Excerpted from 2025 Lenten Guide: The Year of the Lord, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year C from the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
One thing I asked of the Lord;
this I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
Now my head is lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.
Do not hide your face from me.
Do not turn your servant away in anger,
you who have been my help.
Do not cast me off; do not forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
If my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will take me up.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Luke 9:27-36
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.
The Second Sunday in Lent brings us the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration, taking us quickly from the temptations Jesus faced in the desert, through the sermon delivered in his hometown, and now to the revelation of his divine glory. Shown to a private audience of only three disciples, the Transfiguration offers a glimpse of the current reality of Jesus’ identity and a foretaste of what that identity means. Through it we have the opportunity to reflect on the identity of Christ and consider the call to discipleship placed before us in the knowledge of that identity. In other words, now that we know who Jesus is, God’s beloved chosen one (v. 35), we can choose to follow or not. But we can no longer say, we didn’t know.
In these times of uncertainty, a bit of surety can be a good thing. It can be a further good thing to remember that many of the arbitrary choices we face in life are decided for us once we make the preeminent choice to become a disciple. Such a choice ensures that God will be with us through the course of life’s events. Such presence does not guarantee a life without struggle or disappointment, but it does provide hope for the outcome. When we chose to live into God’s hope-filled future, we are empowered to stand against injustice, comfort the afflicted, and seek peace for all God’s people. Such power might even give us the courage to call our elected officials and share with them the need to pursue equitable justice and fair legislation. Fear can no longer deny us the fullness of the life God offers.
Prayer:
God of the covenant,
you call us to be fruitful servants within creation,
and to offer our lives
as the foundation of your realm.
We lay before you the desires of our hearts,
that we may be transformed by their fulfillment.
Grant, O God, that the prayers we offer
may be your channel for new and abundant life
not only hoped for,
but worked for,
through faithful word and deed. Amen.1
