Listen to Him
Transfiguration Sunday, February 18, 2007
Scripture: Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9: 38-43
Today is Transfiguration Sunday which marks the end of the season of Epiphany. Now just in case you might not know what these words mean, let me explain. Epiphany in the original Greek means “to shine upon”, to give light to. Epiphany Sunday is when we celebrate the Wise Men following the bright light of the star to bring them to the Christ child. Transfiguration which means change as in metamorphosis-- the caterpillar becoming a butterfly-- is also all about light shining. We heard the story in Exodus of Moses, coming down from the mountain after receiving the commandments from God. The skin of his face was shining so brightly that his people were afraid to come near him. He put a veil on his face except when he went to talk to the Lord. Whenever he was in the presence of God, his face shone.
Let me try to describe the setting of Transfiguration day. Jesus and his disciples have been surrounded by the crowds non-stop. Whenever they tried to get away, the crowds found them. Their ministry of healing and driving out demons has been quite successful, and more and more of the people want their help. They have had to feed 5000 men—with the women and children, they probably had to make fish sandwiches for close to 15000. When they finally get a break from the crowd, Jesus starts telling them about his upcoming great suffering, rejection, betrayal, and death (and maybe all this would happen to them also). So when they finally get a day off, Jesus asks them to go with him up a mountain to pray. Mathew and Mark as well as Luke have this Transfiguration story, but it’s only in Luke that the reason for going up the mountain is given as to pray. I can imagine in their weariness, the disciples might have felt resistant, wondering why they can’t pray right where they are instead of trekking up a mountain.. However, Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up the mountain. As Jesus prays, the disciples can hardly keep their eyes open. And then suddenly they are startled by a flash of radiance! Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying, his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. But there’s more. There are two men talking to him about his departure, his exodus, to Jerusalem. (In Luke, Jerusalem is synonymous with arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection.) Then just as suddenly as the bright light came, a cloud overshadowed them and a voice said, “This is my Son, my Chosen, (or my Beloved); listen to him.” After the voice, Jesus was found alone. “And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.”
There’s another fancy word we could use to refer to these Gospel events, theophany. This means an appearance to a human being of God or any divine presence. These experiences are often exhilarating; it’s like a time out of time event where one sees or feels or is empowered in a way that shows how important and awesome life is. All mountaintop experiences are not as mystical or dramatic as the one described today. They can happen during a religious retreat, a marriage encounter, sitting outside during summer camp, walking on the beach, praying, experiencing the birth of your first child, falling in love. But always the feelings are powerful and not fully understandable. In our Gospel reading, God says, ‘This is my chosen, my beloved. Listen to him!’ What an incredibly intimate moment to be with Jesus as God calls him his own. This God is the still-speaking God that I referred to last week and that the UCC has as part of its theme.
Although these are not events that we can make happen; it does help if we are opened to them. Many Protestant mainliners see themselves as too rational to experience this type of event. Some of you listening may have had such an experience; others of you may not believe that any thing like this has or could happen. It has happened to me. Some of you probably remember my telling you of my experience in meditation about 8 years ago. I was at the end of a long, deep, dark night of the soul. I decided I would try to meditate for at least 5 minutes as silent meditation has always been difficult for me; yet it had also been deepening in my relationship to God during the times I was able to do it. I closed my eyes, and the next time I looked at a clock it was 30 minutes later, and I had tears running down my cheeks. I had physically felt myself being enfolded in the arms of God, held with great love. I didn’t hear words but it felt as if God had called me his beloved daughter and encouraged me to follow a journey to be an ordained minister, serving Jesus full time. This experience not only clarified and empowered me but also confirmed my faith and renewed my strength. Such experiences can do the same for you. We are all works in progress. The UCC identity campaign emphasizes that God is not finished with us yet. Never put a period where God has put a comma both as a church and as individuals.
If you have this glimpse of God, your life may be changed in a totally surprising way. How many of you really want to be changed by God? When you’ve been to the mountain top and go back down, you will be different. Maybe not all these changes will be welcomed. They certainly won’t all be comfortable. Talking about change, let me tell you a story about an old man and a frog. Once upon a time an old man was walking along a forest path when suddenly he hears something. Looking down, he sees a frog talking to him, “Hello, old man. If you will kiss me, I will turn into a beautiful princess and be yours.” The man picks up the frog and stuffs it into his pocket, continuing on his walk. The frog keeps screaming at him. Finally the old man stops and pulls the frog out of his pocket, “Old man, I don’t think you understand…if you give me just one kiss, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess and your every desire will be my purpose in life.” The old man finally replies, “No, I don’t think you understand. At my age I’d rather have a talking frog.”
Our experiences of being in the presence of God do not have to be dramatic. Many of you here may have had a theophany while being with a dying loved one, or when struggling with your own illness or great hardships. Then there may be some of you like another man in the forest who got lost deep in the woods. Later when he described his ordeal to his friends, he told them how in sheer despair, he had knelt down and cried out to God to help him. “Did God answer your prayer,” he was asked. “Oh no”, the man replied, “Before he could, a forest ranger appeared and showed me the way home.”
Transfiguration Sunday is our bridge between Epiphany and Lent. It is not an accident that this Sunday comes right before Ash Wednesday. There is a definite connection. The transfiguration is the prelude to the cross. Jesus’ trip down the mountain is the beginning of his fatal journey to Jerusalem. I would like us to think of Lent as the time that we come back down the mountain and get involved, really involved, in listening to Jesus and following him. The mountaintop can help strengthen us to go on this journey with Jesus. Lent is a time to do a little extra in practicing our faith, do things that will help open us up to be changed by the Holy Presence, for example set more time aside for prayer, meditation, reflection, and study. We have several devotional books for your use in the basket in Sherwood hall. You might like to take one of these to use daily in Lent. You might like to volunteer to visit our elderly and sick. You might want to get one or two other friends together for a weekly prayer group. Whatever you do, do it in the spirit of love and openness to change.
You too can have a mountaintop experience; maybe not when or where you expect it, but a good start is to “withdraw from the crowd”, take some time to pray, the kind of prayer where you let yourself listen, not just talk to God. Let God know that you are available for the Spirit to transform you, to make your face shine. Deering Community Church and I as your pastor are ready and waiting to nurture you and journey with you all the way to Easter. Remember that the Word of God shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Scripture: Exodus 34:29-35 and Luke 9: 38-43
Today is Transfiguration Sunday which marks the end of the season of Epiphany. Now just in case you might not know what these words mean, let me explain. Epiphany in the original Greek means “to shine upon”, to give light to. Epiphany Sunday is when we celebrate the Wise Men following the bright light of the star to bring them to the Christ child. Transfiguration which means change as in metamorphosis-- the caterpillar becoming a butterfly-- is also all about light shining. We heard the story in Exodus of Moses, coming down from the mountain after receiving the commandments from God. The skin of his face was shining so brightly that his people were afraid to come near him. He put a veil on his face except when he went to talk to the Lord. Whenever he was in the presence of God, his face shone.
Let me try to describe the setting of Transfiguration day. Jesus and his disciples have been surrounded by the crowds non-stop. Whenever they tried to get away, the crowds found them. Their ministry of healing and driving out demons has been quite successful, and more and more of the people want their help. They have had to feed 5000 men—with the women and children, they probably had to make fish sandwiches for close to 15000. When they finally get a break from the crowd, Jesus starts telling them about his upcoming great suffering, rejection, betrayal, and death (and maybe all this would happen to them also). So when they finally get a day off, Jesus asks them to go with him up a mountain to pray. Mathew and Mark as well as Luke have this Transfiguration story, but it’s only in Luke that the reason for going up the mountain is given as to pray. I can imagine in their weariness, the disciples might have felt resistant, wondering why they can’t pray right where they are instead of trekking up a mountain.. However, Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up the mountain. As Jesus prays, the disciples can hardly keep their eyes open. And then suddenly they are startled by a flash of radiance! Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying, his face changed and his clothes became dazzling white. But there’s more. There are two men talking to him about his departure, his exodus, to Jerusalem. (In Luke, Jerusalem is synonymous with arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection.) Then just as suddenly as the bright light came, a cloud overshadowed them and a voice said, “This is my Son, my Chosen, (or my Beloved); listen to him.” After the voice, Jesus was found alone. “And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.”
There’s another fancy word we could use to refer to these Gospel events, theophany. This means an appearance to a human being of God or any divine presence. These experiences are often exhilarating; it’s like a time out of time event where one sees or feels or is empowered in a way that shows how important and awesome life is. All mountaintop experiences are not as mystical or dramatic as the one described today. They can happen during a religious retreat, a marriage encounter, sitting outside during summer camp, walking on the beach, praying, experiencing the birth of your first child, falling in love. But always the feelings are powerful and not fully understandable. In our Gospel reading, God says, ‘This is my chosen, my beloved. Listen to him!’ What an incredibly intimate moment to be with Jesus as God calls him his own. This God is the still-speaking God that I referred to last week and that the UCC has as part of its theme.
Although these are not events that we can make happen; it does help if we are opened to them. Many Protestant mainliners see themselves as too rational to experience this type of event. Some of you listening may have had such an experience; others of you may not believe that any thing like this has or could happen. It has happened to me. Some of you probably remember my telling you of my experience in meditation about 8 years ago. I was at the end of a long, deep, dark night of the soul. I decided I would try to meditate for at least 5 minutes as silent meditation has always been difficult for me; yet it had also been deepening in my relationship to God during the times I was able to do it. I closed my eyes, and the next time I looked at a clock it was 30 minutes later, and I had tears running down my cheeks. I had physically felt myself being enfolded in the arms of God, held with great love. I didn’t hear words but it felt as if God had called me his beloved daughter and encouraged me to follow a journey to be an ordained minister, serving Jesus full time. This experience not only clarified and empowered me but also confirmed my faith and renewed my strength. Such experiences can do the same for you. We are all works in progress. The UCC identity campaign emphasizes that God is not finished with us yet. Never put a period where God has put a comma both as a church and as individuals.
If you have this glimpse of God, your life may be changed in a totally surprising way. How many of you really want to be changed by God? When you’ve been to the mountain top and go back down, you will be different. Maybe not all these changes will be welcomed. They certainly won’t all be comfortable. Talking about change, let me tell you a story about an old man and a frog. Once upon a time an old man was walking along a forest path when suddenly he hears something. Looking down, he sees a frog talking to him, “Hello, old man. If you will kiss me, I will turn into a beautiful princess and be yours.” The man picks up the frog and stuffs it into his pocket, continuing on his walk. The frog keeps screaming at him. Finally the old man stops and pulls the frog out of his pocket, “Old man, I don’t think you understand…if you give me just one kiss, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess and your every desire will be my purpose in life.” The old man finally replies, “No, I don’t think you understand. At my age I’d rather have a talking frog.”
Our experiences of being in the presence of God do not have to be dramatic. Many of you here may have had a theophany while being with a dying loved one, or when struggling with your own illness or great hardships. Then there may be some of you like another man in the forest who got lost deep in the woods. Later when he described his ordeal to his friends, he told them how in sheer despair, he had knelt down and cried out to God to help him. “Did God answer your prayer,” he was asked. “Oh no”, the man replied, “Before he could, a forest ranger appeared and showed me the way home.”
Transfiguration Sunday is our bridge between Epiphany and Lent. It is not an accident that this Sunday comes right before Ash Wednesday. There is a definite connection. The transfiguration is the prelude to the cross. Jesus’ trip down the mountain is the beginning of his fatal journey to Jerusalem. I would like us to think of Lent as the time that we come back down the mountain and get involved, really involved, in listening to Jesus and following him. The mountaintop can help strengthen us to go on this journey with Jesus. Lent is a time to do a little extra in practicing our faith, do things that will help open us up to be changed by the Holy Presence, for example set more time aside for prayer, meditation, reflection, and study. We have several devotional books for your use in the basket in Sherwood hall. You might like to take one of these to use daily in Lent. You might like to volunteer to visit our elderly and sick. You might want to get one or two other friends together for a weekly prayer group. Whatever you do, do it in the spirit of love and openness to change.
You too can have a mountaintop experience; maybe not when or where you expect it, but a good start is to “withdraw from the crowd”, take some time to pray, the kind of prayer where you let yourself listen, not just talk to God. Let God know that you are available for the Spirit to transform you, to make your face shine. Deering Community Church and I as your pastor are ready and waiting to nurture you and journey with you all the way to Easter. Remember that the Word of God shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Thanks be to God. Amen.
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 1:48 PM
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