Theological Status: Theological Weakness
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Laodicea
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This church's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This church's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Sermon Summary: This sermon pastorally encourages listeners to find strength in moments of spiritual clarity, using the Transfiguration as a metaphor for these 'mountaintop experiences.' While the application to persevere through difficult times is valuable, the message focuses more on our subjective journey than on the objective, universe-altering revelation of who Jesus is.
Big Idea: Listen to Jesus and follow him, even in difficult times. [00:22:25 ▶️ 📄]
Pastoral Analysis: The sermon is a thematically-driven message that uses Matthew 17 as a launchpad to discuss the role of spiritual highs in sustaining believers through spiritual lows. The core theological weakness is twofold: 1) It reduces the objective revelation of Christ's divine glory and fulfillment of the Law and Prophets to a subjective, therapeutic tool for the believer. 2) At a critical moment, the pastor introduces unnecessary doubt about the historicity of the biblical account, weakening the very foundation upon which faith stands. The gospel is assumed rather than proclaimed, resulting in a message that is encouraging but theologically anemic.
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Laodicea — The sermon, while encouraging, reduces a profound Christophanic event to a therapeutic 'mountaintop experience' to be used as a map for life, focusing on the believer's subjective feelings rather than the objective glory and identity of Christ.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Theologically Weak
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Soteriology | ⚠️ WEAK | The sermon operates under the assumption of the gospel but does not proclaim it. The focus is on discipleship (following Jesus into the valley) and spiritual experience, not on the substitutionary work of Christ which is the prerequisite for any ability to follow Him. |
| Bibliology | ⚠️ WEAK | The pastor explicitly casts doubt on the historicity of the biblical text, asking, 'Did it really happen? Is Matthew reporting an actual event, or is it simply a story told to make a point?' [00:26:45 ▶️ 📄]. This rhetorical question undermines the nature of Scripture as inspired, inerrant historical record. |
| Hermeneutic | ⚠️ WEAK | The hermeneutic is primarily therapeutic and anthropocentric. The Transfiguration is interpreted not for what it reveals about Christ's identity and redemptive-historical role, but for how it can serve as a metaphor for the believer's personal experiences. This is a 'reader-centered' rather than a 'text-centered' approach. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | God the Father, Son, and Spirit are referenced in orthodox ways, particularly in the liturgical elements. The sermon itself does not distort the nature of God. |
| Sacramentology | ⚪ N/A | No sacraments (Communion or Baptism) were observed in the provided transcript. |
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
Primary Text: Matthew 17:1-8 (Pretextual)
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 8 | Referenced: 0 | Alluded: 1
Passages Read Aloud:
-
Matthew 17:1-8
[00:19:49 ▶️ 📄]
"Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And when he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my son, the beloved, and with him I am well pleased. Listen to him. Then when the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone."
Christological Connection: Thematic: Jesus is presented as a guide whose voice we should listen to, and the Transfiguration is used as a theme for our own spiritual high points, but the specific theological weight of the event—revealing His divine glory as the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets—is left unexplored.
🧱 Sermon Outline
- Introduction [00:22:04 ▶️ 📄] : The pastor introduces the theme of listening to Jesus' voice amidst the many distracting voices of the world, connecting it to the Father's command at the Transfiguration.
- Point 1: The Mountaintop Experience [00:24:25 ▶️ 📄] : The sermon describes the Transfiguration event and frames it as a beautiful, overwhelming 'mountaintop moment,' sympathizing with Peter's desire to remain there, away from the world's chaos.
- Point 2: The Experience as a Map [00:29:08 ▶️ 📄] : The pastor shifts from the biblical event to our own 'transfiguration-like moments,' arguing these experiences serve as a map to guide us when life in the 'valley' becomes difficult or confusing.
- Conclusion & Application [00:31:18 ▶️ 📄] : The sermon concludes that the goal is not to stay on the mountain but to follow Jesus back into the world, carrying the light of our experiences to serve others, and connects this journey to the upcoming season of Lent.
🗝️ Key Topics & Themes
- Listening to Jesus [00:22:25 ▶️ 📄] : The importance of listening to Jesus and following his teachings.
- Transfiguration [00:22:48 ▶️ 📄] : Discussion of the Transfiguration of Jesus and its significance.
- Lent [00:33:19 ▶️ 📄] : Introduction to the season of Lent and its purpose.
- Faith and Prayer [00:36:11 ▶️ 📄] : The pastor recites the creed and leads the congregation in prayers expressing gratitude, seeking forgiveness, and asking for guidance and strength.
✅ Commendations
Pastoral Tone | Warm and Relatable
The sermon is delivered with a gentle and understanding tone, effectively connecting with the listener's feelings of being overwhelmed by the world and longing for clarity.
Application | Correctly Moves from Worship to Service
The pastor rightly insists that moments of spiritual encounter are not an escape from the world but are meant to equip believers to re-engage with the needs of the world, correctly identifying that 'the mountain is not the destination' [00:31:18 ▶️ 📄].
Liturgy | Structured Corporate Worship
The service includes a corporate confession of sin and assurance of pardon, which are vital elements of biblical worship that ground the congregation in the reality of sin and grace before the sermon.
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🟠 Undermining Scriptural Historicity
Root Cause: Naturalistic Hermeneutic / Accommodationism. This approach compromises the plain-sense, historical reading of Scripture to accommodate modern skepticism, treating the text's spiritual 'point' as separable from its factual reality.
"Did it really happen? Is Matthew reporting an actual event, or is it simply a story told to make a point?" [00:26:45 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: The Scriptures are given by inspiration of God and are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), which presents itself as a reliable testimony to historical events (Luke 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:16).
🟠 Experiential Reductionism
Root Cause: Anthropocentric Hermeneutic (Idolatry of Self). This interpretive error makes humanity and its needs the center of the biblical story, rather than God and His glory. The Bible becomes a book about us, rather than a book about Him.
"we can let that mountaintop map experience guide us through the difficulty and then the uncertainty" [00:30:39 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: The purpose of Scripture is to testify of Christ (John 5:39). The Transfiguration was a preview of His coming glory (2 Peter 1:16-18) and a confirmation of His identity, not primarily a model for our emotional lives. Our guide is the Word of God and the Spirit of God, not the memory of past spiritual highs.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:13:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:13:41] Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us pray. Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name.
[00:14:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:14:13] our Lord. Amen. Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our
[00:18:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:18:01] whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will. We have broken your law. We have rebelled against your love. We have not loved our neighbors and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we
[00:18:23] pray, free us for joyful obedience through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[00:18:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:18:30] Hear the good news. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves
[00:19:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:38] God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:19:49] Glory to God. Amen. Please stand as you are able. The scripture is from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 17 beginning with the first verse. Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them
[00:20:22] up a high mountain by themselves. And when he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus,
[00:20:46] Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed
[00:21:03] them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my son, the beloved, and with him I am well pleased.
[00:21:14] Listen to him. Then when the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
[00:21:22] But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid.
[00:21:30] And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
[00:21:37] As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about this vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
[00:21:49] This is the gospel of our Lord.
[00:21:52] Praise to you, O Christ.
[00:22:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:22:04] Good morning.
[00:22:06] It's good to see you all this rainy final Sunday of the season of Epiphany.
[00:22:14] And there are those words in the Gospel that, at least for me, kind of lingered this week, echoed a bit.
[00:22:21] This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.
[00:22:25] And with that, Matthew, very intentionally I think, takes us back to Jesus' baptism.
[00:22:35] Reminding us that the one transfigured on the mountain, the one whose glory is revealed there, is the very same one who stepped into the water with us.
[00:22:48] Assuming our full humanity, becoming like us in every way, elevating our humanity to the gates of heaven.
[00:22:57] So once again, the invitation to listen to Jesus.
[00:23:03] You know, this invitation comes to us, at least, in a world that is filled with voices speaking to us, clamoring for our attention, voices that tell us what to think, who we should fear, who we should blame, voices that tell us what is important, to whom belongs
[00:23:30] our allegiance, voices that tell us how the world is supposed to work.
[00:23:37] We hear them on television, talk shows, online and podcasts, social media, books, by countless people who promise answers and solutions, often insisting that if only people would listen to them, the world would be set right.
[00:23:58] Jesus also lived in a world that demanded attention.
[00:24:01] The Roman Empire expected loyalty and obedience.
[00:24:05] Caesar claimed authority.
[00:24:07] Power spoke loudly.
[00:24:08] and into all that noise all that pressure and distraction came that single voice this is my son listen to him give him your attention the gospel reading today gives us matthew's account of the transfiguration it's a one of the most mysterious stories in the life
[00:24:36] of jesus he jesus of course takes peter james and john up the mountain and there before their eyes he's changed transfigured his face shines like the sun his clothes become dazzling white moses and elijah join him the law and the prophets standing with him in shrouded in glory the
[00:25:02] cloud descends a voice speaks it's an overwhelming moment a beautiful awe-inspiring moment and a terrifying one peter wants to stay there he doesn't know what to make of it and who could blame him who wouldn't want to remain on the mountaintop wrapped in the presence of god
[00:25:23] far above the chaos and the noise and the voices the distractions of the world but jesus about something else touches the disciples urges them on refocuses their attention back down the mountain probably reluctantly they go toward jerusalem toward the people
[00:25:53] toward suffering and ultimately toward the cross for peter james and john and for us the transfiguration isn't a detour or a distraction from from life in the real world as we might say it it it can be if we allow it like a map for when the way forward becomes hard
[00:26:14] to see, a reminder, a signpost. We're told to listen to Jesus on the mountain so that when the visibility of our lives goes to zero, we can still trust that the voice that guided us into the light
[00:26:30] is with us even in moments of darkness and challenge. It's a peculiar story, this one, and it can be hard to know what to do with it. Maybe we have questions about it. Did it really
[00:26:45] happen? Is Matthew reporting an actual event, or is it simply a story told to make a point?
[00:26:53] And either way, what does it mean? What does it have to do with us? At the least, however, some days I can relate to Peter and wish we could just stay on the mountain. Seems nice up there,
[00:27:09] enveloped by the presence of God, where we can hear God's voice clearly, distinctly, over all the other voices. So I get Peter's impulse. We need stories like this. Moments of clarity and encounter. When God seems very near, close as our breath, and the way more certain.
[00:27:29] We need moments when the world feels bigger than our schedules and our responsibilities. Moments when we sense that there is something more significant going on. When the veil seems thin and we feel God's presence more intensely. Maybe we come to worship longing for that,
[00:27:50] even if we don't name it out loud. Maybe we want our vision expanded. We want hope to interrupt our routine. We want a glimpse of something holy, to believe that life does have meaning and purpose and beauty we carry doubts perhaps maybe we wonder but deep down don't we
[00:28:16] don't we long to be on the mountain with Jesus to be elevated lifted even briefly for a moment above the fog above the mess and pain above the division and disappointment and all the voices
[00:28:37] demanding our attention, and to hear there clearly and unmistakably God's voice speaking even to us, inviting us closer to Jesus. Now, the transfiguration of Jesus is a unique moment in the gospel, and while I don't want to equate it with other experiences, transfiguration-like
[00:29:08] moments do happen quietly sometimes unexpectedly we do catch glimpses of of god's presence and glory breaking into the ordinariness of life in the gift of creation in marriages that endure and children and grandchildren and the lives of faithful people who who shape a community
[00:29:34] over a lifetime and even in moments of worship and prayer when when we're reminded of why we believe we we can i think as one writer suggests think of these moments like small bright peaks on the
[00:29:52] mountain where the air is clear and the landscape of god's love is laid out before us easy for us to see right in front of us moments that can be like a map we carry with us for the journey back
[00:30:07] down the mountain the journey ahead back to life because when the fog of a long illness sets in or the confusion of a professional setback confounds us or the exhaustion of parenting or or caregiving
[00:30:23] makes us lose our way or even if the light of our faith grows dim with doubt we can reach for those moments go back to the moments when we heard the voice clearly when we stood in the light
[00:30:39] and we can let that mountaintop map experience guide us through the difficulty and then the uncertainty guide us in the way that christ would have us go these transfiguration like moments don't remove us from this world they're not an escape rather they remind us of what the world
[00:31:03] can be like when when love and grace and mercy and faith take hold of us they give us the courage to do what the disciples did to follow jesus to follow jesus back to where life is lived even
[00:31:18] to the cross and the gospel is clear the mountain is not the destination it's not the goal the transfiguration comes just before Jesus begins his ministry and his journey toward the cross.
[00:31:32] So to listen to Jesus is not only to stand in the light, it's to follow him back into the valley.
[00:31:40] We can't stay there. It's what he told Peter. We don't get to build shelters and remain protected from the world's brokenness and pain or from the needs of our neighbors. Following Jesus isn't about escaping the world. It's about inhabiting it in a different way because we've been in the presence
[00:31:58] of God's beloved. It's about being the love and the mercy and the justice and hope of God for everyone we meet, especially for those for whom God's presence does not seem near.
[00:32:15] Friends, when we listen to Jesus, we will always hear him say to us, follow me, take up your cross give your life away don't be afraid these mountaintop moments moments of listening change how we see everything else we can begin to see suffering more clearly we can
[00:32:37] feel injustice more more deeply we recognize the cost of love and still we are called to follow trusting that Christ goes ahead of us and is always with us.
[00:32:52] Not only on the mountain, but back in the valleys, in the towns and the villages, in the homes where people live.
[00:33:04] We can do the thing Jesus did.
[00:33:07] We can move toward proximity with the needs of our neighbors because we know Christ is already there.
[00:33:17] And this is where Lent comes in.
[00:33:19] It, of course, begins this week on Ash Wednesday after you've had pancakes on Tuesday.
[00:33:25] So I invite you to come do that.
[00:33:28] Lent, a season of listening, a season of quieting the other voices for a moment so that we can hear Jesus again for 40 days.
[00:33:37] We're invited to pray and reflect and confess and worship and pay attention to focus our hearts and our lives on Christ's voice so we can hear his invitation clearly.
[00:33:49] Follow me.
[00:33:49] I'm so I'm grateful for those rare mountaintop moments when the fog finally lifts I have clergy colleagues who will tell you that many of them have a notebook or a folder or a file where they've
[00:34:09] jotted down those moments over the years when they experience the presence of Christ in a profound way and they go back to them I'm grateful for them even if they're fleeting and infrequent they change us. We stand in the light of God's presence and for a moment everything is clear
[00:34:29] and we don't stay there. We carry the light with us back down the mountain into our neighborhoods, into our relationships. We carry a simple radical truth to a weary world. God is not distant or
[00:34:46] indifferent. In Jesus, the God of the mountaintop has come close. His presence reaches into our joys and our deepest hurts and follows us wherever we long for renewal and healing, reminding us that God is not up there. God is right here, as close as our breath, offering freedom and hope and life
[00:35:18] and love. Listen to Jesus, friends. Listen to him. Amen. Please stand. Where the Spirit of the Lord
[00:35:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:35:48] it is, there is one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare. We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children's good. We believe
[00:36:11] in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, the gift of the Father's unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual
[00:36:34] remembrance of the truth of Christ and find strength and help in time of need.
[00:36:41] We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
[00:36:57] Amen.
[00:36:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:36:58] Let's join our hearts in prayer to God.
[00:37:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:37:57] Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks that you are near to us.
[00:38:04] Thank you for being closer than our breath Thank you for being steadier than our fears Lord, we come to you just as we are Grateful, tired, hopeful, unsure You know the weight we carry And the prayers we cannot quite put into words
[00:38:35] Lord, in your mercy Forgive us when we try to carry everything on our own.
[00:38:44] God, forgive us when fear has a way of shaping us more than our faith.
[00:38:52] Lord, we ask that whatever is anxious within us, that you would quiet that.
[00:38:59] God, and that you would strengthen in us what feels weak.
[00:39:04] Remind us that your grace comes before our striving, and that your grace is that which holds us even now.
[00:39:15] May we all relax into your grace.
[00:39:21] Lord, in your mercy, we ask that you would shape your church, Davidson United Methodist, into the likeness of Christ.
[00:39:35] Make us people of humility.
[00:39:38] Make us people of courage.
[00:39:40] God, help us to love And love in a way that doesn't keep score Help us to empty ourselves of pride So that we may be filled with your spirit And reflect your life-changing goodness in the world
[00:40:00] Lord, in your mercy We lift to you all who are hurting today In body and spirit Lord, the sick The grieving the lonely, those who are overwhelmed, Lord, those who are waiting on answers or a phone call, Lord, those carrying silent burdens. Lord, you know them. You know our every
[00:40:37] need. Be our comfort, be our healing, and be our peace, Lord, in your mercy. We pray for our children and our youth, guard their hearts in a loud and confusing world with mixed messages.
[00:41:01] Lord, give our children and youth the courage to follow you and help us, the adults in their lives, model a faith that is steady, a faith that is authentic, that's honest, a faith that's full of
[00:41:17] love so they may see Christ clearly in us. Lord, in your mercy. We pray for our community and for this world you love, for leaders and neighbors, for places marked by division and pain. Make us
[00:41:36] instruments of your mercy and send us out to live what we pray. Lord, in your mercy. God, and we know that you hear us when we pray. So we take this time now in faith to lift aloud to you those praises
[00:41:55] and those concerns we carry. Lord, we pray for Lord in your mercy. And now trusting in your mercy and not in our own strength, we pray the prayer Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in
[00:42:22] heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:42:31] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
[00:42:46] and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Well, good morning to you and welcome to Davidson United Methodist Church. We're certainly glad that you're here with us. If this is your first time worshiping with us, we'd like to extend a special welcome to you and let you know that we
[00:43:05] have a gift for you out in our gathering space, which is just beyond the sanctuary doors. There's a number of things going on this week that I'd like to draw your attention to. The first of which
[00:43:16] is our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. So on Tuesday night, please join us from 5 to 7 for a Lenten devotion and a time to eat pancakes together. We'd love to see you there. And then
[00:43:31] Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, when we begin our Lenten journey. And we will have an Ash Wednesday service at 12.15, and we'll also have one at 7 p.m. And we'd love for you to make time in your
[00:43:44] week to join us for that as well. Additionally, I'd like to let you know that on Friday, we have our chili cook-off and a bingo night. All are invited to come and participate. You can register
[00:43:57] through Realm, and there's a QR code on the back of your bulletin that has access to a lot of different events that you can register for, but we would like to invite you to be a part of the
[00:44:07] chili cook-off. You're welcome to enter a chili. You're welcome to not, and come and enjoy the Chili's that have been entered and place your vote and play bingo with us. This event is open to all
[00:44:19] and it's hosted by the United Women in Faith. So we hope to see you there. There's so many wonderful opportunities here at DMC, but I wanted to take a moment to tell you a quick story.
[00:44:33] This week on Wednesday, we had youth Bible study. And at the end of youth Bible study every Wednesday, I will ask one of our youth to pray and we've had one student in particular who really loves to
[00:44:47] close us in prayer and doesn't mind doing that and on Wednesday that student was not there and so I looked around he wasn't there and I thought oh I wish he was here to close us in prayer and
[00:45:00] then I said I'm going to call him I told the youth I said I'm going to call him and see if he answers his phone and we can see if he'll close us in prayer. I called that student. Hello? Hey, we're
[00:45:11] just finishing Bible study and we miss you, but you know, we're wondering if you would close us in prayer. Oh yeah, sure. Okay. All right. I've got you on speakerphone. Okay. Everybody, thank you God for letting us gather here and study your word. He closes us in this most beautiful prayer.
[00:45:28] We get off the phone, fast forward into the week and I'm talking with his mom and she says, Meredith, we were boarding a plane. He was sitting in his seat on the plane as people
[00:45:41] were boarding, coming past, and people paused and were just astonished that this young person is praying. And a lot of people were looking at us going, you know, this is great. This is amazing.
[00:45:55] And I said to the mom, I said, you know, in all of my years of ministry, I think he's my first student that I could call and say, will you pray? And the pastor answers the phone and prays.
[00:46:06] So God really works through people of all ages here at DVMC. And there are faith-forming moments, right, that take place within our youth who are then passing their faith on or living out their faith. So whether you give your tithes and offerings by dropping it in the plate as it goes
[00:46:25] by, whether you give online, thank you. Thank you for partnering with God and making a difference in a teenager's life, in adults' lives, and thank you so much for being a part of this church.
[00:46:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:46:40] Gracious God, your generosity overflows. Accept these are gifts so that with your blessing,
[00:54:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:54:36] we may use them to proclaim Christ in our community and beyond. Amen.
[00:54:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:54:42] Grateful for those moments of encounter when Christ's presence and voice seem near, close to us.
[00:57:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:57:56] Moments like worship.
[00:57:57] I pray that this has been that in some way for you today.
[00:58:00] And that having been in God's presence, having been invited to pay closer attention to Jesus, that we might depart this place and do what the closing hymn says, fix our eyes there.
[00:58:15] Not to the mountaintop, but to the people.
[00:58:17] to those whom Christ loves and for whom Christ came and lived and died and was raised that all our neighbors might thrive and have life and life abundant.
[00:58:32] So as we go to be that church this week, let's do so remembering our mission that we will be the body of Christ in our community through worship, education, fellowship, and service.
[00:58:44] Go in peace.
[00:13:41] Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let us pray. Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name.
[00:14:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:14:13] our Lord. Amen. Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our
[00:18:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:18:01] whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will. We have broken your law. We have rebelled against your love. We have not loved our neighbors and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we
[00:18:23] pray, free us for joyful obedience through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[00:18:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:18:30] Hear the good news. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves
[00:19:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:19:38] God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:19:49] Glory to God. Amen. Please stand as you are able. The scripture is from the gospel according to Matthew chapter 17 beginning with the first verse. Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them
[00:20:22] up a high mountain by themselves. And when he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus,
[00:20:46] Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed
[00:21:03] them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my son, the beloved, and with him I am well pleased.
[00:21:14] Listen to him. Then when the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
[00:21:22] But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid.
[00:21:30] And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
[00:21:37] As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about this vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
[00:21:49] This is the gospel of our Lord.
[00:21:52] Praise to you, O Christ.
[00:22:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:22:04] Good morning.
[00:22:06] It's good to see you all this rainy final Sunday of the season of Epiphany.
[00:22:14] And there are those words in the Gospel that, at least for me, kind of lingered this week, echoed a bit.
[00:22:21] This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him.
[00:22:25] And with that, Matthew, very intentionally I think, takes us back to Jesus' baptism.
[00:22:35] Reminding us that the one transfigured on the mountain, the one whose glory is revealed there, is the very same one who stepped into the water with us.
[00:22:48] Assuming our full humanity, becoming like us in every way, elevating our humanity to the gates of heaven.
[00:22:57] So once again, the invitation to listen to Jesus.
[00:23:03] You know, this invitation comes to us, at least, in a world that is filled with voices speaking to us, clamoring for our attention, voices that tell us what to think, who we should fear, who we should blame, voices that tell us what is important, to whom belongs
[00:23:30] our allegiance, voices that tell us how the world is supposed to work.
[00:23:37] We hear them on television, talk shows, online and podcasts, social media, books, by countless people who promise answers and solutions, often insisting that if only people would listen to them, the world would be set right.
[00:23:58] Jesus also lived in a world that demanded attention.
[00:24:01] The Roman Empire expected loyalty and obedience.
[00:24:05] Caesar claimed authority.
[00:24:07] Power spoke loudly.
[00:24:08] and into all that noise all that pressure and distraction came that single voice this is my son listen to him give him your attention the gospel reading today gives us matthew's account of the transfiguration it's a one of the most mysterious stories in the life
[00:24:36] of jesus he jesus of course takes peter james and john up the mountain and there before their eyes he's changed transfigured his face shines like the sun his clothes become dazzling white moses and elijah join him the law and the prophets standing with him in shrouded in glory the
[00:25:02] cloud descends a voice speaks it's an overwhelming moment a beautiful awe-inspiring moment and a terrifying one peter wants to stay there he doesn't know what to make of it and who could blame him who wouldn't want to remain on the mountaintop wrapped in the presence of god
[00:25:23] far above the chaos and the noise and the voices the distractions of the world but jesus about something else touches the disciples urges them on refocuses their attention back down the mountain probably reluctantly they go toward jerusalem toward the people
[00:25:53] toward suffering and ultimately toward the cross for peter james and john and for us the transfiguration isn't a detour or a distraction from from life in the real world as we might say it it it can be if we allow it like a map for when the way forward becomes hard
[00:26:14] to see, a reminder, a signpost. We're told to listen to Jesus on the mountain so that when the visibility of our lives goes to zero, we can still trust that the voice that guided us into the light
[00:26:30] is with us even in moments of darkness and challenge. It's a peculiar story, this one, and it can be hard to know what to do with it. Maybe we have questions about it. Did it really
[00:26:45] happen? Is Matthew reporting an actual event, or is it simply a story told to make a point?
[00:26:53] And either way, what does it mean? What does it have to do with us? At the least, however, some days I can relate to Peter and wish we could just stay on the mountain. Seems nice up there,
[00:27:09] enveloped by the presence of God, where we can hear God's voice clearly, distinctly, over all the other voices. So I get Peter's impulse. We need stories like this. Moments of clarity and encounter. When God seems very near, close as our breath, and the way more certain.
[00:27:29] We need moments when the world feels bigger than our schedules and our responsibilities. Moments when we sense that there is something more significant going on. When the veil seems thin and we feel God's presence more intensely. Maybe we come to worship longing for that,
[00:27:50] even if we don't name it out loud. Maybe we want our vision expanded. We want hope to interrupt our routine. We want a glimpse of something holy, to believe that life does have meaning and purpose and beauty we carry doubts perhaps maybe we wonder but deep down don't we
[00:28:16] don't we long to be on the mountain with Jesus to be elevated lifted even briefly for a moment above the fog above the mess and pain above the division and disappointment and all the voices
[00:28:37] demanding our attention, and to hear there clearly and unmistakably God's voice speaking even to us, inviting us closer to Jesus. Now, the transfiguration of Jesus is a unique moment in the gospel, and while I don't want to equate it with other experiences, transfiguration-like
[00:29:08] moments do happen quietly sometimes unexpectedly we do catch glimpses of of god's presence and glory breaking into the ordinariness of life in the gift of creation in marriages that endure and children and grandchildren and the lives of faithful people who who shape a community
[00:29:34] over a lifetime and even in moments of worship and prayer when when we're reminded of why we believe we we can i think as one writer suggests think of these moments like small bright peaks on the
[00:29:52] mountain where the air is clear and the landscape of god's love is laid out before us easy for us to see right in front of us moments that can be like a map we carry with us for the journey back
[00:30:07] down the mountain the journey ahead back to life because when the fog of a long illness sets in or the confusion of a professional setback confounds us or the exhaustion of parenting or or caregiving
[00:30:23] makes us lose our way or even if the light of our faith grows dim with doubt we can reach for those moments go back to the moments when we heard the voice clearly when we stood in the light
[00:30:39] and we can let that mountaintop map experience guide us through the difficulty and then the uncertainty guide us in the way that christ would have us go these transfiguration like moments don't remove us from this world they're not an escape rather they remind us of what the world
[00:31:03] can be like when when love and grace and mercy and faith take hold of us they give us the courage to do what the disciples did to follow jesus to follow jesus back to where life is lived even
[00:31:18] to the cross and the gospel is clear the mountain is not the destination it's not the goal the transfiguration comes just before Jesus begins his ministry and his journey toward the cross.
[00:31:32] So to listen to Jesus is not only to stand in the light, it's to follow him back into the valley.
[00:31:40] We can't stay there. It's what he told Peter. We don't get to build shelters and remain protected from the world's brokenness and pain or from the needs of our neighbors. Following Jesus isn't about escaping the world. It's about inhabiting it in a different way because we've been in the presence
[00:31:58] of God's beloved. It's about being the love and the mercy and the justice and hope of God for everyone we meet, especially for those for whom God's presence does not seem near.
[00:32:15] Friends, when we listen to Jesus, we will always hear him say to us, follow me, take up your cross give your life away don't be afraid these mountaintop moments moments of listening change how we see everything else we can begin to see suffering more clearly we can
[00:32:37] feel injustice more more deeply we recognize the cost of love and still we are called to follow trusting that Christ goes ahead of us and is always with us.
[00:32:52] Not only on the mountain, but back in the valleys, in the towns and the villages, in the homes where people live.
[00:33:04] We can do the thing Jesus did.
[00:33:07] We can move toward proximity with the needs of our neighbors because we know Christ is already there.
[00:33:17] And this is where Lent comes in.
[00:33:19] It, of course, begins this week on Ash Wednesday after you've had pancakes on Tuesday.
[00:33:25] So I invite you to come do that.
[00:33:28] Lent, a season of listening, a season of quieting the other voices for a moment so that we can hear Jesus again for 40 days.
[00:33:37] We're invited to pray and reflect and confess and worship and pay attention to focus our hearts and our lives on Christ's voice so we can hear his invitation clearly.
[00:33:49] Follow me.
[00:33:49] I'm so I'm grateful for those rare mountaintop moments when the fog finally lifts I have clergy colleagues who will tell you that many of them have a notebook or a folder or a file where they've
[00:34:09] jotted down those moments over the years when they experience the presence of Christ in a profound way and they go back to them I'm grateful for them even if they're fleeting and infrequent they change us. We stand in the light of God's presence and for a moment everything is clear
[00:34:29] and we don't stay there. We carry the light with us back down the mountain into our neighborhoods, into our relationships. We carry a simple radical truth to a weary world. God is not distant or
[00:34:46] indifferent. In Jesus, the God of the mountaintop has come close. His presence reaches into our joys and our deepest hurts and follows us wherever we long for renewal and healing, reminding us that God is not up there. God is right here, as close as our breath, offering freedom and hope and life
[00:35:18] and love. Listen to Jesus, friends. Listen to him. Amen. Please stand. Where the Spirit of the Lord
[00:35:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:35:48] it is, there is one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare. We believe in God the Father, infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children's good. We believe
[00:36:11] in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, the gift of the Father's unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual
[00:36:34] remembrance of the truth of Christ and find strength and help in time of need.
[00:36:41] We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
[00:36:57] Amen.
[00:36:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:36:58] Let's join our hearts in prayer to God.
[00:37:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:37:57] Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks that you are near to us.
[00:38:04] Thank you for being closer than our breath Thank you for being steadier than our fears Lord, we come to you just as we are Grateful, tired, hopeful, unsure You know the weight we carry And the prayers we cannot quite put into words
[00:38:35] Lord, in your mercy Forgive us when we try to carry everything on our own.
[00:38:44] God, forgive us when fear has a way of shaping us more than our faith.
[00:38:52] Lord, we ask that whatever is anxious within us, that you would quiet that.
[00:38:59] God, and that you would strengthen in us what feels weak.
[00:39:04] Remind us that your grace comes before our striving, and that your grace is that which holds us even now.
[00:39:15] May we all relax into your grace.
[00:39:21] Lord, in your mercy, we ask that you would shape your church, Davidson United Methodist, into the likeness of Christ.
[00:39:35] Make us people of humility.
[00:39:38] Make us people of courage.
[00:39:40] God, help us to love And love in a way that doesn't keep score Help us to empty ourselves of pride So that we may be filled with your spirit And reflect your life-changing goodness in the world
[00:40:00] Lord, in your mercy We lift to you all who are hurting today In body and spirit Lord, the sick The grieving the lonely, those who are overwhelmed, Lord, those who are waiting on answers or a phone call, Lord, those carrying silent burdens. Lord, you know them. You know our every
[00:40:37] need. Be our comfort, be our healing, and be our peace, Lord, in your mercy. We pray for our children and our youth, guard their hearts in a loud and confusing world with mixed messages.
[00:41:01] Lord, give our children and youth the courage to follow you and help us, the adults in their lives, model a faith that is steady, a faith that is authentic, that's honest, a faith that's full of
[00:41:17] love so they may see Christ clearly in us. Lord, in your mercy. We pray for our community and for this world you love, for leaders and neighbors, for places marked by division and pain. Make us
[00:41:36] instruments of your mercy and send us out to live what we pray. Lord, in your mercy. God, and we know that you hear us when we pray. So we take this time now in faith to lift aloud to you those praises
[00:41:55] and those concerns we carry. Lord, we pray for Lord in your mercy. And now trusting in your mercy and not in our own strength, we pray the prayer Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in
[00:42:22] heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:42:31] Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
[00:42:46] and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Well, good morning to you and welcome to Davidson United Methodist Church. We're certainly glad that you're here with us. If this is your first time worshiping with us, we'd like to extend a special welcome to you and let you know that we
[00:43:05] have a gift for you out in our gathering space, which is just beyond the sanctuary doors. There's a number of things going on this week that I'd like to draw your attention to. The first of which
[00:43:16] is our Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. So on Tuesday night, please join us from 5 to 7 for a Lenten devotion and a time to eat pancakes together. We'd love to see you there. And then
[00:43:31] Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, when we begin our Lenten journey. And we will have an Ash Wednesday service at 12.15, and we'll also have one at 7 p.m. And we'd love for you to make time in your
[00:43:44] week to join us for that as well. Additionally, I'd like to let you know that on Friday, we have our chili cook-off and a bingo night. All are invited to come and participate. You can register
[00:43:57] through Realm, and there's a QR code on the back of your bulletin that has access to a lot of different events that you can register for, but we would like to invite you to be a part of the
[00:44:07] chili cook-off. You're welcome to enter a chili. You're welcome to not, and come and enjoy the Chili's that have been entered and place your vote and play bingo with us. This event is open to all
[00:44:19] and it's hosted by the United Women in Faith. So we hope to see you there. There's so many wonderful opportunities here at DMC, but I wanted to take a moment to tell you a quick story.
[00:44:33] This week on Wednesday, we had youth Bible study. And at the end of youth Bible study every Wednesday, I will ask one of our youth to pray and we've had one student in particular who really loves to
[00:44:47] close us in prayer and doesn't mind doing that and on Wednesday that student was not there and so I looked around he wasn't there and I thought oh I wish he was here to close us in prayer and
[00:45:00] then I said I'm going to call him I told the youth I said I'm going to call him and see if he answers his phone and we can see if he'll close us in prayer. I called that student. Hello? Hey, we're
[00:45:11] just finishing Bible study and we miss you, but you know, we're wondering if you would close us in prayer. Oh yeah, sure. Okay. All right. I've got you on speakerphone. Okay. Everybody, thank you God for letting us gather here and study your word. He closes us in this most beautiful prayer.
[00:45:28] We get off the phone, fast forward into the week and I'm talking with his mom and she says, Meredith, we were boarding a plane. He was sitting in his seat on the plane as people
[00:45:41] were boarding, coming past, and people paused and were just astonished that this young person is praying. And a lot of people were looking at us going, you know, this is great. This is amazing.
[00:45:55] And I said to the mom, I said, you know, in all of my years of ministry, I think he's my first student that I could call and say, will you pray? And the pastor answers the phone and prays.
[00:46:06] So God really works through people of all ages here at DVMC. And there are faith-forming moments, right, that take place within our youth who are then passing their faith on or living out their faith. So whether you give your tithes and offerings by dropping it in the plate as it goes
[00:46:25] by, whether you give online, thank you. Thank you for partnering with God and making a difference in a teenager's life, in adults' lives, and thank you so much for being a part of this church.
[00:46:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:46:40] Gracious God, your generosity overflows. Accept these are gifts so that with your blessing,
[00:54:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:54:36] we may use them to proclaim Christ in our community and beyond. Amen.
[00:54:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:54:42] Grateful for those moments of encounter when Christ's presence and voice seem near, close to us.
[00:57:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:57:56] Moments like worship.
[00:57:57] I pray that this has been that in some way for you today.
[00:58:00] And that having been in God's presence, having been invited to pay closer attention to Jesus, that we might depart this place and do what the closing hymn says, fix our eyes there.
[00:58:15] Not to the mountaintop, but to the people.
[00:58:17] to those whom Christ loves and for whom Christ came and lived and died and was raised that all our neighbors might thrive and have life and life abundant.
[00:58:32] So as we go to be that church this week, let's do so remembering our mission that we will be the body of Christ in our community through worship, education, fellowship, and service.
[00:58:44] Go in peace.
