Can't make it to church?

Well that's no a problem because, thanks to the internet, church can come to you and as we approach the season of Lent and pancakes and ash fill our thought for this week let's begin with a moment of reflection on the collect as we collect our thoughts into one prayer:

Holy God, you know the disorder of our sinful lives:

Set straight our crooked hearts,

And bend our wills to love your goodness and your glory

In Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

I love the 2 Peter passage we have before us this morning because of its opening sentence about 'not making up clever stories,' when it comes to the account of Jesus going up a mountain (just like Moses in our OT reading) and being transfigured (changed form or shape) and being seen in all His glory. The parallels with the OT reading are obvious, except that in the OT man goes up to meet God whilst in the Gospel it is man, who is God, who goes up to affirm the reality of who He is.

Peter, upon whom I am sure I model myself, gets it just a little wrong again with his enthusiasm as he wants to prolong the experience - don't we all. But then there is a wake up call from the Father as He speaks (what we call a theophany) and affirms Jesus and give us all an instruction: Listen to Him!

This is my prayer for all of us: That we would put aside seeking to be in a place of joy or comfort and get into the real work we are called to be doing and we won't know that until we listen to Him, will we?

People will often tell me how they, being stuck at work or trapped in their homes, the just can't do anything and yet they are wrong, for regardless of where we are we can read, pray and witness to the love and life of jesus in our lives.

What difference can you make in your small corner this week as we move towards that period of self-examination that is Lent?

may God bless us all with the richness of His love and the joy of his presence.

Exodus 24.12-18

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

2 Peter 1.16 - 21

“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendour with our own eyes when he received honour and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realise that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

Matthew 17.1 – 9

Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 

And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”