Musings for Transfiguration Sunday

Sunday, March 6, 2011
Transfiguration of Our Lord

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Karen Grover

INTRODUCTION
Today's festival is a bridge between the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close today and the Lent-Easter cycle that begins in several days. On the mount of transfiguration Jesus is revealed as God's beloved Son, echoing the words at his baptism. This vision of glory sustains us as Jesus faces his impending death in Jerusalem.

We turn this week to Ash Wednesday and our yearly baptismal journey from Lent to Easter. Some churches put aside the alleluia at the conclusion of today's liturgy. This word of joy will be omitted during the penitential season of Lent and will be sung again at Easter.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, in the transfiguration of your Son you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the witness of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice from the bright cloud declaring Jesus your beloved Son, you foreshadowed our adoption as your children. Make us heirs with Christ of your glory, and bring us to enjoy its fullness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Exodus 24:12–18

At Mount Sinai, Moses experienced the presence of God for forty days and forty nights. The "glory of the Lord" settled on the mountain, and on the seventh day God called out to Moses. On the mountain God gave Moses the stone tablets inscribed with the ten commandments.

¹²The 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." ¹³So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. ¹⁴To 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."
¹⁵Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. ¹⁶The 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. ¹⁷Now 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. ¹⁸Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 2

You are my son; this day have I begotten you. (Ps. 2:7)

¹Why are the nations ^| in an uproar?

Why do the peoples mutter ^| empty threats?

²Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,

and the princes ^| plot together,

against the LORD and against the ^| LORD's anointed?

³"Let us break their ^| yoke," they say;

"let us cast off their ^| bonds from us."

⁴God whose throne is in heav- ^| en is laughing;

the LORD holds them ^| in derision.

⁵Then in wrath God ^| speaks to them,

and in rage fills ^| them with terror.

⁶"As for me, I have anoint- ^| ed my king

upon Zion, my ^| holy mountain."

⁷Let me announce the decree ^| of the LORD,

who said to me, "You are my son; this day have I be- ^| gotten you.

⁸Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for ^| your inheritance

and the ends of the earth for ^| your possession.

⁹You shall crush them with an ^| iron rod

and shatter them like a ^| piece of pottery."

¹⁰And now, you ^| kings, be wise;

be warned, you rulers ^| of the earth.

¹¹Submit to the ^| LORD with fear,

and with trembling ^| bow in worship;

¹²lest the LORD be angry, and you perish in a sudden ^| blaze of wrath.

Happy are all who take ref- ^| uge in God!

Second Reading

2 Peter 1:16–21

At the transfiguration, God's voice was heard, declaring Jesus to be the beloved Son. By the activity of the Holy Spirit, God's voice continues to be heard through the word of scripture.

¹⁶For 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. ¹⁷For he received honor 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." ¹⁸We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
¹⁹So 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. ²⁰First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, ²¹because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Gospel

Matthew 17:1–9

Shortly before he enters Jerusalem, where he will be crucified, Jesus is revealed to his disciples in a mountaintop experience of divine glory called the transfiguration.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴Then 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." ⁵While 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!" ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." ⁸And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
⁹As 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."

THOUGHTS:

This is truly one of those "mountaintop experiences." In thinking about the use of that term, I realize how very casually it is used to describe different happenings in one's life. I mean, think about it--Jesus appears to Peter, James and John with a face as bright as the sun and his clothes dazzling white. He is giving them a preview of what is to come--his divinity--God's revelation of his gift to us through his son's death. That is a mountaintop experience and had to be such a shock to Peter, James and John. What I have a hard time grasping is when they see Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, Peter offers to set up three dwellings for them? I can't imagine collecting my thoughts enough to offer to do that. But, then, God comes into the picture and redirects Peter's attention to Jesus, more or less telling him to get his priorities straight when he says ".......listen to him!"

The described vision was very brief (although there is no way of really knowing that.) When the disciples looked up they saw only Jesus, who tells them not to be afraid. Of course Jesus also tells them not to tell anybody about their vision until after he has risen. This is not the first time they are instructed not to tell what they have seen. But this was a glimpse into the divinity of Jesus. That had to be difficult to keep this "mountaintop experience" a secret. But, then, maybe not because we see the disciples fluctuate back and forth in their understanding of what Jesus is trying to prepare them for. The disciples most often go back to thinking about Jesus as a human being, not as a divine being. I sometimes do that when I look up at the cross--I think of his suffering--the human aspect. But I am most often redirected.

Really getting it--the whole purpose of the life of Jesus, his death and resurrection--can get lost in the everyday happenings of our lives. But he is never lost to me.

LET US PRAY:

that we are ever mindful of the divine Jesus

for God's protection of the rebelling Libyans

for the Egyptians as they rebuild their country

for those who are hungry and without shelter

for the many children who want loving homes

QUOTE:

"This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"

Midweek Musings for Christmas 2

Sunday, January 2, 2011
Second Sunday of Christmas

YEAR A

Reflection by Karen Grover

INTRODUCTION
Within the gospel reading's profound words lies the simple message that God is revealed in a human person. Though we may try to understand how the Word existed with God from the beginning of time, the wonder we celebrate at Christmas is that the Word continues to dwell among us. Christ comes among us in the gathered assembly, the scriptures, the waters of new birth, and the bread and the wine. Through these ordinary gifts we receive the fullness of God's grace and truth.

Johann Konrad Wilhelm Loehe, renewer of the church, died 1872
A nineteenth-century German Lutheran pastor, Loehe worked to enliven the church with the eucharist at its center, from which would flow evangelism and social ministry. He sent pastors to North America, Australia, New Guinea, Brazil, and the Ukraine.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Almighty God, you have filled all the earth with the light of your incarnate Word. By your grace empower us to reflect your light in all that we do, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Jeremiah 31:7–14

God promises to bring Israel back to its land from the most remote parts of exile. In Zion Israel will rejoice over God's gift of food and livestock. Young women will express their joy in dancing; God will give gladness instead of sorrow.

⁷For thus says the LORD:
Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
"Save, O LORD, your people,
the remnant of Israel."
⁸See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labor, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
⁹With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back,
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
¹⁰Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, "He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd a flock."
¹¹For the LORD has ransomed Jacob,
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
¹²They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
and they shall never languish again.
¹³Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
¹⁴I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the LORD.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 147:12–20

Worship the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. (Ps. 147:12)

¹²Worship the LORD, ^| O Jerusalem;

praise your ^| God, O Zion,

¹³who has strengthened the bars ^| of your gates

and has blessed your chil- ^| dren within you.

¹⁴God has established peace ^| on your borders

and satisfies you with the ^| finest wheat.

¹⁵God sends out a command ^| to the earth,

a word that runs ^| very swiftly.

¹⁶God gives ^| snow like wool,

scattering ^| frost like ashes.

¹⁷God scatters ^| hail like bread crumbs.

Who can stand a- ^| gainst God's cold?

¹⁸The LORD sends forth the ^| word and melts them;

the wind blows, and the ^| waters flow.

¹⁹God declares the ^| word to Jacob,

statutes and judg- ^| ments to Israel.

²⁰The LORD has not done so to any ^| other nation;

they do not know God's judgments. ^| Hallelujah!

Second Reading

Ephesians 1:3–14

In Jesus, all of God’s plans and purposes have been made know as heaven and earth are united in Christ. Through Jesus, we have been chosen as God’s children and have been promised eternal salvation.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

Gospel

John 1:[1–9] 10–18

John begins his gospel with this prologue: a hymn to the Word through whom all things were created. This Word became flesh and brought grace and truth to the world.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

REFLECTION:

In the past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. Now God speaks to us through his son, Jesus, whose divine sonship is clearly stated in this gospel. We are also told in this gospel that the revelation of his divinity was not believed by many, but for those who did receive him and believed in his name, they were born of God. I wonder what it was that made it so believeable? Would I have been able to hear this good news and believe it? Or would I have had the doubts that so many people had? Would l have wanted to just catch a glimpse of God, just so I could be sure? Have you ever read accounts of someone who has "died" on the O.R. table and brought back to life? In the accounts I have read, the person who has died has referred to a blinding light drawing them "up." That light to many of them has been described by them as God--proof positive!

But, then, I'm not sure I want that proof.

Where is my proof? Where do I see the light of Jesus overcome the darkness? I see it in so many places. This past Sunday the youth, a couple of parents and I helped at the Soup Kitchen at Asbury Methodist Church, something we do about 4-5 times a year. Usually I help serve the meals, but on this day I was the greeter. I was happily greeted by men, women and children who were freezing cold as they entered. When I asked them if they had a prayer that they would like to write down, many gave thanks for the meal they were about to receive, thinking of their blessings, rather than their needs. There were some needs, too, but many of those needs were related to relieving the burdens they were on others. After having had their meal, on leaving I would say that I hoped they would find a way to stay warm this week. Some didn't even have mittens (which I tried to provide them through the Dining Center supplies) and as they left they all confidently told me that they would be OK. I could see the light of Jesus in all of them, just as I can see His light shine through our youth who work at the Soup Kitchen. I see His light in many of the prisoners at Attica, and even in the guards, as they work through their struggles.

Sure, "no one has ever seen God." But "it is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known." God has always been there for us and wanted us to know that he was there for us. He has always loved us. Then He sent His son to live among us, to "speak" His love. I guess this is my proof positive.

LET US PRAY:

for the homeless men, women and children

for the agencies that provide for them

for world peace

for the men and women who fight for that peace

for the world leaders who can determine that peace

for all to see the true light in this world