is | quickly kindled.
13 Happy | are they all*
Who take ref- | uge in him!
All: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the / Holy Spirit,* …….As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be fore-/ver, Amen
The Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21
16 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. 17 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,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 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, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 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.
L: This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Please stand as you are able for the Holy Gospel
*Gospel Acclamation
All: Alleluia, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia John 6:68
* Gospel Hymn: “O Wondrous Type!” (verses 1-2) LBW #80
During the feast days, the Holy Gospel is brought to the center aisle. The Gospel hymn will be divided before and after the Holy Gospel.
A: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
* The Holy Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
A: This is the Gospel of our Lord
C: Praise to You, O Christ
* Gospel Hymn: “O Wondrous Type!” (verses 3-5) LBW #80
You may be seated
Children’s Message
The Sermon Rev. Matt Knuppel
After the sermon, please stand for the Votum, the Post-Sermon benediction
*The Votum
P: May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
C: Amen Philippians 4:7
* Hymn: “My God, How Wonderful Thou Art” LBW #524
* The Nicene Creed Romans 10:9-10
All: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
True God from true God, begotten, not made,
Of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven;
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
He became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
And his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the world to come. Amen.
* Prayers of the Church:
A: Lord, in your mercy
C: Hear our prayer
After the Prayers:
P: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your abundant mercy through Jesus Christ, our Lord, C: Amen
*The Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you. John 20:19
Members of the gathered assembly are invited to greet one another, saying: “Peace be with you.”
Offertory
After the gifts have been collected from the assembly, please stand.
All: Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
And fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather the harvest from the seeds that were sown,
That we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and dreams of all,
Unite them with our prayers we offer.
Grace our table with your presence,
And give us a foretaste of the feast to come.
*Holy Communion Liturgy
P: Let us pray: Merciful Father…
C: We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us – ourselves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
* The Great Thanksgiving
P: The Lord be with you
C: And also with you
P: Lift up your hearts
C: We lift them to the Lord
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise
P: It is indeed right and salutary…we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
Lord God of power and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Isaiah 6:3
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest. Matthew 21:9
P: Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father…For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Matthew 26:26-28
C: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
P: Therefore, gracious Father, with this bread and cup, we remember the life our Lord offered for us. And believing the witness of his resurrection, we await his coming in power to share with us the great and promised feast. Revelation 19:9
C: Amen. Come, Lord, Jesus.
P: Send now, we pray, Your Holy Spirit, the spirit of our Lord and of his resurrection, that we who receive the Lord’s body and blood may live to the praise of your glory and receive our inheritance with all your saints in light. Colossians 1:19
C: Amen. Come, Holy Spirit
P: Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place, and unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all.
Hebrews 4:14
* Doxology
P: Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is Yours, Almighty Father, now and forever,
C: Amen. John 14:6
* The Lord’s Prayer
C: 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, forever and ever. Amen.
Agnus Dei
C: Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
Grant us peace, grant us peace. John 1:29
All who are baptized and share in our confession that we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion are invited to the altar with us. After receiving the bread, those who wish to dip the bread into the wine may proceed to the right chalice; those who wish to drink from the common cup may proceed to the left chalice.
Anyone is welcome to come forward with their arms folded to receive a blessing from the minister.
After the celebration of Holy Communion, the minister will ask the assembly to stand
P: May the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen
*Post-Communion Canticle
C: Thank the Lord and sing His praise
Tell everyone what He has done
Let everyone who seeks the Lord
Rejoice and proudly bear His name
He recalls His promises
And leads His people forth in joy
With shouts of thanksgiving
Alleluia, Alleluia
P: Let us pray…through Jesus Christ our Lord:
C: Amen
The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen
*Exit Hymn: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” LBW #315
A: Go in peace, serve the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Altar flowers are given to the glory of God
“What is the Feast of the Transfiguration?”
On the Feast of the Transfiguration, the Church celebrates the event of Jesus Christ revealing His divinity to Peter, James, and John upon a mountain (Matthew 17).
Throughout the Western Church, the Transfiguration was customarily celebrated on August 6th. However, with the liturgical reforms of the 1970s, many American Lutherans desired to shift Transfiguration to the last Sunday before Lent. In this way, the Feast of the Transfiguration serves as a thematic bridge between a) the revelation focus of Epiphany, and b) the more somber observance of Lent.
In the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ gives His disciples a glimpse behind the curtain of His seemingly ordinary existence, strengthening their faith before His Passion in Jerusalem. With the appearing of Moses and Elijah, Jesus confirms He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, directing us to “Listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5)
Welcome to our Visitors!
Grace Lutheran Church welcomes you this morning! We value families with children and encourage you to worship together; if you would like assistance during the sermon, we have volunteers who will be happy to take your child to a Nursery Area following the Children’s Message, they will return your child to you in the sanctuary just before Holy Communion. Please fill out a Visitor Connect card, these are found either on the entrance table or in the pew rack in front of you. Completed cards should be placed in the offering plate and will be collected with the offering today.
Sunday School
All are welcome to attend the adult Sunday School class before worship beginning at 8:45. We are currently studying Early Church History.
Holy Communion
Those who are baptized and believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, are welcome to the Lord’s Table. Please let the Pastor know that you wish to receive this gift of life by holding out your open hands. If you desire to drink the wine from the common cup, please proceed to the left chalice after receiving the wafer. If you prefer to dip the wafer into the wine, please proceed to the right chalice after receiving the wafer. You are encouraged to bring young children forward for a blessing. The sign for a blessing is folded hands.
Disciples in Service today, February 15th
Ushers: Thierry Amar, Rik Maxey
Organist: John Trotta Lay Reader: Doro Clapper
Deacon: James Clapper Crucifer: Laura Knuppel
Acolyte: Debbie Barrett
Servers: Nicole Hurst, Sherry Hurst
Altar Guild: Sherry Hurst
Disciples in Service next Sunday, February 22nd
Ushers: Ashley Hurst, Rob Maxey
Organist: John Trotta Lay Reader: Doro Clapper
Acolyte: Roman Hurst Crucifer: Ruby Hurst
Servers: Linda Swenson, Nicole Hurst
Altar Guild: Linda Nuckols