Hear God's Call

February 15, 2025 2 Peter 1:16-21 Transfiguration Sunday Hear God’s Blessing Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship On this Transfiguration Sunday, we gather on the mountaintop with Jesus, wondering what we will encounter. We come to encounter God’s glory revealed. We witness the revelation of Christ’s divinity made plain before us. We come to witness God’s glory revealed. We remember that God’s glory is not about spectacle but truth, not about show but about Love made real among us. We come to remember God’s glory revealed. We follow Jesus down from the mountaintop into the valleys, as God’s glory goes before us and behind us. We come to be sent out to share God’s glory revealed. Thanks be to God! Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2025 Opening Prayer Radiant God, we come to you on the mountaintop to experience your glory. You come to us in the valleys. We meet you in gladness in a place where heaven and earth collide. May our worship of you encourage us on the journey and make us aspire to reflect your kingdom in the world. Transform us and keep us near to you. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song A Sermon for All Ages Children’s Sermon: “A Little Light That Lasts” Good morning, friends! I have a question for you. Have you ever been in a room when it was really, really dark? (Wait for responses.) What happens when someone turns on just one small light? Does it help? Today I brought something with me. (Hold up a candle or a battery-powered candle.) This candle is very small. It’s not a spotlight. It’s not the sun. But if we were in a dark room, this little candle would help us see where to go. The Bible tells us that God’s Word is like a light shining in the darkness. That means when things feel scary, confusing, or hard, God’s Word helps us know what is good and right. Now here’s something important: This candle doesn’t make the darkness disappear all at once. But it helps us take the next step safely. And guess what? Jesus asks us to be lights too. When you are kind to someone who feels left out, you are shining a light. When you tell the truth, even when it’s hard, you are shining a light. When you help someone or forgive someone, you are shining a light. Now I have another question. What happens in the morning when the night is almost over? (Wait for answers.) Yes! The sun comes up! And sometimes, before the sun rises, there is a morning star in the sky. That star is a sign that night won’t last forever. The Bible says Jesus is like that morning star. That means Jesus reminds us that no matter how dark things feel, God’s light is coming. So here’s what I want you to remember: You can be a little light in the world. Jesus is the big light we follow. And God promises that the morning is coming. Let’s say this together: “I can shine God’s light!” (Let them repeat.) Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for Jesus, the light of the world. Help us shine your light by being kind, loving, and brave. Amen. Responsive Reading Psalm 99 UMH 819 Passing of the Peace Prayer of Illumination Holy Wisdom, your Word is at once ancient and brand new. As we listen together this day, enlighten our hearts and minds. May we be transformed. In Jesus’ name. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Anna Owens) Scripture 2 Peter 1:16-21 Sermon Hearing God’s Call Maybe I am just speaking for myself, but it seems that voice activated personal assistants are taking over every aspect of life. You can tell Alexa to play music, or ask Siri to give you the address of a restaurant. They can find a recipe for your favorite dish. Or tell you when a certain television program is coming on. If I didn’t know any better I think that Alexa watches me when I an sleeping, because as soon as I wake up – she always says hello. Did you know that Alexa in Greek means helper of the people, names after the Greek library because of the knowledge base. And Siri is a Norwegian name meaning beautiful women who will lead you to victory. In Britain there is a male voice named Daniel, and in Australia there is a woman’s voice named Karen. I think that we can all agree that voice activated systems are helpful, but they are also intrusive. But one thing that Alexa, Siri, Daniel and Karen do very well is listen. They spend all of their time just listening for their name, to respond to whatever we are saying. Most of the time in life it is more important for us to listen, then it is for us to speak. Listening is an important part of our faith. Learning to listen is one of the messages of our scripture in 2 Peter. Paul Tillich, a famous theologian says that the First Duty of Love is to Listen. Luke Edwards is a Methodist Minister who founded the Listening Church. It is a national network of churches that encourage discipleship through listening. Edwards believes that transformation happens when we listen to God, the congregation and the surrounding community. He says that when we listen to these 3 things, we are able to hear solutions to life’s deepest issues. Unfortunately, when most of us listen, we are more concerned with how we are going to respond then what the person is actually saying to us. 2 Peter is an interesting scripture to focus on for the transfiguration. It does not tell anything of the story of Jesus or Moses going on the mountain to talk to God and coming down glowing. Usually the transfiguration is the story of what we see – God’s Glory glowing. But 2 Peter is a story about what God said and what we heard. God says This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. That divine voice is still speaking to us today. As a disciple Peter would have heard that voice for himself and it had a profound effect in his life, his choices, his service. That voice inspired him to listen and to tell the whole world what he heard. As a matter of fact, Peter inspired the writer of this scripture to also use his voice. The writer is telling us that if we follow Jesus, we too get to speak in that voice. When we follow Jesus we are witnesses to the transfiguration story. When we serve Jesus we are witnesses – seeing and hearing the glory of God for ourselves. We may not realize it – we have all seen God’s glory and we all reflect it in our faith. There is an old story about a little girl coming from the church and questioning her mom about the sermon. "Did the preacher really say God is bigger than we are?" "Yes," her mother replied. "Did the preacher really say Jesus lives in us?" "Yes," her mother stated once again. "Well, then, if God is bigger than we are and God lives in us, why doesn't he show through?" The God who shows through is what Peter called his listeners to be attentive to. The Transfiguration was that lamp shining in a dark place, that peek-a-boo of divine glory that shows forth now at unexpected moments and from unexpected places. The Transfiguration is when the glory is revealed, when the world-saving value of Jesus was made clear, when the world-shaking value of your life is made clear. Roynell Young played professional football in the 1980s. “I retired from the game and we moved down to Houston,” he said, “where I took a job selling insurance.” As he drove through neighborhoods with aimless, hard-looking teenage boys clustered on corners, something kept nagging at him. “They reminded me of me,” he said, “or what I would have been if there hadn’t been a bunch of people looking out for me.” He wondered who was looking out for them. One day Roynell and a friend stopped and began playing basketball in one of those neighborhoods. When the youth first saw them they ran off thinking they were police officers. Three boys stayed to watch. After a few minutes Roynell challenged them to a game, “You beat us, I’ll buy you all the pizzas and soda you can handle. We beat you; you sit down and talk with us.” Even though Roynell and his friend were older they won the pick-up game and took the boys out for pizza anyway. He asked them about their family, neighborhood, and if they had considered their life’s purpose. As they were leaving one of the youth asked if they would be back the next Saturday. Before too long there were 100 youth; then 300! Roynell pooled some friends and they rented an old storefront across from the basketball court. The number of youth kept increasing, they soon ran out of space and had to move to a larger place, eventually they had enough money to open a charter middle school. Thinking of all the people who impacted his life, Roynell proudly claimed, “We’re changing lives.”[2] Our faith is alive because of the faithful witness of others. We have the testimony of the apostles who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ teachings, miracles, and most importantly his life, death, and resurrection. We have the church where the scriptures are read and taught. And we have the Holy Spirit in our lives that prompts us to say and do things we could never say or do on our own. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to live out our lives as faithful modern day disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen. ________________________________________ 1. www.thisibelieve.org. 2. Roynell Young, “Game Changer,” Guidepost, March 2009, pp. 74-78 CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Christmas Grace and other Cycle A sermons for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, by Timothy J. Smith The writer of 2 Peter tells us that when we hear live according to what we hear God saying we are a shining example of love. You see in his time there were a lot of people, even Christians who did not believe in the resurrection or the power of Christ. So the writer emphasizes that God’s word is true. Those who listen to God’s voice also see Christ. He says they are a candle in a dark place, or the morning star in the dark of the morning. The can’t help but to spread the light. Nelson Mandela, in his inaugural speech in 1994, had this to say: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It's our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? "Actually, who are you not to be? "You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. You are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Nelson Mandela, 1994 inaugural speech, as reprinted in The African American Pulpit. "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Nelson Mandela, 1994 inaugural speech, as reprinted in The African American Pulpit. One of the greatest living writers in the world today is Oscar Hijuelos. In his classic Mr. Ives' Christmas (New York: Harper Collins, 1995) It is finally warm enough for me to go back to going outside right before the sun rises to look at the starts. This is when the sky is the clearest and all of the stars have found their place. Up until last week I would look in the Eastern sky for Venus – the brightest thing in the sky by far. The morning star has this amazing sparkle – that just bursts on the horizon. Starting last week, instead of being he brightest thing in the morning, it will be the evening star for the next year. Morning or evening, 2 Peter encourages us to not be afraid to shine that brightly, or more importantly to reflect the light of Christ so that others can see. It says 9 In addition, we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (Biblegateway.com CEB version) And when others ask how you keep going in a dark world, you can answer simply: Because the light is real. The Word is sure. And morning is on the way. Amen. (ChatGPT 5.2) Let us pray Song Prayers of the People (Print the first sentence) Let us offer our prayers for the church and the world. When you hear “Our God is a God who hears us,” please respond, “we will not be afraid.” God of truth and light, we come before you ready for our mountaintop moment. We want to be transfixed and transfigured and transformed. We want to sit at your feet, and at the feet of the prophets, to soak up all that you have to teach us and all the love you have to share. We are grateful, O God, that you chose to live among us, that we, too, might come to know the more excellent way. Our God is a God who hears us: we will not be afraid. We remember how many people live in darkness: trapped by addiction, overwhelmed by the loneliness of grief, intoxicated by the allure of power. Turn your face toward those in need of healing this day. May they be renewed. Our God is a God who hears us: we will not be afraid. We know, O God, that there are many who suffer in mind, body and spirit because of greed or apathy. Bless those who hunger for justice and for daily bread, those who thirst for living water and for clean water, those who seek refuge from spiritual storms and the depths of winter. Illumine a way forward so that we can live in your economy of grace; stir in us the compassion to seek wholeness for all. Our God is a God who hears us: we will not be afraid. There are many places around this world in need of drastic intervention. We remember those places torn apart by warfare, violence, famine or natural disaster. We know that you grieve with us when we turn on one another, or when any of your children suffer. Sow peace and make us peacemakers. Our God is a God who hears us: we will not be afraid. God of all seasons, be with us as we traverse back down the mountain. Keep us mindful of you, and mindful of your ways, in our daily living. May we speak with kindness, lead with compassion, and practice what it is we believe with all those whom we encounter. Make us good stewards of the resources entrusted to our care. Our God is a God who hears us: we will not be afraid. (Presbyterian Outlook, Anna Owens) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s Gospels, we hear the story of Jesus’ “transfiguration” and the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Faced with this extraordinary experience, and nearly overwhelmed by the recognition of Jesus, Moses and Elijah together on the mountain, Peter spoke up to offer what he could: to build three tents. While most of us rarely, if ever, have the experience of standing in the presence of Jesus, sometimes we, too, can be filled up with the desire to offer what we have as a gift for this One, the Beloved Son of God. Can you remember moments when you were nearly overwhelmed with your sense of connection to the holy?(Describe your own experience or use a story of someone in the congregation or someone of whom you are aware, with their permission, of course!) Bringing this moment into our awareness today, I invite you to respond with the gifts you are willing and able to offer. Prayer of Thanksgiving Ever Giving God, as we remember Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, and recall all that you have done for us, help us celebrate our own offering of what we’ve freely given. Receive these gifts and help us use them to extend your Realm on earth, even as you know it to be in heaven. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for YouTube Saints in light, God’s beloved, go forth from this place empowered by the witness of Scripture, the truth-telling of the prophets, the teaching of our Savior, and the power of God revealed in Jesus Christ, and made manifest in one another. As we go from this place, we go knowing that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit are with us now, and will be with us always. Alleluia, and amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Anna Owens) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Come down from the mountain with mountain-like faith. Walk on God's paths as bright, shining lights. Live in God's ways with faith, hope, and love. Go into the world transformed and renewed! From the Abingdon Worship Annual. Posted on the Cokesbury website, http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/DynamicContent.aspx?pageid=830&id=198. Additional Illustrations Alexander Pope once wrote satirically, “Lo, the poor Indian! whose untutor’d mind sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind.” As Pope is saying, we sophisticated secular people no longer see God in clouds or hear him in the wind. We no longer see the movement of water in a pool as the special visitation of an angel as did the people beside the pool of Bethesda. We look to science, not religion, to answer most of our questions about physical reality. And it is quite natural that we should. There have been benefits from the process of secularization. The quest for scientific truth has brought us a host of technological wonders. But as Alexander Pope is saying, something has also been lost. God has become an abstract concept for many of us rather than a present reality. Intellectually we believe in God, but His existence does not seem to have much relevance to our everyday lives. Few of us know what it means to stand on holy ground. You should know that scholars debate the historicity of the scene on the Mount of Transfiguration. Was it a dream or was it reality? You and I cannot know. We were not there. We have only Simon Peter’s testimony. He reports that he and his two fellow disciples beheld the majesty of Christ. They saw the Master in the company of Moses and Elijah. They heard a voice from Heaven saying, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear him.” Simon Peter knew what it was to stand on holy ground. The experience on the Mount of Transfiguration confirmed for Simon Peter what he already believed about Christ. It was Simon Peter who, in answer to Jesus’ question at Caesarea Philippi, “Who do men say that I am?” affirmed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Simon Peter knew in his bones that this affirmation was true. Still, like us, there were some moments when it seemed truer than it did at others. After all, it was an astounding leap of faith to say that this humble Nazarene was the Son of the living God. In 1989 the movie The Mission played in local theaters. Although not a financial blockbuster by any account, it told a powerful message. Set in South America in the year 1750, the scenery, the sound track and the story itself combine to electrify and inspire the audience. A small group of Catholic missionaries have a dream of carrying the gospel to a tribe of native Indians who live high above a magnificent waterfall, on a plateau difficult to reach. The movie begins with the Indians carrying a white man out of their jungle village tied on a cross. He is dumped into the rushing river heading for the rapids, and in a few quick moments the man hurls over the mighty thundering waterfall to his death on the rocks below. Undaunted, other missionaries go back to their work of scaling with ropes the almost perpendicular wall until they reach the plateau. This time the missionaries succeed. As the years pass by, they organize a closely-knit community of love centered in devotion to Christ. Down below, however, in the more "civilized" towns the Spanish/Portuguese government officially decides to rid themselves of "the Mission." They want the Indians for slaves. Finally, one day they make their move and brutally attack the Indians and their missionary friends. The devoted Christian community does not scatter, and a horrible massacre follows. The close of the film is memorable. After the soldiers have gone away, the fires simmer and go out. In the last scene, as we are left stunned at what has happened, four young Indian children who somehow have escaped the holocaust get into a canoe and paddle away up the river to tell the dream to others some day. As people remain in the darkened theater, for a moment the story having ended, suddenly the following words from the Gospel of John flash on the screen: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it" (John 1:5). Is this not the same light that "Peter" calls our attention to, "a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart"? In a word, look, the morning star! CSS Publishing Company, EMPOWERED BY THE LIGHT, by Richard Hasler , Hijuelos writes of one of his characters: "Each day he awaited a slick of light to enter the darkness". There is a world out there looking for some light slicks. Will you let your light shine? Will you be a slick of light that brightens the corner where you are, and at the same time brings light to the world? The “next best thing” in the past few years has almost always been a voice-based development. We now all routinely talk to our cars. The voice activated personal assistant comes already named, but we can change it. We’re familiar with Siri, which means in Norwegian "beautiful woman who will lead you to victory.” The British have a male voice named Daniel. The Australians have one named Karen. Microsoft's alternative to Siri is called Cortana. Who among us this morning has not “named” the voice in our GPS, the voice-activated knowledge navigator that pulls up our playlist or guides us on our way in our vehicle, telling us where to turn and how far we have to go. [Consider making this an interactive moment and ask your people what names they have given their voice-activated concierges. Tell them the name you’ve given them to prime the pump. For example, I’ve named mine “Matilda.” Why? From the song “Waltzing Matilda.” The “unofficial national anthem of Australia” is the late 19th century song “Waltzing Matilda,” a bush ballad that is so significant to the people of Australia that the song has its own museum in Queensland. Australian soldiers named their backpacks “Matilda” as they sang the song on their marches, and they sometimes danced with “Matilda” around the campfire.] Our GPS “friend” is the voice that we trust to get us to where we have to be, to where we need to go. It is the voice we trust to get us home. Today, our voice-controlled life extends beyond our vehicles. Our smart phones have apps to access Siri, the voice controlled program that lets us tell our handheld electronic devices how to talk to us and how to serve our needs, granting whatever we want — we are the commander. Our voices are suddenly all-powerful. The latest gamer technology is also “voice-powered.” X-Box 1 and X-Box Kinect have both gathered gamers and go-getter exercisers through voice-activated systems. We can all now play our video games or access our video exercise routines just by using our voices. When you say “X-box on,” your voice gives you access to whole new worlds of fantasy and fun. After the experience on the mountain, The Voice tells the disciples to "listen to Him (Jesus)". Discipleship is nothing more or less than “listening to Jesus.” To move forward in faith is to listen to Him, to recognize His voice, The Voice that is a transfiguring power, the same power that created the world out of nothingness. This is The Voice that transfigures sinners into saints, that heals the broken-hearted and makes the wounded whole human beings. The Voice is the voice of change, of transfiguration, The Voice that transfigures water into wine, and wine into blood, and death into life, and transgressive people into transfigured people. Can you hear the voice of Jesus in your life? In our culture? Do you have a hearing problem? Can we hear the voice of Jesus over the drone of voices calling you elsewhere? Listening for Jesus voice is "serious" [siri-ous] business. To “Listen to Him” we need to do four things. 1) We need to mute other voices. 2) We need to learn to listen and be silent. 3) We need to recognize The Voice. 4) We need to megaphone The Voice.