Farewell to the Alleluia

On Transfiguration Sunday the church bids farewell to the alleluia. Normally, the next time the assembly gathers is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Here are a couple of ideas for saying farewell to the alleluia:

Use the children’s sermon time to “bury the alleluia.”  If you can, have the Sunday School classes make alleluia drawings either earlier that morning or the previous week.  You could roll out some newsprint in Sunday School and let the kids draw and color alleluias all over it.  Then in the children’s sermon, put all the drawings (or large newsprint, folded up) into a box and seal it.  Tell the kids you are going to “bury” it someplace in the worship space, and on Easter morning they can hunt for it and open it up.  You could sing one of the alleluias from “Evangelical Lutheran Worship” – #168-175; or a folk song version.

At the end of the day’s liturgy, following the blessing, you could use the following Farewell:

We are an Easter people.               And Alleluia is our song.
Alleluia!  Alleluia!                             Alleluia!  Alleluia!

The author of Ecclesiastes writes:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted.

A time to break down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh.

A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to keep silence and a time to speak.

As a sign of our repentance, we now say Farewell to the Alleluia until our rejoicing at the resurrection of our Lord.

Hymn 318 (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) – “Alleluia, Song of Gladness” is sung during the recessional.

After the hymn:

How good it is for us to be here.
Amen!  Alleluia!

Go in peace and do not be afraid. Christ is with you. Alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!