February 11, 2024 Transfiguration 

Lighting the Christ Candle

Welcome and Announcements 

Call to Worship
Life can seem shrouded in mystery.
O Lord, lift the veil of our misunderstanding that we may see your Light.
We are eager to serve.
O Lord, calm our spirits and patiently prepare us for service.
Look to the Lord for mercy and comfort.
We look to the Lord for healing and hope. AMEN. 

Hymn:  356 You lord are both lamb and shepherd

 

Prayer of Adoration 

O Holy One, on mountaintops and valley floors you reveal to us the light of your love.  Our hearts desire is to bask in the amazing glory of your divine presence.  We are grateful that with each encounter we are changed and transformed. 

Draw us nearer that we might receive a double portion of your Holy Spirit.  Help us, O Holy One, to live our lives as a reflection of divine glory.  May we walk among our brothers and sister as a blessing, bearing light into dark places, hope to displace despair, and love that casts out hate. 

Help us to pay attention to the ways you work among us, and teach us how to follow Jesus to more closely.  Maybe then we will hear your voice speaking to us and saying, … “listen to my Child, the Beloved!”  Amen. 

Because our greatest challenge is listening, and really hearing God in Christ speaking to us, we pause to confess before God….. 

 

Prayer of Confession: 
God of glory and light, forgive us when we are complacent and comfortable with keeping the riches of your love to ourselves.   Forgive us, God, when we linger too long by the waters, and on the mountain tops, enthralled with the glory that flows from you.  When we fail to listen to your voice leading and guiding us, shake us from our contentment and send us forward endowed with your power.   Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon 

God speaks righteousness, that we may know his ways.
God speaks compassion, that we may know his mercy.
God speaks understanding, that we may know his kindness.
God speaks glory, that we may know the grace given in Jesus.
God speaks, so that he will show us how to walk with him. 

God will not keep silent, but will gather us in with the tender words: “You are forgiven.”
Glory to God! 

Passing the Peace
God keeps you close in Christ so that the peace of Christ be with you always. 

We share a sign of peace.  

Hymn:  290 Immortal Invisible, God only wise

Scripture:

2 Kings 2: 1-12 p 570
Mark 9: 2-9 p 1567
 

Sermon:  Passing the Mantle 

We were talking at the Session meeting about how much I dislike preparing the sermon for Transfiguration Sunday.  It seems like year after year, we end up looking at Peter’s—yet again—impulsiveness, which looks like it brings to an end a very holy moment.  Poor Peter, all he wants to do is preserve the moment and suddenly they are all hustled back down the mountain. 

 

So this year, I pondered preaching on a text other than the Gospel, and read again the story of Elijah and Elisha, and how the mantle of ministry passed from Elijah to Elisha, and I began to see some connections that I had never noticed before. 

 

It begins with Moses.  We didn’t read that Scripture this morning, but let’s pause for a quick look at it.  At the beginning of Joshua, we read:  After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.  Joshua 1  NIV 

Well, it seems that to be more accurate it begins with the death of Moses.  The people are gathered, waiting to enter the Promised Land.  At this point God passes the ministry of leading the people to Joshua.  Moses has died, and now God has chosen Joshua to carry on the work that he began in Moses.   

Thus the ministry passes, not in human choices, but by God’s decree.  This is an act of God.  It is an important thing for us all to remember.  God chooses the new leader, and gives his blessing to that person to continue the work already begun. 

This blessing to go for Joshua to pick up the ministry is a powerful one.  God says:  I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. V 3 NIV.   

Every step of the way God will be with him, guiding and directing him.  God continues in this blessing to say:  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their ancestors to give them. V 5, 6 NIV 

I will be with you, so be strong and be courageous. 

The ministry to which Joshua was called would not be easy.  The people would not follow easily, the inhabitants of the land they were about to enter would not readily adapt to the presence of the people of God, to the worship of God and the declaration that he was the only God and that those whom they worshipped were false gods. 

That important distinction would be at the heart of the struggle of the people to live in the land God had given.  The others and their gods would be a source of temptation and struggle, and often over the generations the prophets of God would be challenged, threatened and even put to death. 

Clearly receiving the mantle of the calling of God, would not be an easy calling.  This calling required strength and courage.   

As Joshua had been mentored by Moses, and called by God following the death of Moses, so it would be for Elisha.  His mentor Elijah had turned his face toward the desert to go with God.  He insists that Elisha stay and let him go alone.  But Elisha follows, knowing that this would be the final journey for Elijah.   

We can understand that human need to stay close to a trusted friend, mentor and leader.  We want in every last moment to hear their words of wisdom, and we know that there is so much we have not yet learned.  We know that we need more. 

But what we don’t know at the time, is that the more that we sense we need is a gift that our friend, mentor, minister, leader cannot give to us.  This “more” that we need can only be given to us by God as he calls us and equips us.   

 

We see that truth in action as we watch Elijah and Elisha as they journeyed to Jordan River—the scene of the miracle of the parting of water that marked the beginning of Joshua’s leadership.    

There at the Jordan, Elisha took his cloak, struck the water and it parted for them.  They crossed over on dry land.   

At this place Elijah was going to give his blessing to Elisha, before he passed on the mantle of the ministry God was calling him to take up.    He asks what Elisha needs.  In the tradition of the laws of inheritance Elisha asked for a double portion of the spirit that filled Elijah.  This was however, a blessing that Elijah was unable to give.  Fortunately, it was the blessing that God would give.  So Elijah said,  “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” V 10 NIV 

 

Then there was a chariot of fire and horses and Elisha saw Elijah carried up on the whirlwind.  There at the side of the river he ripped his clothes, and spent time in grief, mourning the loss of his friend and leader. 

Then he turned, picked up Elijah’s cloak, struck the water, the river divided, and he crossed back across the Jordan on dry land. 

 

In this way the mantle was passed to Elisha, and once again in the land that God had given them, he carried on with the ministry that was now his.   

 

He dealt with the false prophets. 

Passed through Jericho. 

And through Bethel and into Samaria and takes up leadership among the people. 

These are the stories of 2 great men, Moses and Elijah, whose leadership and prophetic voices led the people to come to know God and to come to learn of God and find their home in God.  The symbolic passing of the mantle from them to Joshua and Elisha is what empowered their subsequent ministries.  And that symbolic passing of the mantle is what we are looking for, as both Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus on the mountain-top. 

 

For far too many years I took my lead in looking at the Transfiguration from Peter’s recognition of the power of that moment.  But it is the power of the moment, through which God brings about the passing of the mantle to Jesus that we are meant to be noticing.   

As always, this encounter on the mountain is, about what God is doing and will be doing.   

It is a good reminder that we can often look at how humans are responding, rather than at what God is doing.  And while we can appreciate the epiphany that Peter has been given as he notes the importance of this momentous moment, it is not what we are meant to look at.   

 

Peter wants to build 3 shelters and hold onto the moment.  But none of us can hold onto God.  That would be made abundantly clear, when on Easter Sunday Jesus would not let Mary hold onto him, as he had to go to the Father. 

 

Here we are getting that same message as Peter, who has been trying to steer Jesus away from Jerusalem, now wants to hold Jesus in this encounter with Moses and Elijah.  What he does not yet know, is that like Joshua and Elisha before him, he is called to endure the death of his mentor, as a part of his preparation to take up the mantle. 

 

But first—the mantle needs to be given to Jesus.  For that reason Jesus meets with the great men of faith, Moses and Elijah.  In that meeting he is transformed, and glows as if the glory of God was upon him, and his clothes became whiter than any bleach could make them.  This is a turning point for Jesus, as God’s confirmation of his calling is about to come upon him.   

He needed this confirmation for the completion of this difficult calling.   

Arrested.   

Accused at an illegal trial.    

Being damned by lies.   

Death on a cross.   

Enduring 3 days in the grave.   

The gift of strength and courage given to Jesus as he prepares for what is to come, is given in God’s blessing.  When the cloud comes upon mountain God speaks from the cloud, saying, ‘this is my Son whom I love.  Listen to him.”  

This is the blessing.  The glory of the transformation was like the laying on of hands or the passing of the mantle.  Then the call is affirmed for all who could hear.   

This is my Son.  Listen to him. 

Just as Joshua listened to Moses at the side of the River before Moses ascended the mountain on which he would die.  Just as Elisha walked with Elijah to death and listened for and asked for his wisdom before God whipped Elijah away in a whirlwind. 

Listen to him John.   

Listen to him James.  

Listen to him Peter.   

Walk with him into death.  Listen for his voice leading you.   

For each of these men, this is a time when they are meant to be encouraged for their own walk of faith; but also, this is when they are meant to be sustained.  They needed this moment, just like Jesus needed this moment.  In the encounter God meant to fuel their strength and courage, even as they failed along the way.  Especially as they failed along the way.   

Even with the missteps that they would make, running away and denying that they knew Jesus, they would always have the overwhelming memory of that moment with the glory of God to sustain them.  That moment would prove to be the source of their strength and courage as they would watch Jesus die.  It would lift them as they walked with him after the resurrection and waited for the Holy Spirit to arrive.   

The glory of God had been revealed to them; and they would know that this mantle would come to them, as God revealed how they were to be a part of the building of his church.   

But all that was in the future.  For now, they needed to walk with Jesus with the courage and strength of Joshua, and the faithful confidence of Elisha.   

The greatness of God, the glory of God and God’s blessing upon Jesus, was all the evidence that they would need to know that Jesus was being faithful to all that God was calling forth from them.   

So here, on this Transfiguration Sunday of 2024, we are also presented with the glory of God and reminded that the mantle of ministry rests upon our shoulders as well.  Everything we need for our faithful pursuit of this ministry is given to us in the voice of God on the mountain … this is my son with whom I am well pleased.  Listen to him. 

Listen to him. 

Listen to him. 

Amen.  

 

Hymn:   352 And can it be that I should gain

Offering and Doxology 830

Offertory Prayer
Lord Jesus, all that we have is yours, and all that we are is yours.
In offering these tokens of our lives, may all that we do serve you to the glory of God. Amen. 

 

  

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

Oh Lord, You call us to go to the mountain top with you and we follow, not quite sure of what is to happen,  but we like mountain tops, we like the view from up here, we like mountain top experiences.  We are grateful for those moments when we feel lifted up in your presence.  WE rejoice in the gifts of your Spirit given to us. 

Lord sometimes we need mountain top experiences with you when our days are dark and dreary, when our hearts, are heavy, when the valleys seem more depressing than ever. And we are grateful that when we cannot come up to you, you come down to us. 

From where you find us today, we pause to breathe in your presence, and to open our hearts to better hear your voice.  Remind us again that we are called to walk in your presence. 

…………….. 

With our hearts turned to you we bring our joys, our sorrows and our concerns before you.  We lay them at your feet in the confidence that your grace will enter into every place and every person for whom we pray. 

JOYS 

 

 

 

SORROWS AND CONCERNS 

 

 

 

Ukraine
Palestine/Israel 

 

 

 

In confidence that you have heard our prayers, we are filled with your love,
and  hope overflows within our hearts.  Send us out into the world that your love and the hope it brings will touch the hearts of all those whom you have given to us. 

 

Lord, we are aware, that our time with you, has changed and transformed us into the image of Christ in whose name we pray together as he has taught us, saying: 

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 and 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, for ever.  Amen 

 

Hymn:  376 Lord the light of your love is shining

 

 

Benediction   

Go now sure footed in faith with eyes wide open and waiting for God’s glory to surprise you in unexpected ways. 

And the blessing of God Father, Son and Spirit:   Mystery, Sign and Hope be with you and those whose lives you touch now and always.  Amen 

 

Blessing Song:  Lead me Jesus 646 BP  Sing twice

 

Lead me Jesus I will follow,
down the dusty pathway
all along the sea
Teach me Jesus to be loving
your disciple I will be  

CCLI 11394548