1 - As we begin worship, let’s remember the day "Moses came down from Mount Sinai.

2 - As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand,

1 - Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God."

2 - Can you imagine that? His face shone, but he didn’t know. Everyone else did, though.

1 - "When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

2 - But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.

1 - Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

2 - When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face;

1 - but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,

2 - the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with God."

1- Shall we stand before the Lord together and a sing our song of praise to the One who is hidden from us only by "the splendor of light." "Immortal, invisible, God only wise," #70 in your hymnal.

Children's Time
        Today is called "Transfiguration Sunday."  Was anybody listening to what Mr. Ron just read from the Bible? Can you figure out why this is called "Transfiguration" Sunday?... The story was about Jesus and his disciples Peter, James, and John going up a mountain to pray. Something happened on that mountain. What? Something about Jesus changed. A word sometimes used for that in the Bible is "transfigure." Jesus was "transfigured," it says.
        I can be transfigured. Did you know that? Want to see how? Just watch. (go and sit in a pew) I am now not just the Pastor, I am a disciple of Jesus - just like everyone else here. Do you want to see me do it again? Okay, look closely. (return to group and pull daughter Tessa on lap) What's different now? I'm a Daddy, aren't I? Something changed, but then it really didn't. Before I moved around like I did, I was already a pastor, a disciple, and a Daddy. Right?
        Well, before he was "transfigured" on that mountaintop, Jesus was already God's Son. Peter, James, and John had just not seen him that way before. In some ways, the change was in how they saw Jesus. For the first time, maybe they saw him as he really was and is. He still was their teacher, but he was also so much more. After they were dazzled by his appearance, a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him." I think that, in addition to seeing him in a new way, the disciples now listened to him in a new way. Their seeing and hearing was "transfigured."
         How about I make one more change. Ready? (Tessa gets off lap) Now I'm Pastor Pete again. Of course, I'm still a disciple and a Daddy, aren't I? Oh yes, you need to do some transfiguring right now. Ms. Marian is ready for you to go and dazzle her with your beautiful voices. Practice well. We look forward to hearing you sing to the Lord a new song.

[The seed for this came from Children's Object Lesson Sermons,
by Jim & Doris Morentz, ©1985, Abingdon Press, Nashville, p. 39]

Benediction

Go into this week
radiant with the holiness of God
transfigured by the glory of Jesus Christ
shining with the exuberance of the Holy Spirit

                                                     [by Moira B. Laidlaw]