Trevin Wax: A Prayer for Transfiguration Sunday

Today’s lectionary includes the account of Jesus’ Transfiguration.

Trevin Wax, a baptist pastor who has a wonderful appreciation of Liturgy (I discovered his blog, Kingdom People, during Advent and it’s become a favorite), has a wonderful prayer / poem about the Transfiguration.

Here’s the beginning half of the prayer:

O God,
We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
the months of ministry transfigured to a beam of light,
the light of the world,
your light.
May your light shine upon us.

We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah,
your word restoring us, showing us the way,
telling a story,
your story, his story, our story.
May your word speak to us.

We open our eyes and we see mist,
the cloud of your presence
which assures us of all we do not know
and that we do not need to fear that.
Teach us to trust.

Go read it all

While you’re thinking about the Transfiguration and the light of Christ’s glory, go read Fr. Tim Fountain’s reflections/sermon on today’s lessons. It’s a great preparation for Lent. Here’s Fr. Tim’s “teaser” — a brief summary of his sermon to tie it all together. I’d never made the connection between today’s remembrance of the Transfiguration as very vital preparation for Lent:

Collect of the Day: “Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross…”

Mark 9:2-9, “The Transfiguration.” Jesus shows his glory to three apostles, just before they follow him to Jerusalem where he will suffer and die. This Gospel lesson comes up at the end of Epiphany, in order to strengthen us to do battle with the shadows during Lent.

(Beginning this Wednesday, we enter a season where we are asked to identify the shadows of the world, the flesh and the devil in our lives, and to seek the light of Christ to disperse them.)

Thanks Pastor Trevin & Father Tim for these excellent resources to appreciate and reflect on today’s lectionary!

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