Seasons of the Spirit
The Christian Year in Biblical Perspective
February 14, 2010
Transfiguration Sunday (Year C)
Liturgical Color: White

Luke 9:28-36
Read it! Meditate!
35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Sometimes it is difficult to speak appropriate words. At other times, this task is impossible. Luke tells it quite well – "…they kept silence." Peter had mumbled something about building three booths, but it sounded flat and received no notice. The event on the mountain posits the upcoming death of Jesus as the culmination of Law and Prophecy. This is an awesome view, outstretching the vistas of valleys and events below and beyond. We do well to read, re-read and ponder these verses in our hearts. It was a long time before the apostles could bring themselves to speak of their experience on the mountain. The transfiguration outshines all that was happening in the world, then and now.

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Sometimes I ponder why a particular passage has been chosen by committee for reading with a certain gospel passage. Paul has many frustrations with his Jewish brothers, who strongly resisted him as he preached in the synagogues. Paul's true sentiments are more adequately reflected in Romans 11 as the crown of 9 &10. Looking down one's spiritual nose at the Jews who do not accept Christ is to misunderstand why the early Church worked among the gentiles. Israel has an irrevocable call. So do Ishmael's children! Religious wars among Abraham's children is surely a great tragedy of the ages

Psalm 99
They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy.

A mountaintop east of Hiawassee is often enshrouded by clouds, sometimes dark, sometimes pink and light. One area near the summit is called "Egypt" because old-time farmers in the valley went up there after dry years to buy seed corn. Today, many peaks are reached in minutes by auto, as are worship and "prayer" meetings. Trudging up a mountain to pray or walking to Temple would not suit us well. But it could be worth the journey.

Rev. Don Brewer, (retired)
Member, Cherry Log Christian Church