Transfiguration Sunday
Now
about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and
James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the
appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly
they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and
were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had
stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as
they were leaving him, 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. While he was saying this, a cloud came
and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then
from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen
to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept
silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
[On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a
great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I
beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him,
and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it
mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out,
but they could not." Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse
generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your
son here." While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in
convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him
back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.]
Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)
The Transfiguration
RAPHAEL
1516
- 20
Pinacoteca
Vaticana
Vatican
City
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfiguration_(Raphael)
RAPHAEL’S
MASTERPIECE
On
Good Friday in 1520 A.D., prominent Italian painter and architect
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (better known as simply “Raphael”) died at the age
of 37. He left behind a large body of work including paintings, altarpieces,
sculptures, sketches… and one unfinished oil painting on wood, titled
the Transfiguration.
Raphael,
busy with other commissions, had worked on the Transfiguration for
four years—but he died prematurely before it could be completed. The work was
finished by Raphael’s student Giulio Romano after the artist’s funeral. There
is a noticeable difference in the fine details of the top and bottom, probably
because the hand of the Master had been stilled.
Even
in its unfinished state, Raphael considered the Transfiguration to be
his greatest masterpiece. He was so proud of it, in fact, that it was
prominently displayed behind his deathbed.
Two
scenes from the Gospel of Matthew are depicted in
Raphael’s Transfiguration:
The original painting is now housed in the Vatican Museum. A large mosaic reproduction of the Transfiguration, created by a team of artists who worked nine years on its fine details, was installed in St. Peter’s Basilica in 1774.
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/kschiffer/raphaels-greatest-masterpiece-the-transfiguration
Our key to transforming anything
lies in our ability to reframe it.
~
Marianne Williamson
We do not draw people to Christ by loudly
discrediting what they believe,
by telling them how wrong they are
and how right we are,
but by showing them a light that is so lovely
that they want with all their hearts
to know the source of it.
~
Madeleine L'Engle
We
were honored to have Reverend Kimra Perkins address
"The
Sabath” in our pulpit last Sunday.
The Service of Installation for
Reverend Susan Boucher
Sunday,
February 24, 2019
Pastor
Susan with her husband, Tim, and their children,
Isabel
and Joseph.
Book Club
Thursday Evening
February
28, 2019
Marilyn
Stechert reviewed the book, Ginny Boschen brought yummies!
Rotary
Friday
morning
Hopi Moore Sargent as Sister Mary Amnesia gave us a delightful
teaser
for “Nunsense,” playing now at Center Stage Theatre.
At times our own light goes out and is
rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude
of those who have lighted the flame within us.
~
Albert Schweitzer
March 3, 2019 Last Sunday after Epiphany Year C
Transfiguration
Previous OPQs may be found at:
Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm
99
2
Corinthians 3:12–4:2
Luke 9:28-36
(37-43)
Exodus
34:29-35
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the
mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know
that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When
Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and
they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all
the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.
Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all
that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished
speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in
before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came
out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was
shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to
speak with him.
Psalm
99
God is ruler;
let the peoples tremble!
God sits enthroned
upon the cherubim;
let the earth quake!
God is great
in Zion;
God is exalted
over all the peoples.
Let them praise
your great and awesome name.
Holy is God!
Mighty Ruler,
lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
Extol the Sovereign our God;
worship at God's footstool.
Holy is God!
Moses and Aaron were among
God's priests,
Samuel also was among
those who called on God's name.
They cried to God,
and God answered them.
God spoke to them
in the pillar of cloud;
they kept God's decrees,
and the statutes
that God gave them.
O Sovereign our God,
you answered them;
you were a forgiving God
to them,
but an avenger
of their wrongdoings.
Extol the Sovereign our God,
and worship at God's holy mountain;
for the Sovereign our God
is holy.
2
Corinthians 3:12–4:2
Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,
not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from
gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were
hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old
covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.
Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds;
but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the
Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us,
with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a
mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to
another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse
to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the
truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
Luke
9:28-36 (37- 43)
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him
Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was
praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling
white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They
appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with
sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who
stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, 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.
While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were
terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that
said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had
spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no
one any of the things they had seen.
[On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a
great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I
beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him,
and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it
mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out,
but they could not." Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse
generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your
son here." While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in
convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him
back to his father. And all were astounded at the greatness of God.]