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Dear Covenant Friends,
It is always a joy to worship with this community of faith, and last Sunday was no exception. For several weeks we have been in the season of Epiphany—a season of light and revelation. On Transfiguration Sunday, we heard the gospel story of Jesus on the mountaintop with his disciples, where God’s glory is revealed in his earthly body. For a brief, dazzling moment, the disciples glimpse who he truly is. And then they descend the mountain, carrying that light with them as they make their way toward Jerusalem and the cross.
Author Madeleine L’Engle captures this mystery beautifully in The Irrational Season. She suggests that the Transfiguration is an invitation to see differently—to open our eyes to the glory that is already present among us. To notice how God’s love comes to us in unexpected, sometimes transfigured ways: on a mountaintop or in a kitchen, out in nature or in the city, in the quiet of night or in the busyness of our lives...
Suddenly they saw him the way he was, the way he really was all the time,
although they had never seen it before,
the glory which blinds the everyday eye and so becomes invisible.
This is how he was, radiant, brilliant,
carrying joy like a flaming sun in his hands.
This is the way he was — is — from the beginning,
and we cannot bear it.
So he manned himself, came manifest to us;
and there on the mountain they saw him,
really saw him, saw his light.
We all know that if we really see him, we die.
But isn’t that what is required of us?
Then perhaps, we will see each other, too.
There is something fitting about moving from such radiance to the ashes of Lent. The light does not disappear—it deepens. The glory we glimpse on the mountain prepares us for the honesty of the wilderness. To see Christ clearly is, in some way, to let parts of ourselves fall away. It is to die to illusion and rise to deeper vision.
On Ash Wednesday (February 18), we will gather for worship at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, with a light supper in Dowd Commons served between 5:30–6:30 p.m. The service will include the imposition of ashes and communion. I hope you will join us as we begin this sacred journey together.
If you are looking for devotional resources for the season, I commend the following:
Discipleship in a Divided Age explores how to live faithfully amid division and uncertainty through Matthew's Gospel. Published by the Presbyterian Outlook.
Earth Csre Lenten Devotional 2026
Available as a full downloadable resource or as daily emailed reflections.
"Journey to the Cross” d365 from Ash Wednesday through the Sunday following Easter, following a five-step format: Pause, Listen, Think, Pray, Go.
The Tomb is Empty but the Streets are Full: An Activist Lenten Devotional
Centering the voices of people of faith, ministers and activists , this devotional invites reflection and faithful action in a time of division and injustice. Digital and printable versions are available, along with weekly activist guides.
May the light we glimpse in Christ on the mountain give us courage for the wilderness, humility in the ashes, and love enough to truly see one another.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jessie
pastor@covenantweb.org
February 17, 2026
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