Light is the Image of God - 11 February 2018 - Transfiguration

As we come to the end of the season of ordinary time after the Epiphany, the scripture stops us abruptly with anything but the ordinary. Here is another epiphany, a manifestation or showing forth of God in Christ. This is the most vivid such manifestation in the gospels, prior to the resurrection, if you set aside the epiphany of the angels of the incarnation. This manifestation can be seen as a foretaste, of the resurrection appearances, and perhaps a sample of the vision of God that we anticipate seeing, as St. Paul tells us, not “in a mirror, dimly,” but “face to face.” . . . –– Sara Webb Phillips

Mark 9:2-9

Profound spiritual experiences are a normal part of discipleship to Jesus, and may become more frequent in times when we are intentional about letting him draw us nearer to himself, as we do every Sunday when we gather around his table, and as we do every year during Lent as we seek personally and corporately to reorient our lives even more to his way. But those experiences are not the end we seek. Instead they are powerful reminders, pointing us back to the power, wisdom and glory of Jesus.

As we are pointed back to Jesus, the Father's voice continues to remind us to listen to him. Not to the power of the experience, not to the prevailing wisdom of the day, not to hopes for glory for ourselves or others—but to the words and teaching of Jesus.

We as the institutional church must confess that we have not always followed this directive well. We have listened to philosophers or kings or emperors or scholars or psychologists or televangelists or church marketing experts or leadership gurus, perhaps thinking and believing in all sincerity that we were listening to Jesus in and through them. To be sure, sometimes we were.

But our first call, as church, and especially as we all engage this Lenten journey which begins just three days from today, is to listen to Jesus himself. We have his words, his teachings recorded in the gospels. . . . During Lent itself it is to [the] Lord . . . we ultimately turn—not only to hear his words, but to learn again, or perhaps for the first time, how to do them.

. . . Today we are on a high mountain with Jesus, looking out over the spiritual battleground that lies ahead for each of us. –– Taylor Burton-Edwards

2 Kings 2:1-12

Elijah's ministry ends dramatically as he is taken into heaven in a chariot of fire. The wonderful storytelling draws out Elijah's final journey with repetition of narrative elements. The listener's sense of expectation increases as Elisha will not be dissuaded from following his master. At last “the mantle is passed” and the story turns its attention to Elisha. –– Aaron J. Couch

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Paul pictures the gospel message as open and clear but acknowledges that for some, its truth is veiled. It is Satan, the “god of this world,” who has blinded them so they fail to see the glory of Christ. Those who believe “see” the glory of the Creator God revealed in Jesus Christ. –– Aaron J. Couch

Taylor Burton-Edwards is the Director of Worship resources for the United Methodist Church.

Aaron J. Couch is a co-pastor of First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon.

Sara Webb Phillips is a United Methodist minister serving North Springs UMC in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Homily Service 39, no. 3 (2006): 35-46.

Following the Call – 21 January 2018 – Third Sunday after Epiphany/ Lectionary 3

Jonah was called to preach to those he did not think worthy of God's love. It is no wonder he tried to flee, escape God's word. It is a step of faith to respond to Jesus' call and follow as did the disciples. It is another step to become a Jonah, stepping into enemy territory with a message we fear no one will want to hear. But we, the church, are continually called to do the difficult, the seemingly impossible, even the unpleasant. –– Hilda Parks

Mark 1:14-20

Mark has set the stage. John the Baptist has pronounced his prophecies. Jesus has been baptized in the Jordan and has resisted the temptation of Satan in the wilderness. Now, Jesus comes to Galilee proclaiming the Good News of God and calling for repentance. He continues with the calling of the first disciples.

. . .  Jesus calls for a radical reshaping of how one lives in response to the call of Jesus. The scene closes as Zebedee, the father of the newly called James and John, is seen sitting in the boat. –– Eric T. Myers

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

The book of Jonah is about God's persistence. It is about God's call to repentance. But it is also about God's mercy. Jonah knew God was a merciful God, that God both judged and forgave. However, he wasn't completely comfortable with the God who would repent. “God changed his mind” says the tenth verse. What a powerful word. Does it give you hope, or does it make you uncomfortable? God as judge, especially if it's your neighbor who is being judged, is fine. But a God who forgives, that is another matter. –– Hilda Parks

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

There is an eschatological intensity to Paul's statements about the “present form of the world” in 1 Corinthians 7. Most Christians choose to live as if the “appointed time” is a mysterious, distant possibility that does not concern us. And yet, even though we choose to marry and mourn and rejoice and participate in commerce, it is perhaps spiritually appropriate to live as if the “present form of the world is passing away.” All mystical portions of the great spiritual traditions connect with this concept of living as if there is no time, of living as if there is no time to waste.

Annie Dillard, a modern-day mystic, struggles to understand tragedy and God's presence in Holy the Firm (Harper and Row, 1977.) Thinking about a baptism she happened upon while walking near the ocean, she writes: “The surface of things outside the drops has fused. Christ himself and the others, and the brown warm wind, and hair, sky, the beach, the shattered water—all this has fused. It is the one glare of holiness; it is bare and unspeakable. There is no speech or language; there is nothing, no one thing, nor motion, nor time. There is only this everything. There is only this, and its bright and multiple noise…. You must rest now. I cannot rest you. For me there is, I am trying to tell you, no time.” [contributor unfortunately not cited]

Eric T. Myers, a former church musician, is pastor of Frederick Presbyterian Church in Frederick, Maryland, and adjunct professor of worship at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Hilda A. Parks, ordained in the United Methodist Church, also holds a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University, Madison, New Jersey.

Homily Service 40, no. 2 (2006): 39-47.

Lamb of God – 15 January 2017 – Second Sunday after the Epiphany

John 1:29-42

This text contains several names for Jesus of Nazareth.

The Baptist calls Jesus the “Lamb of God.” In this phrase the word of carries the meaning provided by. The image comes from the fourth Servant Song (Isaiah 53:7ff) and/or from Exodus 12's description of the Passover lamb in Egypt. Unlike all cultic lambs before him, Jesus actually takes away our sins. . . .

Andrew and another disciple move from John to Jesus, whom they address as “Rabbi.” But after listening to him, they decide Jesus is the Messiah. Andrew announces the good news to his brother Peter.

No attempt should be made to reconcile this account with that of the Synoptics in which Peter, Andrew, James and John follow Jesus without any introduction. The focus here is on the Baptist's ministry of witness. – Joseph McHugh

In addition to the names Lamb of God, Rabbi, and Messiah, biblical witness also has brought us to assign the name Suffering Servant to the Christ, linking his life, death, and resurrection with the one described by the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 49:1-7

The Servant, representative of the remnant of faithful Israel, speaks to us today. His commission was to renew God's people, “to bring back Jacob to him” (v 5). The remnant (“survivors” in v 6) will experience freedom, but also embrace the obligation of bringing the message of the love of the true God to all the nations. . . .

This is also the mission of the church. We should not be surprised that many will reject the message of salvation. Our society also has its false gods of power and money. Many will not respond warmly to the Gospel message. Nonetheless, we, as servants of the Lord, must proclaim his message, else how will salvation reach “to the ends of the earth?” – Joseph McHugh

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Whether you call it evangelization, witnessing, or testifying, today's readings speak about proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. . . . The invitation is simple: “Come and see!”

John the Baptizer said, “'I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.' The next day… he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ ” (1:34, 36). John saw the Spirit descend on his relative Jesus when he was baptized. John heard God's voice thundering from heaven calling Jesus God's Beloved Son. John saw and heard, and then he spoke. That is what witnesses do. In a courtroom, witnesses are not called to convince the jury of anything. That is the lawyers' job. Witnesses are not called to condemn or pardon people. That is the judge's job. Witnesses are simply called to tell people what they saw and heard.

Like John the Baptizer and any other witness, we are called to tell people what we have seen and heard. . . . We have seen the Spirit's work in our own lives and have heard God's word to us. This started at our own baptism. While many of us cannot remember that event, we can speak about how the Spirit has led us from our infancy and how God's word has touched our lives, comforting and challenging us along our own personal spiritual journey. . . . All we need to do is speak about these things to others, just as John told others what he saw and heard.  – John Paul Salay

Joseph McHugh is a freelance writer who writes on scripture and other religious topics.

John Paul Salay is Loyola University’s Minister of Liturgy and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Homily Service 41, no. 1 (2007): 111-120.