Transfiguration of Jesus C ( February 27): Son-Light, Reflecting God's Light

 

Bible Readings: Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, Luke 9:28-43 

About the images:
Upper Left: I have permission to use this photo by Tamar Dolev - see this and  more of her work at http://www.tamardolev.com Please ask permission before using any work of any artist.
Upper Right: Sunset from Norfolk Island. This is my photo so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. If you want to know more about this beautiful island, then visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Island

Middle Left: This is the view from the top of Mt Sinai. This is my photo so please feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Middle Right: This image comes from the awesome Church Galleries website which is down at the moment.

Lower Left and Right: Free images from the Heartlight site - see my link column at left. 

Decor of the worship space:

Decorate the focal point of your worship space with any combination of heaps of lit candles, spotlights, and white and gold material.

Listening Song: Great Light of the World
By Bebo Norman on his album, Myself When I Am Real (pictured at left), 2002, or on WOW 2004.

Kids Story: Reflections
Place a large mirror in a dim part of your church and put the lighted Christ candle on it. Give each kid (with supervision if necessary) a tea light. Ask them to light their tea lights from the Christ candle and place them on the mirror. The effect should speak for itself.

 
Kid's Story:

I have a collection of large cards with dinner plate sized round faces drawn on them - each face reflecting a different emotion; eg tired, scared, surprised, sad, happy, excited, puzzled etc etc. The transfiguration lends itself very much to a retelling of the story using these cards to reflect the emotions of the disciples. You can either hand out the faces and get kids to hold up the one they have when they think that is how the disciples must have felt or you can hold up a relevant card at the relevant time and ask the kids (and the congregation?) to reflect the same face. It can be lots of fun.

Film Clip: Amelie

Show the clip where Amelie walks the blind man across the road. As she does so, she begins to detail all the things around him so that she gives him his sight.

Discussion Questions: For the film clip or as stand alones
To think about by yourself: 

      When have you felt closest to God's glory?
Brainstorm: 

      How did it make you feel?
Together: 

1. Why do you think God sometimes is revealed in these ways?
2. How has the experience impinged on your daily life?
3. How are we able to reflect God's glory on to other people?
4. What happens when we do?

Drama: We Can't Tell You
Found in Mega Drama 5 by Verena Johnson, (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109194, page 61 (pictured at left). This drama is based on the gospel reading.

Sermon Starter: Space Jump
Liken the disciples experience on the mountain to the Theatre Sports game, Space Jump, and then compare the game with the business and diversity of modern life.

Story: Spiritual Disciplines
Found in Story 664 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 2002, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured at right). This story goes well with the Corinthians reading.

Story: Testimony
Found in Story 719 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 2002, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured at right). This story also goes well with the Corinthians reading.

Story: Reflected Son-light 

Index 2166 from Bible Illustrator for Windows Version 1.0d, Parsons Technology Inc., 1990

Story: A Candle in the Darkness
Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 1995, ISBN 0310207681, page 17 (pictured at left). When I first told this story, I illustrated it with a self lighting candle ie you cannot put out God's light.
 

Story: Wouldn't He stick Out?
Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to Hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg McKinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 203 (pictured at left).

Poem: Transfiguration
By Bruce Prewer and found his site at www.textweek.com (see my links at left) under Prayers, Prefaces, Litanies, etc. on the Transfiguration C page.

 
Prayer: Transfiguration
This is a great three reader prayer written by Roddy Hamilton and found on his Mucky Paws blog (see my links) in his Archives for February 16 2007.

Response Activity:
Project or give everybody a copy of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 and ask them to underline the part that gives them the most hope. Be generous with time to do this - make it a spiritual exercise. Then ask them to share their response with two other people. 

Response Activity:
Give each person a small candle or tea light and ask them to light it at their main meal each day this week to remind themselves of God's love for them and that they are reflectors of God's light.

Response Activity:
Brainstorm ideas on how your congregation can be a light in the community? As each idea is suggested, write it on a separate piece of paper. Put them around the walls. Give everybody three stickers each and ask them to put a sticker on the three which excite them the most.  After the service, give the six with the most dots to a member of your church council or leadership team :-) !!

Also:

Poem: Leaf and seed
Found in In Due Season by Herbert F Brokering, Augsburg Publishing, 1966 (pictured at right) in the Autumn section and based on the 2 Corinthians reading.