A Moment, A Life

A Moment, A Life: <-- Audio file of Transfiguration Sunday sermon based upon Matthew 17:1-9.


Good morning. Today is transfiguration Sunday and if you’ve spent much time at church in your life, you’ve probably heard more than a few sermons from the gospel texts that recount this event in Jesus’ life. It’s a dramatic scene of Jesus, Peter, James, & John climbing to the mountain top. Then Jesus’ face shines with brilliant light and his well-worn robe suddenly glistens with a brilliant whiteness. As if this isn’t startling enough, suddenly Moses and Elijah appear and start talking with Jesus. Now, I don’t know how Jesus stayed so calm in the midst of all this but Peter, James, & John were filled with awe. Peter wanted to stay there and live in the glory of the moment forever. But he had barely said that before the voice of God booms from a cloud affirming Jesus as his son that he is so proud of. At this, Peter, James, & John were absolutely overwhelmed and fell to the ground. Then Jesus comforted them and led them back on their journey… and a remarkable journey at that.


So what is it we’re supposed to get from this story? What is transfiguration? Miriam Webster dictionary defines transfiguration as “a change in form or appearance; a metamorphosis; an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change.” So transfiguration Sunday marks a moment of spiritual change in Christ. Something big happened on that mountaintop and we mark and honor it. But just as Peter wanted to stay and the moment and found out he couldn’t, we must also recognize that transfiguration Sunday is but a moment that points to something bigger going on. Transfiguration Sunday is about a moment in Christ’s life. But I think it tells us something about our lives as well.


To be transfigured is a moment in time that changes us. It’s a moment that stays with us in ways that we remember. It reveals something of who we are, who we’ll become, or sometimes even what we don’t want to be. To be transfigured is to be open to the moment and letting what that moment has touch us and leave us forever transformed. To be transfigured is but a moment in time but a moment that we can use to push us forward and compel us onward as we gather the energy and direction that it gives us. And I want to suggest that transfiguration happens in our everyday lives.


So as I thought about transfiguration this week, I spent some time looking thinking about how we’ve tried to capture this biblical moment, the transfiguration of Christ as well as how we experience transfiguration in our everyday lives. So, I want to share with you a PowerPoint of some images that capture the transfiguration in many different forms.


I could fill a whole afternoon with artwork where we’ve tried to capture the transfiguration of Christ. But here is just a sampling of a few… like this one from the 1300’s were we see the climax of the scene.

… or this one from the 1800’s

… or this one from a more modern time.

Even look at the cover of your bulletin. Artwork from this event has captured our minds and imaginations for a long time.


But capturing the transfiguration of Christ is only worthy if we can also capture it in our own lives. So here are some images that may resonate with you on a more personal level. Images of moments that transform and give our lives deeper meaning.


See, sometimes we have moments were we realize that we are but small players in something so much larger than us, yet we’re called to be a part of them…

we look on not sure what this moment will bring but we know it will forever change things.

Some moments speak for themselves.

There are moments we never imagined but once we’re there, we rise to the occasion

… there are the moments made in the midst of sorrow

… and the sorrow made better by a comforter.

There are the moments that a whole country will never forget

… and the moments that a family would not be the same without.

There are moments we could not have imagined

… and connections that will have meaning for a long time to come.

Transfiguration is about the experience, the understanding.

Some moments call us to something bigger and hold out a vision

… while others make dreams come true.

There are moments of liberation and pure joy

… and joy

… and joy

… and joy. Joy that takes hold of us and makes us the people we want to be, children of God.

There are moments of triumph to get where we’ve never been

… moments of getting back up when we’re down.

Moments made beautiful by the friends around us.

Moments of attaining what we always wanted

… worked for

… ran after.

Moments no one imagined for us

… moments only before held in our imaginations.

And there are times when no one thought it could be done.

And as we prepare to go into Lent, we should consider all the moments of self reflection where we see beyond the shadows into who we are

… We take who we are to God

… And we climb to new mountaintops literally but mostly figuratively.

We wait for new dawn to show us something new

… something amazing

… or sometimes something quiet yet bold.

And from those Lenten experiences we have new found curiosity about God’s creation

… we wonder what could be or become of our lives.

And we take these moments with us, setting out on a journey, not knowing what will happen and not always realizing that we’ve been in the midst of something transforming.

We journey not knowing what moments will come

… and not always having the answers in those moments

… but always knowing that those moments will forever be with us compelling and moving us forward.

Sisters and brothers, Jesus went to the mountaintop and was transformed in that moment but he came back down the mountain and used the blessing of his father and energy of the experience to compel him forward. We must also do the same. Our lives are filled with moments that impact us and change us spiritually. Our job is not to build houses and try to live in that moment but rather to make a life where the moments lead us and let God lead us to something even more extraordinary. Amen.