{"id":3378,"date":"2012-02-14T14:29:35","date_gmt":"2012-02-14T19:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=3378"},"modified":"2012-02-08T17:10:26","modified_gmt":"2012-02-08T22:10:26","slug":"february-19-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-19-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"February 19, 2011&#8211;Transfiguration:  Changed But Unchanged"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Contributed by Eric Ullestad, West Des Moines, IA<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Warm-up Question<\/h3>\n<p>How do you use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.?<\/p>\n<h3>Transfiguration:\u00a0 Changed But Unchanged<\/h3>\n<p>A little over one year has passed since protests in Tunisia marked the <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2012\/02\/shutterstock_43530310edit.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-3409\" style=\"margin: 5px\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2012\/02\/shutterstock_43530310edit.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"151\" \/><\/a>beginning of Arab Spring.\u00a0 These demonstrations sparked similar outbursts in other cities in the Middle East and North Africa; across the region thousands spoke out against human rights violations and oppressive regimes.\u00a0 Use of social media has been credited with increasing the effectiveness of these civil uprisings.\u00a0 Government leaders in some countries attempted to shut down the Internet in the hopes of disabling communication between people.<\/p>\n<p>Since the mid-2000s when \u201csocial media\u201d became a buzz phrase, skeptics have wondered if these web sites have a useful purpose.\u00a0 Sharing statuses (Facebook), hashtags (Twitter), locations (FourSquare), videos (YouTube), and pictures (Flickr) provide voyeuristic entertainment, but are criticized for being a big waste of time.\u00a0 Over the past year, people in these Arab countries have demonstrated that social media provides the power to organize people around a cause in ways that were not possible in previous generations.<\/p>\n<h3>Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>What do you know about the ongoing protests taking place in Middle East and North Africa?<\/li>\n<li>How has the use social media changed the way you relate to people?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, February 19, 2012 (Transfiguration of Our Lord)<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=194692820\">2 Kings 2:1-12<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=194692852\">2 Corinthians 4:3-6<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=194692886\">Mark 9:2-9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>(Text links are to <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/\">Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elca.org\/Growing-In-Faith\/Worship\/Lectionary.aspx\">Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agnusday.org\/\">Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Gospel Reflection<\/h3>\n<p>Let it not be said that Jesus lacked a flair for the dramatic.\u00a0 He had just finished a feeding frenzy (4,000 people \u2013 Mark 8:1-9), an optometry experiment (Mark 8:22-26), and a hard-core conversation with Peter about his own demise (Mark 8:27-38).\u00a0 After all that, he goes for a hike with three of his closest friends \u2013 James, John, and the aforementioned Peter.\u00a0 One might think that this was his chance to take a break from it all.\u00a0 Instead, he pulls off one of the most paranormal activities of his life: the transfiguration.\u00a0 Not only did his appearance change, but two of the most prominent leaders of God\u2019s people \u2013 Moses and Elijah \u2013 show up unannounced.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy to understand if the disciples didn\u2019t quite know what to do.<\/p>\n<p>We know now what the disciples may not have at the time: the man who ascended the mountain with them was the same man with the dazzling white clothes.\u00a0 Though aspects of Jesus\u2019 physical form were altered, he was the same person who had been with them all along.\u00a0 After coming down from the mountain, Jesus continued his inevitable march to the cross by teaching, healing, performing miracles, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 The Mount of Transfiguration simultaneously left Jesus changed <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">and<\/span> unchanged.<\/p>\n<p>In a similar way protests, demonstrations, and acts of civil disobedience are not new.\u00a0 Those \u00a0events have occurred for millennia.\u00a0 However, the ways in which people are brought together have changed because of advances in technology.\u00a0 Not only are these countries being <em>transfigured<\/em>, but various forms of social media have been <em>transfigured<\/em> to become powerful agents of change across the world.<\/p>\n<p>Christians have a history of embracing this kind of simultaneity.\u00a0 We are people that are broken and healed; enslaved and free; lost and found; sinner and saint.\u00a0 The Transfiguration of Jesus gives us hope that in the midst of historic changes in government, climate, and digital technology, the person of Jesus and his unfailing love for the world remain unchanged.<\/p>\n<h3>Discussion Questions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>What images of the Transfiguration jump out at you?<\/li>\n<li>How would you have responded if you were one of the disciples?<\/li>\n<li>Why do you think Jesus instructed the disciples to not tell<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Activity Suggestions<\/h3>\n<p>Think of ways your congregation can use social media to spread the Gospel message.\u00a0 Consider asking students to \u201cdonate their status\u201d each week to letting people in their social circles about what\u2019s going on in the congregation.\u00a0 Perhaps students could make suggestions of how to improve the church web site or Facebook page.\u00a0 Could your congregation incorporate mass text messages to keep its members connected to Bible verses, church ministries, or prayer requests throughout the week?\u00a0 Discuss these (and other) ideas and take steps toward implementing your plans in the days ahead.<\/p>\n<h3>Closing Prayer<\/h3>\n<p>God, thank you for being with us through the uncertainties of our life.\u00a0 Help us to know that your love for us never changes.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contributed by Eric Ullestad, West Des Moines, IA &nbsp; Warm-up Question How do you use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.? Transfiguration:\u00a0 Changed But Unchanged A little over one year has passed since protests in Tunisia marked the beginning of Arab Spring.\u00a0 These demonstrations sparked similar outbursts in other cities in the Middle [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1400],"tags":[161,11504,11502,1389,602,527],"class_list":["post-3378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post","tag-change","tag-civil-unrest","tag-faithful","tag-social-media","tag-social-networking","tag-transfiguration"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>February 19, 2011-Transfiguration: Changed But Unchanged - Faith Lens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/february-19-2011\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"February 19, 2011-Transfiguration: Changed But Unchanged - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Contributed by Eric Ullestad, West Des Moines, IA &nbsp; Warm-up Question How do you use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.? 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