Exodus 24:12-18 (NRSV)
The 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." So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To 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."
Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The 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. Now 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. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Psalm 2 (BCP., p586)
2 Peter 1:16-21 (NRSV)
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. For 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." We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
So 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. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Matthew 17:1-9 (NRSV)
Six days after Peter had acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then 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." While 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!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As 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."
Blog Reflection
The significance of the Transfiguration as the Last Sunday after the Epiphany before Ash Wednesday in the Revised Common Lectionary is at an important crossroads for the Church. Before we enter into the forty days of Lent, leading up to Holy Week and Easter Day, we journey with Jesus, Peter, James and John and climb the mountain where Jesus is transfigured. We are witnesses to the event of the Transfiguration with those three Apostles, scared, wanting to stay there with Jesus, Elijah, and Moses in this moment of light, prophecy with a glimpse of the glory of God in Christ. Just as the Season of Epiphany concluded at the Baptism of Jesus with the voice of God telling us that Jesus is God's Beloved with whom God is well-pleased, we are given the same request at the Transfiguration along with being told to listen to Jesus.
I recently started reading a new book as part of my formation. The book is entitled The Mystery of Christ: The Liturgy As Spiritual Experience by Thomas Keating. Keating writes that we began this Liturgical Year with Advent, and then went through Christmas in which Jesus was born as the Word made flesh. The Greek word for flesh is Sarx. Meaning all of our human nature as it actually is, with all of it's suffering, immaturity, it's prone to rebel against the love of God, neighbor and self became one in the Person of God's Son, Jesus the Christ. "It is the human condition committed to it biological survival for its own sake or for the sake of the clan, tribe, nation or race" Keating wrote page 26. Keating goes on the tell us the other side of Sarx.
The Greek word soma refers to the body insofar as it is open to further evolution: it is the human condition open to development. "The Word was made flesh" signifies that by taking the human condition upon Himself with all its consequences, Jesus introduced into the entire human family the principle of transcendence, giving the evolutionary process a decisive thrust toward God-consciousness (page 26).
The Season of the Epiphany is the crowning of Christmas, as the marriage between God and humankind. This idea is what is meant with the story of the Marriage at Cana found in John 2:1-11. The union of God with all humankind is consummated in the Holy Eucharist, which is the entire Paschal Mystery made present in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
The Season after the Epiphany finishes with the Transfiguration. Another view of Jesus as the Light, in glory with the prophets from the Hebrew Scriptures announcing the new era of God's manifestation in what is about to happen as Jesus prepares for that final journey towards Jerusalem. There in Jerusalem, Jesus will face His trial, crucifixion, and win the victory over death in His resurrection. However, we cannot go there with Jesus, until we leave this holy mountain and journey with Him through Lent. The Season of self-denial, penitence, alms-giving, fasting and prayer. The time to examine ourselves a bit more closely, to be sure we are ready to go all the way with Jesus to the Cross, or if we are still holding ourselves back by our own sins, disobedience, prejudices and our false sense of self.
The temptation of the Transfiguration is to say with Peter; "Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let me build tents for all of us, so we can stay here and worship you." However, it is not enough to stay with Jesus in our moments of glory and beauty by themselves. If we are to experience the full impact of Jesus as God's perfect revelation of God's Self, then we must also walk with Jesus from the mountain back to the valleys of our lives. As we return to those troublesome valleys,with all of the dangers and uncertainties, we can be confident that our God who is with us in Jesus in those glorious moments on the mountain, will be with us in the difficulties we face in the valleys.
This past week, we went through some very dark valleys for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. On Monday we got the very sad and troubling news that the President of Uganda signed into law the draconian bill that further criminalizes LGBT people for who they are, and who they love. The law in and of itself is bad enough. The fact that it was encouraged by American Evangelical Christian Missionaries makes the passing of this law even more egregious. The message of the Gospel used as a means to hurt LGBT people with another deep wound, and defame the Name of Jesus Christ who came to redeem us all, without asking any of us to give up being who we are. The grief many of us are feeling at this time is deep and brutal. Yet, in ways that we cannot explain or understand, God is with us in Christ.
We were all relieved that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed S.B.1062 that would have been a license to discriminate on the unfounded basis of religious liberty. However, after she vetoed the bill, a Fox news correspondent made the claim that "If you are Christian and live in Arizona, your Governor has just told you that the first amendment of the Constitution no longer applies to you." Let's get one thing clear. There are Christians who believe in protecting the rights of LGBT people, supporting immigration reform, a woman's right over her reproductive health care, supporting the poor, retired and disabled through Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and health care reform. Those of us who do support these and many other important social justice issues of our time, are no less Christian than those who do not. So, when you suggest that all Christians believe the same to be a Christian, you may want to ask the Lord at what point did He give over His job of judging others to you. It was after all, Jesus who was transfigured on that holy mountain. And it is God who told all of us that in Jesus we are God's beloved with whom God is well-pleased. And, God told all of us, that is every one of us, to listen more closely to Jesus. I think if we all listen just a little bit more closely from the heart, instead of through the minds of religious based bigotry disguised as defending religious liberty, we will hear Jesus tell us to love one another without distinction. Jesus doesn't make scapegoats out of others to excuse Himself from loving others. Only Christians who want to use the Gospel as an excuse for discrimination and violence do that. I am so thankful that I have the choice of answering the call to serve Christ, by following Him so seriously, by not taking the Bible too literally.
When Jesus came down the mountain to His disciples who were on the ground in fear, what did He say to them? "Get up and do not be afraid." That is what He tells all of us to do today. Before we go from today, into Ash Wednesday, our Lord calms us by telling us, "Get up and do not be afraid." Jesus wants us to get up from where we are, and not be afraid to follow Him. Because, from this point, Jesus is "God with us" where ever we go. He is the presence of God in our lives and to others around us. He is with us in the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us toward a closer relationship with God and one another. Let us now, listen more closely to Jesus, as God's Beloved, with whom God is well-pleased.
Amen
Prayers
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that
we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be
strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his
likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.217).
Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.816).
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.826).
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