A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
Grace and peace to you,
As we approach this Sunday’s combined worship and congregational meeting, I wanted to offer a few thoughts. First, this Sunday is known as Transfiguration Sunday, which features the story of Jesus taking Peter, James and John up the mountain, where they have an experience of divine encounter. Jesus is transfigured or transformed right in front of them, his clothes shining brighter than the most bleached white.
Then they see Moses and Elijah just hanging and 
talking with Jesus. Peter wants to build shrines for each of them, but is stopped cold in his fear-laden tracks when he, James and John hear a voice from heaven basically shouting at them: Listen to my Son the Beloved!
These disciples, often clueless and lacking in understanding of who Jesus is, have now experienced a thin place – a Celtic understanding of divine encounter where the duality of the human and divine, between heaven and earth is made so thin that the two can become one.
Thin places or divine encounters invite us to step out of what our five senses communicate to us; instead being astounded at the experience of God’s presence, often through the Holy Spirit. Have you ever had such an experience? And, if yes, how did it transform you – how did it change you? Were you able to look at situations differently because of this thin place way of experiencing God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
These experiences do change us – we are different after such an experience and I believe that Peter, James and John were different after this. The experience left them without words. The experience of seeing the shining bright light that Jesus became seeped into them – they too became light for the world. Were they perfect in shining that light? No, but the light and the divine encounter continued to transform them into leaders of mission and ministry beyond Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Woven into experiencing this story through words, song and Scripture, will be the presentation from the Strategic Mission Steering committee regarding the future of our building and property.
Some have asked whether we are voting the same day, and I want to remind everyone that in all of our updates and newsletter articles we have been transparent in saying we will hear and act on the same day. There are reasons for this:
- The approval we are seeking at this time is for preliminary, nonbinding agreements; there will be subsequent congregational approval before anything is finalized.
- The information becomes public once it is shared with our congregation; the church and our proposed partners need to communicate about it with other stakeholders.
- Our congregation’s action also requires approval from Mountain Laurel Presbytery, and their upcoming meeting is on Saturday, Feb. 28.
What thin places might we encounter this Sunday? What fears might we let go of as we experience the transfiguration of Jesus, the transformation of the disciples and even, possibly, ourselves? How will we trust our divine encounters?
The next story in Mark is of the man who has asked the disciples to heal his son but they are unable. Jesus, frustrated, reminds all around him that all things are possible for the one who has faith, which leads us to the oft quoted line: “I believe! Help my unbelief!” Or as another translation puts it – “I have faith! Help my lack of faith!”
May we allow ourselves to trust the thin places of our lives, individual and as this community of faith.
Blessings,
Pastor Karen
NOTE: The Combined service and congregational meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. until noon in Fellowship Hall. It will not be livestreamed; members who would like to attend via Zoom must request the link by contacting us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org. Immediately following the service, we will remain in Fellowship Hall for a provided luncheon.