The Word

Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9:28-36

Moses embodies glory, Jesus is transfigured

Quotable Words

"The transfiguration story engages multiple epiphanies in service to revelation. Not only do we not get it the first time, but we can't. There's no one thing in our experience that encompasses all we need to know about God. That's why metaphor is the language of insight and revelation."  ~~ Kim L. Beckman, NewProclamation

Headline Words

Whiteout Conditions in Beleaguered Washington

Superbowl Win Reveals "America's Haiti": New Orleans after Katrina

For Haitian Children, Crisis Escalates

GOP Health Care Reform: "Rely on Market"

Preachable Words

A few thoughts heading toward Sunday on the intersection of the Word and the Headlines:

For Moses and Jesus, glory is revealed on mountaintops. Moses' encounter with the Divine turns his face into light so bright it must be veiled. Jesus is transfigured into white light. But the glory isn't meant for the mountaintop: it's meant for the road back down, the glory road of exodus that leads to freedom, and the road of exodus that leads to the cross, and beyond.

Where does that glory road lead us today, as we take that mountaintop experience of God's presence into our world? What vision(s) do we have, where do we see God in our world this week?

For Moses, the light revealed a covenant, a way forward for a band of people who needed to know how to build community. For Jesus and his friends, the light revealed a mission to heal and reconcile. Our headlines are filled with the same metaphors as scripture: bright white blankets of snow, the power of nature (climate-changed nature, that is) grinding business-as-usual to a halt; football victories revealing, for those who've forgotten, Katrina's path, and ample need for healing and reconciliation, from Haiti to health care. It's a rich week for preachers, , and, we hope, for those who find themselves in pews.