Feast of the Transfiguration

When Sandy asked me to preach today I said yes with the same speed 

that the driver behind you leans on the horn when the light turns 

green.  Then I thought, “What in the world will I talk about?” Being 

retired I’m a bit out of practice.  But you kow we’ve had an 

interesting configuration of events recently.  Today is the Feast of 

the Transfiguration when Jesus shone on Magic mountain, yesterday was 

Groundhog Day, today we have this great southern blue grass band 

with us and later lunch will be New Orleans Cajun shrimp, sausage and 

gumbo. Today is also the Super Bowl when the Patriots get their 

comeuppence; Fat Tuesday is coming; Mardi Gras has been going on in 

New Orleans the land of voodoo and spirits and Ash Wednesday is this 

week.

So with all that what I came up with ain’t your grandfather’s 

sermon.  In fact it’s not a sermon at all.  It’s a flash meditation, 

and I’ll be done I’ll be done by the time the sands in this 5 minute 

glass run out.

Let me ask you, what’s your sign?  What sign were you born under? 

Gemini, Capricorn, Taurus?  What’s your horoscope say today?  Are the 

stars aligned correctly for you to make a sound financial decision 

today?  At your birth were the planets aligned for your success.  

What do the stars say about your personality? your choices? your 

future? your fate?   Silly questions for a preacher to ask from a 

pulpit?  Perhaps so.  But I ask again, “What is your sign?”

We live in a secular world.  A world where God is supposed to be 

irrelevant, if not dead.  A world where organized religion is said to 

be obsolete, a dinosaur ready for the T-Rex La Brea Tar Pits.  Yet 

this secular, unbelieving world is filled with belief systems; all 

sorts of ‘isms’ that are supposed to help, to enlighten, even to 

save.  You know, even atheism is an “ism”, a belief system.  We have 

zodiacs and horoscopes, palm reading, tarot cards, witchcraft, 

satanism, voodoo, don’t step on the crack, if only I could win the 

lottery--all very popular belief systems in our age of non-belief.   

I ask again, “What’s YOUR sign?” Perhaps I should ask, what’s your logo?

How many here are baptized persons? Everyone of us carry a sign of 

our belief.  And it’s on your body. This sign you carry is invisible 

but indelible.  We’ve all had experiences with indelible ink.  

Indelible means you can’t wash it out. Once it’s on you it’s in your 

very fabric, your very nature, nothing can get it out.  This sign is 

like an invisible tattoo, always there and sometimes embarrassing.  

Let me ask you again, and this time I’ll wait for an answer, “What 

sign do you carry on your body?”     Yes, that’s right. The sign of 

the cross.

It’s on your forehead and it was put there years ago by a priest in 

the name of Jesus Christ whom we live to follow, serve, and love.  

That priest put this sign of the cross on your forehead at your 

baptism with a hopeful prayer that Christ’s light would shine through 

you into this dark, troubled, unbelieving  and often cruel world.  

Those priests marked us with the invisible yet indelible sign of the 

cross in hopes that in life we would see with the eyes of faith; we 

would not expect the worst but hope for the best; and we would not 

withhold our love from others but give it generously.  And just maybe 

because of our sign, one day, when we all “grow up”, when we all 

truly, finally and spiritually grow up, which is to say become again 

like a child, those good priests’ daring hope for our lives will be 

true.

(Now as you can see the sands haven’t run out, I have time to spare.  

I have a neat finish for this, but I’d like to get your help.  Let me 

show you how in the deaf churches I worked in we say AMEN in sign 

language.  As you know Amen means “so be it,” “I agree,” “Yes, sign 

me up”.  To do amen in sign language put your left hand out flat, 

make a fist with the right hand  and slam your fist down on your left 

palm.  Like giving your stamp of approval.  Ok, now here’s the big 

finish:

As our Lord once shone with a great light on a high mountain top, let 

our lights so shine in the valleys, the homes, and all the places 

below, so that all may see the sign we carry, the sign of the Risen 

Christ whom we love and serve.

AMEN.