For the Transformation of the World

• Transfiguration Sunday
with Luke 9  and  2 Corinthians 3

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A video of the worship service was posted on Facebook 3/3/19 https://www.facebook.com/FUMCWV/videos/384877642302201/

• The UMC met in General Conference this past week to discuss the denomination’s positions and policies regarding human sexuality. It was anticipated not without some anxiety, and there was much drama during the conference.
Yesterday, our Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball issued a pastoral letter to our Annual Conference, lamenting and decrying behavior of both sides at the GenConf, pleading for compassion and integrity.

Personally I was very disappointed with the passing of the Traditional Plan.
It feels very much like GenConf does not even want to make room at the table.

Personally I grieve that the 32-member Commission on A Way Forward spent 15 months in prayer study dialogue, experienced spiritual growth and real community and transformation, and their work, affirmed by the bishops, was scarcely discussed, and that poorly.

• One highlight was an impassioned speech by a young ministry candidate, JJ Warren. He longs with all his heart and with plentiful passion to become a United Methodist pastor. He brings people to Jesus through campus ministry, people whom the church has cast out. He is a disciple maker bearing fruit for the church for the transformation of the world. He is going to do so whether The UMC welcomes him or not.

He likened the spiritual pain of unChristlike rejection to nailing The UMC to the cross. The crucifixion of our church. He longs for resurrection, and prays that The UMC doesn’t first have to die.

• Today is Transfiguration Sunday. Our Luke passage begins “after saying these things”… What are these things? The way to the resurrection is through the cross, and the cross must be picked up and carried. And after saying these things, the glory of God was shown.

Then Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 writes that where the Lord’s Spirit is there is freedom, and that we are being transformed into the image of God. This fuels us to proclaim God’s word openly.

• Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball had a word for the clergy yesterday, to be the church, to love God and neighbor, to recognize the hurt done by our churches and to repent, that we might grow in the likeness of God,
sharing the love of God with people in a hurting world,
and making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

• Hymn In the Breaking of the Bread

Luke 9:28-36 (CEB) 
28 About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. 31 They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him.

33 As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—but he didn’t know what he was saying. 34 Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe.

35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” 36 Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen. ò

2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2 (CEB) 
12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ. 15 Even today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But whenever someone turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is freedom. 18 All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror. We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

4 This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. 2 Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth. ò