February 11, 2018 Mark 9.2-9 “Love Shines” (Scout Sunday)

February 11, 2018 Mark 9.2-9 “Love Shines” (Scout Sunday) Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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Today is Transfiguration Sunday and it is also scout Sunday! There is always a lot to celebrate in the house of God. God always has a reason to have a party.

The word transfiguration is from the Greek word Metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o ). [slide # 1 metamorphoo ] It means to transform, to change. [slide # 2 transform, change] On this Transfiguration Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ transformation, for even Jesus was changed when he went up on a mountain top with his bffs – Peter, James and John. [slide # 3 Jesus and the 3] They felt closer to God in the beauty and serenity of the mountaintop. They felt the awe-inspiring peace of God. Have YOU ever felt God’s presence while standing on a mountain top [slide # 4 girl on mountain] or sitting in a flower garden [slide # 5 boy on laptop in garden] or walking along a sandy beach? [slide # 6 beach]

We often hear God’s love for us very clearly in the woods and everywhere in nature where birds sing their melodies [slide # 7 birds singing] and wolves howl at the moon, [slide # 8 wolf /moon] where fallen leaves crunch beneath our feet and a warm fire glows just right for our hotdogs and marshmallow treats. God’s presence fills us with those good feelings that help transform us into good, even great, boys and girls, men and women.

Like Jesus, [slide # 9 Jesus multicolors].  We are changed right before the eyes of those who see us. Those who have eyes to see notice that we have changed for the better and that we are overflowing with light and love, and motivation. Those who have spiritual eyes and insight can appreciate that we have been changed and we have the wisdom to know certain things that make this world a better place. We have the power to use our God-given gifts to be a blessing, to save lives and rescue those who are in dire need and great distress. [slide # 10 girl sad in corner] We ourselves may be in trouble or maybe it is a stranger or someone close to us that we love and care about that may be in trouble. [slide # 11 man with head down]

It has been said that when young people have at least three adults that they trust and can talk to, they are stronger than so many others that are having a hard time. Young people have confessed that they sometimes feel concern because they believe they are addicted to their phones and computers. These are things to pray about and ask God’s help.

Jesus was changed on that mountain. Verse 3 says his clothes suddenly looked dazzling white. [slide # 12 Jesus surrounded by light] It was a brightness that was not like the brightness they had seen before. It was a brightness that was heavenly. It was supernatural.

What is supernatural? I do not have a good definition for supernatural anymore. In my experience, everything that we call natural no longer seems ordinary or common to me. Every breath we take, [slide # 13 taking breaths] every star that shines, [slide # 14 star] every wind that blows, [slide # 15 wind blown tree] [slide # 16  wind blown dog] and every seed that grows [slide # 17 seeds] are unfathomable to me. It seems EVERYTHING is above and beyond my comprehension and therefore, I find myself always looking up toward God as the power that is higher than anything and anyone. [slide # 18 child looking up in prayer]

Jesus’ clothes turned brighter than day. In that bright spiritual light, they saw something sort of weird. They could see two ancestors who lived hundreds of years ago. They saw Elijah and Moses talking to Jesus [ slide # 19 …talking with Jesus] .

It is a good thing to connect with our ancestors who have gone before us. (It is good that Troop 4 is celebrating 50 years of scouting at Bethel. They are looking back to the dedicated men and women who served and sacrificed in order to maintain values that were honorable and worthy to be called Christian.) Moses appeared on the mountain with Jesus, though he was born 1500 years before Jesus. Moses’ job was to inspire any lawbreakers to become promise keepers. He gave us the Ten Commandments to help us.     

Peter, James, and John not only saw Moses talking to Jesus, they saw the greatest prophet of all times, Elijah. Elijah was born 800 year before Jesus. Elijah was a great prophet who spoke strong and forceful words on God’s behalf. Elijah’s words were sharper than a double-edged sword. They cut right to the point of everything that mattered to God.

As James, Peter, and John watched Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, they were trembling with fear, they looked as if they were seeing a ghost and in some sense, they were! The memories of these two greats in the faith brought were shining with extraordinary spiritual light. In the bible, people in heaven who have helped us accomplish great things are called a “cloud of witnesses.” They have been first-hand witnesses of God’s wonderful ways and they look on us from above and smile when they see the good that we are accomplishing! We should remind ourselves often that they are the ones God used to get us where we are today [slide # 20 Jesus talking  (brown background) ] We do not want to be blind to their existence because they do matter.

Sometimes the world is an upside down place. Still, even the smallest good we do makes more of a difference than we can imagine. God gives all of us something that has the power to transform the world! [slide # 21 hands on globe]

We all know that even one smile can light up an entire room, [ slide #22  children smiling] [slide # 23 cat smiling] that a little laughter is contagious, [slide # 24 child laughing]that it feels good to receive a blessing and it feels good to pay it forward. [slide # 25 pay it…]

There is great power in all the good we do, so we do well to do all the good we can in order to change the atmosphere and make the world a better place.

Someone who visited Philadelphia last week noticed that the city was filled with happiness, and unity, and laughter that was refreshing. The city had high hopes of becoming a city of champions. Hope had them dancing in the streets. Hope did not disappoint them, even though there were some very, very tense moments. Like that last touchdown.

Slide # 26 video

[video- ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cqhUvawoL0   - show first 57 minutes]

Carson Wentz  [slide # 27 Wentz ],  has led the Eagles team in prayer [ 28 slide # Eagles huddled in prayer] and when given the chance to speak after the game, players and coaches gave thanks and credit to God. Nick Foles, Jay Ajayi, Zach Ertz, Corey Clement among others are names that won’t be forgotten for a long time. They may not all claim to be Christians, but they were all in the prayer huddle as far as I know. They are in the light, even if the light is not all the way in them. Praying and giving God thanks is light that leads to positive changes in the atmosphere.

Prayer may not seem to make a difference at all, but we know better. Some of us may be like the man who fell off of a cliff. He was hanging on to a branch and he decided to pray. He looked up to the Heavens and yelled. Is anybody up there? Can you help me? He heard a voice say, “Jump! Just Jump!” The man, looking up again and yelled “Is there anybody else up there?” Finally, he jumped and realized he was only two feet from the ground. Prayer makes a world of difference. Try it for 30 days and see for yourself. Try it for 10 days. Try it for 5 days.

As Christians we shine just like Jesus. [Slide # 29 dazzling light…] Our spiritual disciplines of prayer and doing good help us shine as champions. We fervently love the God who made us.  We love those upon whose shoulders we stand. We make a difference in this world. As champions of the faith we work hard and play hard to win so that others too can shine with the light of God’s love. [slide # 30 Jesus hug] We work hard so that everyone can celebrate the brilliant light that makes life good, for isn’t it a terrible thing to live this life, without the light that shines from above? Amen. [slide # 31 Lord….(prayer)]  [slide # 32 Eagle player] [slide # 33 Touchdown]