February 19th Worship Services "His Transfiguration, Our Transformation!” by Pastor Kolleen Klemmedson
February 19, 2022
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congregational Meeting February 26th, 2023, immediately following the service
Fellowship Time! Mark your calendars. Pastor Joyce will share a few photos and experiences from her trip to Iceland on Sunday, February 26, following worship. A fellowship lunch will also be provided. Invite a friend, and put in your RSVP on the sheet beside the Administrative Office.
PRAYER REQUESTS Please hold the following in your prayers.
· The family of Marilyn Neymeyer as they grieve the loss of their mother and grandmother.
· Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
· Those who are on hospice: Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner.
· For the Nominating Committee as they seek members for the Pastor Nominating Committee—that group who will seek our next pastor.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 99:1-5, NIV
L: The Lord reigns, P: let the nations tremble;
L: he sits enthroned between the cherubim, P: let the earth shake.
L: Great is the Lord in Zion; P: he is exalted over all the nations.
L: Let them praise your great and awesome name— P: he is holy.
L: The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity;
P: in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
L: Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; P: he is holy.
GATHERING PRAYER
Holy God, we praise you. We come sometimes trembling before your throne when aware of your awesome glory and might. But you tell us not to be afraid to ponder the magnificence of your Son, Jesus, rather to savor the moment, and continue to live and work as he taught us. Remind us of that in this hour, that we may go forth to be heralds of your grace. Amen.
HYMN Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise #263
CALL TO CONFESSION
Even those who knew Jesus best, even those who beheld his glory on the mountain top still needed to be transformed before they could carry on his ministry in the world below. We, too, need Christ’s transforming grace in our lives. Therefore, let us confess the obstacles we encounter to the God whose mercy reshapes us.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, many things get in the way of faithful and inspired service to you. We get bogged down by the cares and routines of our daily lives. We get discouraged by wars and violence and prejudices all around us. We get weary of illness and disease, suffering and pain. We get sidetracked by entertainments that become our idols. We take the easy path of convenience rather than putting creative effort up against a challenge. We recycle our worries instead of our trash. Lord, for these and other things that get in the way of a faithful response to your love and mercy, please forgive us, and rekindle in us a passion to serve you well. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE Ephesians 1:7, GW
“Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness.”
Through Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you with these words. But let’s refrain from touch.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Christ, as we consider your glory on the mountain top, remind us once again that we have access to your grace and forgiveness even as you now reign from your throne in glory. Help us to see that you are God of both mercy and might, and therefore capable of meeting all our needs, accepting us as your family, and leading us as your people to continue your ministry here and now. Amen
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Exodus 24:12-18, NET
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.” 13 So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up the mountain of God. 14 He told the elders, “Wait for us in this place until we return to you. Here are Aaron and Hur with you. Whoever has any matters of dispute can approach them.”
15 Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord resided on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in plain view of the people. 18 Moses went into the cloud when he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Matthew 17:1-9, NIV
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
2 Peter 1:16-21, GNT
16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. 17 We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures. 21 For no prophetic message ever came just from the human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.
SERMON His Transfiguration, Our Transformation
Let’s consider our scripture readings:
The Exodus passage is the giving of the law. But it was also time spent in God’s presence. It’s not just an awareness that God is with us, as a statement of belief, but experiencing the full presence of God in all his glory. Notice the signs of God’s presence in cloud and fire. Moses has experienced God’s presence as fire once before. These signs continue is the New Testament also.
The ESV Reformation Study Bible suggests, “the ceremonial law given at Sinai was the Lord’s gracious training of the people, a protective measure for a people unaccustomed to the holy presence of God…the revelation at Sinai manifested the holy character of the covenant God and defined the character and behavior appropriate for God’s covenant people.”
In the NIV Biblical Theological Study Bible, more is said about this covenant.
The covenant has been confirmed in the opening verses of this chapter by 1) ritual oath, 2) a special meal, and 3) by invitation to receive the Law. It mirrors the formula of an “ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaty [between a sovereign lord and subordinates] …. The final stage in the ratification of such a treaty normally involved depositing the agreement in the respective temples of each treaty partner.” This pattern is present in God’s instructions for the tabernacle, and especially for the Ark of the Covenant to contain the stone tablets representing God’s covenant with God’s people. Where we read “resided” in verse 16, the literal word is “tabernacled.” “This foreshadows the manifestation of the Lord’s presence in the tabernacle (40:34–38), in the temple (1 Kgs 8:10–11), and ultimately in Jesus (John 1:14) and in the new creation (Rev 21:3).” (BTSB)
But that manifestation of God’s presence and even the glory of God’s voice was too much for the people to bear, so Moses and Joshua went farther by themselves while the people remained below. Joshua was Moses’ closest assistant. They remained there for forty days and nights which parallels Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Both are reflected in our time for Lent, a time both to deal with the things that tempt us as Jesus was tested, but also to spend time in God’s presence receiving God’s instruction as Moses did on the mountain. Later Jesus took his inner circle of disciples: Peter, James, and John up another mountain.
Move now to that story of Jesus’ transfiguration as Matthew recorded it. The NIV Application Commentary states, “On the seventh day after the climactic events of Peter’s confession and Jesus’ first prediction of his suffering and death, the even more dramatic event of Jesus’ transfiguration occurs. … Jesus takes with him the inner circle of disciples — Peter, James, and John — and goes up “a high mountain.” …Jesus is … probably taking the inner circle to give them extra experience for their future leadership roles within the church.”…
“Jesus experiences a physical transformation visible to the disciples. It is a reminder of Jesus’ preincarnate, divine glory ( John 1:14, 18; 17:5; Phil. 2:6 - 7) and a preview of his coming exaltation (2 Peter 1:16 - 18; Rev. 1:16). That glory designates the royal presence, for in his person the kingdom of God is with his people. The inner circle of disciples witness this profound revelation of Jesus’ identity as well as his mission.”…
“Both Moses and Elijah had visions of the glory of God on a mountain — Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:15) and Elijah on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8 - 16). Both of them had unique endings — Elijah was taken directly to heaven (2 Kings 2:11 - 12), while Moses, whose grave was never found (Deut. 34:6), is said by rabbinic tradition also to have been taken directly to heaven (cf. As. Mos.; b. Soṭah 13b). Both are mentioned together in Malachi 4:4 - 6: the giving of the Law through God’s servant Moses and the sending of the prophet Elijah before the coming Day of the Lord. Their appearance on the mountain with Jesus indicates the greatness of Jesus, who transcends them both as the One who will be declared the Son of God.”
The NIV Study Bible Notes point out “The transfiguration was: (1) a revelation of the glory of the Son of God, a glory hidden now but to be fully revealed when he returns (2Th 1:10); (2) a confirmation of Peter’s confession (16:13–20); and (3) a beneficial experience for the disciples, who were discouraged after having been reminded so recently of Jesus’ impending suffering and death.”
I want to point out that said “don’t tell until….” At first the disciples were overwhelmed by the experience and were struggling to understand its meaning. Peter wanted to build tabernacles to literally enshrine all three dignitaries of heaven, but neither Jesus nor the disciples were meant to stay on that mountain. It was a place to experience and to worship with reverence, but the mission was still waiting below.
There would come a time when the disciples were to share these experiences of Jesus, but it wasn’t time yet. Obviously they did share them later, so we are able to read them in scripture. The sharing of what the disciples learned from Jesus is like me sharing what I learn from my coach. In both scenarios there is a sharing forward what has been learned, and the Holy Spirit is very much part of that inspiration to continue God’s will and encouragement for God’s people.
For 2 Peter 1:16-21, GNT, the NIV Study Bible Notes tells us these are not just “cleverly devised stories. Peter’s message was based on his eyewitness account of the supernatural events that marked the life of Jesus. It was not made up of myths and imaginative stories, as was the message of the heretics (2:3 see note there) … In Christ’s transfiguration the disciples received a foretaste of what his coming will be like when he returns to establish his eternal kingdom …1:19–21 Peter’s message rests on two solid foundations: (1) the voice from God at the transfiguration (vv. 16–18) and (2) the enduring testimony of Scripture.”
So, what does it mean to receive a foretaste of Christ’s glory? Why were the disciples given this privilege. As my resources suggested, I believe it gave encouragement and affirmation to the three disciples privileged to witness it and later to share the story. It helped solidify their faith in Jesus before they would become leaders for his ongoing mission. They were convinced so that later they would be convincing in their sincerity and passionate appeal for others to believe as they did, that Christ is the Messiah! They had to be transformed by this and other experiences of Christ so that they could transform the community of faith.
Then, what does Jesus’ transfiguration have to do with our transformation? To me it is still a sign of hope and encouragement. It gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ glory and his place in God’s scheme of things. Jesus is not only right up there with Moses and Elijah but even looked up to by them. It also reaffirms for me God’s intentions with God’s voice, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” God wanted the disciples and wants us to pay attention to Jesus’ instructions for our life and mission. Actually, saying and believing that is a significant transformation from my childhood and youth when I was sure I believed in God, but couldn’t figure out this Jesus stuff.
That glimpse of glory also points me ahead to the resurrection. I grew up with a focus on Good Friday and the cross. I was well into my preaching years even here before Easter took on a deeper meaning than the rituals of my childhood. Maybe I’m just at an age where the prospect of new life appeals to me, or the hundreds of funerals I have done have built up my faith in life on the other side of death. I think the more I ponder the concept of order, disorder, and reorder, the more I see the power of resurrection hope. Life represents order, but death seems to be disorder. To look beyond that by finding hope in the promise of resurrection we lean toward reorder.
Jesus was just beginning to tell the disciples that he would die soon. That certainly tasted of disorder and when that crucifixion came it was even more so. But the transfiguration was a reminder that there was more to this Jesus than human life. It was a hint of the bigger heavenly picture of life beyond this death. Reorder would come; or as liturgy puts it, “Christ will come again in glory.” That cycle for Christ who lived, died, and rose from the grave gives hope for my own life cycle and that of those I love. We live, we die, but we will also be raised to a new life with Christ.
The cycle I refer to comes from Richard Rohr, The Wisdom Pattern: Order │Disorder │Reorder. Rohr believes, “For the past fifty years, we have become experts at planning change” and that “develops what [he calls] the calculative mind, as opposed to what is the goal of all mature spirituality: the contemplative mind.” (p. 82), Rohr continues, “The attitude that is needed for deep and panoramic seeing is not a fixing, calculative stance, but much more an attitude of listening, trusting, and waiting. He goes on to suggest, “Maybe that’s why Jesus says we are saved by faith, by trusting and surrendering rather instead of and trying, and by passion (the suffering of reality) rather than deliberate action.” (p. 83) He goes on to say about transformation that, “we do not so much try to change the reality or others, as allow ourselves to be changed, so that we can be useable for God. (p. 84)
In my own life over the past 20 years, the most random things made enormous changes in my life habits, circumstances, and even purpose. These have led to some healthy transformations. I am not entirely the same women who entered this millennium.
For those of you who equate transformation with change, and you fear change, think of it this way. In one sense the opposite of transformation is stagnation. Do you want to drink from a stagnant pool? I’m not sure I even want to bath in it. In both the physical and spiritual sense I need the fresh flowing, living water that Christ offers to us. Fresh water is necessary to my health, and flow of Christ’s Spirit is necessary to my spirit. I want to be a vessel with that living water flowing through me, refreshing not only myself but pouring through me to others.
There are stages of life that are by their nature transformative: (let them name a few) pregnancy, both giving birth and birth itself, parenting, each stage of development, school, teenage years, graduations, jobs, marriage, retirement in whatever order they may come. Then there are other experiences that transform us: (again let them name some) health concerns, loss, violence, prejudice, rejection, but also praise, acceptance, encouragement, mentoring, love. Both positive and negative factors many change us or our environment, but our response to these factors contributes to whether that change becomes healthy or unhealthy for us.
It is not only our individual lives that need transformation. We have been in that disordered stage in our local church for many years as we downsized staff, reorganized our ministries, and adapted to various forms of leadership. You are moving now towards reorder as you form a PNC to seek a new pastor, as you explore ministry possibilities and ways to serve the community. We live in hope of transformation as local church. Many others here in Clinton and around the world are also going through disorder, and hope to find their path to move forward.
We are in a state of disorder politically and economically, not only as a nation, but in many nations world-wide. Where there is violence, war, corruption, or oppression, we hope new leadership will bring peace and stability. Where there have been natural disasters and resulting destruction, we hope for cleanup and reconstruction as people rebuild not only their homes and businesses, but also their lives. Where there is threat of loss in the midst of climate change and other environmental issues, we hope for transformed attitudes and habits to make a difference and reclaim our appointed stewardship of God’s creation.
We are in a state yet of disorder regarding health concerns, but we get a picture of what reordering life can mean as we pull out of pandemic restrictions and begin anew. Some things will go back to the way they were before, but others things will have changed. Hopefully some of our healthier habits will continue, from better hand washing and sanitizing routines to being mindful of others when we might be sick or as we make our own health choices.
Moving beyond disorder to reorder means transformation. We will not be the same, our church will not be exactly the same, our world will not be exactly the same, nor should it be. Transformation will hopefully be about growth, about growing toward our best self, our best church, our best world at any given point in time.
As our order is disrupted by disorder, the possibility of real transformation becomes available when our lives or our world will be reordered. This is not an easy process. It requires cooperation with God’s Spirit and with each other. This is, of course, also true for the Church and for society at every level. It is not our Type A take control and charge ahead attitude that transforms the world around us so much as an openness to hearing and obeying God’s Spirit, allowing ourselves to be transformed so that God can use us as agents of transformation where needed.
Whether we are talking about government, society, the Church, or our local community and family, the way to real transformation is not through criticism and tearing things down. It’s not only through legislation or even education. As Rohr recites: “the best criticism of the bad is practice of the better.” (pg. 98) We lead change best by example. I still believe in that ripple effect, that when we are transformed for the better, the people and world around us will also improve little by little as they are affected by our transformation.
In the Old Testament, the Law allowed God’s people to live in a sense of order. But that order was disrupted by outside influences and by people’s own inner distractions and human nature. The journey to the Promised Land was in itself a time of disorder. Later major disorder would come again with Assyrian, then Babylonian, and later still Roman invasions. In each case it became a difficult challenge to appropriately adapt without losing the covenant connection and obedience to people’s relationship with God. We are again in such a time of disorder. But settling in the Promised Land, the return of the exiles, the development and world mission of the Church founded on the teachings and experience of Christ each reordered the world and daily lives of believers. We, too, can be part of such transformation.
Take the story of the Transfiguration and your own personal experiences of God as signs of hope and affirmations of God’s covenant. Allow God to continue to transform you from the inside out, so that you can be part of God’s plan to transform our relationships, our churches, our communities, our society and our world toward a closer vision of God’s intentions for us.
HYMN Arise, Your Light Is Come #411
PASTORAL PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Lord Jesus, like Peter, James, and John so long ago, we are overwhelmed when we get a glimpse of your glory. But like them we also want to be transformed into effective witnesses and helpers offering faithful service in your name. Amen
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
God sends the church into the world.
God has not taken his people out of the world, but has sent them into the world
to worship God there and serve all humankind.
We worship God in the world by standing before the Lord in behalf of all people.
Our cries for help and our songs of praise are never for ourselves alone.
Worship is no retreat from the world; it is part of our mission.
We serve humankind by discerning what God is doing in the world
and joining God in that work.
We risk disagreement and error when we try to say
what God is doing here and now.
But we find guidance in God's deeds in the past
and in God's promises for the future, as they are witnessed to in Scripture.
We affirm that the Lord is at work, especially in events and movements
that free people by the gospel and advance justice, compassion and peace.
taken from PC(USA) Statement of Faith, 1985, Chapter 8
HYMN Lord of Light, Your Name Outshining #425
Sending Forth
CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
Gathering
MUSICAL OFFERING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congregational Meeting February 26th, 2023, immediately following the service
Fellowship Time! Mark your calendars. Pastor Joyce will share a few photos and experiences from her trip to Iceland on Sunday, February 26, following worship. A fellowship lunch will also be provided. Invite a friend, and put in your RSVP on the sheet beside the Administrative Office.
PRAYER REQUESTS Please hold the following in your prayers.
· The family of Marilyn Neymeyer as they grieve the loss of their mother and grandmother.
· Arlene Pawlik who is recovering from a broken leg.
· Those who are on hospice: Joan Pinkston, Maxine Wagner.
· For the Nominating Committee as they seek members for the Pastor Nominating Committee—that group who will seek our next pastor.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 99:1-5, NIV
L: The Lord reigns, P: let the nations tremble;
L: he sits enthroned between the cherubim, P: let the earth shake.
L: Great is the Lord in Zion; P: he is exalted over all the nations.
L: Let them praise your great and awesome name— P: he is holy.
L: The King is mighty, he loves justice—you have established equity;
P: in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
L: Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; P: he is holy.
GATHERING PRAYER
Holy God, we praise you. We come sometimes trembling before your throne when aware of your awesome glory and might. But you tell us not to be afraid to ponder the magnificence of your Son, Jesus, rather to savor the moment, and continue to live and work as he taught us. Remind us of that in this hour, that we may go forth to be heralds of your grace. Amen.
HYMN Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise #263
CALL TO CONFESSION
Even those who knew Jesus best, even those who beheld his glory on the mountain top still needed to be transformed before they could carry on his ministry in the world below. We, too, need Christ’s transforming grace in our lives. Therefore, let us confess the obstacles we encounter to the God whose mercy reshapes us.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy God, many things get in the way of faithful and inspired service to you. We get bogged down by the cares and routines of our daily lives. We get discouraged by wars and violence and prejudices all around us. We get weary of illness and disease, suffering and pain. We get sidetracked by entertainments that become our idols. We take the easy path of convenience rather than putting creative effort up against a challenge. We recycle our worries instead of our trash. Lord, for these and other things that get in the way of a faithful response to your love and mercy, please forgive us, and rekindle in us a passion to serve you well. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE Ephesians 1:7, GW
“Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness.”
Through Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God!
SONG OF PRAISE Gloria Patri #579
PASSING THE PEACE
(Please greet those around you with these words. But let’s refrain from touch.)
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
INTERLUDE
Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Christ, as we consider your glory on the mountain top, remind us once again that we have access to your grace and forgiveness even as you now reign from your throne in glory. Help us to see that you are God of both mercy and might, and therefore capable of meeting all our needs, accepting us as your family, and leading us as your people to continue your ministry here and now. Amen
SCRIPTURE LESSONS Exodus 24:12-18, NET
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.” 13 So Moses set out with Joshua his attendant, and Moses went up the mountain of God. 14 He told the elders, “Wait for us in this place until we return to you. Here are Aaron and Hur with you. Whoever has any matters of dispute can approach them.”
15 Moses went up the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord resided on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in plain view of the people. 18 Moses went into the cloud when he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Matthew 17:1-9, NIV
17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
2 Peter 1:16-21, GNT
16 We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness. 17 We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts. 20 Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures. 21 For no prophetic message ever came just from the human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.
SERMON His Transfiguration, Our Transformation
Let’s consider our scripture readings:
The Exodus passage is the giving of the law. But it was also time spent in God’s presence. It’s not just an awareness that God is with us, as a statement of belief, but experiencing the full presence of God in all his glory. Notice the signs of God’s presence in cloud and fire. Moses has experienced God’s presence as fire once before. These signs continue is the New Testament also.
The ESV Reformation Study Bible suggests, “the ceremonial law given at Sinai was the Lord’s gracious training of the people, a protective measure for a people unaccustomed to the holy presence of God…the revelation at Sinai manifested the holy character of the covenant God and defined the character and behavior appropriate for God’s covenant people.”
In the NIV Biblical Theological Study Bible, more is said about this covenant.
The covenant has been confirmed in the opening verses of this chapter by 1) ritual oath, 2) a special meal, and 3) by invitation to receive the Law. It mirrors the formula of an “ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaty [between a sovereign lord and subordinates] …. The final stage in the ratification of such a treaty normally involved depositing the agreement in the respective temples of each treaty partner.” This pattern is present in God’s instructions for the tabernacle, and especially for the Ark of the Covenant to contain the stone tablets representing God’s covenant with God’s people. Where we read “resided” in verse 16, the literal word is “tabernacled.” “This foreshadows the manifestation of the Lord’s presence in the tabernacle (40:34–38), in the temple (1 Kgs 8:10–11), and ultimately in Jesus (John 1:14) and in the new creation (Rev 21:3).” (BTSB)
But that manifestation of God’s presence and even the glory of God’s voice was too much for the people to bear, so Moses and Joshua went farther by themselves while the people remained below. Joshua was Moses’ closest assistant. They remained there for forty days and nights which parallels Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Both are reflected in our time for Lent, a time both to deal with the things that tempt us as Jesus was tested, but also to spend time in God’s presence receiving God’s instruction as Moses did on the mountain. Later Jesus took his inner circle of disciples: Peter, James, and John up another mountain.
Move now to that story of Jesus’ transfiguration as Matthew recorded it. The NIV Application Commentary states, “On the seventh day after the climactic events of Peter’s confession and Jesus’ first prediction of his suffering and death, the even more dramatic event of Jesus’ transfiguration occurs. … Jesus takes with him the inner circle of disciples — Peter, James, and John — and goes up “a high mountain.” …Jesus is … probably taking the inner circle to give them extra experience for their future leadership roles within the church.”…
“Jesus experiences a physical transformation visible to the disciples. It is a reminder of Jesus’ preincarnate, divine glory ( John 1:14, 18; 17:5; Phil. 2:6 - 7) and a preview of his coming exaltation (2 Peter 1:16 - 18; Rev. 1:16). That glory designates the royal presence, for in his person the kingdom of God is with his people. The inner circle of disciples witness this profound revelation of Jesus’ identity as well as his mission.”…
“Both Moses and Elijah had visions of the glory of God on a mountain — Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:15) and Elijah on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8 - 16). Both of them had unique endings — Elijah was taken directly to heaven (2 Kings 2:11 - 12), while Moses, whose grave was never found (Deut. 34:6), is said by rabbinic tradition also to have been taken directly to heaven (cf. As. Mos.; b. Soṭah 13b). Both are mentioned together in Malachi 4:4 - 6: the giving of the Law through God’s servant Moses and the sending of the prophet Elijah before the coming Day of the Lord. Their appearance on the mountain with Jesus indicates the greatness of Jesus, who transcends them both as the One who will be declared the Son of God.”
The NIV Study Bible Notes point out “The transfiguration was: (1) a revelation of the glory of the Son of God, a glory hidden now but to be fully revealed when he returns (2Th 1:10); (2) a confirmation of Peter’s confession (16:13–20); and (3) a beneficial experience for the disciples, who were discouraged after having been reminded so recently of Jesus’ impending suffering and death.”
I want to point out that said “don’t tell until….” At first the disciples were overwhelmed by the experience and were struggling to understand its meaning. Peter wanted to build tabernacles to literally enshrine all three dignitaries of heaven, but neither Jesus nor the disciples were meant to stay on that mountain. It was a place to experience and to worship with reverence, but the mission was still waiting below.
There would come a time when the disciples were to share these experiences of Jesus, but it wasn’t time yet. Obviously they did share them later, so we are able to read them in scripture. The sharing of what the disciples learned from Jesus is like me sharing what I learn from my coach. In both scenarios there is a sharing forward what has been learned, and the Holy Spirit is very much part of that inspiration to continue God’s will and encouragement for God’s people.
For 2 Peter 1:16-21, GNT, the NIV Study Bible Notes tells us these are not just “cleverly devised stories. Peter’s message was based on his eyewitness account of the supernatural events that marked the life of Jesus. It was not made up of myths and imaginative stories, as was the message of the heretics (2:3 see note there) … In Christ’s transfiguration the disciples received a foretaste of what his coming will be like when he returns to establish his eternal kingdom …1:19–21 Peter’s message rests on two solid foundations: (1) the voice from God at the transfiguration (vv. 16–18) and (2) the enduring testimony of Scripture.”
So, what does it mean to receive a foretaste of Christ’s glory? Why were the disciples given this privilege. As my resources suggested, I believe it gave encouragement and affirmation to the three disciples privileged to witness it and later to share the story. It helped solidify their faith in Jesus before they would become leaders for his ongoing mission. They were convinced so that later they would be convincing in their sincerity and passionate appeal for others to believe as they did, that Christ is the Messiah! They had to be transformed by this and other experiences of Christ so that they could transform the community of faith.
Then, what does Jesus’ transfiguration have to do with our transformation? To me it is still a sign of hope and encouragement. It gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ glory and his place in God’s scheme of things. Jesus is not only right up there with Moses and Elijah but even looked up to by them. It also reaffirms for me God’s intentions with God’s voice, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” God wanted the disciples and wants us to pay attention to Jesus’ instructions for our life and mission. Actually, saying and believing that is a significant transformation from my childhood and youth when I was sure I believed in God, but couldn’t figure out this Jesus stuff.
That glimpse of glory also points me ahead to the resurrection. I grew up with a focus on Good Friday and the cross. I was well into my preaching years even here before Easter took on a deeper meaning than the rituals of my childhood. Maybe I’m just at an age where the prospect of new life appeals to me, or the hundreds of funerals I have done have built up my faith in life on the other side of death. I think the more I ponder the concept of order, disorder, and reorder, the more I see the power of resurrection hope. Life represents order, but death seems to be disorder. To look beyond that by finding hope in the promise of resurrection we lean toward reorder.
Jesus was just beginning to tell the disciples that he would die soon. That certainly tasted of disorder and when that crucifixion came it was even more so. But the transfiguration was a reminder that there was more to this Jesus than human life. It was a hint of the bigger heavenly picture of life beyond this death. Reorder would come; or as liturgy puts it, “Christ will come again in glory.” That cycle for Christ who lived, died, and rose from the grave gives hope for my own life cycle and that of those I love. We live, we die, but we will also be raised to a new life with Christ.
The cycle I refer to comes from Richard Rohr, The Wisdom Pattern: Order │Disorder │Reorder. Rohr believes, “For the past fifty years, we have become experts at planning change” and that “develops what [he calls] the calculative mind, as opposed to what is the goal of all mature spirituality: the contemplative mind.” (p. 82), Rohr continues, “The attitude that is needed for deep and panoramic seeing is not a fixing, calculative stance, but much more an attitude of listening, trusting, and waiting. He goes on to suggest, “Maybe that’s why Jesus says we are saved by faith, by trusting and surrendering rather instead of and trying, and by passion (the suffering of reality) rather than deliberate action.” (p. 83) He goes on to say about transformation that, “we do not so much try to change the reality or others, as allow ourselves to be changed, so that we can be useable for God. (p. 84)
In my own life over the past 20 years, the most random things made enormous changes in my life habits, circumstances, and even purpose. These have led to some healthy transformations. I am not entirely the same women who entered this millennium.
- 2003 I agreed to go to ER when I had chest pains. This lead not only to a stent but many lifestyle and especially dietary changes and enabled me to live longer.
- 2004 I gratefully agreed when the Holy Spirit said I could leave itinerate pastoral ministry which opened the door to many changes, new arenas of ministry, new friends, new acceptance and appreciation.
- 2005 my car broke down in the Chicago loop, leading to a rental, leading to a part-time job, leading to seeing a banner as I drove past this building every day, leading to a visit, leading to another job, leading to so many, many more things. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t come to work here.
- Some years later, I went to a continuing ed workshop leading to ongoing work with a coach who continues to bring healthy change to my mental, emotional, spiritual, and professional life.
- 2018 I went to the realtor’s office when invited with my rental complaint letter in hand which led to becoming a home owner; that home has been a major contributing factor to surviving the pandemic and enjoying retirement.
For those of you who equate transformation with change, and you fear change, think of it this way. In one sense the opposite of transformation is stagnation. Do you want to drink from a stagnant pool? I’m not sure I even want to bath in it. In both the physical and spiritual sense I need the fresh flowing, living water that Christ offers to us. Fresh water is necessary to my health, and flow of Christ’s Spirit is necessary to my spirit. I want to be a vessel with that living water flowing through me, refreshing not only myself but pouring through me to others.
There are stages of life that are by their nature transformative: (let them name a few) pregnancy, both giving birth and birth itself, parenting, each stage of development, school, teenage years, graduations, jobs, marriage, retirement in whatever order they may come. Then there are other experiences that transform us: (again let them name some) health concerns, loss, violence, prejudice, rejection, but also praise, acceptance, encouragement, mentoring, love. Both positive and negative factors many change us or our environment, but our response to these factors contributes to whether that change becomes healthy or unhealthy for us.
It is not only our individual lives that need transformation. We have been in that disordered stage in our local church for many years as we downsized staff, reorganized our ministries, and adapted to various forms of leadership. You are moving now towards reorder as you form a PNC to seek a new pastor, as you explore ministry possibilities and ways to serve the community. We live in hope of transformation as local church. Many others here in Clinton and around the world are also going through disorder, and hope to find their path to move forward.
We are in a state of disorder politically and economically, not only as a nation, but in many nations world-wide. Where there is violence, war, corruption, or oppression, we hope new leadership will bring peace and stability. Where there have been natural disasters and resulting destruction, we hope for cleanup and reconstruction as people rebuild not only their homes and businesses, but also their lives. Where there is threat of loss in the midst of climate change and other environmental issues, we hope for transformed attitudes and habits to make a difference and reclaim our appointed stewardship of God’s creation.
We are in a state yet of disorder regarding health concerns, but we get a picture of what reordering life can mean as we pull out of pandemic restrictions and begin anew. Some things will go back to the way they were before, but others things will have changed. Hopefully some of our healthier habits will continue, from better hand washing and sanitizing routines to being mindful of others when we might be sick or as we make our own health choices.
Moving beyond disorder to reorder means transformation. We will not be the same, our church will not be exactly the same, our world will not be exactly the same, nor should it be. Transformation will hopefully be about growth, about growing toward our best self, our best church, our best world at any given point in time.
As our order is disrupted by disorder, the possibility of real transformation becomes available when our lives or our world will be reordered. This is not an easy process. It requires cooperation with God’s Spirit and with each other. This is, of course, also true for the Church and for society at every level. It is not our Type A take control and charge ahead attitude that transforms the world around us so much as an openness to hearing and obeying God’s Spirit, allowing ourselves to be transformed so that God can use us as agents of transformation where needed.
Whether we are talking about government, society, the Church, or our local community and family, the way to real transformation is not through criticism and tearing things down. It’s not only through legislation or even education. As Rohr recites: “the best criticism of the bad is practice of the better.” (pg. 98) We lead change best by example. I still believe in that ripple effect, that when we are transformed for the better, the people and world around us will also improve little by little as they are affected by our transformation.
In the Old Testament, the Law allowed God’s people to live in a sense of order. But that order was disrupted by outside influences and by people’s own inner distractions and human nature. The journey to the Promised Land was in itself a time of disorder. Later major disorder would come again with Assyrian, then Babylonian, and later still Roman invasions. In each case it became a difficult challenge to appropriately adapt without losing the covenant connection and obedience to people’s relationship with God. We are again in such a time of disorder. But settling in the Promised Land, the return of the exiles, the development and world mission of the Church founded on the teachings and experience of Christ each reordered the world and daily lives of believers. We, too, can be part of such transformation.
Take the story of the Transfiguration and your own personal experiences of God as signs of hope and affirmations of God’s covenant. Allow God to continue to transform you from the inside out, so that you can be part of God’s plan to transform our relationships, our churches, our communities, our society and our world toward a closer vision of God’s intentions for us.
HYMN Arise, Your Light Is Come #411
PASTORAL PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING OUR LIVES
Lord Jesus, like Peter, James, and John so long ago, we are overwhelmed when we get a glimpse of your glory. But like them we also want to be transformed into effective witnesses and helpers offering faithful service in your name. Amen
DOXOLOGY Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #592
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
God sends the church into the world.
God has not taken his people out of the world, but has sent them into the world
to worship God there and serve all humankind.
We worship God in the world by standing before the Lord in behalf of all people.
Our cries for help and our songs of praise are never for ourselves alone.
Worship is no retreat from the world; it is part of our mission.
We serve humankind by discerning what God is doing in the world
and joining God in that work.
We risk disagreement and error when we try to say
what God is doing here and now.
But we find guidance in God's deeds in the past
and in God's promises for the future, as they are witnessed to in Scripture.
We affirm that the Lord is at work, especially in events and movements
that free people by the gospel and advance justice, compassion and peace.
taken from PC(USA) Statement of Faith, 1985, Chapter 8
HYMN Lord of Light, Your Name Outshining #425
Sending Forth
CHARGE & BLESSING
POSTLUDE
We will remain seated throughout the service.
Bold text is to be read together aloud as a congregation.
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