Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration Sunday – 14 February 2021

The Faith Nurture Forum would like to thank Dr Mark Calder, Regional Manager (Scotland and N England) for Embrace the Middle East, for his thoughts on Transfiguration Sunday.

“We may not all be gathered in the same building, but at this time, when we need each other so much, we are invited to worship together, from where we are – knowing that God can hear us all and can blend even distant voices into one song of worship.” National Worship Team

As the restrictions on our ability to meet in groups continue, worship leaders continue to deliver their services both online and offline.

We can help to facilitate participation from the whole congregation by exploring imaginative approaches to inclusion, participation and our use of technology in the service in ways that suit both physical gatherings and video-conference style settings, such as:

• Opening and closing moments of worship that help people mark out a time set apart with God • Introducing various parts of the worship service to help worshippers understand the character and purpose of each one (framing) • Enabling conversations or prayers in breakout groups • Holding spaces that allow people to go deeper in worship • Using the chat function and microphone settings to allow people to actively participate in prayer, e.g. saying the Lord’s Prayer together unmuted, in a moment of ‘holy chaos’ • Using music and the arts as part of the worship

Useful links: Up to date information for churches around Covid-19 can be found here Useful tips for creating and leading worship online can be found here You can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship here

Introduction ...... 3

2 Kings 2:1-12 ...... 3

Psalm 50:1-6 ...... 4

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ...... 4

Mark 9:2-9 ...... 5

Sermon ideas ...... 7

Prayers ...... 9

Alternative Material ...... 13

Musical suggestions ...... 17

Introduction

Each of the lectionary readings this week calls our attention to realities beyond everyday experience and comprehension. A theme that runs throughout is how people respond to the ‘veiled’ truths described, and each raises questions about how we live in the light of something we may only occasionally, or perhaps dimly, discern. The fact that this Sunday coincides with St Valentine’s Day creates resonances with wider culture which are drawn out in the Sermon Ideas.

2 Kings 2:1-12

The story of Elijah’s assumption in the presence of Elisha is as dramatic as the Transfiguration narrative. It shares with that story an explosive encounter with a usually concealed reality, and the central experience of someone who wishes to not let go. At the moment of Elijah's departure, Elisha sees the ‘chariots of Israel and its horsemen’, expressing a cosmology in which agents of heaven are responsible for earthly territories.

Here, though, Elisha does not want to simply hold onto a moment of revelation, but onto his beloved mentor who is departing. Is the tearing of his clothes a response to the contrast between his earthly perspective and what he has just seen (c.f. Isaiah 6:5) or is it that, despite the cosmic fireworks, his overriding emotion is one of bereavement due to the loss of his mentor?

One of the more curious questions to arise from this passage is what Elisha’s expectations were when he asked Elijah for a ‘double share’ of his spirit. The Spirit of God is what empowered the prophets, or rather the prophets are the chosen vehicles for, or mediators of, the action of the spirit of YHWH in the world. Is this what Elisha seeks more of? Elijah’s response to Elisha’s request doesn’t resolve our questions, but the answer will be given when the former departs.

And yet, the sheer drama of this irruption of another realm into theirs, at Jordan, that symbol of both life and death, seems to make the request seem even more preposterous. Is he wanting a double ‘share’ of something as indivisible as it is immeasurable? And yet, with a reminder, through sheer cosmic theatre - that God has chosen of divine free will to work through and partner with God’s people - this request is apparently granted.

As with the Transfiguration, what follows is significant for reading this narrative. Elisha will take up the mantle of Elijah in the subsequent passage, just as the disciples of Jesus will

ultimately take up their crosses. As he turns his face towards his ministry, what he has seen is connected to his empowerment.

Perhaps here we are encouraged above all to reflect on this central paradox of scripture: that God, the uncontainable, repeatedly chooses to be limited in order to act, and ultimately dwell, among us.

Psalm 50:1-6

Whereas the 2 Kings passage describes the in-dwelling and out-working of the Spirit, as an expression of the power of God; the beginning of this Psalm calls us to acknowledge divine power exercised through the Wisdom and Word of God, and then through the Shekinah of God dwelling in Zion. While the work of the Spirit is mediated by God’s prophets (and after Pentecost, by the Church), the psalmist paints a picture of a more ‘autocratic’ expression of power, by which I mean simply ‘unto itself’, unmediated. It is an awe-inspiring image, which intensifies in the subsequent part of the psalm.

The fact that I balk at using the word ‘autocratic’ to describe the power of God is salutary. Why would I resist the idea of God’s power being fearfully untamed, especially when fear of God is portrayed as so essential – a kind of sine qua non of faith – in the Hebrew Bible? Perhaps it is easier to domesticate God in a context of plenty and satiation.

But once again, in this psalm, God invites a response. In the end, unlike in some of the prophetic texts, sacrifices are not rejected, but God’s priority is the gratitude of the Covenant people. Moreover, through a Christological lens, the judgement of God upon injustice, willingly absorbed by Christ for the sake of God’s people, becomes yet another source of gratitude which we can feel even in contexts of oppression and hardship.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

The narrative context for this epistle is St Paul’s big fall-out with the Corinthians which, by the time of this letter, is somewhat resolved. This context is essential though and lingering tensions remain. Paul’s ministry was still rejected by some because it appeared unimpressive: Paul’s relative lack of wealth, status and performance charisma paled in comparison with others who claimed the Corinthians’ allegiance, the ‘super-apostles’ (as he sarcastically describes them) of Chapter 11.

But, as in our other readings, appearances are deceptive, and this letter revolves around comparing values that prevail in the dominant culture with the values expressed by Jesus, especially in His willingness to lay down His life. That which is widely taken for granted, because of the bright lights shone by the ‘god of this world’, is actually a falsehood; and the truth has to do with God showing God’s power through weakness.

In this reading, then, Paul tells the Corinthians that the very unimpressive nature of many of Jesus’ followers is not beside the point, but actually points to the character of their Lord. His role is simply to express and reflect the glory of this king, whose light now shines also in their hearts in place of their formerly blinded minds.

However, the letter goes on to show how utterly counterintuitive Christ’s glory is: unlike the exaltation of Moses on Sinai, the exaltation of Christ was on a cross. His enthronement looks to most people like His defeat. Indeed, that which is impressive about the world’s heroes is part of what ‘veils’ the good news to many people who are ‘perishing’, having preferred something other than the self-giving, and life-giving, way of Christ.

Paul finds comfort and encouragement in this truth. Christ’s death was not only about reconciling God to humankind or showing the character of God, but pointing to a new way of being in the world which is ‘cruciform’. The things that would be reasons, according to the status-driven logic of Paul’s detractors, to reject him, are for him attributes of Christ that he has adopted as a disciple.

Moreover, this portrayal of Christ’s death as His enthronement places a message of generosity at the very centre of the gospel, and so of Christian identity. This fragment of Paul’s argument in Chapter 4 contributes to a conclusion in Chapters 8&9 in which Paul confronts his audience with their failure to express their belonging to the beleaguered church in Jerusalem through generous giving. Like everything else, this connection is not obvious to others, to ‘the world’. This connection is part of the veiled reality, and eyes that truly recognise this connection are unveiled by the Spirit of God, and are eyes that direct hands toward expressing this connection in generous giving and hospitality.

Mark 9:2-9

The Transfiguration story proclaims the identity of Jesus as the Christ: in the presence of Moses and Elijah we see Jesus as the one who fulfils the law and the prophets. We also come to see the Christ’s identity as more than that which was expected, as one whose reign is beyond, as well as within, His followers’ everyday experience - the ‘Ancient One’ of Daniel 7:9. The Messiah is not only sent by God, as 1st Century Jews would have expected, but fully

of God in a radical way. So, from the cloud, a voice speaks, identifies Jesus as ‘my Son’, and tells Jesus’ followers to listen to Him.

But questions abound. Was this event for the sake of the disciples, to teach them something, to show them just how ‘at hand’ the Kingdom is? Was it in some sense for Jesus’ own sake? Was it a kind of ‘in-breaking’ of God’s reign on earth, a kind of first-fruit of something yet to come in fullness? Or, do we see it as a singular, momentary glimpse ‘behind the veil’ of mortal perception into a different divine reality?

Certainly, the location of this episode in the gospel narrative suggests we are to make some connection between what is unfolding on the mountain and what is about to happen in Jerusalem. Some church traditions hold that the Transfiguration occurred 40 days before the Crucifixion. The glimpse of Christ’s glory makes it clear that something else is going on as that narrative unfolds, as Jesus becomes, apparently, yet another victim of the irresistible might of Empire. In the light of the mountain-top experience, and as the Orthodox kontakion of the Transfiguration proclaims, the Passion is the culmination of God’s willing self-emptying (Philippians 2:6-8):

You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, in so far as they could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.

Meanwhile, the contrast between this spectacular theophany and the more low-key revelation of Easter morning is equally striking. What do we do with the physicality of Jesus in both instances? What do we make of the fact that the Transfiguration recalls the ‘shining forth’, or ‘angelic’ appearance of some Jewish expectations of afterlife (c.f. Wisdom of Solomon 3:7-8, Acts 12:15), while the Resurrected body that in fact emerges from the tomb, though in the presence of a shining angel (Matthew 28:3), remains scarred, is touchable, and eats food?

Finally, we can learn much from thinking with the subjective experience of the disciples. If the Transfiguration is about the identity of Jesus Christ, it is the disciples’ confused responses, and those that precede and follow this episode, that also point us to ways of responding. They wanted to ‘capture’ the moment with memorials on the mountain, but Jesus’ focus continues to be on their commitment to following Him through the forthcoming journey to the Cross.

Sermon ideas

This week’s readings call us, in different ways, to pay attention to realities that may normally be hidden from us, expressed in two vivid and compelling stories for listeners of all ages, a poem, and a heartfelt letter.

The readings lack nothing in drama, but it may be useful to ‘earth’ a sermon or discussion with reference to Valentine’s Day. We might begin by noting St Valentine’s patronages, which include plague, as well as love and lovers. We might ask, playfully, whether St Valentine’s life could help us to reinvigorate relationships that have endured a year, nearly, of ‘plague’-related lockdown and cabin-fever, or enforced separation by travel restrictions! Unfortunately, of course, we will find his response is disappointing. According to Pope Gelasisus I who established his feast day in 496, Valentine is one of those saints, ‘whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.’ So, not much help there.

We ask instead whether we might learn anything about love from our readings today. We might compare the mountain-top experience of the Transfiguration with the ‘first love’ elation that, as lovers, we wish we could grasp, sustain, and live within forever, while acknowledging that the everyday experience and practice of love is much more like hard work, sacrifice, and struggle.

Some people, moreover, may have an analogous experience of their commitment to Jesus: an initial sense of ecstasy or liberation, and then a lifelong journey of committed struggle – in its light, perhaps. Conversely, the struggle may itself illuminate the initial ‘high’: it enables us to recall the early surprise with different eyes, to recognise its truth as even more true, having been tested in the fire of sustained, everyday struggle (c.f. 2 Peter 1:16-18). Mother Teresa’s famous ‘dark night of the soul’ may be a helpful reference point.

Another way to approach the texts in relation to each other is to talk about appearances. Often we spend a lot of time veiling. We have all become adept, over the past year, at making sure our laundry isn’t on display behind us while having a conference call on Zoom or Teams! (This could be a very effective allusion if you are conducting this service/gathering online.)

But whereas we exert great efforts to veil our unpresentable sides, the glory of God displayed in the narratives and described in the other readings, has been limited and constrained for us in the person of Christ. It is a veiling not of something unpresentable but of immense power and unbearable light. This logic of strength presented in weakness

underpins St Paul’s claim to authority as against that of the super-apostles, and he calls them not to look so superficially.

A third way-in is to think about the importance of listening – perhaps even as opposed to looking. It is striking that the voice of God in the gospel reading insists that the disciples listen, that their looking at this dazzling sight is not the point, but a kind of attention- grabbing revelation of the identity of their rabbi Jesus. Likewise, St Paul’s letter closes with a plea: ‘listen to my appeal’. Do not be distracted or deceived by those who impress the eyes, but let God’s light shine ‘in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’.

Whatever our way-in, the feast of the Transfiguration foregrounds the identity of Christ. This should lend itself to a challenge about our response to that identity, not least in our rationale for worshipping Him. While we may be tempted to focus, especially going into Lent, upon what Jesus did or does for us, nevertheless Jesus is who He is not because He defeated death, but Jesus defeated death because of who He is.

Finally, there are important missional applications to these lessons – what the disciples do next, and what Elisha does next, are related to what they have seen and heard. In 1921, 100,000 Greek and Armenian Christians were killed in Cilicia. Among them, dozens of partners supported by Embrace the Middle East’s predecessor organization, the Bible Lands Missions Aid Society, were destroyed. Writing from Cilicia in our magazine, our Secretary at that time, Samuel Gentle-Cackett, addressed the question, was it worth it? ‘Yes, a thousand times yes. I do not regret it, even if all my work is undone. I am thankful that God gave me health and strength to accomplish so much for the Kingdom of his dear Son, and now I pray I may still be spared to work for these persecuted, unoffending Armenians.’

To see your work in tatters, and much more besides, and still to talk of accomplishment relies on having hearts illumined by this veiled reality. In Eastern Christianity, liturgical and iconographic presentations of Christ as king – transfigured, as it were – are more common than they are here. Perhaps the real sense of the kingship of Christ helps to empower His followers today to endure eye-watering challenges with the forbearance and creativity we see, not least in our Embrace the Middle East partners.

And perhaps above all, it is this light that enables us to see that we are connected to each other – indeed, with Christians in the Middle East – because of the mostly veiled truth of Christ’s identity, and identity as His body. The generosity to which Paul calls the Corinthians is not ‘aid’, but sharing within one household. What an extraordinary idea: that those

invisible connections between fragile people are the means God has chosen to express God’s power in the world.

Teaching the Transfiguration to children may begin with some simple questions about the narrative, and then about their response. What is the best day you remember? What if you could never tell anyone about it? Have you ever known that there is more going on than there seems to be to others?

As a practical task, children could be encouraged to design and build a den, like the booths the disciples wanted to build, which recall their best day. What would they put in it? When would they go into it? How would it make them feel? Would they be able to keep the den forever?

This could lead to a discussion of how we don’t always feel that God is powerful or with us, but that faith is walking in the truth even when we don’t feel it, just as we can enjoy the memory of a great day long past.

There are good ideas for all-age teaching at: www.missionbibleclass.org – search for ‘Transfiguration’.

Prayers

Eastern Christian traditions use prostration in prayer much more than western traditions like ours. Many 'Oriental’ Orthodox Christians will prostrate 40 times daily through Lent. Some scholars believe Islamic prostration was adopted from Syriac Christian practice.

The following prayers are intended to engage the whole body in prayer by evoking different parts of the body in the responses. Especially if prayer is taking place in homes, it may be appropriate to experiment with different bodily postures of prayer, something children adapt to more intuitively than many of us adults. The point is to unsettle us in pursuit of a renewed experience of divine light, discerned by our whole sensorium, not just our minds. The prayers given are intended for responsorial communal prayer, whether by a gathered congregation in church or at home, or an online meeting.

An icon of Christ the King, or a candle, or an illuminated display may be an aid to prayer here.

Approach to God / Call to worship The Taizé chant, ‘Within our darkest night’, might be an appropriate call to worship.

'Let light shine out of darkness’.

Creator God who spoke light into primordial darkness, who ‘speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting’, we gather to You, Your faithful yet fragile ones.

With ‘the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ’: Give us eyes to see and ears to hear.

Thanksgiving Acknowledging that You dwell beyond our comprehension, worshipped by the universe itself, we thank You for emptying Yourself of glory in the person of Jesus Christ, and through Him illuminating our path back to You.

We name Your blessings to us... [silent or aloud]

Recalling that You first loved us: Give us grateful hearts to receive Your blessings.

Confession We confess that the light of the gospel, Your divine image in Christ and His people, is veiled to us when we pursue the empty promises of our idols.

Our daily preoccupations obscure the sacred bonds You created between us the church, the one household of God; while our projects of self-advancement cause injury to the body of Christ.

The sickly glow of higher status, greater wealth, worldly recognition, distract us from the life giving Sun of righteousness who gave up His status to make us children and heirs of God.

We know that we fall short of this calling every day and name in our hearts those ways in which we have sinned in thought, word, deed and in what we have failed to do...

Confident in the righteousness of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ Lift up our heads in the life-giving knowledge of Your forgiveness.

Intercession Use the latest news, or the Embrace the Middle East prayer diary, to give focus to the second part of these intercessions.

Recalling Your goodness to Your people through the ages We turn to You in our need.

Knocking on Your door, again and again, as if to tire You of our knocking as our Lord commanded, we name the burning desires of our own hearts... [silent or aloud]

Our Lord promised, ‘if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven’.

And yet, You have drawn to our attention the great lack endured by so many around the world, the victims of oppression and injustice, in...

Holy one, who wants to be addressed as our loving parent, We acknowledge our kinship ties with the church across the world. We unite our wills with Your people in...

We ask that...

May Your Kingdom come here in... as well as in...

We unite our wills with Your servants in the Middle East, such as Embrace the Middle East’s Christian partners, those who have inherited the oldest church communities in the world, and ask that Your abundant life would be known by them, and through them, by all Your children.

Until You satisfy us in Your fullness, God, enlighten us with the knowledge of Christ that shines in our hearts, and strengthen Your people to take up their crosses on dark roads.

Owning Your promises, we ask that You would fill Your people’s outstretched hands: That our hands may be turned to Your holy work.

Blessing / Closing prayer May the light of Your glory illuminate our path this day and every day, showing us the truth of Your presence amid the lies of the unjust kingdoms of this world.

Turning to the tasks You have prepared for us, And the people You have set us among: Make our feet sure and fleet, the bearers of good news. Amen

Alternative Material

This material has been supplied by kind permission of Spill the Beans and allows you to explore the readings or theme of the service in creative ways that include everyone gathering for worship.

New material from Spill the Beans is provided in the latest issues available from their website.

Installation If you have someone with an artistic and creative talent, set them the challenge of creating a dazzling focal point for the worship space. An example could be a backlit cloth with shadows projected onto the cloth of three people (use card cut-outs placed near to the light source).

Bible Notes – Mark 9:2-10

Peter Dumfoondert, Law, Prophets and the Way of the Cross Six days earlier, at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked, ‘Who do people say I am?’ Peter confessed, ‘You are the Messiah’. Trumpets? Banners? Publicity? No. Jesus began to teach that the Son of Man must be rejected, put to death and rise to life (Mark 8).

This Jesus, soon to be killed Messiah, is seen transfigured by Peter, James and John on a mountaintop. Jesus is often called a teacher. Yet his teaching is wrapped in disturbing talk of his dying and rising. Is this a warning or a promise? Both? Follow me to Jerusalem, to my death, like people returning from exile, like the Lord returning to Zion. Evil and death will be overcome, through the apparent victory of evil and death. This is kingdom business. It has to do with chief priests, death sentences, crowds and crosses.

Mark’s account of the transfiguration is full of biblical typology: Moses, Elijah, a mountain, light, a cloud. Moses and Elijah, represent the Law and the Prophets. Both had mountaintop epiphanies. Both, discouraged, afraid, met the ineffable God on mountaintops and were sent back to face their conflicted situations. There is some mystery about what happened to each of them after their death (2 Kings 2:9ff and Deuteronomy 34:1ff).

It was also on a mountaintop that Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22).

Cloud and light signify God’s presence, hidden and yet revealed. These may also allude to worship in the Temple. Is this a vision of a new cleansed Temple not built of stone? And on top of all that, white robes are the dress of martyrs (for example Revelation 3:5).

Mark 1:1 asserted that Jesus is the Son of God and a voice attested this at his baptism (1:11). Unclean spirits also spilled the beans about Jesus. In Mark 8 a blind man came step- by-step to enlightenment, Peter saw and didn’t see who and what a Messiah is. Now we come to a disclosure point, as we are all let in on the secret. Jesus, is the crucified Messiah, the victor who seems to be the vanquished. Later, a Roman centurion will say, ‘Truly this man was the son of God’ (Mark 16).

This confronts us with Mark’s provocative mysticism of discipleship. Mystical. Spiritual. Enlightenment. How do those words sound? It can be all too tempting to seek an easy life and let what passes for ‘spiritual’ to be more about a warm glow, a cocoon. But mountains are hard to climb. The way is hard, the air is rarefied and going back down has its own challenges. What if the way back is the narrow way that leads to life? What if there are oppressed, possessed people, crowds and crosses waiting at the bottom?

Mark’s story both hides and reveals who Jesus is and the nature of true power and glory. Isaiah 45:15:

Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

We could ask ourselves, what bedazzles us and holds our attention? Which powers influence our decision-making, exercise us and take up our time? What gets results? What or whom do we really follow and worship?

The inner core of disciples are afraid. Peter is dumfoondert, confused, lost for words. “Let’s stay here” he says in effect. “Build shrines for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Catch the moment.” Before they ascend to heaven?

In Marked, the graphic novel by Steve Ross, someone attempts a snapshot. We might use a mobile phone today and upload the resultant video to YouTube within minutes. Instant memories.

Is Peter reflecting our need to worship here, not there, in this place not that place? “Listen to him” says the voice. Listen to the anointed one who will be executed. This mystical experience creates disciples. This dazzling, visionary moment sends us back into the world.

The transfiguration is not a trophy for divine souvenir hunters, or a meaningless mystery, it is rather a motivator for action.

Dumfoonder, v. To dumbfounder, confuse, amaze. pt. pp. dumfoondert, dumfoundered adj. Dumbfoundered, confused (from the Online Scots Dictionary).

Retelling for young people Actions go with this retelling.

Climb, climb, climb, climb (mime climbing). The disciples and Jesus were climbing a mountain.

Shiny, shiny, shiny, shiny (cover eyes). Jesus glowed with the brightest light they had ever seen.

Scary, scary, scary, scary (cover mouths). It looks like ghosts because Moses and Elijah seemed to be talking to Jesus.

Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome (open mouths in surprise). The disciples were amazed at what they were seeing.

Build, build, build, build (one fist on top of other). Peter the disciple asked if he should build houses for these important people.

Listen, listen, listen, listen (hand to ear). Suddenly a voice came from a cloud saying: ‘This is my son, listen to him!’

Gone, gone, gone, gone (hand to forehead, searching). Then everyone was gone except Jesus who looked quite normal again.

Wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder (stroke chin). And they all asked, ‘what was that about?

Activities

Gathering Ask people to think of the word ‘glory’ and think of places where they experienced the glory of God? What was it about those places that spoke to them in that way? Alternatively, give

everyone a piece of silver or gold foil. Invite them in their own time to bring the foil to the communion table and begin wrapping the table (start on the top surface) in the foil.

Once this is complete or everyone has brought their foil pieces forward, simply place a loaf of bread and goblet of wine on the table as an unspoken contradiction. Ask people about these two images: all the brightness sitting alongside the everyday. Yet both speak of God.

Mountaintops You will need: pictures of mountaintops.

Use pictures of mountaintops (old calendars seem to be full of these images) to talk about what it might feel like to be on a mountain top and what you might see from there. Some children may have been skiing or hillwalking and will be able to share their experience of being on the mountaintop.

Use this discussion to lead into story and what the disciples saw on a mountaintop.

Reflective Activity Choose a picture or cut out a mountain shape with the large card and paint it appropriately.

On Post-It notes ask the young people to suggest or to write down a message and place it on the mountain. Ideas could be:

• A message of hope that they would like to make real. • A prayer for someone in need. • A memory of an event or occasion that they wish had never stopped. • A dream or vision for the future.

Prayers

Gathering prayer We found you standing in the river Jordan and heard your call to be baptised.

We found you wandering along the beach and heard your call to follow.

We found you healing in the local synagogue

and heard you call the man a friend.

We found you at night alone and praying and heard you call on God for help.

We found you touching the unclean leper and heard you call him back.

May we find you again Jesus among us now and hear you call our names. So be it. Amen.

Sending From the glory we turn towards the darkness, the mountain top back to the valley floor the colours change and the light is different but the journey is always onward.

Go now, the time of preparing is near, and come back ready for the journey, the cross is looming.

Alternative Material ©2012 Spill the Beans Resource Team

Musical suggestions

Our online music resource is on the Church of Scotland website here: you can listen to samples of every song in the Church Hymnary 4th edition (CH4) and download a selection of recordings for use in worship. You will also find playlists for liturgical seasons and themes on the Inspire Me tab.

• CH4 124 – “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation”

• CH4 128 – “How shall I sing that majesty”

• CH4 188 – “Thou hidden Love of God”

• CH4 336 – “Christ is our light! The bright and morning star”

• CH4 394 – “He came to earth, not to be served (King of Kings)”

• CH4 474 – “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”

• CH4 509 – “Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult”

• CH4 578 – “Christ, whose glory fills the skies”

• “Light of the world” (Tim Hughes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlyTYiQX2pY

• “Christ upon the mountain peak” – Christus ist Erstanden (metre:78 78) https://hymnary.org/hymn/NEH1985/177

• “O vision blest of heavenly light” – St Bartholomew (metre: LM) https://hymnary.org/hymn/NEH1985/176b

• “Light of the lonely pilgrim’s heart” – Rochester (metre: CM) https://hymnary.org/hymn/NEH1985/399

You are free to download, project, print and circulate multiple copies of any of this material for use in worship services, bible studies, parish magazines, etc., but reproduction for commercial purposes is not permitted.

Please note that the views expressed in these materials are those of the individual writer and not necessarily the official view of the Church of Scotland, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly.