Abstract
Luke 9:28–36 (37–43a)
On this Sunday before Lent, we remember again the Transfiguration. Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray and in the process is changed. Peter, John and James are witnesses to this, and Moses and Elijah appear ‘in glory’.
Jesus is affirmed by the voice of God in a cloud: “This is my Son, my chosen; listen to him!”
God of transfigurations,
We thank you for the gift of your beloved Son.
May we too enter the cloud of mystery,
Bearing faithful witness to Jesus
And having the courage to follow the path
From mountaintop to Jerusalem.
May your glory change us into your likeness
And so radiate your love for all the world.
“While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,
and his clothes became dazzlingly white.”
We are often afraid of change and so avoid your presence.
Forgive us.
Lord, have mercy,
“…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.”
Too often we misinterpret your words and your deeds
even when they are right in front of our eyes. Forgive us.
Christ, have mercy,
“You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you?”
Too often we lose our faith and are confused by your choices and by the direction you would lead us—we question the destinations and the Jerusalem’s of our lives.
Lord, have mercy,
As we prepare for our Lenten journey,
May we have the courage and conviction
To be transfigured by your presence
And strengthened to walk the road to the cross
With your beloved son, Jesus Christ,
And to know his presence with us,
And be open to all that it entails.
Amen
Luke 4:1–13
After experiencing the presence of God at the Transfiguration we are now taken to a place of desolation and seeming absence. In this place we are tempted and tormented by our desires, our fears, our sinfulness and humanity.
In the wilderness when all is stripped bare,
Remind us that it is the Holy Spirit leading us
And working that which is good in us.
Give us the courage to acknowledge our sinfulness
And the grace to live differently.
Help us to resist evil and to cling to you.
In our desolation we acknowledge our weaknesses.
Jesus said; “One does not live by bread alone.”
Forgive us, loving God,
For our greed and our wants,
Rather than need for pleasure at the expense of others.
Lord, have mercy,
“Jesus answered…worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
Forgive us, loving God,
For worshipping other gods—money, work, success, progress, people, power.
Christ, have mercy,
“Jesus answered; ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Forgive us, loving God,
For wanting proof that you exist,
Proof that you care,
Proof that we are in the right.
Lord, have mercy
In this first week of Lent
May our wilderness experiences enable us to see others with compassion,
And continue the journey aware of our own and others frailty.
Psalm 27
A meditative reading of Psalm 27 with congregational responses.
Begin by singing the Taize chant:
“The Lord is my Light and salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh
my adversaries and foes they shall stumble and fall.”
Silence
“Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.”
“One thing that I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after;
to live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in this shelter in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.”
Silence
“Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.”
“Hear O Lord, when I cry aloud
be gracious to me and answer me!
Come, my heart says, ‘seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.”
Silence
“Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help
Do not cast me off, do not forsake me,
O God of my Salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.”
“Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.”
Silence
When have I truly sought the face of God?
When have I experienced the hiddenness of God?
What is the way of the Lord, what is the path?
Silence
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
O Lord, our light and salvation,
may we see your goodness in and around us each day.
Give us strength and patience in our waiting for you.
End by singing the Taize chant ‘The Lord is my Light
Isaiah 55:1–9, Psalm 63:4–8, 1 Cor 10:1–13, Luke 13:1–9
Read Isaiah 55:1–9
For what do you thirst?
For what do you hunger?
For what do you seek?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”
For what does God thirst?
For what does God hunger?
For what does God seek?
Read Psalm 63:1–8
Lent is a time for self reflection, a time of stripping bare, a time to ponder, a time to be challenged, a time to draw nearer to God.
May our cry be;
“O God, you are my God, I seek you,
My soul thirsts for you;
My flesh faints for you,
As in a dry and weary land,
Where there is no water.”
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
We have not always walked the right path;
we have not always eaten the right spiritual food or drunk the right spiritual drink;
We confess this.
We trust, however, in a faithful God who will not test us beyond our strength and capabilities.
We pray for endurance for this journey.
Read Luke 13:1–9
We follow one who knows suffering and who weeps for those who also suffer.
We follow one who desires the ‘barren fig tree’ to bear fruit and offers nutrients for its possible flourishing.
Our hope is a God of hope.