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2/15/2026 0 Comments February 15, 2026: Awesome WonderOld Testament Reading: Exodus 24: 12-18
The Gospel: Matthew 17: 1-9 When was the last time you felt awed, when you felt such overwhelming joy and wonder, that you did not know what to do: when the smile on your face led directly to an enlarged heart that felt so full that it might burst? When your joy, brought you to tears? For some, this could be the experience of finding your life partner who loves you just as you are, with whom your bond is so clear, there are no words to truly encompass your love and connection. For many, this could be the experience of holding your child, grandchild or niece for the first time: looking at that beautiful, perfect face, feeling the grip of that tiny hand around your little finger. Feeling the wonder, joy and miracle of new life as if it were for the very first time. For some it can be the wonder of watching a puppy run in circles around you then jump in your lap, somehow filling your heart at the same time. For others it could be a sunrise over the mountains streaked with purples, pinks, and yellows that makes you stop in your tracks and take a deep breath to inhale the sheer beauty, the sheer awe of this fleeting moment. This is what I imagine the experience must have been like for the disciples as they gazed upon Jesus as his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, blinding them with their brilliance. As if this was not enough, Moses and Elijah appeared beside Jesus, conversing with him. How did they even know it was Moses and Elijah? Did Moses say this reminded him of his 40 days on the Mountaintop talking with God? Did Elijah mention his encounters with God or being carried off in a fiery chariot into Heaven? Did they both mention parting seas? What the disciples did know was the Jewish belief that Elijah would appear on the mountains of the Holy Land to announce the coming of the Messiah and here Elijah and Moses stood with Jesus. Could the message be more clear? This was certainly a time of awesome wonder for Peter, James, and John as they stood looking on. No wonder Peter wanted to build three monuments or chapels on the site: one each to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But God’s plan was simpler than that. Echoing the words God said at Jesus’ baptism by John, God said, “This is my son, the Beloved, with him I am well-pleased” but there is an addition here that God did not say at Jesus’ baptism, “Listen to him!” God is telling them not to bother with chapels or monuments but to learn from Jesus. The disciples would become living monuments to Christ by continuing his mission: baptizing, forgiving, accepting, welcoming, healing and loving in Jesus’ name. While the disciples were not the ones who were transfigured with a glowing brilliance as Jesus was, they did have an experience with Jesus in that moment as well as with God in a cloud, just like Moses and Elijah did. Although maybe not outwardly changed, they were transfigured, changed and elevated by this experience. They now knew, as much as they could take in, that Jesus was truly God’s son but what was the first thing Jesus said to them after that? “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” What???? I imagine the disciples thinking, if not saying out loud at the moment. First they see Jesus transfigured in a way in which they cannot deny his connection to God and then they are told not only not to talk about it yet and again they are reminded that Jesus’ time on earth is limited, that he will suffer and die but would rise again. Honestly, this would be a lot to take in and I imagine the impetus would be to go running down the mountain to share the great news of the transfiguration with everyone, but it was not yet time. This had to be both overwhelming and frustrating for the disciples as they went on with their work learning from Jesus but they were following God’s instructions, “Listen to him!!!” That instruction, however, was not just for the disciples, but it is for all of us, “Listen to him!!” It is in the words of Jesus that we can still find the guidance, help, and hope to deal with what life throws at us and it is in taking time to listen and to look that we have opportunities for our own transfiguration moments. God has the ability to awe us in many ways and we all have the ability to have mountaintop transfigurations without always having to climb up mountains. Let’s think about that for a minute. Why do Moses, Jesus, the disciples, and other prophets climb up mountains to have experiences with God? They need to get away from the crowds, the worries and distractions of the day; they need to clear their heads. The walk up the mountain is part of the preparation: heart pounding, the rhythm of your audible breathing with the effort of the hike, the feel of your muscles working, that positive fatigue that reminds you that you are alive. All of the physical aspects of the climb help distract us from the day to day challenges we are leaving behind, if only for a short time. As we get used to the rhythm of the hike, letting go of the constraints and challenges of society as we climb, we begin to look around more: to notice the wildflowers blooming along the trail, to catch a glimpse of the owl that just flew above us or the chipmunk scurrying over the log next to us. We gaze up at the mightiness of the pines and hemlocks and the uniqueness of the cloud formations as we continue climbing. We pause to look at the intricacies of a beautiful spider web wondering how something so big and yet delicate can come from such a tiny creature. We feel a sense of awe for that tiny spider and what she has woven. And before we know it, we are at the top of the mountain, already transformed by the journey as we sit on a rock at the top and look down on the valley below. We feel gratitude for the ability to get here and for the beauty discovered along the way but also in this moment right now. We say “Wow! Thanks God!” And ideally we then listen for God - what is it you want from me God? What path should I follow? How should I act? We sit with the questions on that mountain top and on the whole hike down, hopefully hearing or feeling a message, even a small nudge from God to guide us. No wonder the experience of God is often had on a mountain top - it takes the journey up to prepare us to listen and to feel God’s presence. But how can we create mountaintop moments when we do not have the time or ability to climb a mountain? It’s all about preparation. In order to give space and time to hear God and be transformed by Love, we have to make space to pause. We have to find a way to shut off the chaos that is more than just turning off the news. We need to be deliberate. It might be sitting in your garden or even working in it, hands on the earth contemplating the creator while touching and being a part of creation. It might be a quiet corner in your home that becomes a sacred space where you read the Bible and listen for God’s words to you through it. It might be sitting in your favorite chair, gazing out the window and pausing to listen and to let God in. It might be on a yoga mat as you stretch your body and quiet your mind to listen for God. It is possible for all of us to have our mountaintop moments with God and to be transformed by them but they are not one off experiences. We are invited to continue our journey with God with patience, carving a little time out each day if we can or at least each week to sit with God, to feel God within us, guiding us, to truly experience God: Love with us. As we prepare to begin this journey through Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday this week, let’s commit ourselves not to giving something up but to making space for mountaintop moments, space to hear and feel God, Love, with us. And if we do this, others will see our transformation over time because one cannot encounter Love without being transformed. Amen. Pastor Michelle Fountain
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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 58: 1-9a
The Gospel: Matthew 5: 13-20 ****Just a reminder that I am substituting the word Love for God in this sermon to practice emphasizing that God truly is Love*** Growing up Catholic, there were a lot of rules. If I missed church on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation, I needed to go to confession; if I argued with my parents or my sibling, or told a lie, I needed to go to confession. If I did not go to confession, I could not take communion when I was in church. Knowing this made me work to get to confession and to say the prayers the priest required of me as penance. There is nothing wrong with rules. Jesus even emphasized “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The rules and rituals that bring us closer to Love, are a good thing, but our scriptures today ask us to consider whether we are doing things in our faith practices just because they are rules or because they strengthen our faith and bring us closer to Love and the way Love wants us to be in this world that Love created. In our Isaiah scripture today, Love is essentially saying, “Look, I see that you are following the rules of fasting, bowing your heads and praying but you are not doing that with me, Love, in mind. You fast, but then you use that hunger as an excuse to treat your friends, family, and workers poorly. You thank me for what you have and then you break the backs of your workers in your greed to get even more. You give money to the church but ignore your neighbor in need. You go to church and say you love me but then you call my people names and beat them in the streets, oppressing those in need, rather than helping them. Do you really think this is acceptable to me, to Love?” “Rather than denying yourself food, how about sharing some with others? Rather than ignoring the injustices that are happening, how about supporting those in need of justice? Rather than praying for just yourself, how about praying for those who are struggling, especially those who are very different from you? Rather than going to church to check it off the list, how about going: to breathe in peace, to breathe out Love, to reset, to learn and to be inspired so you can be my ambassadors of love to the world?” Jesus, the son of Love, then builds on the words of Love through the Prophet Isaiah by first emphasizing in the Beatitudes that those who are struggling are already blessed if not in this life, than in the next, and then reminding the rest of us when we are not in a time of need that we have work to do in order to be the salt, that preserves and provides flavor and the light that shines upon injustices so that they may be corrected and the light that guides people to Love. Love does not ask us to be the one in the spotlight with the light shining upon us, about us, asking folks to admire us while the paparazzi snaps pictures of us. Instead, Love asks us to be the light of the world: to be Love’s light in the word. If we are the light, we are not so much seen ourselves but are seen in how we light the way for others. Consider the value of street lights on dark nights. They help people see so they do not fall as they walk; they let people find their way; they help people feel safe because they can see if there are any obstacles or concerns around them. How can we be street lights to people in need that not only keep them safe, but help guide their way to Love? We do that by putting the substance of our faith into action over the form of it. By not just doing the ritual motions of faith: praying, going to, and supporting the church. Those are all good and important but that, by itself, is passive faith and Jesus calls us to active faith so we can be the light bringing hope and help to others just as he did. Being the light, loosening the bonds of injustice, is different for each of us but we are each and every one of us called to be the light in big ways or small. Being the light is helping others in need when the opportunity presents itself. I heard a story like that yesterday from a woman who called Laura Caravatt her second mother. When Debbie was just a small child her Mom’s car ran out of gas in front of Laura’s home. Laura invited her and her two children in and helped her get home, and they became life long friends. Sue and Greg Skaskiw regularly collect coats, dog food and items for the homeless in the Upper Valley. They also make soup for them on cold days and deliver it with all of the other items. They have rescued and sheltered many animals over the years as well. My friend Ellen helped start Bridge to Rutland, an organization that helps asylum seekers. This organization has helped nine people to escape violence in their home countries and to support them while they get their work permits and work and live here in the U.S. as they wait to find out if they will be granted asylum. Russ drives one of them to his job on Fridays because the bus no longer runs there. The Methodist Church in Rutland decided they did not need their large old sanctuary so they moved to a smaller building that could be multi-purpose so that four days a week they operate as Rutland Neighbors offering hot meals, canned goods and clothing to those in need in the same space where they worship on Sundays. The Woodstock Area Interfaith Clergy group held a community event last night called United We Stand: Committed to Love, Justice, and Hope in response to recent events in our country. Organizers stated, “We wish for a collective raising of consciousness to the authoritarianism in our time.” Others deliver meals to people who can’t go out, write letters to legislators or attend protests to stand up for all of Love’s people just as Love asks us to do in loosening the bonds of injustice. As 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 reminds us and God and Love: 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. Guided by Love, led by Love, we are called to show Love to all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We must, we have to lead with Love always. So I ask you to pause before you speak, to consider your words and ask yourself, am I speaking as Love would? I ask you to pause before you act and ask yourself, would Love act this way? And I ask you to go beyond yourself asking, where can I share Love in my community, nation or world? When Love meets hate, it offers the counterpoint: an invitation to Love. Love calls us, we must answer with patience and kindness, rejoicing in the truth, as we loosen the bonds of injustice, believing in Love, enduring the scorn of those who don’t, ever hopeful that when we put our faith into action through small or big acts of kindness and justice, Love will prevail. When we answer Love’s call, we are truly shining Love’s light, not on or for ourselves, but providing security, guidance, love, and hope in dark times. Amen. Pastor Michelle Fountain |
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