Transfiguration Sermon – March 3, 2019
Behold! The story begins.
The Beloved Son befriended brothers beside a lake.
Beckoned them to be fishers of people
He called. They followed.
Through many manifestations and miracles
They followed.
Fishers of people are persons of prayer.
These men moved up a mountain to do just that.
Mt. Hermon? Mt. Tabor? Scholars debate.
A high mountain!
A sky kissing mountain!
Mountaineer missionaries
Visionaries
Ascending with psalms? Scaling with songs? I wonder.
Prayer at the peak was the plan.
Purposeful plodding
Set a course for the summit.
Step by step
Looking up and not looking back
Unknowns ahead
Worries behind
What once seemed insurmountable was now within reach.
Almost. There. To the place of prayer.
Pause. Persist. Pray. Repeat.
Behold the Beloved Son!
Countenance curiously changed
Transfigured. Transformed.
Bedazzled!
Between Moses and Elijah
Gloriously glowing!
The Law. The Prophets. The Lord.
Dog-tired disciples. Alert enough.
Attentive
Awestruck
Wait! Don’t depart!
Do we dare dwell together here in tents? Three!
We can build them. You will see.
How good to be here!
Kodak moment in the clouds
Momentary. Mystifying. Miraculous.
Beyond belief
Overshadowed.
Bewildered. Befogged. Befuddled.
Besieged by fear as a bellowing voice spoke from the sky, “This is my Son. My Chosen. Listen to him!”
We do listen! What did you say again? What just happened?
The Beloved Son. Alone.
No longer amidst apparitions
No longer glowing in glory
Bystanders bestirred to silence.
Behold! Our story begins when the Beloved Son beckons.
He calls us by name.
Are we following, fellow fishers of people?
Mountains
High mountains ahead
Sky kissing mountains!
Mountaineer missionaries
Visionaries
May we ascending with psalms and scale with songs.
Equipped for the journey
Purposefully plodding
Prayerfully plodding
Set a Spirit-led course for the summit!
Step by step
Looking up and not looking back
Unknowns ahead
Worries behind
The insurmountable within reach
Only possible with God
The maker of mountains
The mover of mountains
Pause. Persist. Pray. Repeat.
Dog-tired, disciples?
Arise. Attend. Awe awaits.
How good to be here!
In this moment
Make way for mystifying, miraculous marvels in the mediocre. In the mundane.
Overshadow us, Lord.
When we become bewildered, befogged or befuddled
Speak.
We are listening.
Pause. Persist. Pray. Repeat.
Believe.
Be discipled.
Be disciples.
Beyond church doors
Beyond walls and borders
Be the church.
Behold, beloveds.
Be alert.
Be attentive to the bestirring of the Spirit.
Transformation taking hold
Be stirred not to silence but to speak.
Be stirred to spread the good news.
Glimpses of God’s glory
Everywhere
Go forth in God’s grace.
