WE GATHER IN GOD’S PRESENCE:

Lighting the Candle:

Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness

but will have the light of life.’

Greeting:

The Lord be with you AND ALSO WITH YOU

Call to Worship PSALM 50

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and pay your vows to the Most High.
¹⁵ Call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’

¹⁶ But to the wicked God says:
    ‘What right have you to recite my statutes,
    or take my covenant on your lips?
¹⁷ For you hate discipline,
    and you cast my words behind you.
¹⁸ You make friends with a thief when you see one,
    and you keep company with adulterers.

¹⁹ ‘You give your mouth free rein for evil,
    and your tongue frames deceit.
²⁰ You sit and speak against your kin;
    you slander your own mother’s child.
²¹ These things you have done and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.

²² ‘Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.
²³ Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me;
    to those who go the right way
    I will show the salvation of God.’

We Sing TIS #132 – “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY”

Prayer

We come before you, O God,

in awe of your power and might.

Heaven and earth are surely full of your glory.

We come celebrating our belief that you –

God of the whole universe –

chose to reveal yourself to us in Jesus Christ. 

We are awed beyond words in the knowledge

that your self-revelation included the way of the cross…

Thus in Jesus your abundant love for all people

is made visible. 

We adore you, O God,

and we praise your holy name,

and we pray that this time of worship

will bring honour and glory to you.

This we pray in Jesus’ name,

who invites us to pray…

followed by the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and forever. Amen

Welcome

WE LISTEN FOR A WORD FROM GOD

Prayer for Illumination

GRACIOUS GOD,

BY YOUR WORD

YOU PROVIDE ALL WE NEED-

FOR SALVATION,

FOR WHOLENESS,

FOR ABUNDANT LIFE.

NOW DRAW US CLOSE IN YOUR SPIRIT

SO THAT WE MIGHT DISCOVER YOUR WILL

AND LIVE ACCORDING TO YOUR PURPOSES;

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, AMEN.

Scripture

2 KINGS 2:1, 6-12

 ¹Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal…

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. ⁷ Fifty men of the company of prophetsalso went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸ Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ¹⁰ He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ ¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

2^nd CORINTHIANS 4:3-6

³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Reader: this is the Word of the Lord

Response: WE HEED AND REJOICE, O GOD!

MARK 9:2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. 

Reader: this is the gospel of our Lord

Response: PRAISE BE TO YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST!

We Sing: TIS #675 – ‘SHINE, JESUS, SHINE’

Contemporary Word

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John,

and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves.

And he was transfigured before them…

Six days later… six days after Jesus,

amongst some heavy teaching,

had informed Simon,

that is Simon Bar Jonah, i.e. son of Jonah (Mtt 16:17)

he would be known as Peter, meaning rock.

Mark merely informs us in 3:16

Simon, whom he (Jesus) named Peter…

Do we ever wonder how Simon reacted inwardly,

deep within himself,

at his renaming, his new identity therefore, as Peter?

Peter the rock!

To what extend would the first hearers of Mark’s gospel,

before Matthew wrote his manuscript,

be aware of the meaning Jesus attributed to this name,

upon this rock I will build my church! (Mtt 16:18,19)?

Or would they straightaway,

being well versed in learning through hearing,

through listening to a discourse

and picking up clues such as repetition of key motifs,

(what we learned to recognise in the use of ‘straightway’ last week),

would they have recalled the Parable of the Sower,

where Jesus associates rock with: (in Mark 4)

 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil

and

 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 

Then would they, hearing as the teaching continued,

about Peter’s denial concerning knowing anything about Jesus,

three times within a few hours,

which Jesus had foretold…

would those first generation hearers have muttered,

as they shook their heads knowingly,

‘Ah yes, very appropriately named. Peter, rocky ground!’ [1]

Mind you, James and John do not fare much better.

They attempt to gain the most powerful status for themselves

within the coming kingdom of Jesus,

according to their understanding of that kingdom (Mk 9:35-40).

An understanding which, following the incident on the mounta9n,

is as flawed as Peter’s idea of Jesus as Messiah.

All three prove prime examples of Paul’s thesis that

In their case the god of this world

has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,

to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:3-6).

except of course, these three are meant to be believers!

Paul may have been deliberately alluding here

to the story we heard in the gospel reading

about the transfiguration of Jesus,

because that story too contains images of shedding light,

and veiling and unveiling the light of the gospel in the person of Jesus.[2]

Now, if we are not careful here,

it is easy for Paul’s reference to the satan –

or the god of this world, as he calls him –

to do the same thing all over again and pull a veil over our minds,

hiding the truth of what he is saying from us.

The fact that Paul says the satan is involved

doesn’t mean that we are thereby absolved of all responsibility.

Quite the contrary.

If you think about what we do when somebody else deceives us,

we don’t just ask who it was.

We ask, “how was it that I was able to fall for that?”

It doesn’t matter who was behind the spin,

the real question is how and why we were susceptible to the spin.

The way that the satan goes about veiling our minds

is not usually by telling us obvious lies.

It is by amplifying one particular aspect of the truth

until we fall for the idea that it is the whole truth,

and then we think we’ve got it all worked out

and our minds are veiled to any other truth

that doesn’t seem to fit within that one.

This happens to us all the time.

We have many so-called “truths” that we take for granted

which thereby veil our minds to any conflicting information.

Most of us, I dare to suggest,

fail to recognise the significance of the Gospel incident

we name ‘the transfiguration of Jesus’.

A fair number of commentators propose that here Jesus

is being comforted, strengthened and empowered

for his final journey along the ‘way’,

a journey which will lead to betrayal, arrest, a trial, sentencing and execution by means of crucifixion.

Moses and Elijah appear to reassure him,

and to authenticate that he, Jesus, fulfils the Law and the prophets.

Some even see here a triumphant foretelling

of Messianic power and might!

This understanding fails to take into account

the text which introduces the story;

and the surrounding text which is a teaching text

to help the disciples, of any era,

understand what discipleship means!

Spoiler alert! Not what Peter, James and John thought then!

Mark wants us to connect what happened on the mountain

with the discussion which took place six days earlier,

in the previous scene (8:31-38).

The disciples had come to realise

that Jesus was “the Christ” or “the Messiah”;

but their understanding of this title implied for them

a military leader who would free them from bondage under the Romans and never suffer defeat.

Jesus has to help them understand that he will suffer and die

before being raised from the dead.

This way to Jerusalem is a way to a cross;

More accurately, the way to resurrection through the cross;

Crucifixion and resurrection go together in Mark’s Gospel.

It is misleading to speak simply of Jesus’ “passion predictions”

when all three sayings predict third-day resurrection at the same time (8:31; cf. 9:31, 10:33–34).

Just because our text does not preserve original stories

of the appearance of the risen Jesus,

does not mean that Mark’s Gospel is skeptical about resurrection.

It recorded that Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter (5:35–42).

Within this morning’s Gospel text,

Coming down the mount of transfiguration,

Jesus forbids the inner circle of disciples to mention the vision

until he has risen from the dead (9:9).

The man at the tomb tells the women

that the resurrected Jesus will meet them in Galilee (16:6–8),

just as he had promised at the Last Supper (14:28).

Jesus brings on his condemnation by telling the high priest

that he will see the Son of Man coming

on the clouds at the right hand of power (14:62).

Earlier, Jesus warned the disciples not to make him ashamed of them when he comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels (8:38).

Crucifixion is in Jesus’ future,

but the Father’s honour and glory and power are his as well.

Jesus self-identifies as the Messiah

who will be rejected and killed by the establishment,

who will rise on the third day and return in glory.^[3]

As we learned last week, this way is not only the journey of Jesus,

but also that of his followers.

The way to Jerusalem has become a metaphor

for the “way” of discipleship,

taking up ones cross, denying self;

The way on which, we are urged,

once our vision has been restored, like blind Bartimaeus,

to follow Jesus (Mk10:52);

once the scales put there by the prince of this world,

including the distorted triumphalist understandings

blinding even Peter, and James and John, to the truth about God,

understandings Jesus names as turning Peter into a ‘satan’ …

then becomes clear the way on which to follow Jesus.

The focus on the mountain incident

forms a clear attempt to clear from the vision

of Peter and James and John

that which blinds them to the light of the truth within the Gospel

as witnessed to by Jesus in his life, teaching and, death with resurrection.

These three witness the act of Jesus being “metamorphosed” –

he went through a metamorphosis… think of caterpillar into butterfly…

In other words, the nature of his physicality was changed.

Most translations use the word “transfigured”.

The vision of Jesus transfigured is so startling

and so overwhelming that these disciples who witness it

collapse in terror and blab out stupid things.

The appearance of Moses and Elijah,

representing the Covenant of Torah,

and the prophetic denunciations of corruption and idolatry respectively[4]

has traditionally within Christian circles,

been understood to signify

the witness of the Law and Prophets as an affirmation

of Jesus as Messiah…

and to offer Jesus strength for what awaits him.

More recent knowledge from religious writings of the period

between the last of the Old Testament writings,

and the time of Jesus

give an added perspective.

Note in the text that later, as Jesus and these three disciples

make their way back down the mountain,

their conversation focuses on Elijah.

Elijah was a famous prophet in the Old Testament

who had lived centuries before.

In these intertestamental writings, there were a number which expressed religious thought in the time leading up to Jesus.

 These writings spoke of the “return” of Elijah

and the raising up of a prophet like Moses.

Although these various writings did not become part

of the New Testament, the ideas expressed in them

help us to better understand the religious thought

we do find in the New Testament.

In these writings we find a belief that Elijah will return

and that a prophet like Moses will be raised up at the end of time.

The scene on the mountain may well be not merely a looking back,

but also a looking forward!

When Peter blurts out his suggestion to build some shelters,

he did not know what to say, for they were terrified (9:6)

There comes a clear command to the three disciples present.

This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ (9:7)

In this transfiguration story,

which lies at the epicentre of the Gospel of Mark,

halfway between Jesus’ baptism and his resurrection,

a voice from heaven tells Peter (and James and John)

to “Listen to him!”—that is, to believe Jesus’ word

 (which Peter had disputed)!

Rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection

are integral to Jesus’ messianic mission,

and the way of the cross is equally integral and inescapable

for all who would follow Jesus. (cf. Mark 8:34–38).

Neither God nor Jesus the Christ

ever explains why this must be so

(or, for that matter, what cross bearing entails for non messiahs).

In the entire Gospel, the reason is never given

save in a fleeting hint that Jesus’ death constitutes a “ransom” (10:45), an idea Mark leaves undeveloped and unexplained.

One might well surmise, from Jesus’ cry on the cross

my God, my God, why have you forsaken me (15:34),

that in a period of utter aloneness,

even Jesus does not understand, at that moment, the need.

Mark shows us Jesus as being truly human,

not a divine being masquerading as one of us.  

The necessity of the passion remains, in this Gospel,

a mystery hidden in the mind of God.

But if the reason is hidden, its inevitability should be obvious

from the perspective of history.

Jesus’ devotion to the reign of God on earth

inevitably provoked “the powers”—

the fear, hatred, greed, falsehood, violence, and despair

that pervade and distort everything human—

to make their oppressive, murderous response,

even if this response also, ironically,

made possible the disclosure of the triumphant power of God’s

nonviolent love in their very midst.

The transfiguration is therefore also

a powerful word to us to take up our cross and follow Christ,

to walk in his way that in one sense or another

will provoke the powers against us,

but that ultimately discloses the eternal truth

and trustworthiness of God’s nonviolent love and justice

in the midst of evil.^[5]

The focus of God is not on might and power,

but on transformative love…

The people God entrusted with the task of such cross bearing

illustrate God’s willingness to work

with ordinary, flawed and frail persons

whose only, but necessary qualification,

is a desire to follow Jesus on the Way…

This is how God works…

as we reflect on being the Bald Hills congregation,

let’s be careful not to have the wool pulled over our eyes

by the prince of the world,

assuming we are without resources,

that somehow we are failing God…

We just need to trust the Lord of the church

who cares not about size and prestige and grandeur,

but loyalty to love of God and neighbour!

God has a purpose for this community of faithful people

who ooze love into the surrounding community!

This is God’s way!

Thus we follow Jesus on the straight way!

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

Prayer of Confession:

Almighty God of wonder and power,

we come confessing we find it only too easy

to assume you will enforce your will,

rather than for us to work at making the way straight

to bring about your Kingdom.

Lord have mercy LORD HAVE MERCY

Lord Jesus, who shines with the glory of God,

we confess we find it only too easy

to rest in your resurrection and ascension,

than to make the effort to walk the way of the cross.

Christ have mercy CHRIST HAVE MERCY

Holy Spirit, who throughout the ages empowers those called by God,

we confess we find it only too easy

to recall the good and great works of those who went before us,

than to beseech you for double their spirit!

Spirit have mercy,SPIRIT HAVE MERCY

The Promise of Reconciliation

it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’,

who has shone in our hearts

to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.

In Christ God has effected our salvation,

therefore we exclaim with grateful hearts

THANKS BE TO GOD

Passing the Peace

We raise our hands in blessing each other,

those present and those who with us worship elsewhere…
The peace of the Lord be with you all 

AND ALSO WITH YOU.

We Sing TIS 624 CHRIST BE MY LEADER BY NIGHT AS BY DAY

Offering

and thanksgiving

We Share Our Community Life

 News and Notices

 Pastoral Concerns and Prayers

Let us approach God as a people who,

though having recognised the Light of the World, Jesus Christ,

still have key aspects of our living influenced

by the god of this world;

let us pray for our redemption:

Gracious God,

we approach you as a people profoundly influenced

by the concept that might is right,

when Jesus shows us by the way of the cross

that might and righteousness do not mix.

Grant us as your people the strength to subvert might

through daily ordinary acts of kindness

to those with whom we share our living,

and extra ordinary acts of empathy towards those

we are urged by the mighty to consider as our enemies.

We approach you as a people profoundly influenced

by all that fuels an economy based on consumption

and competition and envious comparisons.

Grant us as your people the grace to subvert

the assumptions underlying our global economies

through transforming our habits of consumption

into habits of care and conservation.

We approach you as a people profoundly influenced

by the expectations that life is meant to be a breeze,

trouble and pain free.

Grant us as your people the courage

to accept the imperfections

within us as people;

our physical, mental and even spiritual struggles

with ill health and the disappointments and pain

life throws at us

so we may receive that deep joy of your peace.

We pause a moment to pray for those known to us

within this congregation, our families and friends,

and even those beyond them

who struggle with debilitating and or/disastrous issues!

Grant them the recognition of your care

and the gift of your peace!

In the name of Jesus Christ,

who pioneered the Way of the cross for us,

AMEN

youtube.com/watch?v=G_ufwqwquqY(opens in a new tab)

WE GO TO SERVE GOD

We Sing  TIS 650 BROTHER, SISTER, LET ME SERVE YOU

Sending Out[6]

Go forth with the courage to climb the mountain of God

however it manifests itself before you!

We will follow the way in the light and truth of Christ.

Go forth with ears to hear the voice of God,

whoever may be God’s mouthpiece.

We will hear the call to follow on the way of  Jesus.

Go forth to live as people who shine with Christ’s glory

manifested through the cross.

We will leave footprints of light

as we walk the way of the cross.

Go forth in expectation and hope,

for God goes with you.

Blessing

May the God

who created all,

who is particularly revealed through Jesus Christ,

and who is at work through the Holy Spirit

grant you a double portion

of the spirit of those who have gone before us…

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN

---

[1] Tolbert, Mary Ann 1989  Sowing the Gospel: Mark’s World in Literary-Historical Perspective  Minneapolis: Fortress

Tolbert is a key interpreter who suggests this understanding of Peter within Mark.

[2] I am indebted here to Rev. Nathan Nettleton, senior pastor of the South Yarra Community Baptist Church who developed this line of thought in a sermon 15^th February 2015 (shared with a lectionary preaching group).

^[3] Adams, M. M. (2008). Theological Perspective on Mark 9:2–9. In D. L. Bartlett & B. B. Taylor (Eds.), Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B (Vol. 1, pp. 452–454). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

[4] Wills, Lawrence M. 2011 “The Gospel of Mark” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament p.79 Oxford:Oxfrd University Press.

^[5] Hunter, R. J. (2008). Pastoral Perspective on Mark 9:2–9. In D. L. Bartlett & B. B. Taylor (Eds.), Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B (Vol. 1, p. 454). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

[6] An elaboration of material prepared by Beu, B. J.; Scifres, Mary. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2018: Worship Planning Resources for Every Sunday of the Year . Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.