Last Epiphany 03/02/25
The Still Point
A Time of Meditation and Reflection
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance... T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Peace on each one who comes in need;
Peace on each one who comes in joy.
Peace on each one who offers prayers;
Peace on each one who offers song.
Peace of the Maker, Peace of the Son,
Peace of the Spirit, the Triune One.
Opening Prayer
Eternal God, who by a star led wise ones to the worship of your Son: Guide by your radiant light the nations of the earth, that the whole world may know your glory. In the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
Scripture Reading Luke 9:28-36, 37-43a
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.
Poem: “Dazzling” by Jan Richardson
Believe me, I know
how tempting it is
to remain inside this blessing,
to linger where everything
is dazzling
and clear.
We could build walls
around this blessing,
put a roof over it.
We could bring in
a table, chairs,
have the most amazing meals.
We could make a home.
We could stay.
But this blessing
is built for leaving.
This blessing
is made for coming down
the mountain.
This blessing
wants to be in motion,
to travel with you
as you return
to level ground.
It will seem strange
how quiet this blessing becomes
when it returns to earth.
It is not shy.
It is not afraid.
It simply knows
how to bide its time,
to watch and wait,
to discern and pray
until the moment comes
when it will reveal
everything it knows,
when it will shine forth
with all that it has seen,
when it will dazzle
with the unforgettable light
you have carried
all this way.
Meditation
Today's Gospel tells the story of the Transfiguration, and as I've read this story over the years, I've always accepted that it's the story of Jesus being transfigured in a cloud on the mountaintop. He goes up, prays, and starts glowing. These two monumental spiritual figures "join" him. A voice booms out of the cloud, and then suddenly, Jesus is by himself with his disciples again, and they set back down the mountain to continue their ministry.
This week, I'm seeing a different Transfiguration on the mountain. In fact, I'm even seeing a different mountain. We often think of the "mountaintop" experiences in life as climactic - we've achieved a goal and won a success. But if you've spent time climbing mountains, you know you don't linger at the top. Rather than a completed goal, a mountaintop is more like a threshold passed over on the way forward. As Jan Richardson writes in our poem, "this blessing wants to be in motion.”
Jesus indeed experienced transfiguration when he crossed the threshold of the mountaintop. But what about Peter, James and John? This week I'm watching how they, too, are transfigured on the mountain. Their relationship to Jesus, to God, to one another, to themselves, is forever transformed after they see the glory of God in Jesus and after they hear God's word: "Listen!" Now that they have seen that "unforgettable light", it continues to shine on their way forward, down into the towns and public squares, down into the shacks and alleyways where they will see it shining in the paralyzed, the blind, the leper, the grief-stricken. Jesus revealed himself as the Light of the World on the day of his transfiguration. Peter, James, and John show us how to carry that Light wherever we go. That is their Transfiguration, and ours.
Questions for Reflection
- Think about the cycles of veiling and unveiling in the story of the Transfiguration, the light emanating from Jesus, the figures of Moses and Elijah appearing, and then the cloud covering the mountaintop. What stands out to you about these details? What sensory experiences do the story's images evoke for you? Is there a temperature to this story?
- Jan Richardson says, "I know it's tempting to remain inside this blessing". Can you think of a time when you received a blessing you wanted to build a booth around and hold on to for a bit longer? Now imagine that the blessing you've remembered is a threshold of transformation. When you think back, what changed for you when you received this blessing? What about your life is different now than it was before you crossed that threshold? What would you tell your pre-blessing self about that moment of transfiguration?
- The Transfiguration was a moment that changed Peter, James, and John's relationship with Jesus and God forever. They knew and saw God and Jesus as never before. Can you think of a personal relationship that has been transfigured by seeing the light within the other person and coming to know them as never before? Was there a threshold moment when that light began shining? Was there a cloud that overshadowed everything so that all you could do was listen, and what did you hear speaking out of the clouds of that relationship?
- Take a moment to reflect on how transfiguration happens both by obscuring and revealing. What is being veiled in your life right now? What light is shining in your life right now? What are you being shown by the shining of that light? What is telling you to "listen!" in the incomprehensible fog?
Prayers
We bring before God someone whom we have met or remembered today
We bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayer
We bring to God a troubled situation in our world
We bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trust
We bring ourselves to God that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind, and warmth of affection
We offer our thanks to God for the blessings in our lives
We name before God those who have died.
Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or conceive, by the power which is at work among us, be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all ages. Amen.
Accept our thanks for all you have done, O God. Our hands were empty, and you filled the
May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us every step of the way, and be our guide as our road changes and turns, and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be among us now and remain with us forever. Amen.
Reflections this month offered by: Kathleen Schmidt
