A Sermon Preached by Rev. Jean Niven Lenk

¹Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ ⁵While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ ⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ ⁸And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

"God's Icons ”

A Communion Meditation Preached by
The Rev. Jean Niven Lenk

at the

First Congregational Church of Stoughton

United Church of Christ

On this last Sunday before the beginning of Lent, we celebrate the Transfiguration, the event in which Jesus’ human nature becomes so transparent that his divine glory shows forth.

In Matthew’s telling of the Transfiguration story, Jesus has recently fed the five thousand, stilled the storm, healed and preached. And he has told his disciples that he will undergo great suffering and be killed, and on the third day be raised [Matthew 16:21]. Now he goes to the mountain with Peter, John and James to pray, and what begins for Jesus as deep prayer grows into an intense religious experience. God meets him so powerfully up there on the mountain that Jesus is transformed, transfigured; the appearance of his face changes, and his clothes become dazzling white. As they look on, the three disciples see – to use Paul’s words from this morning’s Epistle lesson – the three disciples see “light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (4:4).

In the original language of the NT, the word translated from Greek as “image” is eikon. In the sacred usage of the Christian Church, icons are images of figures and scenes from Scripture, holy works of art, and you will find some examples on the white insert in your worship bulletin. In the Orthodox Christian faith tradition, icons are used in worship and prayer as devotional aids to lead people closer to the heart of God.

In secular usage, the English word “icon” means “image” in the sense of an emblem, or symbol. We call someone or something an icon when the person or thing personifies a movement or tradition. For instance, apple pie and Coca-cola are American icons; Elvis Presley and the Beatles are music icons; and Tom Brady – and the whole Patriots team – are sports icons. Go Pats!!

In computer usage, the word “icon,” refers to the picture or symbol you click on to launch or enter a program; in other words, clicking on an icon gives you access to the program that particular icon represents. For instance, click on the picture of blue lower case “e,” and you’ll gain access to Internet Explorer; click on the green “X,” and you’ll enter Microsoft Excel.

As the Apostle Paul writes, Jesus is the image of God. Or, putting that in computer terms, Jesus is God’s icon; it is through Jesus that we have access to God. When we look at Jesus, we look into the face of God. When we worship Jesus, we are transported into the heart and life of God.

In the words from this morning’s Epistle lesson from The Message: “…our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.”

That is precisely what happens on that mountain top when Jesus is transfigured before the three disciples. They see God in the bright and beautiful face of Christ, and their lives fill up with light of Christ.

Paul also writes [2 Corinthians 3:18], “All of us… are being transformed into the same image” – eikon– “from one degree of glory to another.” That is what happens to Peter, James and John; just as Jesus is transfigured up on that mountain, so are they. The glory of Jesus shines, and the disciples’ lives are then filled with Christ’s light, and they are transformed into the same shining image as Christ.

And having been filled with Christ’s light, they become bearers of that light, of God’s image, to the world -- God’s icons. The light of Christ within their hearts sustains the disciples throughout the remainder of Jesus’ earthly ministry; that light carries them through the dark days leading to the crucifixion; and in the years following Christ’s resurrection, that light inspires them to travel and preach tirelessly, telling others about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

In the familiar words of Genesis [1:26], we, too, are created in God’s image – and the Greek translation of the Hebrew bible uses that same word eikon for “image.” We are created in the image of God, and we, like Jesus and like the disciples, are called to become God’s icons; we are to bear God’s image, we are to be Christ’s light-bearers, people through whom the glory of God shines.

The story¹ is told of a church that was built in the mountains of Switzerland. It was a beautiful church that had been built with great care, but there was something important missing. There were no lights in the church, not a one. Everyone was shocked. How could they have forgotten the lights?

When the time came for the first service, the people realized that they would have to bring their own lights. The little church started to fill with light, and as more and more people arrived with their lanterns, the light became brighter and brighter. Suddenly the people understood they didn’t need lights in the church; they could bring the light with them. For many, it was a reminder that God’s light was with them and in them. The only time the little church was lit up was when the people were there; that’s when it truly became a church.

As Christ’s church here in this place and also in the world, may Christ’s light shine through us, that we may bear God’s image and serve as God’s icons to the world. Amen.

¹Margaret Kyle, Bible Stories for All Ages, Lectionary Year A, The Whole People of God Library (Kelowna, BC: Wood Lake Books, 2007), p. 91.