Mark 9:2-9
NRSV
2-4 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, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5-7 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." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"
8-9 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. 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.
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from John:
I’ve belonged to the Jesus Tradition my whole life. And for all of those 29 years, this story has been shrouded in mystery. Does anyone know what the heck is happening here!?
Typically I interpret this story as a moment in which Jesus becomes extra-human. Something so extraordinarily “other” than this flesh and blood that makes up me and you and James and John and Peter. Because if that were the case, I would react the same say as those three disciples: first with fear, then with a desire to capture the moment forever.
But some scholars and theologians see this event slightly differently. What if, instead of Jesus becoming extra-human, this story is about Jesus being revealed as fully-human? What if this moment reveals the pinnacle of the human journey (the thing the Law and the Prophets point to) finding its culmination and fulfillment in the person of Jesus the Nazarene?
I like this idea. I like how it prompts me to consider my own journey and my own humanity and the mystery of becoming.
And it inspires hope that we will discover the holiest, most divine thing we can be:
Ourselves.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Think of a problem you are experiencing. Who else is experiencing it with you? Ask that person(s) for their perspective on the issue and solution.
Pathways toward Centeredness
Caregiving (Loving God through compassionate service):
Who do you know who needs to be reminded how well loved and cared for they are? Find a way to serve and remind them this week
Questions for Reflection
When do you feel most alive, most at home in your body, or have the most assurance in your humanity?
Who do you know who seems to truly “be alive?”
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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