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What an awesome scene Mark paints for us this morning in the story of transfiguration! I’ve imagined this gospel scene this week as an artist creating a large abstract painting. You know the type of artwork where the artist takes a big bucket of paint and swashes the color over a large canvas on the floor on the wall? First, there’s a large splash of green for the mountain. And then a toss of red for Jesus walking up the mountain. Maybe a toss of blue for Peter, A splash of purple for James, and a little yellow for John as they follow their teacher and their friend. As soon as they get to the top of that green mountain, The artist would look around her studio for the right shade of glory. Dazzling, bright white, Like the color of Jesus’ clothing as he is transfigured. When she throws it onto the canvas, It fills the space, But still allows the other colors to shine through. But we’re not done yet. Quickly some gold is added in for Moses and maybe a little silver for Elijah. The artist stands back and looks – Ah! This is a beautiful painting full of color and movement, The kind of painting that, when framed, Might hang in a museum or an office building lobby in downtown Hartford. Making a frame, Containing the color is what the disciple Peter wants to do in response to the glory and power he witnesses. Let me build something, he says. Let me create a space, a shrine to hold Jesus and my ancestors. It is so good to be here, So good to be here Peter says. Let’s stay right here and keep things just as they are. Have you ever experienced a moment of glory? A moment when time seems to stand still, When there’s a shimmer in the air and in our hearts? A moment when you experienced God’s grace in a new and deeper way? Maybe it was a moment in worship, When the choir – or the Dixieland Jazz Ensemble hits just the right note and your heart fills with grace. Maybe it’s while listening to a favorite song on your ipod or all of a sudden you hear the words in a new way and your mind opens to a new possibility. Or perhaps you look into someone’s eyes, Really look into them – Be it a friend or a stranger – And you see love looking back at you. Perhaps we’ve had a moment early in the morning watching the sun rise and the sky is awash in color; Or maybe in the middle of the night when the stars and moon are shining their brightest. Ah! we think. How good it is to be here. How good it is to be God’s child and part of the universe. If we could only hold onto those moments, Moments when we catch a glimpse of the depth of God’s love or the purpose God has for our lives. If we have those moments, When we have those moments, We can understand Peter’s desire to remain, to hold fast, to capture the special and sacred places and feelings and thoughts. But, friends, Part of today’s lesson is that it’s not always possible to Capture and contain special moments of grace. It’s not always possible to keep things the way they are – Even when they are good – in our individual lives or in our life as a community of faith. For with God, friends, the story continues, and there is more to be added to the painting. The story of Jesus goes forward. The story of the disciples goes forward, And our own story moves ahead as well. You see, no sooner are the words out of Peter’s mouth, No sooner than when he tries to DO something, A bright cloud envelopes him and the others on the mountain. What color the cloud would be – maybe white with a tinge of gray and blue? The color this time may not be as important as what happens when the cloud comes. Within it comes a voice, A voice that speaks words heard before at Jesus’ baptism. “This is my beloved Son…listen to him!” God’s invitation on that mountaintop to Peter and James and John is also our invitation today. Listen… Listen to Jesus. Listen to the beloved Son. Biblical scholars tell us that the Greek word for “listen” that Mark uses in this context is not a one time event. It implies a continuing activity – So we can listen on the mountain and in the valleys, At work and at home. In the morning, in the evening, and all throughout the day, We are invited to listen to Jesus. We are invited to listen when Jesus’ voice seems near And when we it’s no stronger than a whisper. But listening is not always so easy to do, is it? To really listen we need to give God or the person in front of us our full attention. We need to create an open space in our hearts and minds, And avoid the habit of rushing ahead and deciding what we’re going to say before the other person even finishes their sentence. To really listen to Jesus means we’ll have to let go of some of the activity that fills our lives, Some of the noise that seems to constantly surrounds us, That somehow we can’t seem to live without. Listening requires focus; It also requires letting go. On the mountain of Transfiguration, God invites Peter to let go of his desire to fill the space and build something, To fill the moment of transfiguration with activity – Not one, not two, but three booths! You can almost here Peter say, “Come on, James and John – hop to it! Get some hammers and nails and help me out here! Peter has big plans, and God has another. Pastor and teacher Anthony Robinson defines God’s invitation to Peter and to us: “Don’t just do something, stand there!” Don’t just do something, stand there – or sit here and listen to Jesus. Last week, Jonathan talked about the power and importance of words in the days and months ahead as we make important decisions about our life together – about who we are and who God is calling us to be. It is true that the gospel, the good news invites us to choose our words carefully, respectfully, honestly and compassionately. It is also true that the gospel invites us to times when we lay aside all the words and live for a while in the silence - In our worship, In our conversations, In church meetings. The gospel invites us to live in the silence so that we can hear what Jesus is saying to us – about our vision, about our priorities, about the challenge to be open to and affirming of all God’s people, about our budget. Friends, what might we hear if we began each day and each church gathering by praying for Jesus to speak to us and then taking a few moments to listen? How might we be changed? How might our life together be transfigured and transformed? How might our congregation be a vision of glory and grace for the community and the world? Peter, James, and John heard the invitation from God, and continued to listen to Jesus – sometimes well, sometimes not so well. They listened to Jesus tell them it’s not quite time to reveal what they have seen. They didn’t always understand or accept what Jesus spoke to them: There were words of comfort: Peace be with you. I am with you always. There were words of challenge: Take up your cross and follow me. Love your enemies. This Wednesday, Lent begins, The season in which we walk with Jesus in the wilderness and on the way to the cross and then the glory of the resurrection. How will we, How can we listen to Jesus in the upcoming 40 days? In the awesome scene of the transfiguration, God extends to us an awesome invitation. “this is my Son, the beloved, Listen to him.” (Silence for a few moments.) Amen. |