April 9, 2025
Luke 9:28-36
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,
and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.
They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him,
“Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—
one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them,
and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying,
“This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.
The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Lord God,
overshadow us with your presence.
When Jesus went up to the mountain,
he took Peter, James, and John,
and they were enveloped in the cloud of your goodness.
They were enveloped in the cloud of your holiness.
They were enveloped
in the awesome and almighty presence of the great God of heaven.
They saw Elijah, and they saw Moses,
and they didn't know what to say…
but God, they were changed
as a result of hearing your voice say,
“This is my son, hear what he has to say.”
And so, God,
I pray that we will hear the voice of Jesus,
that we will follow the words
as we are enveloped into the cloud of your goodness
each and every day.
Lord, let us listen to Jesus.
Let the words that he speaks in our hearts,
let us follow those words faithfully.
Let the words of Jesus abide in our hearts
so that we will not sin against you.
God, envelop us in the cloud,
envelop us in the cloud
of forgiveness and hope and joy and peace.
O God, that others would want to come into the cloud
because they see the transformation
that has taken place within our own lives:
envelop us into the cloud.
O God, that all of the things of the world
would drop away, that they would fall away.
That they would no longer hold us bound.
Envelop us into the cloud!
Oh, God, that we might be faithful disciples
and that we would follow you wholeheartedly.
Envelop us into the cloud….
O God, that we would be more like you.
That we would be light and salt in the world.
And that people would come running to you
because we have been in the cloud.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
