Sermon for Sunday 02 March 2025, Transfiguration         Luke 9.28-36

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Today, the last Sunday of Epiphany, the lectionary designers have saved the best for last. An ordinary walk up a mountain became an opportunity for the disciples to witness the extraordinary sight of Jesus, not as a man, but transformed into a divine being. In these days of bad news that distracts and disappoints us, this is truly Good News!

We talk a lot about faith and the modern temptation of needing to know everything before we commit to following Christ, which of course is the opposite of faith. Today, Peter who just a few verses earlier had said that he believed Jesus to be the Messiah of God, now witnessed the truth for himself AND in the company of Jesus’ other most trusted disciples, John and James. He saw the truth that our brains still struggle to understand that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. On that mountain top, he saw the risk that God the Father was taking. For God did not send Elijah or Moses to tell us to turn to God, to love and accept that we are forgiven. No, God sent his son.

For all the messages of love that God sends to us, we are still in awe of God and somewhat afraid. A bit of righteous respect is probably a healthy thing, but feeling so afraid that it affects the way we approach and worship God is by no means life-giving. We believe that through our faith in Jesus, we can love and worship God. In loving, we are called to find and see the glory of God all around us, in our church and the world beyond, even when that seems impossible.

Our collective prayer for ourselves is to find a way to approach God in worship, prayer and everyday life that reveals a sense of ease or freedom. Perhaps we are at our boldest and most able to do this when we are angry or disappointed with God. Things may not have quite worked out as we had hoped, and we then feel sufficiently free to shout at God, ‘Where were you?’ or ‘Why did you let that happen?’ If this is you, then please join the Lenten Study group who are reading Pete Greig’s book ‘God on mute’ about unanswered prayer. Alternatively, you could read it by yourself. You might find it rather helpful or even hopeful. But, worries and troubles aside, what anchors you, holds you up and sets you free to worship God? Not just in church but everyday?

Some of the architecture and layout of churches underline the idea of a fearsome, punishing God that will strike us down when we make a mistake. It can be subtle but unhelpful. Things like communion rails form a physical barrier to separate the altar from the Body of Christ. Jesus was sent to bring God’s good news all the way into the middle of the people, not just to a special few or to suggest a price to be paid by us to gain God’s love. In addition, given a communion rail and some beautiful kneelers, we easily find ourselves going back to kneeling to share in communion. Think about it, we start the service seeking the reassurance that we have indeed been forgiven of our sins, and we stand to say the Gloria joyfully. Alleluia, we are blessed, forgiven and saved! But there is a risk when we come to share communion that we find ourselves kneeling, physically or mentally, and mumbling about being unworthy to even receive the crumbs from under God’s table. What happened? Did God’s forgiveness wear off so quickly?

What about the way we sit? Sitting in a circle is not everyone’s cup of tea, but when we sit in pews facing the altar, it is possible to block out the back of everyone else’s head, and simply connect directly with God. That’s what we say- ‘Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength’, so what is wrong with feeling free to form a strong individual link with God? Nothing, if you remember the 2nd commandment, ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. In a circle, your gaze falls on your neighbour, another beloved child of God, who is doing their best to love too. Our very mobile form of sharing the peace in this place does help us to connect with each other, but please consider how you might feel free to love God and neighbour in our words and actions.

One of the appealing things about church these days is that it can feel like a refuge from a scary and upsetting world, but we are called to live our faith outside of this building. Perhaps we should consider church gatherings as an opportunity to ‘top up’or refresh our weary souls before heading back out there?

On that mountain top, Peter felt something similar. He experienced an Epiphany when he saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah and heard God’s voice confirming that this was God’s Son. How could he walk back down that mountain, he had just had a divine experience! How could he leave? Sure, it had been scary, but also wonderful. He wanted to stay and worship God, to build little shelters for each of the figures he had seen. After that experience, how could he possibly return to daily life, cooking food, dealing with friends and strangers, and facing the daily dangers of living in an enemy-occupied land?

The news at the moment is awful. Who could blame you for wanting to stay on top of your own mountain? It might seem strange to preach about how we are blessed by God to be free to worship when the threat of war and uncertainty swirls around us, but there are things we can do that makes our faith our secret weapon, and sets us free in the world.

• One is to take Jesus’ arm in ours and walk out of here to bring a sense of Christ’s love and forgiveness to all we meet.
• Another is to stand up for love and fairness when we see it being abused. Don’t let lies slide past you.
• The third is to care, in your own way, for those hurt or damaged by violence. That could be doing something for a refugee, or someone closer to home.

Finally, let’s listen again to the words of the hymn we sang this morning.

‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Your glory fills the night;

Your face and garments, like the sun, Shine with unborrowed light.

2 ‘Tis good, Lord, to be here, Your beauty to behold,

Where Moses and Elijah stand, Your messengers of old.

3 Fulfiller of the past! Promise of things to be!

We hail your body glorified,And our redemption see.

4 Before we taste of death, We see your kingdom come;

We long to hold the vision bright, And make this hill our home.

5 ‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain;

But since you bid us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.          

 The Lord be with you.