prepared by Rev. Daniel Yovan – 15th February 2026

Prayer

Lord our God, Eternal and wonderful, wholly to be trusted: you give life to all; you help those who come to you and give hope to those who call on you. Set out hearts and minds at peace, that we may bring our prayers to you with confidence and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eternal God and Father, you are the source of all life. The fount of all wisdom, the well-spring of all grace. Your days are without end, your loving mercies without number. We depend on you: and we remember your goodness to us and to those who have gone before us.

To you we lift our hearts and we worship you, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

STF 175 Light of the world

Matthew 17: 1-9

The Transfiguration

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

Reflection:

“Jesus the Son of God” is what we proclaim most of the times when we come to worship. This is what the disciples believed; the Messiah, the anointed one, the one who came to save. But not until when they saw the transfiguration of Jesus and heard the voice of the Father from the cloud, they realised the gravity of the divine nature of Jesus. Matthew writes, “they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear”. Why did they fall? Were they caught off Guard? Something unexpected happened that they were shocked? They were living with Jesus for few years now and did not see anything like it before. They would obviously be awestruck and lost strength in their body by what was unfolding in front of their eyes.

Jonh the beloved disciple had a similar experience after the resurrection of Jesus. John had a very close relationship with Jesus, as a friend, as a brother, while he was on earth, but later in revelation he fell at Jesus’ feet (Rev 1: 12 – 20). It was a privilege for John to have received  a glimpse of who Jesus is. Do we really know and understand whom we worship? Who is Jesus for you? He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End the First and the Last. There is no one before him no one is after him. Everything, the whole universe, is in him, for him and because of him. Our lives are hidden in him. How do we see Jesus when we come to worship him.

What is our attitude toward Jesus? How is our relationship with Jesus? Is it transactional? Do we only come to him when we need something? Or do we worship and adore him for who he is? I would encourage and challenge us take a deep look at our relationship with Jesus. In this season of Lent, let us ask Jesus to reveal himself to us, so that we would worship and adore him with due honour and reverence. Friends, let us do not fall into the trap of treating Jesus, “just like one of us”. Yes…..Jesus is one of us, our brother, our beloved friend. But he did not come to become like us. He is God himself and only became human for 33 years. While I am not denying that we find Jesus in people’s lives, in sorrow and in joy,  He is above all human wisdom and understanding and not confined to all human limitations.

There are many hymns, poems and essays written down by many about the mystery and the nature of Jesus. And I pray that the Spirit of God will open our eyes to see Jesus as we sing and meditate upon the word of God. Understanding and explaining the divinity of Jesus was the task of most New Testament writers, especially St. John and St. Paul. In the book of Colossians we find Paul making a case for Jesus’ divinity, the supremacy of Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and one earth were created……he himself before all things and in him all things hold together (Col 1: 15 – 17).

Amazed by this experience of transfiguration and the presence of Moses and Elijah, Peter wanted to make a ‘permanent’ residence in the mountain. But Jesus brought them down to their day to day ministry. Friends, we have a two fold ministry in our hands; the first is to revere Jesus as Lord in our hearts (1 Peter 3: 15), and the second is to be ready to share the love of the one who rules our hearts. People will see the change in our interactions, when we begin to revere and honour Jesus in our hearts. I would like to gently remind all of us. Let us, during this Lent season, search our hearts and clear all the clutter and make room for Jesus to reign. May the Lord Jesus Christ rule our hearts now and forever. Amen.

Intercession:

We pray for people around the world caught up in situations of conflict and violence, or suffering from famine or disaster…….

We pray for those who are sick, those who are bereaved or oppressed and those who are homeless……

We pray of those who are lost or confused….May your light bring clarity and a sense of direction.

We pray for ourselves that we may be peacemakers and channels of your peace… AMEN.

The Lord’s prayer.

Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name;

Thy kingdom come; thy will be done;

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. AMEN.

STF 59 Lord the light of  your love is shining Lord, the light of your love is shining In the midst of the darkness, shining Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us Set us free by the truth you now bring us Shine on me, shine on me   Shine, Jesus, shine Fill this land with the Father’s glory Blaze, Spirit, blaze Set our hearts on fire Flow, river, flow Flood the nations with grace and mercy Send forth your word Lord, and let there be light

Lord, I come to your awesome presence From the shadows into your radiance By the blood I may enter your brightness Search me, try me, consume all my darkness Shine on me, shine on me   As we gaze on your kingly brightness So our faces display your likeness Ever changing from glory to glory Mirrored here may our lives tell your story Shine on me, shine on me   Graham Kendrick.

Blessings:

May the radiant light of Jesus, the true Light of the World, shine ever more brightly upon you. As you journey through Lent and beyond, may the Holy Spirit guide your steps, deepen your understanding, and fill your heart with renewed hope and faith. May you reflect the glory and love of Christ in all you do, sharing his grace with those around you. Go in peace, carrying his light into the world, and may his presence be your strength and comfort, now and always. Amen.