Sunday, February 14, 2021 – Transfiguration of the Lord
The lectionary passages are:
— First Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-13
— Psalm 50:1-6
— Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
— Gospel Reading: Mark 9:2-9
The liturgical color for the day is: White
They could just stay there forever. Hang out right there—there was this incredible closeness to the divine. Maybe they could construct a dwelling place there; maybe they could build a shrine. No. There is not time for that. Jesus does not let them linger long. They have had a glimpse of the glory of God, but now they have to keep moving. They have to keep moving in the way of the cross.
This incredible moment will have to suffice. They must travel and the road will lead them right to Jerusalem. And in Jerusalem those things which Jesus spoke of will take place.
Oh, James and John and Peter, we get it. We long to linger in the place where we feel the best. We long to hang out in those places where we are built up. We want a faith that is a string of constant moments when we feel the most connected, the most clear, and the most glorious. We want lives that are that way too—that feeling of constantly being on top of it, of being connected and clear and even of being glorious. During this whole pandemic experience we sure haven’t felt “on top of it,” or “connected” in any way that is familiar.
But life and faith are not lived in those places of laser clarity or mountain-top-delight. Life and faith are lived on the road. Life and faith are lived headed towards Jerusalem. Faith is not about holding on to the best moments in life or hunkering down there. Faith is about keeping moving. It is about the journey; it is about the continuing on in the way of the cross. So we do that here, we do that now—we keep on the way, and all the way knowing we don’t go it alone and remembering those glimpses of glory we are seeing on the way.
Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk