This weekend, we celebrate the Transfiguration, a moment in time that gave Peter, James and John a glimpse into "the glory of the Lord." The Transfiguration is in the tradition of other Biblical moments, such as the death of Elijah (II Kings 2) and Moses' encounter with God's divine glory on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 33). But Mark's version of the event (Mark 9:2-9) carries a unique perspective. Because Mark's Gospel is so centered on the cross and the meaning of the cross for our faith, the glory of the resurrection is qualified in a unique and very insightful way. For example, at the end of Mark's Gospel, after the death of Jesus, it is the Roman Centurion who looks up at the crucified Jesus against the clouds of a darkened sky and says, "Truly this man was God's Son!" (Mark 15:39). The Centurion is willing to see and to speak that witness himself, in contrast to the High Priest, who refuses to see who Jesus really is. Mark's Gospel is essentially about the problem of hearing and seeing God's glory in the person of Jesus. Because, for Mark, it is a glory that comes only through the cross! As the hymn says, "In the cross of Christ I glory, tow'ring o'er the wrecks of time. All the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime." The moment of Transfiguration is a prelude to Lent and the journey to the cross. As we share in a moment of vision and a moment of the glory of God, we come back to the reality that the experience ultimately comes through the cross of Jesus. Join us for worship at St. John's this weekend!