Transfiguration

The gospel reading this Sunday is Matthew's account of the Transfiguration.  On Tuesdays the "liberal" clergy in the Alpena area (Lutherans, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians) gather to talk about the coming Sunday's lessons.  This morning we debated whether to preach on the Transfiguration... or just pretend that the Transfiguration never happened!

Transfiguration Window at St. Peter the Apostle Church,
Parsippany, NJ.

Just kidding.  The Transfiguration is a major "hinge" in the gospel story.  But it's not an easy assignment for the homilist.  What can you say about this mountaintop event that hasn't been said already, about a million times?  How does the Transfiguration relate to what is happening in the world today?  And given the fact that so many Christians are (or consider themselves) ignorant of the Bible, how do you preach on this important but difficult topic?  

I'll know more in a couple days, as I start hammering a sermon into shape.

Culinary note: When making bread, it's best to add the water to the egg, butter, honey, and yeast mixture before you add the flour.  I forgot to do this yesterday.  With effort I managed to incorporate most of the water, but the dough turned out heavy and sticky.  Lesson: Don't just read the directions.  Follow them, too! •••