Peter and James and John are with Jesus on the top of a mountain, and the disciples see Moses, the Great Lawgiver, and Elijah, whom they regard as the greatest prophet, talking with Jesus. Two of the heroes of their faith, hundreds of years gone from the earth, and yet here the two of them are, talking with Jesus like it's a regular thing. Jesus' clothes have become dazzlingly bright white. It is all too much to know how to understand; it is an experience as impossible to prepare for as it is to imagine--remember, they had never seen movies or video games with "special effects". Peter blurts something out, being the kind of extrovert who seems to be uncomfortable with silence. As Mark's gospel tells us in verse 7, "Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’" Then as quickly as it happened, it went away, and they were there with Jesus, without Moses or Elijah or any "special effects".

On the way down the mountain, Jesus tells them not to tell anyone just yet. On the one hand, that would be easy to stick with--after all, how in the world do they describe something that defies description, the kind of thing that no one had ever even imagined? We have so much that we can see with the various video means we have at our disposal that we almost don't HAVE to use our imaginations anymore. In those days, there was none of that.

On the other hand, how do they NOT tell what they had seen, something that would be forever impossible to forget!

That specific sight would never happen again. And that specific experience of a voice saying "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" would also never happen again. But for the rest of their lives any number of days, and at times more than once on those days, they WOULD see a cloud overshadow them. Even after Jesus was taken up to heaven, they would see a cloud that would overshadow them.

That cloud might give them relief from the blazing hot sun beating down on them, causing sunburn on their exposed arms. That cloud might be the warning of an immanent rainstorm, that would water the thirsty fields of grain at best, or cause erosion of parched ground at worst . But any time that they actually took notice of a cloud overshadowing them, they would remember what happened on the mountain. And I suspect that they noticed more often than we do, because of what they saw on the mountain.

All of nature can remind us of the presence of Christ, of God ever with us, seeking to touch our senses causing us to be grateful for the creation itself, and the redemption of creation along with our own redemption.

GOSPEL John 1:1-10a, 14-16

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him . . .

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

NEW TESTAMENT Colossians 1:15-17, 19-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. . . . 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

GOSPEL Mark 9:2-9

2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.