Transfiguration of Our Lord

Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm 2
2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

First Lesson: Exodus 24:12-18

Challenges:

Seems like a pretty straightforward story as you read it.  Moses goes up the mountain and he leaves Aaron and Hur behind to take care of things in his absence.  Moses encounters God on the mountain and God like a devouring fire.  Again, a bit terrifying, but still pretty straightforward.  This brings up to me the question of our access to God. I feel that we humans push to one extreme or the other.  Sometimes we feel that God is totally and completely aloof and "other" and "alien."  This can make us feel separated from God in a way that isn't healthy. At other times we act like God is hear always and is something like a warm, cuddly teddy bear that we can hold when we're feeling bad.  This is an image of God that never challenges us.  It's so very easy for us to fall into one extreme or the other...even to the point where we over-correct one extreme to the other.

Opportunities:

This could be a good chance to talk about the awe and majesty of God.  The phenomenal power that God wields can indeed be impressive.  Have you experienced power like this? Has it inspired you? Terrified you? Both at the same time?  This could also be a chance to talk about the importance of delegation when you are a leader. Moses leaves Aaron and Hur behind to settle disputes, etc. (Of course, things go bad when the people convince Aaron to make other gods for them at the foot of the mountain in chapter 32...)

The Good News: 

God comes and meets the people through Moses.  God reaches out and gives the people a way of life and a leader.  God has saved the people from slavery and is now giving them a way of life that will bring joy and happiness and community to them.

Psalm: Psalm 2

Challenges:

The image of "the LORD" here isn't too positive.  The Lord is something of a bully: acting with derision toward enemies and other peoples.  I don't particularly like the way God is portrayed here.  How can this work for us today?

Also, it can be very surprising for us to learn that Ancient Kings claimed to be 'the Son of God' all of the time, since they are "God's Annointed." This could take you aback if you're only thinking of Jesus as having that role.

Opportunities:

It's easy to feel like there is no control in the world, as if it will all fall apart in a minute or two. Maybe your life or the lives of the people who will be listening to you feel like they are teetering on the edge of falling apart. This can be a good chance to talk about how God is indeed in control. It doesn't mean that absolutely everything that happens comes from God, but that ultimately God's Kingdom is coming one way or the other.

The Good News: 

There are many ways to view God and we get many different descriptions of God throughout the bible. It is always good news for us that we get to view God through the "lens" of Jesus, who we proclaim as God's Anointed One every time we call him "Christ."

Second Lesson: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Challenges:

Wow, big stuff going on here.  This is Peter telling people about his experience.  Granted it can be a bit hard to follow his line of thought, especially if your attention is taken elsewhere in the middle of the reading of the lesson.

Opportunities:

There's that moment in most of our lives (hopefully when we're relatively young) where we realize that just because something is written in a book doesn't make it true.  It's an astounding and rather disorienting experience.   It means that we need to think critically about the sources of our information.  It also means that deciding what is really truth, fact or anything else is very difficult.  How do we know what to believe.  I love history and I read lots of books about World War II.  Thousands of scholars have written books about this subject, and each has a slightly (or drastically) different view on the conflict.  Which one is right? That's where critical thinking comes in.  The author of this passage is talking about something similar.  How do we know a prophecy comes from God or not? How do we know what is "of God" or not?  We have a community of faith around us, of course. It also helps if a voice from heaven says, ""This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 

This could be a great chance to talk about how we decide what is true, what is right and what is "fact." How do we know who to trust? It's not an easy question, but one we really need to be asking constantly.

The Good News: 

Throughout the New Testament you get a sense that the people who are writing these gospels and letters were profoundly changed by something that they experienced.  Their lives were changed.  They encountered SOMETHING and it was powerful and inspiring and wonderful (even if they were terrified from time to time). I get a sense of that encounter here.  It is really amazing.

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

Challenges:

I think it's really, really easy for us to be down on the tired, stupid disciples (especially Peter) and the sad way they react to this glorious experience.  Now, it is true that Peter says something colossally stupid, but dwelling on this seems to miss the point.  Would you have done any better? I'm sure I wouldn't have.  Besides, if we dwell on how wrong Peter is, it's possible we can miss the absolutely amazing thing that is happening here: something that is totally beyond Peter's (or our) experience.  JESUS' FACE SHINES LIKE THE SUN! THERE'S A HUGE CLOUD! THERE'S A VOICE FROM HEAVEN! Are you kidding me?!?! Criticizing Peter for saying the wrong thing seems to miss the point. I'm surprised he got out any words at all.  We certainly don't have to say that he was right in what he said. But criticizing Peter feels like being a "Monday Morning Quarterback" or in this case a "Valley Disciple." Now, their performance at the Garden of Gethsemane is another matter....

Opportunities:

This is a great chance to talk about the experience of God's mystery and "otherness."  Having a brush with the Divine can be completely and totally awe-inspiring.  What are ways that we can experience this awe or otherness?  On an actual mountain-top?  In a great crowd of people?  In a beautiful building?  It's so easy for us to get so "comfortable" with God that maybe we need a bit of awe-someness.

This is also the perfect "you had to be there to understand it" moment.  I wouldn't be surprised if Peter, James and John kept quiet for a long time.  How could you explain what happened? Have you ever been on a religious retreat or some other profound experience that cannot be completely described to someone who was not there?  

The Good News:

There seems to be a tremendous convergence of grace here.  Jesus has the opportunity to speak with Moses and Elijah.  While Matthew doesn't mention the subject of their conversation (that comes in Luke) I think we can safely assume that the conversation was positive and helpful to him.  The disciples had the amazing chance (while terrifying at the time) to experience Jesus in his glory and God the Father in action. This experience must have brought them great inspiration and comfort later on.  And for thousands of years believers have been inspired by this story.  That seems to be the way God works: with so much mysterious grace and blessing bouncing around it's hard to keep track of it all.