Transfiguration Sunday

Hymn for Transfiguration Sunday

One Day Jesus Climbed a Mountain
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
W ZLOBIE LEZY 4.4.7.4.4.7.4.4.4.4.7 ("Infant Holy, Infant Lowly")

One day Jesus climbed a mountain to a place of prayer and rest.
Peter, James and John went with him to that lonely wilderness.
In a moment so amazing, Jesus shone with brightness blazing,
wrapped in glory, heaven-blessed.

Words could not contain the wonder of that most amazing sight.
Jesus' face was bright with splendor and his clothes were dazzling white.
There appeared two others with him; Moses and Elijah met him
on that lonely mountain height.

Jesus talked there with the prophet and the bearer of the Law.
When his three disciples saw it, they were filled with joy and awe.
Peter told him, "Let us stay here. We can worship God and pray here."
Then a cloud came over all.

From that cloud a voice was saying, "This is my beloved son."
And the voice said, "Listen to him!" — to God's faithful chosen one.
While their plans were filled with glory, Christ was living out the story
of his prayer, "Thy will be done."

Jesus took them down the mountain to a world of pain and loss.
For he knew what lay before him; he must journey to the cross.
In his serving, in his healing, God was there, by grace revealing
wondrous love comes at a cost.

Biblical References: Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36; 2 Peter 1:16-18
Tune: Polish melody ("Infant Holy, Infant Lowly")  (MIDI)
Text: Copyright © 2015 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
Included in I Sing to My Savior: New Hymns from the Stories in the Gospel of Luke (2022).
Email: carolynshymns@gmail.com
New Hymns: www.carolynshymns.com

Notes from a Trip to Israel and Palestine

It was a beautiful day.

The day began with a trip to the Jordan River, where about half of our group was baptized. Now Yardenit, as it is called, is not one of my favorite places in Israel. It is undeniably touristy; it is commercial. You rent a towel and baptismal robe from the gift shop, which also has every souvenir possible. And they have dammed up the water at this particular spot so that the Jordan River looks wider than it is in other places. They have planted flowers and created a garden-like atmosphere, but the site also contains lots of concrete to create steps into the water. It feels artificial. So, it's not one of my favorite places to go, yet I have ended up there on several occasions when my students have wanted to be baptized. But this day was different. Ten folks wanted to dip themselves into the water, and they wanted the other ten of us to create a space of blessing for them. So, I read the biblical passage about Jesus's baptism, and I asked another minister to offer a charge and blessing to those wading into the water. To remember their baptism. To remember they are God's beloved in whom God is well pleased. To remember they are children of the Living God. And then they walked into the river, baptizing themselves into the waters. Some giggles and awkwardness but mostly holiness. And I had to admit to myself that this was indeed a sacred moment.

The second stop was at Beit She'an, a Roman city with a theatre, hippodrome, cardo, and bathhouse. We sang the Hebrew song we have been practicing, Hava Nashira. We sang it in the theatre, yes, we needed to check out the acoustics, but we had also been using Hava Nashira as a pilgrimage song. We had sung it the previous day after every stop, visiting the sites related to Jesus's ministry around the Sea of Galilee. And there was something quite odd and holy about Christians singing a Hebrew song in a Roman theatre.

The third stop was at Hisham's Palace in Jericho where we saw the most beautiful Ummayid (first Islamic dynasty) mosaics from the 8th century -- gorgeous geometric shapes, and complex, repeating patterns. And the tree of life there. It took my breath away.

A Christian baptism -- a quintessential ritual.
Singing Hebrew in a Roman theatre.
Exploring 8th-century Muslim art.

It was a beautiful day.

A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)

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