It Happened At the Mount of Transfiguration

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Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing. The Message paraphrase of Mark 9:5-6

Dear Members and Friends of Trinity Downtown:

I suspect each of us has memories of special times in our lives that were both joyful and unexpected. Do you remember getting your first bicycle? Riding Space Mountain? Your first kiss, graduating high school or college, your honeymoon, or the birth of your children? We remember these “mountain top” events because they often represent turning points in our lives. We’re never the same afterwards.

In the Bible narrates a number of these “turn point” event in the history of God’s People, many of which literally occur at the top of a mountain. Noah’s ark comes safely to rest on top of Mount Ararat. Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Elijah demonstrated God’s power over Baal on top of Mount Carmel, and Jesus took a select group of His disciples (Peter, James and John) to the Mount of Transfiguration to reveal His divinity.

When we’re at “the top of the mountain” our natural reaction is to want to stay. Just like Peter in the text above, we want to keep the event going longer, keep the joy flowing, keep the experience alive. But that’s not what usually happens. Mountain tops are not amenable to permanent housing. Life returns to normal.

This weekend at Trinity Downtown, we’ll be continuing our series titled “It Happened at…” that follows the physical journey that Jesus took leading to his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. This weekend we’ll be focusing on the lessons that Peter, James and John learned on the Mount of Transfiguration, and how we can apply those lessons to our own lives.

Join us as we get a glimpse of Jesus’ true divinity, and are reminded of the grace He offers us in His dogged determination to bring spiritual redemption to the world He created. This weekend, give Him the opportunity to re-position your heart, redeem your circumstances and deepen your recognition that you are totally dependent upon Him. Join us in-person at our contemporary worship service on Saturday at 5:00 pm or our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am. Reservations are required to attend either in-person worship service; you can see the details at www.trinitydt.org.  You may also make a reservation by calling Stefanie at 713.224.0684 from 8:30-2:30 each weekday. If you are not comfortable attending an in-person service, you can watch the “live stream” of our Satellite Service at 5:00 pm on Saturday, or our traditional service on Sunday at 9:00 am by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching either of these services “on demand” by clicking here.

The Lenten season starts next Wednesday, February 17thWe’ll have an in-person Ash Wednesday service at 6:30 pm which will also be live-streamed. Due to social distancing restrictions, we will not be imposing ashes at this service. However, we will provide a small container of dirt to each worshiper for use in our liturgy. You can RSVP for the Ash Wednesday service by clicking here, and you can watch the “live stream” of the service by clicking here. Even if you’re watching Ash Wednesday from home, we’d like you to have a little bowl of dirt with you for this special service.

Last Saturday, we join churches across the country with our annual Superbowl outreach event at our Satellite worship Service. We viewed a “video sermon” featuring several high-profile Christian NFL players discussing how their faith in Jesus has impacted their family and career. Part of their video discussed the social justice issues that were prominent in 2020, and how Christians can play a part in healing our country. If you are interested in a deeper exploration, you can click here to watch their extended conversation on racial justice.

Set aside time this weekend to learn how to follow Jesus’ footsteps, and in doing so find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. His calming presence, love and wisdom will make a tremendous difference in your life.

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