2-26-06 Sermon by Pastor Barbara Currie
“LISTEN TO HIM”: FROM TRANSFIGURATION TO TRANSFORMATION
Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-8
Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, a bridge between Epiphany, the season of the year that we have been worshipping in, and Lent, which begins next week on Ash Wednesday. The word itself means change or metamorphosis, most commonly remembered in terms of the ugly caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. And in case you have forgotten what epiphany means it is a sudden realization, often thought of as an intuitive leap of understanding, also a manifestation of the divine. Epiphany Sunday is the Sunday closest to January 6, usually the Sunday before. It is the celebration of the bright light, the star of the East, the visit of the Magi with their gifts for Jesus and it also sometimes coincides with or comes just before the baptism of Jesus. Both at the baptism and at the Transfiguration a voice of God announces that Jesus is his beloved son. The scripture describing the Transfiguration follows with the words, “Listen to him.” The stories in both the Old and New Testaments today are stories of visions, times when ordinary people saw extraordinary things as they carried on their God journey. Right now I want to warn you that this is one of those participatory sermons. There will be a time when I will stop and ask if any of you would be willing to describe an extraordinary experience you have had on your spiritual journey.
Let’s first take a look at Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was a prophet that had been called a trouble maker by kings as he persevered in preaching the wisdom of God. We are told it’s time for him to leave this world and that Elisha is a worthy replacement. Elijah is one of those figures in the Bible that is immediately taken up into the heavens. In order for Elisha to inherit Elijah’s spirit, a double portion of his spirit, he has to focus on Elijah’s ascendancy. All of the description of chariots and horses are visions used for the purpose of making it clear that Elisha has the ability to concentrate and focus enough so that he will indeed be the one to replace his mentor in leading their people.
I’m not sure how you would define or describe visions. I liked one writer’s description as moments of truth, when there is no fog and no haze and no trees and not obstructions, and deeper still—when you can see your God-given destiny. One of the most famous descriptions of a vision that I am reminded of as we think of the mountaintop in our transfiguration story today is that of Martin Luther King, Jr—his vision on the mountaintop. Remember, he says “I have beeeen to the mountain. I have seeeen the Promised Land.” His vision was a beloved community where black and whites will live and work together. He believed strongly in this vision and was willing to give his life for it. Now I don’t know if he actually saw this vision of the promised land or if it was what he imagined in his mind. It doesn’t really matter how the vision comes to us; it can propel us to action. Visions can help us see the possibilities in life, to see past the obstructions. Visions are indeed moments of truth. They can lead us to a moment of transfiguration and we can become transformed.
Now most of you know that I’ve just come back from California. There are a lot of folks out there that want a transformation on the outside. While I was there the wife of a dear friend just went under the knife—a six hour operation—to make her face look more youthful. Hollywood is filled with people that transform themselves, often changing their names at the same time: Frances Gum changed her image and became Judy Garland, Archibald Leach became Cary Grant, and Marion Morrison became John Wayne to name a few. Same kind of name changes happened in the Bible: Abram became Abraham; Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, and Saul became Paul.
The three disciples that accompanied Jesus to the mountaintop saw him transfigured; was it the same as a vision. I think so. This vision had both visual and audio effects. Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white and the disciples saw Elijah and Moses standing with him. For me the most important part is the voice of God telling them to “Listen to him.”
How to we listen to Jesus? How do we hear him? How have you heard him? Before I go to the congregation for some of your answers, let me share some of my thoughts and experiences. I do believe that Jesus speaks through the Bible, especially in the Gospels. I don’t believe he said every word but that the general principles written there as his words are something for us to listen to.
I believe we can see Jesus, especially the divine Christ part in other people. It doesn’t need to be a saint or famous preacher. I believe that an ordinary friend is often used to speak or act Christ’s message to us. I don’t know how many of you have seen a new baby being born. I was fortunate to have my first child my natural child birth and until this day, there is nothing to compare with seeing life come into the world. Many of you have heard the story of my having a long dark night of the soul and finally deciding to try to meditate, to pray silently. I decided I would at least try 5 minutes of silently opening myself to God. During that time I physically felt God holding me and assuring me that I had a purpose. It was soon after that I decided to go to seminary to become a minister. What about you in the congregation? Was there ever a time that you felt God or Jesus speaking to you in a vision or an experience? Some folks have these experiences and never share it—for different reasons. Some think others will think they are crazy, hallucinating, becoming a religious nut. Many folks just don’t think others would believe them. If any of you feel comfortable sharing your experiences now, that would be wonderful.
Sharing time
When we listen to Jesus, especially in what he says to us in the Gospel, there’s no way that we can deny our need to help others. There’s a Vietnamese folk tale that I want to share with you that differentiates between heaven and hell. In hell, everyone is given an abundance of food, set before them, but the only thing they have to feed themselves with are chopsticks a yard long; therefore, the food never reaches their mouths. In heaven, the image is exactly the same in terms of the abundance of food and the yard long chopsticks. But in heaven, the people use their chopsticks to feed one another.
God’s voice on the mountain says listen to him. Jesus doesn’t accept the offer to have temples built on the mountain but leads the disciples down to the people; people possessed by demons, suffering from illnesses, those that are without enough to eat, to the powers and principalities of the Roman government, the tax collectors, the scribes, and the prostitutes. Why did he do so? Joan Chittester, a Benedictine nun and author of some of my favorite books, says that “real religion is not about building temples and keeping shrines. Real religion is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every system in both state and church.”[1] The people at the bottom wait to be healed, wait for jobs, wait for food and shelter, wait for education, wait for dignity and recognition.
Real religion is not about transcending life but transforming life. Transfiguration leads us back down the mountain, thankful for the splendid mountaintop moments to console us when it’s rough down below. If we listen to Jesus, we will turn the world upside down, be the people of the Beatitudes, do works of mercy, even do miracles.
Once upon a time a group of disciples asked an elder, “Does your God work miracles?” The elder said, “Well it all depends on what you mean by a miracle. Some people say it’s a miracle that God does the will of the people. We say, it’s a miracle when people do the will of God.”[2] As we enter the Lenten season, let us prepare ourselves to do the work of God. Thinking back to the Vietnamese folk tale, let us remember that a single act of compassion can transform hell into heaven. It is up to us to take the mountaintop experiences to comfort and console us and to lead us on to transform the world one step at a time. Thanks be to God for God’s grace and love. Amen.
[1] Online at http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/chittister_3508.htm
[2] Ibid.
Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-8
Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, a bridge between Epiphany, the season of the year that we have been worshipping in, and Lent, which begins next week on Ash Wednesday. The word itself means change or metamorphosis, most commonly remembered in terms of the ugly caterpillar that becomes a butterfly. And in case you have forgotten what epiphany means it is a sudden realization, often thought of as an intuitive leap of understanding, also a manifestation of the divine. Epiphany Sunday is the Sunday closest to January 6, usually the Sunday before. It is the celebration of the bright light, the star of the East, the visit of the Magi with their gifts for Jesus and it also sometimes coincides with or comes just before the baptism of Jesus. Both at the baptism and at the Transfiguration a voice of God announces that Jesus is his beloved son. The scripture describing the Transfiguration follows with the words, “Listen to him.” The stories in both the Old and New Testaments today are stories of visions, times when ordinary people saw extraordinary things as they carried on their God journey. Right now I want to warn you that this is one of those participatory sermons. There will be a time when I will stop and ask if any of you would be willing to describe an extraordinary experience you have had on your spiritual journey.
Let’s first take a look at Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was a prophet that had been called a trouble maker by kings as he persevered in preaching the wisdom of God. We are told it’s time for him to leave this world and that Elisha is a worthy replacement. Elijah is one of those figures in the Bible that is immediately taken up into the heavens. In order for Elisha to inherit Elijah’s spirit, a double portion of his spirit, he has to focus on Elijah’s ascendancy. All of the description of chariots and horses are visions used for the purpose of making it clear that Elisha has the ability to concentrate and focus enough so that he will indeed be the one to replace his mentor in leading their people.
I’m not sure how you would define or describe visions. I liked one writer’s description as moments of truth, when there is no fog and no haze and no trees and not obstructions, and deeper still—when you can see your God-given destiny. One of the most famous descriptions of a vision that I am reminded of as we think of the mountaintop in our transfiguration story today is that of Martin Luther King, Jr—his vision on the mountaintop. Remember, he says “I have beeeen to the mountain. I have seeeen the Promised Land.” His vision was a beloved community where black and whites will live and work together. He believed strongly in this vision and was willing to give his life for it. Now I don’t know if he actually saw this vision of the promised land or if it was what he imagined in his mind. It doesn’t really matter how the vision comes to us; it can propel us to action. Visions can help us see the possibilities in life, to see past the obstructions. Visions are indeed moments of truth. They can lead us to a moment of transfiguration and we can become transformed.
Now most of you know that I’ve just come back from California. There are a lot of folks out there that want a transformation on the outside. While I was there the wife of a dear friend just went under the knife—a six hour operation—to make her face look more youthful. Hollywood is filled with people that transform themselves, often changing their names at the same time: Frances Gum changed her image and became Judy Garland, Archibald Leach became Cary Grant, and Marion Morrison became John Wayne to name a few. Same kind of name changes happened in the Bible: Abram became Abraham; Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel, and Saul became Paul.
The three disciples that accompanied Jesus to the mountaintop saw him transfigured; was it the same as a vision. I think so. This vision had both visual and audio effects. Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white and the disciples saw Elijah and Moses standing with him. For me the most important part is the voice of God telling them to “Listen to him.”
How to we listen to Jesus? How do we hear him? How have you heard him? Before I go to the congregation for some of your answers, let me share some of my thoughts and experiences. I do believe that Jesus speaks through the Bible, especially in the Gospels. I don’t believe he said every word but that the general principles written there as his words are something for us to listen to.
I believe we can see Jesus, especially the divine Christ part in other people. It doesn’t need to be a saint or famous preacher. I believe that an ordinary friend is often used to speak or act Christ’s message to us. I don’t know how many of you have seen a new baby being born. I was fortunate to have my first child my natural child birth and until this day, there is nothing to compare with seeing life come into the world. Many of you have heard the story of my having a long dark night of the soul and finally deciding to try to meditate, to pray silently. I decided I would at least try 5 minutes of silently opening myself to God. During that time I physically felt God holding me and assuring me that I had a purpose. It was soon after that I decided to go to seminary to become a minister. What about you in the congregation? Was there ever a time that you felt God or Jesus speaking to you in a vision or an experience? Some folks have these experiences and never share it—for different reasons. Some think others will think they are crazy, hallucinating, becoming a religious nut. Many folks just don’t think others would believe them. If any of you feel comfortable sharing your experiences now, that would be wonderful.
Sharing time
When we listen to Jesus, especially in what he says to us in the Gospel, there’s no way that we can deny our need to help others. There’s a Vietnamese folk tale that I want to share with you that differentiates between heaven and hell. In hell, everyone is given an abundance of food, set before them, but the only thing they have to feed themselves with are chopsticks a yard long; therefore, the food never reaches their mouths. In heaven, the image is exactly the same in terms of the abundance of food and the yard long chopsticks. But in heaven, the people use their chopsticks to feed one another.
God’s voice on the mountain says listen to him. Jesus doesn’t accept the offer to have temples built on the mountain but leads the disciples down to the people; people possessed by demons, suffering from illnesses, those that are without enough to eat, to the powers and principalities of the Roman government, the tax collectors, the scribes, and the prostitutes. Why did he do so? Joan Chittester, a Benedictine nun and author of some of my favorite books, says that “real religion is not about building temples and keeping shrines. Real religion is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every system in both state and church.”[1] The people at the bottom wait to be healed, wait for jobs, wait for food and shelter, wait for education, wait for dignity and recognition.
Real religion is not about transcending life but transforming life. Transfiguration leads us back down the mountain, thankful for the splendid mountaintop moments to console us when it’s rough down below. If we listen to Jesus, we will turn the world upside down, be the people of the Beatitudes, do works of mercy, even do miracles.
Once upon a time a group of disciples asked an elder, “Does your God work miracles?” The elder said, “Well it all depends on what you mean by a miracle. Some people say it’s a miracle that God does the will of the people. We say, it’s a miracle when people do the will of God.”[2] As we enter the Lenten season, let us prepare ourselves to do the work of God. Thinking back to the Vietnamese folk tale, let us remember that a single act of compassion can transform hell into heaven. It is up to us to take the mountaintop experiences to comfort and console us and to lead us on to transform the world one step at a time. Thanks be to God for God’s grace and love. Amen.
[1] Online at http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/chittister_3508.htm
[2] Ibid.
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 1:27 PM
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