Jesus’ shining presence before Peter, James, and John reveals his intimacy with the Jewish traditions about Moses, the giver of the law whose face glowed in God’s presence, and Elijah, the ancient prophet who spoke with God and learned in silence.

Simon Peter is a business man. He has opinions. In the fishing business, he had to plan, expect the unexpected, and fix things. Following Jesus, he is slowly adjusting to the discipline of quiet listening, waiting in prayer for the Spirit to lead.

Now that he is fishing for people, he has even less control over outcomes. He must wait for the power of the Spirit of love and mercy to move in others. Peter is no longer the primary actor. He must follow the Spirit of Christ.

The voice of God silences Peter’s chatter with the command to listen to Jesus. Walking down the mountain, Jesus asks the disciples to keep their shared mystical experience to themselves until after “the son of man is raised from the dead.” Their experience is not intended to give them an edge over the others, but to quiet them for worshipful prayer as the mandate for ministry.

Sunday morning I watched a bird, maybe a goldfinch, sitting in the tree outside the kitchen window, perfectly still, facing the rose-colored pre-sunrise. She was so very still and the light was so dim I wasn’t even sure I was looking at a bird. There was food below, but she was waiting for the right time to descend. This was the time for waiting and watching. She was in communion with creation, reminding me, also, to be still at that sacred moment.

How does the Spirit of Christ quiet you with awe, eyes closed, face to the ground?

Jesus is transfigured before us and within us as we listen and wait in prayer with all who have gone before us and support us. Then we step forward with courage, not from our old instincts and compulsions, but led in the renewing presence of God in Christ. That is our call, grounded in stillness, in loving trust.

Listen to Jesus. Amen.