Transfiguration Sunday

Opening Verse of Scripture Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Father in heaven, whose Son Jesus Christ was wonderfully transfigured before chosen witnesses upon the holy mountain, and spoke of the exodus he would accomplish at Jerusalem: give us strength so to hear his voice and bear our cross that in the world to come we may see him as he is; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

First Bible Reading Daniel 7.9,10,13,14

As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames,  and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousand served him,  and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgement, and the books were opened. As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being  coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

Second Reading 2 Peter 1.16–19

For 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 honour 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.

Gospel Reading  Luke 9.28–36

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Post Communion Prayer

Holy God, we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ: may we who are partakers at his table reflect his life in word and deed, that all the world may know his power to change and save. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary

When I was visiting my brother who is a priest in Hong Kong I was invited for a walk. After a twenty minute drive, which is about as long as you can drive in Hong Kong without going into mainland China or dropping off into the sea, we reached a place to park and went on a walk. I never knew what to expect, which was a good thing because in temperatures in which I would normally be seated on a wooden bench in a sauna we began a walk over something called the Devil's Back. This walk took hours, after which I was somewhat tired and greatly appreciative of a long rest. But I was surprised when we reached the top of the mountain ridge, it gave me a view of Hong Kong which I had not expected, vast mountains covered in forest, sandy beaches and beautiful seas. I was glad that I had been and it was hardly believable when we left to be back in the incredibly busy city life that it normality in Hong Kong. 

The mountain provided a time of space, away from the hustle and the bustle and the hurry. I wonder what the disciples expected when they set off with Jesus that afternoon? Peter, James and John all off on a walk up a Mountain. I wondered how much of a walk this mountain would be. Tradition has it that it was Mount Tabor in Lower Galilee. Opinion seems divided on how tall it was between about 1,600 and 1900 feet, but the surrounding area is quite low and so it dominates the landscape. But as I looked at a picture of it, it didn't seem as high as my mountain in Hong Kong. Did they think that they would have time to look out over this sights the place where the Israelite general Barak had triumphed over the Canaanite leader Sisera (11c BC) in the time of the judge and prophetess Deborah. Would they have an intimate conversation among the four of them? A chance to talk Jesus out of that strange, scary stuff he had been saying about suffering and dying, about saving or losing their lives? 

Of course, whatever they expected, they got much more than they bargained for on that mountain: a dazzling experience of the holy, an encounter with the transcendent, Christ transfigured before their very eyes. Biblical scholar Eduard Schweitzer said that

"for a brief moment the curtain . . . is drawn aside," and the disciples are "allowed to see in Jesus something of the glory of God and God's kingdom, of that other life to which human eyes are otherwise blind." 

We all need time to be transfigured. This is not about, 'we all need to take time out.' That is not the point of this story. The message is that we all need to set time aside away from the normal routine to be with God. It is important for us to remember the fact that Jesus is more than the fellow from next door, more than a good buddy with whom we can walk and talk, more than a good example for our children and our grandchildren to emulate. Jesus is nothing less that God in human flesh. Sometimes I think we forget this. We fall into our daily routines without a thought about the divinity that surrounds us, without any real awareness of the power that surrounds us and holds us up. We have business to do, we have people to see, we have kids to move from A to B to C and back again. In the bustle —in the hurry—in the work that we do, we loose track of where we are going; we lose track of whose we are and what has been promised to those who are attentive to him. We all need to take time to spend in the presence of God. 

In the Gospel of Luke we read how important it was for Jesus to pray. At the key moments of life he speaks with God and prays. If it was important for Jesus to take time out to be away from the normal activity of life, how much more do we need that time too. Life is never going to be all mountain top experience, human life is not like that. We are all trapped within mortal bodies, with far too many things crowding around us. But if we are always in the valleys and we never know God's presence to be with us, then we need to listen to things like the Lord's Prayer. We need to capture some of the power which is available to us to enable us to cope through life. 

Somebody said we are what we eat. I am sure that you have all seen pink flamingos? Of course flamingos aren't pink all their lives? When they are hatched they are an entirely different colour. When flamingos are very little, they are green. By the time they are three years old, flamingos turn from green to pink. It's because of what they eat! Flamingos eat two kinds of food, sea algae and shrimp. The sea algae and the shrimp cause the flamingo to change colours, from green to pink. Because of the kinds of food that flamingos put into their bodies, they eventually change colour. Our spiritual lives are very much the same, what we put into them has a very important effect in terms of what we get out. If you are afraid today, if you are troubled, then the very best things that you can do is to take time to step aside for a while, to find the quiet space in which you can pour out your heart to God, to climb the mountain of transfiguration and to fix your eyes upon God's presence, to pray—and to listen. 

The three disciples were invited to see Jesus for who he really was and it was a very special invitation. But that invitation has now been extended to each one of us. Each one of us is invited to climb the mountain, each one of us is invited to enter the holy of holies, into the place where God abides. We experience the mountain top so that we may come back down I am sure the disciples, before they left the mountain that day, glanced wistfully over their shoulders at the place where things had been so clear for them. They must have hated to leave that place of ecstasy, contentment and vision, especially with the earlier stark teaching Jesus had given about the inevitability of suffering for those who would follow him, still ringing in their ears. We too look over our shoulders. There's a Peter in each of us, wanting to hold on to the special moments that feel so special and unending. But of course this is not the end. We then carry the light that shines upon us in these places into the world—into the place where not only we see it—but others may see it as well. 

Mission is at the core of our being as individuals and as a church. If we cease to consider mission to be of fundamental importance, then we rapidly turn in on ourselves and become nothing more that a cosy club for like minded people. Emil Brunner nicely sums up this simple truth in one inescapable sentence. "The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning." No burning, no fire. No mission, no church. Churches which have tried to ignore it, make church into a private club, a comfortable chaplaincy, and a fund-raising and fund-dispersing organisation. But churches that ignore the call to active mission dwindle and die. In contrast, churches that make mission their focus thrive - whether they are large or small, the spirit in congregations that look outward rather than inward generates the light of Christ and attracts new life. 

Mission cannot exist without missionaries—people who go forth and enter into relationships with other people in the name and spirit of Christ, whether going means across the street or across the world. It used to be that as Christians we were told that if we did not escalate our efforts to communicate and convert then thousands of souls would disappear into hell. With the advent dare I say it of a softer more liberal preaching which prefers to leave the details of divine judgement to the divine, there can be a tendency to say 'well it doesn't really matter that much we can leave the whole things to God and everything will turn out alright in the end.' Well this might be a very helpful interpretation for us to put on the scriptures, but it is most certainly not an accurate reflection of the command which Jesus gave to his disciples and does not capture the urgency with which they interpreted his words. As Christians we understand our message to hold the very keys of eternal life as such we must be willing to go and work out our faith in order that others might believe. 

As Christians we use the word 'mission' in all kinds of ways to include sharing our financial resources, working with charities, all manner of Christians good works. However, specifically Christians are charged to make disciples, to bring into the family of the church those from outside who have not appreciated that through Jesus Christ we can now become children of God's Kingdom. We can share many thoughts about how this can accomplished, how we must be careful and respect the views of others, how our Christian actions must match our words. This conversation however only takes place once we have accepted the imperative that we as Christians must go. We might not have a 'mountain top experience,' but as we spend time with God we will be uplifted and grow in our faith. Then as we grow we will be more empowered to share our faith with others.   Charles Royden

Meditation  A meditation for August 6, the anniversary of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima in 1945 

The statue of Sadako shown below holding a golden crane at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial War has lasting effects. 

The gospel story of the transfiguration is about seeing in a new way. The disciples see Jesus in a new way. They understand the presence of God in an amazing experience. Everything now looks different. In the midst of our complex contemporary world, the gospel invites us to be free enough to see things in a new way. In the midst of war and violence, the gospel invites us to see the presence of God and God’s invitation to peace. In the midst of poverty and injustice, the gospel invites us to hear God's invitation to respect the dignity of every human person and the need for justice and peace for all. 

In some way we (as individuals and as a world community) need a "transfiguration experience" to see things in a new way – from the point of view of Christ, from the point of view of the poor and powerless, from the point of view of other cultures. The Transfiguration is a sign of great hope. The disciples discover that it is possible to see the presence of God in Jesus. It is possible to see things in a new way. 

Long after the aggression has ceased, negative effects remain. Japan is just one of numerous countries that continue to be plagued by the effects of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The story of Sadako Sasaki provides a starting point for this discussion on the need for peace. Sadako was a baby of two on August 6, 1945, unaware of the war that raged around her. On that day she lost more than her grandmother as an atomic bomb reduced the city of Hiroshima to a desert of destruction and radioactive wasteland. She survived the initial blast with seemingly no ill effects. 

Ten years passed and Sadako grew strong and swift. It was as she was practicing for a competition that she crumpled to the track and was taken to the hospital. There her worst fears were confirmed. She had developed leukemia as a result of her exposure to radiation. During her long hospital stays, Sadako began to fold paper cranes. According to Japanese legend, if an individual folds 1000 paper cranes, a wish will be granted. (It was believed that Cranes lived for 1,000 years). With each crane she folded, the wish was the same-to get well. In October of 1955, Sasako folded her last crane-number 644,and she quietly became another of the many casualties of a war that had ended ten years earlier. Her classmates finished the remaining 366 cranes to honour Sadako's memory and to share in her wish that such bombs of destruction would never be used again. The cranes were buried with her. 

The children told Sadako's story to the world by sharing the letters they had exchanged during her hospital stay. Shocked by her death, her classmates put out a national call to "build a monument to mourn all the children who died from the atomic bombing." With the support of students in more than 3,100 schools around Japan and in nine other countries, including England, the Society was able to build this bronze statue that stands nine metres high. In 1958, a monument was erected in Hiroshima's Peace Park to honour Sadako and all of the children who died because of the bombs. This monument has become an international symbol of peace. Every year thousands of children visit the memorial bringing chains of folded cranes to lay at the base. Each crane is a prayer for peace-prayers and wishes that number in the millions. On the top of the three-legged pedestal stands the bronze figure of a girl holding up a gold-coloured "folded" crane. On opposite sides of the pedestal are suspended boy and girl figures symbolizing a bright future and hope. On the stone underneath the pedestal is inscribed, 'This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in this world.'

The monument was created by Kazuo Kikuchi, then a professor of Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music. 

Helpful links

http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/

For August 6

' In the face of the man-made calamity that every war is, one must affirm and reaffirm, again and again, that the waging of war is not inevitable or unchangeable. Humanity is not destined to self-destruction. Clashes of ideologies, aspirations and needs can and must be settled and resolved by means other than war and violence. Pope John Paul II, Appeal for Peace, Hiroshima, Japan. 

Hymns

Rejoice the Lord is king (Tune Gopsal)

Christ triumphant

Come Praise the name of Jesus (Tune Morning Light)

Love divine (Tune Blaenwern)

Holy Christ in light transfigured (Tune Ode to Joy ) 

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

Response: God of Peace, lead us on the way of peace.

• As we remember the atomic bombs dropped on the people of Japan 61 years ago, we pray that these weapons will never be used again.
• As we hear of the recent fighting in and around Lebanon and Israel, we pray that the Holy Spirit will lead our world on a new way to peace.
• As war continues in Iraq and Afghanistan, we pray for divine help to show us how to build peace.
• As we experience the proliferation of weapons of all sorts all over our world, we pray that we can finally use our resources for the good of people and not for destruction.
• As we see economic injustice all around us, we pray that the spirit will lead us to do what leads to justice for all.
• As we recall the Transfiguration experience, we pray that we will all see in it a new way and allow our new vision to transform our actions into the way of peace and justice for all. 

Additional Material

Meditation

Martin Luther King preached his last sermon on April 3 1968, in it he spoke of his mountain top experience, the following day he was shot dead. At the end of his sermon he said very prophetically  

We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.  

Poem

Let the rain come and wash away

the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds

held and nurtured over generations.

Let the rain wash away the memory

of the hurt, the neglect.

Then let the sun come out and

fill the sky with rainbows.

Let the warmth of the sun heal us

wherever we are broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that

we can see each other clearly.

So that we can see beyond labels,

beyond accents, gender or skin colour.

Let the warmth and brightness

of the sun melt our selfishness.

So that we can share the joys and

feel the sorrows of our neighbours.

And let the light of the sun

be so strong that we will see all

people as our neighbours.

Let the earth, nourished by rain,

bring forth flowers

to surround us with beauty.

And let the mountains teach our hearts

to reach upward to heaven.

Amen.

---Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

----Social Justice Resources Diocese of Oakland mdoyle@oakdiocese.org