Words of Welcome

Mark 9:2-9 From time immemorial people have told stories of divine encounters on mountain tops. This is true of Moses and Elijah and many others. I have a great love of mountains. While Mount Shasta is one of my favorite spots, I was strangely moved by my experience of the glory of the Swiss Alps. On the day we ascended the Stanserhorn, the mountain was shrouded in clouds. Think of the description of Mt. Sinai in Exodus. We wondered whether the clouds would block our view of the Alps, but as we ascended the mountain on the cable car we broke through the clouds into bright sunlight. When we arrived at the top of the mountain, the sight was exhilarating. While off in the distance we looked upon the higher snow-capped peaks of the Alps, it was the sight of the fog-enshrouded valley below that gave the sense that we had been caught up in the heavenly realm.      As we gather this morning on Transfiguration Sunday, we’ve heard Mark’s story of Jesus’ trip to the top of M...

1 John 1:1-2:2 “Christ the Lord is Risen Today. Alleluia” This morning that declaration continues to ring out as we hear the invitation to walk in the light of God. As the author of 1 John points out, we meet the God who “is light and in him there is no darkness at all” in the person of the risen Christ.   Here is the message of Easter: The risen Christ shines the light of God into the darkness of this world, with that light comes a new age of the Spirit. The old age, which is marked by sin and death has lost its grip on power. It’s still with us. We see it all around us, but a new age is breaking into our world, and Jesus invites us to carry this light of God into a world where the agents of the old age are resisting the light.  

The Light of the World, William Holman Hunt Keble College, Oxford 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 We began the service by singing: Shine, Jesus, shine Fill this land with the Father's glory Blaze, Spirit, blaze Set our hearts on fire Flow, river, flow Flood the nations with grace and mercy Send forth your word Lord, and let there be light. With this song we ushered in our celebration of Jesus’ transfiguration.  Transfiguration Sunday brings the season of Epiphany, the season of light and revelation to a close. The Gospel of Mark tells us how Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a hike up a mountain. When they reached the summit, the three disciples watched with amazement as Jesus’ whole being was transformed. His appearance radiated dazzling light, and his clothing was brighter than bright. But that’s not the end of the story. Before they knew it, Moses the Lawgiver and Elijah the Prophet joined Jesus on the mountaintop. While these three figures—Moses, Elijah, and Jesus...

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 On the first day of creation, God said: “‘let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good”  (Genesis 1:3-4a ). Every day when the sun rises the darkness flees, and we rejoice in the goodness that the light of the sun brings to our lives. As the Psalmist declares:   15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout,     who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 16 they exult in your name all day long,  and extol your righteousness. ( Ps. 89:15-16 ). When I chose to preach on this reading from the Book of Revelation, I didn’t know that this would be the week that our new lighting system would be installed. I call it providential that we’re celebrating God’s light on the day that this room, which has been rather dark in recent years, gets bathed in new light. As we contemplate the new brightness of the room, we can imagine for a moment walking in the light of God’s count...