A worship service was held at 10.30am in the church on Sunday 15 February.  The service was simultaneously broadcast on the Church Facebook page.  You can catch up here for 4 weeks.

The Bible passage is Matthew 17:1-9 and Duncan led the service and preached.   The sermon starts at 34:15 in the video.

John writes: This morning Duncan was preaching about the ‘Transfiguration’ of Jesus. On a high mountain three of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, James and John saw their master transformed and radiant. ‘He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.’ (v2) He was accompanied by Old Testament characters who also had mountaintop encounters with God – Moses, and Elijah. (v3)

Duncan discussed the Old Testament background to the story; he noted the description of the disciples, cowering and ‘terrified’ (v6).  This was not Jesus ‘meek and mild’, but Jesus in all his majestic wildness. He spoke about the power of light to bring all that is dark and hidden into view, and mentioned people guilty of wrongdoing who are afraid of what will be brought into the open as the Epstein files are published.

Duncan has preached many sermons on this theme, he told us but what he’s been drawn to over the past week is v7 ‘Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said “Don’t be afraid.”’ And Duncan applied these words to us.  Some of us, as the light of God’s holiness shines on things in our hearts which we had thought to keep hidden away are afraid.  Many of us are fearful about a multitude of other things.   To each of us, Jesus comes. ‘Get up! Don’t be afraid!’ May all of us who need these words hear them in our heart today.

And Duncan pointed out that God speaks in this incident as he spoke at Jesus’ baptism: ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ (v5)  Whatever excuses we may have for not listening to Jesus, whatever uncertainties and sadnesses are blocking our ears we’re challenged to ‘Listen to him!’

And Duncan pointed out that Jesus in all his glory came over, and touched them. In the Old Testament people were told that no-one could look upon the face of God and remain living, such was the glory, the wonder.   And yet in Jesus, this God comes down to earth. Jesus’ face is the face of God, and to look in the face of Jesus is to find, not death but a deeper life in all its fullness.  This is the miracle of grace, and of the cross.

Last week, Duncan pointed out, Hector spoke about Christians as being ‘lights’, letting our light shine.  And so we come to those who are sad and lonely, terrified and guilty, joyful and exuberant and our touch can be the touch of Jesus, our words can be the words of Jesus to them.   May this be our vocation in the coming week!

Finally, today’s passage about the radiance of Jesus, fully visible, reminds me that there is a glory in all Jesus’ followers, often obscured, rarely shining as brightly as it might.  And it reminds me of the famous sentences from C. S. Lewis’s sermon The weight of glory.  Lewis says ‘In the end that Face which is the delight or terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised.’  And so he writes:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all out dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

Duncan’s empathic and reflective pastoral prayer this morning:

Dear God

As we share together this morning let us enjoy some silence together, and in that silence know that you, O God, are close

May we bring to you God the week we’ve just had, remembering the good times and the not so good.

In the silence may we know that you shared those times with us.

We bring to you God the week ahead, offering you the things we’re looking forward to and those we are not.

In the silence may we know that you are and will be with us in all that we do

We share with you God those whom we care about.

Those who are happy and those who are not.

In the silence, may we be assured of your care for them too.

We offer to you God the things we are proud of and those we are not.

In the silence, may we know that God loves us beyond our imagination.

When life is good and there is a lot to celebrate you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

When life is tough, causing tears, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

When friends are many and laughter fills the air, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

When friends are few and the air is silent, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

When we are up on the mountaintop, feeling close to you, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

When we are down in the valley and feel really alone, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

And now as we are here together, you are close to us, Lord Jesus.

Lord, we thank you for our family, those with whom we live and those with whom we pray. For the fun and the struggles, for the discussions and the doubts, for the laughter and the love and for the joy of seeing you at work among us.

Today in the silence and safety of our church, amongst our friends and family, we think about those who are feeling frightened of what tomorrow may bring for them.

We pray that you Lord maybe with them and comfort them in their time of need. Loving Jesus, who shines in our hearts, it has been good to be here.

When the time comes to leave, help us to take away the things we have learned.

You turn our darkness into light; in your light shall we see light.

Merciful father, accept these prayers in the name of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.