For Sunday, February
26, 2020, Readings:
Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2, 2 Peter
1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9
The Lord said to Moses, "Come
up to me on the mountain... and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the
law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction...The glory
of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days... [Exodus 24: 12, 16a]
Why are the nations in an uproar…Happy are they all who take
refuge in [the Lord].
[Psalm 2:1a, 13]
For [Jesus] received honor and glory from God...We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven...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 morning star rises in your hearts...no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. [2 Peter 1:17a, 18a, 19, 21]
We begin the readings for this Sunday with a taste of the Moses story of his ascending Mt. Sinai to await the tablets containing God’s instructions. After waiting for the call for 6 days, he entered the blazing cloud of God’s glory that had covered the mountain and could be seen by those below. What comes later in Exodus is Moses veiling his face after his divine encounter as his own radiance is nearly blinding to the Israelites on his return.
As with Moses and the stone tablets, the Transfiguration of
Jesus is at once mystery, miracle, and milestone. Jesus became a dazzling, shining,
glowing, gleaming, shimmering beam of radiant glory! A momentary, visible metamorphosis. At the
top of the mountain, Jesus becomes the connection, the conduit between human
and divine ~ between God and us. Another cloud of God in glory overshadowed
them and again, God spoke to say, as at his baptism, “This is my Son, my Beloved…”
and most importantly for Peter, James, John, and us: listen to him! These particular kinds of
clouds in which God is present, are known in Judaism as the Shekinah - a feminine Hebrew word for a name
of God. It also translates to "settling or dwelling of the Divine
Presence."
We are quite familiar with the miracles
Jesus performs through the Spirit of God along the way of his ministry -
changing water to wine, healing the blind, the lame, casting out demons,
raising the dead. But this is unique among them as this is a miracle of God
within Jesus, unmistakably transforming him in the sight of others. Even if not
completely understood, it was, for the disciples with him, a tiny sample of divine
radiance.
The milestone is glorious yet subtly somber. Moses and Elijah were
speaking with Jesus about his departure which he was about to
accomplish in Jerusalem. This comes just 6 days after Jesus tells the
disciples that he will undergo suffering as will those who choose to follow. Peter
was rebuked by Jesus for arguing the point and now he is a witness to the extraordinary
Being that is Jesus. And now, Jesus says, Do not be afraid.
It seems like only a few weeks ago we
birthed him, baptized him, and heard him preaching in parables, and challenging
the conventional norms. Now, already, Moses and Elijah speak of his departure from
his human existence. How time flies in the Lectionary! We are about
to enter a time of reflection, faith exploration, choosing between repentance
and following Jesus and taking the easier path of mortal enticement. Lent is
upon us.
For us in our time, such readings may seem all too familiar as we know
that we are heading into the solemn preparation for Good
Friday and Easter Sunday. Even if it is difficult to get our culturally jaded,
multi-media savvy, western minds around this sublime moment in the life of our
Redeemer, we can remember the voice that comes from the cloud to tell us
that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, His Beloved, His Chosen.
Let us choose to listen.
After the seriousness of Lent, the dazzle of the Transfiguration will be completely outshone by the indescribable glory of the Resurrection, if we open
ourselves. And that will be a new beginning of our journey to our own
transfiguring. Happy are those who take refuge in him!
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of Majestic Glory, transfigure our souls to radiate as
the light of Jesus, shining through the darkness in this mortal life. May Your
Holy Spirit rise in our hearts as the morning star each dawn to make known the
power, the presence, and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
O Lord, our Refuge
RESPONSE:
Receive
our prayers
~ O God of Majestic Glory, grant wisdom to kings and all rulers
of the Earth,
this Nation, and this Community, that they will bow to Your will, mandate, and
legislate justice tempered with mercy for all. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
O
Lord, our Refuge
Receive
our prayers
~ O God of Majestic Glory, embrace all who are seriously ill, weary,
or anxious, and bless those give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those
in need… add your own petitions
O
Lord, our Refuge
Receive
our prayers
~ O God of Majestic Glory, comfort us in knowing that the souls of
those who have gone before us, are now enfolded in the dazzling glory of the
Transfigured Christ forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O
Lord, our Refuge
Receive
our prayers
~ O God of Majestic Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently… add your own petitions
O
Lord, our Refuge
Receive
our prayers
~ O God
of Majestic Glory, ignite the spirits of all who lead us in Your church, as the
men and women who reveal Your Will to us through Word, Sacrament, and guidance
on the Way. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our God, You enjoin us to listen
Your Beloved Son who told us do not be afraid. Strengthen us to know
the Radiant Christ in our hearts, striving to follow Your Law in faith, with courage
and conviction. We ask in the name of the Resurrected Jesus; and the Holy
Spirit, Your Divine Voice; who lives and reigns with You as One God, forever
and ever. Amen.
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