 |
| Image by Justin Kern |
†
A GREETING
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
(Psalm 36:5)
A READING
Six days later, 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.
(Matthew 17:1-8)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Yours is the day, yours also the night;
you established the moon and the sun.
(Psalm 74:16)
A PRAYER
In the temple of my being,
in the temple of my body,
in the temple of earth, sea and sky,
in the great temple of the universe
I look for the light that was in the beginning,
the mighty fire that blazes still from the heart of life.
- from Sounds of the Eternal A Celtic Psalter,
Morning and Night Prayer by J. Philip Newell
VERSE OF THE DAY
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:9)
†
 |
| Image by Kilgarron |
The transfiguration of Jesus is an event which stands at a threshold between the past the present and the future of the story of the ministry of Jesus. There are many elements of this story that will later be echoed at Gethsemane, specifically in the ways in which the disciples are both asleep and awake to what is happening around them. The presence of Elijah and Moses in the story is a sign to these Jewish disciples that Jesus is the next in line of the great prophets. For this reason, Peter wants to find dwelling places for everyone, as is the customary practice during the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles, a time of commemoration of the years spent in exile in the wilderness. Peter’s offer is consistent with the disciple who many times in the storytelling wants to fulfill the signs of who Jesus is.
Throughout the biblical story, there are moments of unusual fire or light which seem to be a sign or reflection of God’s presence. The light becomes visible as the ‘burning’ bush, or the pillar of ‘fire’ that goes before the exiled people in the desert. A manifestation of God in nature is called a theophany. God makes creative use of the elements in order to be known and seen by God’s people, in events that appear only in specific moments.
The light surrounding Jesus in this story is called in the Orthodox traditions, the ‘uncreated light,’ meaning light that has no beginning and no end. In the midst of this light, we hear that the disciples were heavy with sleep and then awakened. Here, sleep is a sign of not being ready yet to see the truth: being heavy with sleep is a moment of transition and change. Many of us have times in our lives when we are dealing with something stressful, and we will experience either extreme wakefulness and insomnia, or extreme fatigue. Our bodies find ways of signalling to us that something big is happening. In the story, the disciples' heaviness with sleep allows them to enter into a space of new awareness, crossing the threshold between worlds they have known and the space of divine energy that is filled by God and Jesus.
The transfiguration reminds us that in Jesus, death and resurrection are forever joined. It is as if we are being told in the middle of this transformative, light-filled scene, that a deep painful passion is ahead, but one that will lead us to new life.
As we go forward in Lent, we know where the journey leads for Jesus. But what about ourselves? The light of the transfiguration will stay with the apostles and become part of who they are. How will you carry the transfigured Jesus with you, and become that light for others?
* * * * * * * *
A STORY OF ENDURANCE
Newgrange is a pre-historic cairn located on the east coast of Ireland northwest of Dublin. More than 3200 years old, it was initially used as a tomb, with interior chambers and passageways linking its various rooms. It was the subject of an archeological excavation and renovation in the early twentieth century. The circular mound monument contains Celtic art so deep in its interior that it is hard to understand how it could have been made. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, each year people throng to the site on the winter solstice, in hopes of witnessing the perfect illumination of a long passageway leading to a triple spiral on an inner chamber, made by the sun as it rises and shines through a carefully constructed roofbox. It is the one time of the year that the sun perfectly aligns to light the interior.
 |
| Image by Ken Williams |
†
LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!