Begin Again: Transfiguration Day

We’re stepping into one of the most breathtaking moments in the gospel this week: the Transfiguration. There’s Jesus, glowing with divine light, standing on a mountain surrounded by Peter, James, and John. It’s the kind of moment you can’t look away from. But here’s the thing: that light doesn’t last forever. The spectacle ends. And then, Jesus asks us to take that mountaintop experience and bring it down into the messy, broken world.

After this moment, Jesus steps into the real, painful world—and he doesn’t look away. He steps right into that chaos, and he heals a young boy. This is the God we worship: a God who doesn’t back away from the mess, but instead enters it with us—hands outstretched, ready to heal. Right there, in the mess, Jesus shows up.

And the story doesn’t stop there. Jesus turns to his disciples, and he lays it all out. He predicts his own suffering. He tells them that following him won’t be easy. There will be struggles. But here’s the truth: Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy road. He promises to walk it with us. Jesus doesn’t leave us to figure it out alone.

This truth is real for us today. In fact, in this season, we’re walking through one of those moments together as a community. Soon we will be welcoming an interim pastor into our community. It’s a moment of joy and anticipation, trusting that God is bringing someone to us who will help us continue our journey of faith and transformation. Like the disciples, we may be unsure of what lies ahead, but we trust that God is guiding us every step of the way—and I’m thrilled to be part of this transition with you all.

What does this mean for us? It means that we, too, can see God’s glory in the midst of the grind of everyday life. We can recognize healing, and we can trust that, no matter how overwhelming life gets, God is walking us through it. And that is what makes this season—this time of “beginning again”—so powerful.

This Sunday, let’s show up with all of who we are and trust that God will lead us through the valleys and mountaintops alike. We are a part of something bigger. We’re walking this journey together, and we’re never alone.

Peace,

Pastor Katie