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Lasting Transformation Matthew 17:1 – 9; Exodus 24:12 – 18 Several years ago someone came into my kitchen and asked why I had a certain photo on my refrigerator. Not understanding the question, the friend attempted to clarify saying, “Surely these are not people you know. This looks like one of those perfect couples whose picture helps sell the frame!” Well, indeed they were friends, and they quite often looked ‘picture perfect.’ Seasoned photographers are not always seizing on the same photo ops as the rest of us. But for a major share of the population we want ‘Kodak moments,’ that is, if we are either taking pictures or posing for them. Teeth-shining, hair-in-place, smiles-galore, turned-to-the-thin-side…we want pictures that present the absolute perfect view of us — if there is such a thing! The question then (after the picture) is – do we try to convince ourselves that we ALWAYS look like that, or do we hang up those pictures so that others will believe we COULD look like that, or do we fondle those pictures so we can keep TRYING to live up to that moment in time?! Probably a bit of each. Then there are those pictures we take of special moments in our lives — vacations, celebrations of birth, weddings, baptisms, engagement parties, anniversaries — trying to capture on film the joy and pleasure of the moment. We capture those in our memory as well. Journaling – whether it be through writing, or drawing pictures, or just thinking and remembering – we can bring back to fresh awareness some of the peak times of our lives. Moments when all was ‘just right’ – the pinnacles of understanding, the depth of spiritual awareness, the ‘a-has’ of love and appreciation whether in giving or receiving. Those are precious and important to keep somewhere in our memory. Using computer language, however, we often crash our hard drive. We store way too much other ‘stuff,’ and eventually get to an overloaded status, potentially losing the treasures (those great moments) that we should have protected in safe storage. Today’s Gospel story is one of those Kodak moments – had Peter been able to put his hands on a camera. This story of Jesus and his disciples is included in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is the tale we hear every year through the lectionary – Sunday before Lent. Basically, Jesus takes some of his disciples up a mountain. While there, Jesus goes through a transfiguration, becoming bright, shining, amazing. If that wasn’t enough, Moses and Elijah join him. Both of these historic characters had questionable deaths. Elijah had merely been drawn into heaven, and is still expected to return in some like manner. After Moses had led his people through the wilderness for 40 years, he was not allowed to cross over the river into the Promised Land with them, but, rather, stayed back, supposedly dying alone. So, here we have the shining Jesus, standing and conversing with Moses and Elijah! Can you imagine this scene? Can you imagine what these disciples were experiencing? Can you imagine what you might have done? Matthew’s version has a couple of interesting differences from the other Gospel writers. First of all, he was kind to the disciples and did not portray them as sleeping on the job once again. They were fully awake – fully present – fully available for the moment. This vision was not a sleep-dream for them. After the transfiguration had lapsed, Jesus (in Matthew’s version) approached the disciples – who, by then, had fallen on their faces in fear – touched them and told them they needn’t be afraid. So, Matthew draws our attention to the disciples and how this experience must have been touching them. Many of you know that I was privileged to be in Rome a couple of times – and in private audience with the Pope. The time we were celebrating 25 years of the Disciples-Roman Catholic dialogue, I was with Paul Crow (whom many of you met at the installation service) and Dick Hamm who was the General Minister and President of the Disciples at that time. The three of us approached John Paul II with a gift, and he spoke with us and gave us each a gift. Now I was able to walk up to him, shake his hand, smile, but honestly was absolutely speechless while in his presence. When I got back to my seat, some of the others in the delegation asked me what I said to him? To this day, I do not know if I said anything – didn’t matter, really, because Dick and Paul seemed to be talking non-stop. In awestruck moments some of us chatter, others of us glaze over! Peter – ever the man who would burst forth with words in any situation – when he saw this transformation of Jesus was awestruck. But he soon found his tongue and had a great suggestion. “Jesus, let’s capture this moment. I don’t have a camera, but I could build you a booth…a little hut …a little canopy…so we could savor this incredible moment and you and your friends could be comfortable!” But, of course, the moment was gone, before any of that could happen. What did that moment – that transfiguration mean? Madeleine L’Engle in The Irrational Season (New York: Harper Collins, 1977) explains it interestingly: “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.” Peter, James and John got a glimpse of Jesus that was indescribable – so glorious they never would have been able to capture it on film…so amazing they probably could not even fully tell the other disciples. But undoubtedly, it was a pivotal experience they never forgot. If we agree with Madeleine L’Engle, Jesus’ transformation on the mountain top was a change into his true persona. The word that is used for the experience of transfiguration is ‘metamorphoomai,’ and is only used two other times in the Bible – once in Romans and once in the first letter to the Corinthians – both calling for Christians to be transformed. Jesus’ experience was instantaneous – brief – miraculously glorious. Ours – most of the time is a long process – sometimes not so glorious, but, hopefully, for the duration. If our transformation – also is into our true persona, how does that happen…how can it be lasting? Our transformation – into the person we truly have been created to be – takes a great deal of rubbing with other characters in our life…it takes numbers of years of interfacing with crises, dilemmas, pain, joy, sorrow and glee. Our transformation into the ones called and created by God is never a one-shot, perfect photo op. It includes testing, trial – sometimes by fire – discovery, and long process. The reason we gather as faithful people in congregational life is certainly NOT because we have achieved this lasting transformation. It is because we know – with God’s help – it is possible, and with God’s people we are seeking ways to get on the pathway. As the transforming power lives in us – and is helping us becoming the ones called by God – we are increasingly faithful to being Christ’s body…hands, legs, arms and heart in this world. Imagine, if you will, the picture of your most perfect self…the picture of this congregation’s most perfect self…the picture of the universal church of Jesus Christ in its most perfect self. Those pictures would all be the same – they would be showing how we are serving the world in which we live to meet the needs of hunger, loneliness, devastation of war and natural disaster. They would be showing us teaching our children to love and enjoy the diversity of peoples, languages, cultures that span this earth. They would be showing us healing, singing, fighting discrimination, tilling the earth and building good homes rather than harboring weapons, dancing in the streets rather than installing security bars on our windows. Those pictures would capture who we are at our very best…the way God wants us to be, created us to be, and gives us the power to be. But just like the perfect pictures on our refrigerators, they only capture a moment…that we would like to be lasting, but know, of course, that it isn’t. God knows that, as well, and has guaranteed willingness to continue to work with us, forgive us, give us new opportunities each day, love us into being the ones we are supposed to be. What glorious possibilities there are. What wondrous pictures could be taken of our trans-figurations and transformations. And what wondrous love of God that helps make them longer lasting than even the flashy, spectacular transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain that day. May we consider what the picture of us – individually, as a congregation, as a church universal – would be…when the transformation happens…and then may we be so bold as to live our lives akin to that picture. • SW |
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