Collect, Readings and Prayers for the Sunday next before Lent.

Collect

Almighty Father,

whose Son was revealed in majesty

before he suffered death upon the cross:

give us grace to perceive his glory,

that we may be strengthened to suffer with him

and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings

Exodus 24:12-18

¹² The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ ¹³ So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. ¹⁴ To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’

¹⁵ Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. ¹⁶ The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out 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. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

2 Peter 1:16-21

Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory

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 had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹ So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Matthew 17:1-9

The Transfiguration

17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John 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 dazzling white. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Prayers

• Heavenly Father and Lord of all Life, we share with you now our love and concerns for the world, for the events throughout the world which have brought pain and distress, for our local community in which we live our daily lives and for ourselves, our families and friends. As we approach the period of Lent we are mindful of our need to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he gave his life to save us all.
  As we call to you from our hearts, help us to hear your call to us. Guide us, we pray, to do your will amongst those with whom we live and work. Let us be your hands and your instruments in the world as we seek to be a blessing to others. Amen

• Holy God your Son Jesus was wonderfully transfigured in front of his disciples high upon the holy mountain, and at that time he asked them to keep it a secret.  Help us, not to keep the secret but to proclaim it to all that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Give us strength to live the Gospel and to carry our cross in order that the world to come to know him in the same, personal way as we do. Amen

• Creator God, you gave us a beautiful world to live in and to care for.  We know that in many areas our Stewardship has not met your expectations yet, through the victory of Jesus Christ, we know also that you can transfigure and restore all things in creation. We pray earnestly, for a change of heart and attitude, an awakening to a better way of living, and the courage to reject wrong principles and decisions throughout the world.

• Martin Luther King said we had a choice: a world at peace or a world in pieces. As we look at the world map we see the fires of war and conflict in so many places. Violence and warfare seem to act like a forest fire, breaking out in different places in the heat of mankind’s hatreds, jealousies, tribalism and lust for power. We long for a world where peace reigns, where we are united in seeking the common good, where we view others who are different from ourselves with compassion and understanding. Lord, permeate our lives with the desire for peace and wherever there is a chink of opportunity, let your peaceable Spirit enter the hearts of leaders and warlords of every creed and colour. Bring us to our senses bring us to our knees, and bring us back to you.  Amen.

• A prayer for Iran

Ever-loving God,
who hears us in our anguish and distress,
and longs for us to be free.
We pray for the people of Iran and the wider Middle East,
at this time of fear and uncertainty.
Be near to those who are anxious;
bring comfort to all who are suffering.
Guide those with the power to make decisions,
and lead them in the ways of wisdom, compassion and moderation:
that people of goodwill would seek harmony and reconciliation.
Join us with our Christian brothers and sisters in all places,
in praying for peace with justice,
through him who is the prince of peace,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

• Lord we seem bombarded with sordid revelations of despicable conduct in high places, with stories of those who are leaders of men, leaders of industry, politicians, public figures who have betrayed our trust. We pray for those who govern us that they may put their own houses in order, may call to account those who have fallen woefully short of the standards expected of them, and seek to set an example of public service performed faithfully and with integrity and moral uprightness and courage. Amen

• Lord, there are times when we are so concerned about ourselves that we don’t think of others. We ask for the gift of your Spirit that we may grow in awareness of others: - noticing when someone is unhappy, - sensing when there’s something wrong for somebody, - seeing when someone feels cut off or isolated, - knowing when to say the right word, - expressing thanks and compliments, - being thoughtful when someone is ill, - giving words of encouragement, - helping someone to feel welcome, - realising when someone needs the opportunity to talk. May we grow in sensitivity towards others. Amen.

• We share our concerns for all who feel they are in a dark place today and who long for your light. We pray for the sick in body or mind; for those in fragile relationships, those who feel forgotten – in prison, on the streets, in long term care. May they know that each of them is unique and valuable and worthy of respect and dignity. Comfort all who mourn; give them a patient faith in this time of darkness and strengthen them with the knowledge of your love. Amen

• Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of our children and for bringing them safely to the middle of the term. As they break for half-term, we pray for a week of rest, joy, and refreshing.
  Protect them in their activities and keep them safe from harm.
  Help them to enjoy this time, to laugh, and to be rejuvenated in body, mind, and spirit. We pray that you will bless the various activities which we run for children within the Woodfield Team and that you will enable us to convey to them how much you love them and how much you want to be their friend.
  Bless their teachers, staff, and caregivers with well-deserved rest.
  Prepare them and the children for the remainder of the term ahead, that they may return with a renewed desire to give of their best, In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

• Father you never forget us or turn away from us even when we fail you, You sent your Son Jesus who gave his life for us, cured those who were sick, cared for those who were poor and cried for those who were sad. He forgave sinners and taught us to forgive each other. For all your love we give you thanks. We open our hearts to him; we remember how he died and rose again to live now in us. Everlasting God in the week that lies before us may we reflect your love in our families, our church and our community; so that the world can see that we are transformed by Christ and thereby draw others into Jesus' loving care. Amen