If I may, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you about the new Lent resource that I’ve developed at Sacredise. It’s called Dancing With The Light and it seeks to make Lent more than just a season on the church calendar, but an extraordinary journey in worship that leads us into deep encounter with God. In this resource I offer a thematic journey through Lent, based on the Gospel readings from the Lectionary, far more in-depth exegesis and application than you find here, theme-linked prayers, liturgies, orders of service, hymn suggestions (for traditional and contemporary worship) and graphics. Click here to learn more, or to download the whole Ash Wednesday resource free.

May we allow our worship to lead us into the ministry of affirmation, even as we receive God’s affirmation ourselves.

READINGS:
Exodus 24:12-18: God calls Moses to come up the mountain to receive God’s commands, and he obeys and spends 40 days and nights with God on the mountain.

Psalm 2: A Royal Psalm reflecting on the antagonism of the nations against God’s anointed king, and affirming God’s claim of the king as God’s son.
OR Psalm 99: A celebration of God as Israel’s king, who loves justice, who answered the calls of God’s people for help, and who speaks from the pillar of cloud.

2 Peter 1:16-21: Peter affirms the reliability of his teaching, and that of the other apostles, reminding his readers of his experience with Jesus on the mountain, and confirming his trust in the message of the prophets.

Matthew 17:1-9: Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain, where he is transfigured and talks to Moses and Elijah who appear with him. God proclaims Jesus to be God’s beloved son, and afterward, Jesus instructs the disciples not to tell anyone what they have seen until after the resurrection.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The heart of this year’s transfiguration readings is God’s affirmation – especially of Christ. In Exodus, Moses is called to meet with God on the mountain to receive God’s commands, both affirming the leadership and ministry of Moses, and foreshadowing the meeting of Jesus with God on the mountain. Psalm 2 expresses God’s affirmation of God’s son, and Psalm 99 shows how God has affirmed God’s called servants, and has spoken from the cloud, even as God did with Jesus. Peter draws attention to his experience of Christ’s transfiguration, and of God’s voice affirming Christ, and on the basis of this affirms the trustworthiness of the prophets’ message. All of these passages serve to draw our attention to God’s voice speaking from out of the cloud and affirming Christ, as well as to the affirmation of Moses and Elijah in their appearance to Christ in this event. Since God saw fit to affirm Christ in this way, it raises the question of what that means for us. In the first place, it must challenge us to reflect again on our view of Christ. It must cause us to think again about the way in which we believe God’s affirmation and act on it in our response to Christ. In the second place, God’s affirmation of Christ, becomes the basis on which we trust and adopt Christ’s way of living – as Peter suggests. This moment, placed before Christ turns toward his death, was intended to affirm again that his way of sacrifice is God’s chosen way. This was an advance assurance for the disciples, who faced deep doubt in the face of Christ’s death, but is also an affirmation for us as we face times when Christ’s way appears to be “failing” or costing us too much, or doesn’t make sense.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: Two immediate implications of this week’s theme come to mind. The first is that God’s affirmation of Christ can and must inform the work we do as Christ-followers in the world. This may mean that we need to resist the temptation towards functional atheism, in which we get so caught up in the work of justice and addressing social ills that we become little more than a social upliftment organisation. It may mean ensuring that we remain committed to Christ’s sacrificial way, even though more expedient, but less ethical, possibilities are available to us. It may mean preserving our own spirituality so that the radiance of Christ shines from us, even when we’re faced with conflict, persecution, struggle or misunderstanding. Whatever it may mean for us specifically, there is no question that the light of Christ’s character and Christ’s way of living are desperately needed in our world.
The second implication – which flows from the first – is the powerful role that affirmation can play in bringing justice into the world. It is easy to criticise, easy to break down and easy to oppose. But, real life and justice are found when we seek and find common ground, even with our antagonists. This approach was what got Nelson Mandela into dialogue with F.W. De Klerk in the process which ended apartheid. This was the approach that was embraced by Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. In addition, when we take the time and energy to affirm the creativity and resilience of the poor, when we affirm the courage of peacemakers, when we affirm the servanthood of those who work with the homeless and those on the fringes of society, we strengthen the efforts of these faithful people, and support the work of justice in the world. When we affirm the efforts, the good intentions and the positive work that is done by those we disagree with, we build bridges which can lead to peace and justice. And when we affirm one another, we give ourselves the courage and strength to persevere even in the face of great hardship. The Transfiguration, then, is not just an amazing event of the past. As we follow Christ’s way, we embrace God’s affirmation of Christ, and as we follow God’s example of affirmation, we allow the light of Christ to shine brighter in our world.

LOCAL APPLICATION: It is unfortunate that the church is often known more for what we condemn or criticise than what we affirm. It is all too easy to oppose and to say ‘no’ to other groups, other initiatives or other communities. But, rather than reflect Christ’s glory and God’s affirmation of Christ, we only leave people feeling bruised and rejected. Further, there is the tendency to adopt the same attitude as Peter – attempting to ‘contain’ and ‘preserve’ our experience of God for ourselves. But, God’s affirmation of Christ calls us to listen to him, and what he instructs is for us to return to others to embrace them with Christ’s sacrificial love. A significant question to ask, then, as we seek to impact our communities for Christ, is this: What can we affirm and celebrate in our community?
Of course, the work of affirmation is also something that must happen within our churches. Relationships, connectedness and community are built through celebrating one another and affirming one another. It is as we recognise the image of God within each other, and enable each other to shine, as Christ did, that we each find our place in community and in the work of God that we are called to do. Then, as we gather for worship, we can come with the expectation of encountering the transfigured Christ – indeed of experiencing a kind of transfiguration for ourselves – as the light of Christ radiates from each of us, and we are prepared to recognise and acknowledge it. Such an encounter will inevitably change us, and then, we will find ourselves moving out into the world to recognise the Christ-light everywhere, to affirm all who we meet, and to draw all people into this affirming, Christ-revealing way of living.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Affirmation
Whole-y God
The One We Worship

Hymn Suggestions:
Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation
The Mountain
All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name
An Image Of That Heavenly Light
Jesus On The Mountain Peak
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
Shine Jesus Shine (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
Open The Eyes Of My Heart, Lord (Link to YouTube video)
Open Our Eyes, Lord (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy For The Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Transfiguration
Transfigured

Image Suggestions:
Skylight
Transfiguration (Church PowerPoint – also includes Lectionary reflections): Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Once again Epiphany closes with the Transfiguration of Jesus – the turning point, the final affirmation before Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and the coming confrontation and sacrifice. The challenge of this week is for us to learn to recognise God’s glory – in Christ, but also in all people and all things. It is this capacity for glory that can make a massive change to how we live in the world, and then through us, make a change to the world itself.

May God’s glory fill our eyes, our hearts and our lives as we worship this week.

READINGS:
2 Kings 2:1-12: Elisha prepares for his time to leave the earth (since he never dies in the Scriptural account) and Elisha refuses to be separated from him. Then, when Elijah asks Elisha what he wants before he leaves, Elisha asks for twice Elijah’s spirit. Elijah tells him that he will receive it if he sees Elijah being taken away. Then, Elijah is caught up in a wind and carried away, but Elisha sees and grieves the departure of his master.

Psalm 50:1-6: God radiates and God’s voice speaks across all the earth calling God’s people to God’s self.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6: Jesus is the glorious image of God, and God has shone into our hearts the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in Christ. It is this glorious Jesus that the Apostle preaches.

Mark 9:2-9: Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain where they see Jesus transfigured into a radiant white, and Moses and Elijah appearing and talking to Jesus. Then they hear God’s voice of affirmation and then all is back to normal. Then Jesus instructs them not to tell anyone until after he is raised.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:

The Transfiguration is the obvious focus of this week, which is both exciting and challenging. The excitement comes from the wonderful celebratory possibilities that this amazing event offers. The challenge comes from having to choose how to approach this week with all the options, but also in how to ensure that our worship avoids the familiarity which so easily dulls the transforming potential of the theme. When all of the readings are placed together one strong message emerges – God allows God’s glory to be seen in order that God may communicate with human beings. In the Kings passage, Elisha seeks to see the glorious departure of Elijah in order to receive Elijah’s spirit. It also offers an opportunity (if we keep reading past the end of the set pericope) for others to recognise God’s anointing on Elisha once Elijah has gone. In the Psalm, god’s radiant glory is accompanied by God’s voice calling God’s people to God. In the letter to the Corinthians, Christ is praised as the glorious image of God – communicating the knowledge of God to whoever will receive Christ. Finally, in the Gospel reading, the glory and affirmation of God is communicated both to Jesus but also to the disciples who witness this event. It is clear that the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets (represented by Moses and Elijah) which Jesus brings is to be recognised by the disciples, and with the coming death and rising to which Jesus alludes at the end of this passage, they will need to memory of God’s glory and God’s communication to and through Christ to sustain them on the road to and through the cross.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: God’s glory and God’s communication are two ideas that may, at first glance, seem to be thoroughly theological and philosophical, with little real connection with the very real and pragmatic work of justice and peace in the world. However, it is the loss of our ability to perceive God’s glory and to hear God’s voice that has resulted in much of the injustice we encounter in the world. When we fail to see, as the Psalmist describes it, God’s glory shining over and through the created world, it becomes easy to use the earth and its resources as commodities, forgetting their sacred nature. When we fail to recognise that Jesus is the image of God, revealing God’s character and values, God’s ways and God’s purposes, it is easy to believe that God calls us to actions that contradict Christ’s sacrificial life and teaching, and to ignore Christ’s message of God’s Reign as the basis for faith and life – the peaceful, compassionate, gracious and just Jubilee-style Reign. When we fail to recognise that God’s glory is also revealed in all people – that Christ hides within them in a "distressing disguise" (as Mother Teresa put it), it becomes easy to abuse, dehumanise and exploit others. But, when we learn to recognise God’s glory in Christ, we also learn to recognise God’s glory in all things and in all people – and this changes everything. The moment our lives become flooded with glory we grow more celebratory, more compassionate, more careful of other people and of the earth, more just and more selfless. God’s glory draws us inexorably into a life that seeks to reflect that glory – which is what Paul testifies to in his letter to the Corinthians. More, when we become aware of God’s glory, and begin to reflect it, we also become those who, like Christ, call glory out of everyone we meet, inviting them to radiate as God has created them to – listening to hear the voice of God’s affirmation even as Christ did, even in the darkness journeys of our lives. How different our world would be if we could develop an international culture of awareness of glory. It’s certainly a dream worth striving for!

LOCAL APPLICATION: In homes, communities and even churches, relationships, systems and structures break down when we fail to recognise their glory. At the heart of this truth is the belief that God revealed God’s glory in Christ, and that Christ taught us to recognise God’s glory in all things and all people. When we fail to be aware of glory, we start to take one another for granted. When we fail to see glory, the "broken windows" syndrome that Malcolm Gladwell described kicks in, and our environment begins to deteriorate for lack of care. When we fail to see glory, we lose our sense of connectedness with God, and God’s voice grows silent for us – or we become blinded by the things of this world and its systems as Paul describes. It is glory, however, that stirs us to care and reverence for other people and for the world. It is an awareness of glory that reminds us that God is always with us, and that enables us to recognise what God is saying to us at any point in time. Further, when we have learned to recognise God’s glory around and within us, we, like Jesus, are inspired, strengthened and given the courage to face the darkness, knowing that, whatever we may suffer, the light will never be completely extinguished. It may sound naive, but what the world needs is people who have learned the capacity to recognise glory wherever it may be found. This is the capacity that sustains relationships, that maintains communities, that unites people and that drives us into selfless service of one another and of our world. Without a vision of God’s glory, of God’s glorious Reign, it becomes very difficult to work for true justice and healing. But, with this vision, no sacrifice is too much in the quest to let God’s Reign be manifest among us – not even the cross.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Simple Logic Of Light
Whole-y God
Darkness And Light
The One We Worship

Hymn Suggestions:
Crown Him With Many Crowns
At The Name Of Jesus
Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies
Transfigured Christ, None Comprehends
Fairest Lord Jesus
O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair
Voices And Choices
The Mountain
We Bow Down Before You
Now And Forever
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)
Out Of The Darkness (Link to YouTube video)
Shine Jesus Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Transfiguration

Image suggestions:
Skies, Clouds & Suns Collection

May you discover a new vision of Christ as you prepare, and as you worship, this week.

READINGS:
Exodus 34:29-35: After bringing the tablets of the law down the mountain, Moses’ face shines. And every time after speaking with God in the Tent of Meeting, he addresses the people with a shining face, after which he covers his face with a veil.

Psalm 99: A psalm of praise for God’s holiness and glory, for God’s love of justice, and for God’s guidance and discipline of God’s people.

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2: In Christ believer’s hearts are unveiled to receive the truth, and we are able to reflect God’s glory, being change to be more and more like Christ.

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43): Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain where his face is transfigured, his clothes shine white, and the disciples, who had fallen asleep, wake up to find Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
There are two main facets to the Scriptures this week. The most obvious one is that of Jesus’ own transfiguration, which reveals his glory as Messiah, but which also points to the cross – the ultimate glory of Christ. The truth of what the Messianic age means – the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, and the establishment of God’s reign among people – is reflected and proclaimed here. The second facet is the transformation of those who encounter God – Moses, Jesus, and then those who believe in Christ. The week then, is a celebration of Christ’s transfiguration, but also of ours. And like Christ, our true transformation comes by embracing the way of the cross.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: There are many voices in western culture that promise quick and easy transformation. Yet as our systems strain under increasing complexity, the transformation we need will require a slow, thorough and sacrificial process. For this we need a hope adequate to the task. In the transfiguration we have this hope – the hope of a clear vision of God – glorious, but also present and accessible. We also have the hope of the glory to which God calls us, and which, by God’s Spirit we can achieve. With this hope in our hearts, the challenges of poverty & economic breakdown, of climate change and creation care, of conflict and disease, can be embraced with courage, and with a commitment to the hard, system-changing changes that must be made.

LOCAL APPLICATION: In every life and in every community we face challenges and struggles that threaten to overwhelm us. Sometimes our response is that of the disciples – to fall asleep, or to check out of life in order to avoid the pain. The transfiguration is a call, though. First, we are invited to encounter God anew, and be filled with hope and courage as we meditate on the glory of the incarnate Christ. Second we are invited to open ourselves to our own transfiguration – to be transformed and to begin to reflect God’s glory ourselves. Of course, as with Christ, embracing God’s glory is also embracing the cross – the suffering of staying awake, and meeting our challenges head on. As we encounter the transfigured Christ again this week, may we refuse the false comfort of quick fixes, and set our minds toward the tough journey of real transformation – in our relationships, our finances, our health, our community’s upliftment, and the trajectories of our nation and our world.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The One We Worship
Whole-y God
Tough Transformation

Hymn Suggestions:
O Jesus I Have Promised
Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation
I Know Whom I Have Believed
The Mountain
Lord, Reign In Me (Link to YouTube video)
We Bow Down Before You (Link to Sacredise music page – scroll down for links to mp3 & chord chart)
Above All (Link to YouTube video)
How Great Is Our God (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Sacrament

Video Suggestions:
Transfiguration (The Work Of The People)
Transfiguration (SermonSpice – a historical view of the transfiguration event)

Image Suggestion:
Skylight