Now, Deborah sat [as
judge] under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country
of Ephraim…and she sent for Barak ben Abinoam…and said to him, “Did not the
SOVEREIGN GOD…command you? Go! March on Mount Tabor and take ten thousand men…”Indeed
I will go with you…then Deborah…went with Barak…and ten thousand warriors went
up behind Barak…and Deborah went up with him. [Judges 4:5-10]
God is for us a refuge
and strength, a help in trouble, easily found. Therefore we shall not fear,
though the earth should change, though the mountains quiver in the heart of the
sea…The WARRIOR PROTECTRIX is with us; a stronghold for us is the God of
Rebekah’s line. [Psalm 46: 1-2, 7]
For
we did not follow sophisticated mythologies when we made known to you all the
power and the coming of our Redeemer Jesus Christ, rather we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. For Christ from God the Sovereign received honor and glory, a
voice came from the Majestic Glory saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with
whom I am well pleased.” [1 Peter 1:16-17]
…Jesus took with him
Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was
praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothing lit up like white
lightning. And suddenly! They saw…Moses and Elijah, speaking to Jesus…a cloud
came and overshadowed them and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.
Then a voice came from the cloud that said, “This is my Son, the Chosen One;
listen to him!” [Luke
9:28-30, 34-35]
We have arrived at the Last Sunday after the Epiphany
and we end nearly as we began. All the way back on January 6th, in
the readings for the day of the Feast of the Epiphany, not on a Sunday, Isaiah
told us to Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the
Lord has risen upon you. [Isaiah 60:1] and the Gospel reminded us
of the Wise men from the East following a shining star leading
them to newly born king of the Jews [Matthew 2:2] The Gospel
of Luke is telling us of the Transfiguration of Jesus as his face changed and
his clothes became dazzling white. This hearkens back to Moses having talked with God,
comes down from the Mountain with the two tablets and the skin of this
face was shining so brightly that he
frightened the Israelites. He then began to wear a veil over his face which he
removed when he was talking to God. [Exodus 34:29-35]
The season of Epiphany can last anywhere from 4-9 weeks
depending on how Easter falls on the lunar calendar guided by the timing of
Vernal Equinox (Autumnal in the Southern Hemisphere). This year, Easter is
April 20, almost as late as it can be. We are finishing this season on the 8th Sunday
after the Epiphany, with Ash Wednesday following immediately. Whatever the
number of Sundays, the final one is always known as The Last Sunday
after the Epiphany and includes one of the three Gospel accounts of
the Transfiguration.
This week, we are provided with a brief but
fascinating passage from the book of Judges and I encourage you to read this entire
chapter as it is quite stunning. From the brief part we are given it is hard to
understand the comparison that Dr. Gafney makes in the Preaching Prompts
in her book that Mount Tabor first represents salvation through Deborah, leading
Barak and the ten thousand troops, and later it may be that Mount Tabor represents
that the saving work of Jesus will also come at the cost of shed blood.
As
Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up on the mountain to pray, he knows his
destiny. This was the chance to reveal himself in such a way to give them the
strength, and to pass it on to the other disciples, that which was to come.
In the midst of the stunning change in his appearance, who
appears in the blaze of glory but Moses and Elijah and they discuss with Jesus
his coming departure, his own exodus. The three disciples were too
overwhelmed in that moment to consciously understand that the presence of these
others is what connects Jesus to the breadth of the history of Salvation. In
that moment, Jesus completes the teachings of the Law and the Prophets. As the
voice of God appears from a cloud – as through the pillar of
cloud along the trek of the Exodus – the command is to listen
to him, the one who is chosen as the Son of
God. Yet, as from the reading in 1 Peter, the three were eyewitnesses
to this because they managed to stay awake. Dr. Gafney makes another analogy
between their being awake to the recent call to “stay woke” used during
the Black Lives Matter movement. The enemies of Christ as well as those who
today ridicule “wokeness,” have lost that battle, as we who are committed to
Christ’s truth and Salvation, must stay awake and realize how often awake
is repeated in Scripture. One source says 89 times. We must keep awake to be aware
of the dangers that face too many of God’s people in these difficult times and
find ways to be, more truly, modern-day disciples.
As we leave the season of Epiphany let us carry the dazzling
glory of the Transfiguration with us so as to not lose our spiritual momentum
during the weeks of Lent ahead. Let us not live as if Lent is dark and dreary
and full of don’ts and severity. To repent simply means to reexamine ourselves in
order to turn toward God. It is a time to reflect on our faith,
our lives, and through our repentance we turn toward and seek the new radiance
of Christ’s Resurrection.
Our whole Earth, this island home, is
God’s holy hill as are the sanctuaries of our houses of
worship that serve the same special purpose to proclaim God’s greatness.
To paraphrase Julia Ward Howe’s
poem that became the Battle Hymn of the Republic: “In the
beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in His
bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make us holy, let
us live to make all free, with Christ we’re marching on.” It is time
again to remove the veil from the inside that we use to hide Christ's shining
glory within us from ourselves and others so we can light up the world we live
in!
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, unveil
our hearts to know Your Glory within us that we may shine upon all we meet.
Transform our faith from passive to active, reflecting Your mercy and love in
all of our thoughts, words, and actions.
God our Refuge and our Strength
RESPONSE: We
turn again to You
~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, inspire and remind all who govern on this Planet, in
this Nation, and in this Community, to commend themselves in Your sight and in
good conscience to renounce all forms of racism, injustice, and all legislative
acts that deprive basic human rights to our brothers and sisters everywhere. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
God our Refuge and our Strength
We
turn again to You
~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, release all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and
grant resilience to those who offer support. We now join our hearts to pray for
those in need…add your own petitions
God our Refuge and our Strength
We
turn again to You
~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, brighten the shadows for all who grieve by the new
radiance of those we love, who now share in the bliss of new and unending life
in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
God our Refuge and our Strength
We
turn again to You
~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, we pause in this moment to offer
You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials,
aloud or silently…add your own petitions
God our Refuge and our Strength
We
turn again to You
~ O Most SOVEREIGN GOD, uplift and continually energize all who are chosen
and anointed as our earthly Shepherds of Your Word and Will, the guiding
beacons on our sacred path to You. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
God our Refuge and our Strength
We
turn again to You
The Celebrant adds: O Christ, Transfigured, draw us by Your Light
and Love to obey God’s command to listen and to heed the words of Your Gospel.
Strengthen our hearts to feel Your constant presence, and to faithfully embrace
the call to Your ministry as our purpose, lighting the way for us all in this
life. We ask this of You, God’s Chosen Son; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine
Source of Wisdom; who together with our Creator of All That Is, live and reign
as one God, in Glory, now and for ever. Amen.
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