Voice: Terry
Today is Tuesday, 26th of May. The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind:
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 133
1Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Luke 9:28-36
28Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Reflection
For the three disciples, the Transfiguration vision was overwhelming. To see Jesus radiant and transfigured was already beyond comprehension. But then—Moses and Elijah appeared. Two towering figures from centuries past, long gone from earthly life, now alive and conversing with Jesus. Unsurprisingly, the disciples were filled with fear and confusion (Mark 9:6, 10). How could this be?
From our vantage point, with the resurrection of Jesus behind us, this moment is not so puzzling. Rather, it is deeply hopeful. The Transfiguration reminds us that what we see with our physical eyes is not all there is. We are not extinguished at death, but await transformation. In different times and forms, we continue in God’s eternal purposes. We will live forever. Forever, after all, is a very long time—and our earthly life is but a small chapter in a much greater story.
Scripture assures us that what the disciples saw in Jesus, we too will experience. Paul declares in Philippians 3:21,
“Christ… will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
John echoes this in 1 John 3:2:
“When Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
Whether you are proud of your current body or painfully aware of its limitations, there is a glorified version awaiting. A radiant, resurrected you. Isn’t that astonishing?
Think of what this means for how we live today. Many live as if this life is all there is—so when life is cut short, even by old age, it feels tragic. There are dreams unfinished, books unread, tasks left incomplete. But what if eternity gives us room for all that is truly worthwhile? What if every good thing will one day be restored and fulfilled in God’s new creation?
And what of our relationships? In this life, goodbyes feel final. But Jesus promised His disciples in John 14 that they would be with Him forever. The bonds formed in Christ are not severed by death. In God’s kingdom, we do not say goodbye forever.
When we take seriously what we believe—the resurrection, the glorified body, and eternal life—life takes on a whole new meaning. It is not coming to an end. It is just a prelude!
Today, we also remember the ministry of Augustine of Canterbury, a Benedictine monk sent by Pope Gregory I in 597, became the first Archbishop of Canterbury and is known as the “Apostle to the English” for his pivotal role in establishing Christianity in southern England through his missionary work, conversion of King Æthelberht of Kent. His work and ministry joined with the indigenous Celtic movement to shape the early foundations of the English Church.
We end with this collect:
O God, who by the preaching of the Bishop Saint Augustine of Canterbury led the English peoples to the Gospel, grant, we pray, that the fruits of his labors may remain ever abundant in your Church;
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The acoustic version of “Thin Place” by Mission House.
[Verse]
This is a thin place
This is where You meet with us
This is sacred space
This is where You meet with us
This is a thin place
This is where You meet with us
This is sacred space
This is where You meet with us
Daily Devotion 
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