Dear Friends,
There is joy on the horizon for the people of Ashland Place UMC. Do you not perceive it?
Ash Wednesday is next week. Lent is almost here. But right now, it is still Epiphany. While the city may be covered in Mardis Gras beads and moonpies, the Church declares February 15 as the last Sunday in the season of light. With all due respect to Joe Cain, make no mistake about it–this is Transfiguration Sunday.
Do you remember how this season started? It began with Jesus’ baptism. …Suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God…alighting on him.
And now, this Sunday will be yet another brilliant and glorious sign of the revelation of God.
As is so often the case in Scripture, it happened on a mountain (Matt. 17:1-9). But I believe it can happen down by the shores of the Bay, too.
Where else, we wonder, might this light also shine?
As Diana Butler Bass has written in The Beautiful Year,
“The season of Epiphany is about Jesus’ vision–of the Spirit of alighting on those rising from turbulent waters to complete belovedness–slowly, surely seen by others. All around Jesus, people follow his light, they see a new way toward joy and justice, and they begin to envision a world that pleases Abba-God. The circle of light and enlightenment widens. They can see, to some degree, Jesus’ baptismal vision.
And then, on this final Sunday, his followers are invited into the vision for themselves. Jesus took his friends up to a mountain. There, they saw their teacher with Moses and Elijah–Jesus, shining with light, conversing with the Law and the Prophets.”
Does that sound like a momentous occasion? It certainly does to me! You do not want to miss this Sunday!
In celebration of this event, we are excited to gather for breakfast this Sunday morning at 8:30 and then worship together as one body at 10:00. Our friends from the Excelsior Band will be with us, bringing the light of their witness and increasing our hearts for joy and justice. The message this Sunday is “This Is Out of Control.” As preparation for worship, I invite you to begin praying over the words of Psalm 2. It’s going to be a great and glorious day!
Furthermore, I am grateful for the interest many have shown in our upcoming pilgrimage to Montgomery on April 3. We are still working to fine tune the itinerary, so I ask all who are considering it to give us your feedback through this survey.
Sure enough, there is a light over the horizon!
Yours,
Darren