On the Way to Wonder

Mark 9:33-36

³⁵ He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’  Verse 35

Jesus and crew are on the move towards Jerusalem but still traveling in northern Israel.  They came to Capernaum.  Back in Mark Chapter 1, Mark started talking about Jesus in his first report that he told after Jesus chose his disciples. Jesus casted out a demon in Capernaum.  Now Jesus enters Capernaum not as a healer but as a teacher headed to the cross and imparting his last thoughts to his followers.  We ask ourselves if we are listening.

The followers have been discussing among themselves who will be greatest.  They seem to realize that Jesus is trying to teach them about the Kingdom, the KIngdom of Heaven, that they are anticipating but they can only envision it in images of their present earthly kingdom.  There will be the great and the less great, the ruler and the oppressed, the rich and the poor, the able and the not so able — all those categories they and we use to categorize people and make ourselves feel good that we are better than “them.”  Not only do the followers not understand what he is saying about his approaching death, they do not understand the core of his message. So Jesus confronts them.  “What were you arguing about on the road?”

Now there is a question.  We argue, we discuss, we take sides on end times, and on the book of Revelation.  We want to see ourselves as one of the “good guys”, perhaps not perfect, but at least on the right side of the lines we draw in the sand.  Jesus challenges us.  The first shall be last.  He calls for a little child. 

³⁷ ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Are we listening?  There are two words to ponder today, childlikeness and welcoming.  As I ask God to shine his flashlight on my soul during Lent, my prayer for today would be that he reveal any attitudes of superiority that might be marring my relationships and to pray that I would be a welcoming presence this Lent.  Welcome:  W is for _____, E is for _____, L is for _____, C is for _____, O is for _____, M is for _____, and E is for _____.  Blessings as you listen.

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

⁸God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹“As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹²God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10

Your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness. (Ps. 25:10)

 ¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

 ²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put  shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

 ³Let none who look to you be put to shame; rather let those be put to shame who  are treacherous.

 ⁴Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. 

 ⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation ; in you have I trusted all the day long.

 ⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,for they are from  everlasting.

 ⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

 ⁸You are gracious and up-right, O Lord; therefore you teach sinners in your way. 

 ⁹You lead the lowly in justice and teach the lowly your way.

 ¹⁰All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies. 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

¹⁸Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

 ¹²And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts;  and the angels waited on him.

 ¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:   One of the famous quotes that I remember from high school comes from Charles Dickens’ book A Tale of Two Cities.  He writes, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”. Turn to your neighbor and share what you find really good about life today.  Then share what is the most challenging aspect of your life.  The good and the challenging often come together as we will see in our text today.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today is the first Sunday in Lent. Our focus changes for the next six Sundays from the Jesus who incarnated and  lived among us teaching, healing, and performing miracles to the Jesus who walked through suffering and death for us.  The next 40 days many of us will give up something like chocolate while others will add something like more time in prayer, but whether we give up or add to our normal spiritual routines, we will be pondering Biblical texts that accept the reality of lament in the midst of life.  

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of reason, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

With our text today we will look at similar themes: it was a time of baptism and it was a time of wilderness, it was a time with Satan and a time with angels, it was a time in the Kingdom of God while living in the Kingdom of this World.  Let’s dig in.

 ¹²And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 

The season of Lent always starts with a return to the baptism of Jesus.  For us normal people, that is where the story starts. We know we cannot believe in Jesus by our own reason or strength.  We need the help of the Holy Spirit.  It is at our baptism, as our parents carry us forward or for those who were older people, that we confess our faith and the Holy Spirit is given to reside in us and help us on our spiritual journey.  Jesus did not need the Holy Spirit because he was God so his baptism was a kind of “coming out,” a declaration of his identity, true-God and true-man, identifying with his creation in their struggle with sin.  The presence of God, as the voice of the Father or the Holy Spirit as a dove, did not prevent Jesus from experiencing the wilderness.  In fact, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.  Baptism and wildernesses go together.

We know this tension too.  As Christians we confess faith in a God who can move mountains, heal the blind, and cure the lame.  He raised the dead.  We confess our faith in a God who lives with us and cares about us.  We come to church and hear that we are called “child of God.”  We know that God can do all things.  Yup, and then that voice of Evil that loves to whisper doubts into our hearts accuses God of being MIA as we face the wildernesses of our life.  Not only is God MIA, the doubts of whether God really loves us enters our hearts.  Our text calls it “temptation.”

Jesus knows that temptation. Martin Luther encouraged his followers that every morning they should remember their baptismal vows. Baptism into faith is not just a one time event but a daily tension we live in.  We need to remember that we are baptized.  Each day needs to be grounded in our faith in Christ. 

 Our Old Testament reading comes from the life story of Noah.  Noah and his family survive the flood, the destruction of life as they knew it, and the dove returns to the ark with an olive branch, the symbol of peace.  God speaks into the mess with a covenant.  The rainbow is placed in the sky to remind God and remind us that even as we live in the challenges of life, God is committed to us and will not abandon us.  Perhaps it is a walk in nature that lifts your spirits.  Perhaps it is a tune that comes to mind or the visit of a friend that brings the courage to face tomorrow.  God promises to be with us at our baptism.

Suffering and temptations are part of life as we know it but it is not the end of the story.  The story went on for Noah and it goes on for us.  God has covenanted to never abandon us and God has a future for us, even on our darkest days.  A rainbow will appear.

the angels waited on him.

Our text reminds us that not only are there good times mixed with challenging times, there are also opposing forces working in our lives: evil and good.  Satan tempted Jesus but the angels waited on, ministered, to Jesus.  Temptation and ministering are lightning poles we can hold up to test the voices we hear whispering at us.

If we go back to the story of Adam and Eve, I think we see that temptation is the temptation to doubt God’s word, God’s will and God’s way.  Questions like “Did God really say,” “Surely God doesn’t want you to die,” and “God knows if you do this, you’ll be wise like him.”  These whispers lead us to doubt the character, the concern, and the wisdom of God. We are all tempted in the wildernesses of our lives. 

Our psalm reading for today ends with the reminder, “¹⁰All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.”  The angels ministered to Jesus.  I would suggest that means they turned Jesus’ heart toward the steadfast love and the faithfulness of God.  I would also suggest that the text affirms that there are godly resources available to us beyond what our senses experience.  I believe there are angels that are not just glorified humans or a resurrected dog that is guiding faithfully as it did in life.  The text says there were actually angels that ministered to Jesus.  The text does not say if Jesus saw these beings but I do know that sometimes whether through music or prayer or scripture reading or friends or nature, my spirits are lifted to God’s truth by perhaps an angel or perhaps by seeing that rainbow.  My heart is lifted from defeat to faith.  We learn to turn from the temptations of evil to the truth of God.

the kingdom of God has come near;

We live in the tension of being tried by our times of wilderness supported by our baptism.  We live in the tension of being tempted but ministered to by God’s angels and all his resources. We live in the tension between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this World.

The Kingdom of God has come near and we live with one foot in that reality of faith and one foot in the world of our everyday lives.  We seek to forgive our enemies, love our neighbors, share our blessings and live a life pleasing to all our aha insights from Epiphany.  But we also live as citizens of this world in bodies that age, struggling with systems that often feel unjust, observing wars and rumors of war, and struggling to make ends meet.  We try to live like Epiphany in a world of Lent.  People like John the Baptist are unjustly beheaded.  Martyrs die for their faith daily. We are citizens of two kingdoms.  

Our text tells us to repent and believe the good news.  We do sin but we can seek forgiveness so there is hope for tomorrow.  Our story need not end with a list of failures. The good news is that Jesus is the Son of God with whom God was pleased.  We are not alone or abandoned as we walk through this life.  The Holy Spirit walks with us, guiding us and advising us.  God’s unseen angels walk with us too.  The Kingdom of this World is only temporary.  As we go through Lent, as we live in the worst of times, in the age of foolishness, in an epoch of incredulity, in a season of darkness and in the winter of despair, may we remember that because of Jesus it is the best of times, an age of reason, a epoch of belief, a season of light and the spring of hope.  We are people of hope during Lent for we walk with the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Let the people of God say “Amen!”

The report of the Transfiguration that closes the season of Epiphany, the time when we look at the character of Jesus, ends with the Father speaking from the clouds, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”  Lent that started this Wednesday with ashes and the confession of our mortality is also a commitment to try and listen and draw nearer to God in the next forty days.  God is always present but we are not always focused and paying attention.  And even if we pay attention, we don’t always understand and often afraid to admit our confusion.  I love the song that is sung by many different artists, “Open Our Eyes.”  I go back to the version by Maranatha Singers from my young adult years.  Blessings as you listen.

Open Our Eyes – Maranatha Singers

Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and heads towards Jerusalem.  But first he stops and heals a man’s son as we read yesterday.  He then continues but is focusing on teaching his disciples.  The Father spoke from the cloud on the mountain and told Peter to “listen.”  We read today that Jesus is speaking, the disciples are listening, but they are not understanding.

³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9: 31-32)

We who live in 21st century USA, read these words and wonder what the problem was.  For the second time in Mark, Jesus is predicting his death.  We know what happened but they did not.  It seems to me that life and faith are like that.  We want to believe but often we just don’t understand.  Jesus tells us not to worry about death because it is the doorway to eternity — but we don’t understand.  Jesus tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat or drink — but we don’t understand and we do worry.  Jesus tells us to forgive, to share, to rejoice in trials, to love our enemy and it just does not make sense in our world.  We don’t understand and we are afraid of how it will work out if our worst fears take place.

Lent is a time when we intensify our spiritual disciplines to help ourselves listen. So often, though, we are afraid to ask God to explain what we hear.  I once was challenged to read the same passage of scripture every day for a period, say 40 days.  One possibility for Lent is to read a favorite psalm, like Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance, or even Mark chapters 9-16 that focus on the end of Jesus’ earthly life.  Read the same passage every day for the next 40 days.  Perhaps keep track of what words jump out to you daily.  Then spend 5 minutes closing our eyes and listening for the Spirit to speak into our context.  Blessings as you give it a try.  Lord, help us understand — that’s our word for today!

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  (Mark 9:24)

Today we really step into Lent, the time when we walk with Jesus to the cross, perhaps spend time in a kind of fasting by denying something we like or by adding something to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.  A bit heavy!  This year our Sunday texts draw from the life of Christ as reported in the gospel of Mark.  So I am going to look at Lent through the gospel of Mark.

Mark 9 starts with the Transfiguration when Jesus climbs a mountain and steps into one of those thin places in reality. Peter, James and John see him glistening whiter than white and speaking with Moses and Elijah.  The Father speaks, “This is my beloved Son, listen!”  They descend the mountain and turn towards Jerusalem.  In Lent, we listen.

As Jesus and followers reach the bottom of the mountain they encounter a commotion that I think puts words to the cry of Lent, “Help!”  A father is there with his son who has been deaf and dumb from childhood.  The man believes an evil spirit seizes his son, throws him in the fire often, and throws him into fits that remind us of epilepsy.  It does not matter how we explain the whys of our life, the reality is that we know life is not being lived as it should be.  Something is wrong within and without me.

  The boy’s father responds, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. (V.21)”. The father acknowledges his need for help, his helplessness and his need for pity from the God of the universe.  Jesus responds, “Believe.”  And so we stand with the father, caught in the reality that only God can make life work, not government, education, money or fame.  We are the creature and Jesus is God.  Like the alcoholic we admit our we are alcoholics.  We believe but faith does not always get what we want.  We know not all are healed with miracles.  Not all are healed with medicine. The peace declaration at the end of a war does not mean that there does not need to be reconstruction.

In Lent we bow our head and plead, “We believe, help our unbelief.”  So as we start the Lenten season, let us do an acrostic on the type of relationship we would like God to grow in us during these next 40 days.  R is for ____, E is for _____, L is for _____, A is for _____, T is for _____, I _____, O is for _____, N is for _____, S is for _______, H is for _____, I is for _____ and P is for _____.  Whew, a lot of letters.  Blessings as you ponder.

A Collision of Holidays:  Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday

¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

Today we have two holidays landing on the same day of the week, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday.  Neither is a national holiday so there are no days off work and there are only vague social rules about how we celebrate.  This is a good day to express love to those we value.  This is a day when many go to church and put ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross, reminding themselves that they come from dust and go to dust.  They have not loved others as themselves, not to mention all the people they value. These people acknowledge they have not lived out love as they would have wanted.

Valentine, as legend goes, was a Roman Christian nobleman who went to the arena to face beasts, giving his life for people he loved so that they could be set free.  It was an act that spoke to his Christian faith.  His crime was that he believed in a God who incarnated, came to us in human form, and died for us paving the road to eternal life and showing us that not even death can separate us from God.  He believed Jesus was God, not the emperor.

This Ash Wednesday is touching to me.  Last Fall my husband died, was cremated and indeed returned to ashes.  I held those ashes at his funeral and knew that was not him.  The kind, gentle person who loved me no longer could reach out and comfort me.  I heard others tell all their wonderful memories and I knew also that I had loved him as best I knew how but not perfectly.

Lent starts with Ash Wednesday and the realization that our love, if even like Valoentine’s, is flawed by sin, by self centeredness, exhaustion, and all those short comings we seek to overcome as we travel with another.  Some will spend the next 40 days denying themselves something they value to spend more time focusing on what they do value.  For example they might skip a meal to pray.  Others will add a spiritual discipline to enhance their focus on God.  Perhaps they will choose to memorize a new song or a passage of the Bible.  Perhaps they will decide to walk around the block each night focusing on the good of each day.

However you weave together the love of Valentine and the repentance of Ash Wednesday, I pray this Lent will be a time of drawing near to the God who walks with us through the loves of our lives and walks with us when life feels like ashes.  Blessings.

“I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5)

Jesus is headed from the Upper Room after he has washed the disciples feet, dismissed Judas Iscariot to betray him and he has instituted Communion.  He now heads to Gethsemane and the cross.  He is preparing them for what they will have to face and he tells his followers that he is the true vine.  That’s the context.

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

I find it interesting that Jesus adds the adjective “true” to describe himself as a vine.  The verses tells us that vines are pruned and the dead branches are cut off.  True vines give life and if the branch is not drawing that life, it dies and is cut off.  We call it pruning.  When we get ourselves entangled in situations that do not give us life, situations that are “false,”  we would be wise to remove ourselves.  I think of dating guys I knew I would never marry.  I think of decisions of leaving a job that was not taking me where I wanted to go.  I can even resonate with a feeling that the place where I was living no longer was the place I should be.

God wants us to be fruitful and full of life, not dead weight clinging to something that no longer gives life.  We remain in the vine by using our spiritual disciplines.  Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and many will eat all the fatty food tonight to prepare for fasting but for others Lent is a time of reflecting on how we “remain with the true vine” even during difficult times when we are facing crosses and during confusing times when we are just not sure how God is leading us.  

May we have eyes to distinguish the true from the false during Lent.  Help us seek that which gives life and discard that which only drains life from us.

Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6).

My husband loved maps.  As dementia stole his ability to drive, I took over driving and I assigned him the task of being “#1 Navigator.”  He grew up on paper maps so we always had an Atlas in the car as on furloughs we often traveled around the USA.  He loved to see our progress.  My husband had to adjust to the apps that are more like a micro manager of the trip.  The cell phone speaking to me about where to turn in so many feet always drew a comment about – if the cell phone knows where I am, why do I doubt God knows!

Our context for the sixth “I am” Jesus said to his disciples in the gospel of John comes in chapter 14.  Jesus is walking with his followers from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus is on the way to the cross and knows the trial he is to face.  He tells them to love one another for he is leaving.  Peter is confused and Jesus continues. 

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know  my Father as well.

The context of the “I am” is a conversation about going to heaven, not about going to prosperity or to good health or to popularity.  Belief in Jesus is the parameters for discovering Jesus as the way, the route to eternal life.  When I think of Jesus as “the truth” I realize that there are many ways to get from point A to point B and there are many side roads that are dead ends and detours that make our trip longer and more expensive.  I think that is true about life.  I can remember the time I lost chasing the wrong guy.  I think of the time spent on jobs that prepared me.  God can use all our experiences but there were lessons I learned the hard way, not following truth.  Lastly Jesus says that he is “the life.”  Some journeys are long and boring and others are fun and exciting.  Perhaps Jesus is not “the life of the party” but he definitely brings life to the party of our days.  Blessings as you ponder Jesus being “the way, the truth, and the life” that leads you forward to eternal life.

First Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-12

¹Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ²Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. ³The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

 ⁴Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. ⁵The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”

 ⁶Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. ⁷Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

 ⁹When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” ¹⁰He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” ¹¹As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹²Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Psalm: Psalm 50:1-6

Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth in glory. (Ps. 50:2)

 ¹The mighty one, God the Lord, has spoken;

  calling the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

 ²Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,

  God shines forth in glory. 

 ³Our God will come and will not keep silence;

  with a consuming flame before, and round about a raging storm.

 ⁴God calls the heavens and the earth from above

  to witness the judgment of the people.

 ⁵“Gather before me my loyal followers,

  those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.”

 ⁶The heavens declare the rightness of God’s cause,

  for it is God who is judge. 

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

³Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Gospel: Mark 9:2-9

²Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

 ⁹As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

CHILDREN’S SERMON. “Beam me up, Scotty”. I am guessing that many of us recognize this phrase.  Who said it?  It is commonly believed that Captain Kirk said this to his chief engineer, “Scotty” when he wanted to be transported back to the Starship Enterprise after some exciting adventure on an alien planet.  Actually he never said that exact phrase but it has become part of the English slang to indicate the desire to get someplace quickly.  If Scotty could beam you up, where would you want to go?  Share with your neighbor.

Prayer:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be honoring to you, my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today we come to the end of Epiphany.  Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we will  enter the Church season of Lent when we walk with Jesus to the cross.  Epiphany is always book ended by two major “Aha” moments — Jesus’ baptism opens the season and we hear God, the Father, speak from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  In today’s text the Father speaks again and says,  “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him.”  For a moment today we see the beam of light, the molecules shuffled and we have a glimpse of Jesus as true man and true God.  A mountain top experience marks this transition to a new phase in his ministry.  We call this moment the Transfiguration.

³and his clothes became dazzling white,

 such as no one on earth could bleach them

Transfiguration is not transformation.  We do not see Jesus as something he has not been all along because our eyes have been veiled, our minds have been blinded, as the second reading says.  Captain Kirk while on the Enterprise is The Leader, the captain of the ship.  On the alien planet, he enters as a visitor from outer space and always faces some sort of challenge to communicate with the inhabitants who may or may not eventually acknowledge his true identity. Captain Kirk does not change his essence when he transports from here to there but his identity is not always acknowledged.  In the same way, Jesus has been incarnated here in our reality and his true identity has been becoming more and more clear through the Epiphany Season. The Father calls him “Son” – aha.  He has power over demons – aha.   He can command the environment, disease and death – aha.  Today he transfigures right in front of Peter, James and John, right in front of you and me.  What was that about and what does it mean for our lives?

Today Jesus stands in one of those “thin places” we talk about, one of those places where the eternal and the temporal seem to be able to co-exist.  Jesus’ human essence is magnified.  White is whiter than white.  Elijah and Moses who live in eternity step into temporal time for a minute.  Jesus did not suddenly take on the shape of an angel nor did the two men appear in some unrecognizable form.  Jesus is transformed into a more real expression of himself.  

How is this significant for us today in 21st century reality?  One of the take aways for us is that Jesus, God, is not limited by the rules of our reality.  So often in times of dilemma as we face our crosses, we look for God to be active in ways defined by our reality.  Our text tells us that there are aspects to the character of Jesus that we have yet to experience and that are at his finger tips to deal with our situations.  That gives hope.

  I also feel that it is significant that at a transitional moment when Jesus, true man, is stepping into a huge challenge, the cross, that he draws into the community of the believers through the ages.  The Evil One would have us think that the Bible is an old, out dated document that does not speak to reality today.  I’m sure you have all heard the accusation of being not modern and not progressive.  As Jesus faces his future, he turns to community – Elijah and Moses from the past and Peter, James and John from the present. 

So when you face the next challenge remember that Jesus is more than we can imagine and remember that we need community of wisdom from past elders and fellow believers.

⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses,

 who were talking with Jesus. 

Perhaps like me, you have wondered why those two men?  Why Moses and Elijah?  One explanation is that  Moses who received the law on Mt. Sinai could confirm to Jesus that all people are sinners and are lost without his journey to the cross.  The cross is the only way and resurrection is the goal, not the defeat of Roman domination.  Elijah, always pictured standing on the other side of Jesus, was one of the greatest prophets and he could confirm the prophecy of a coming savior who would be the sacrificial lamb.  Moses and Elijah came alongside Jesus and affirm the path forward.

I don’t remember an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk is beaming up or down by himself.  He always goes with his faithful friend “Mr. Spock” who is unencumbered with emotions and has mental-lock talents and with his friend “Bones,” the doctor who could whip out his handy-dandy gadget and scan the body of the sick person and know exactly the problem.  Captain KIrk was not alone on his adventures and Jesus is often pictured reaching out to his support community, his disciples, and now we see that the greats from eternity appear as part of his crew.

  Moses was known as “the friend of God.”  “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11).  As. Moses was leading the “stiff necked” Israelites through the wilderness, God expressed frustration and said he would guarantee safe passage but would not go with them.  The people and Moses despair and Moses pleads with God – if you don’t go with us, I don’t want to go.  God relents.  It is in this context that Moses is called “the friend of God.”  That is a wonderful title given Moses. I’m sure God also has a name for Bethany, perhaps, “My church of friends in Indianapolis.”

When I think of Elijah, a major prophet who did major miracles and is often confused with his follower Elisha who did more down to earth miracles, I think of his encounter with the  400 prophets of Baal.  He defeated them when God responded to his prayer and sent fire to burn the sacrifice soaked by water.  But the story continues with Elijah’s flight across the desert to Sinai where he hovers in a cave wanting to speak with God.  God was not in the earthquake, not in the wind, not in the fire but God spoke to Elijah in a “still, small voice,” and passed by protecting Elijah with his hand.  It is a tender moment of intimacy and respect.  Today we see Elijah again in the presence of God in an intimate moment.  

Moses and Elijah supported Jesus as he faced the cross.  Perhaps we need to ponder how we support our friends as they face trials!

Support in our Adventures

I also think that Moses and Elijah appeared because they could encourage Jesus in unique ways. Mr Spock and Bones went with Captain Kirk for a reason.  Of course they were fellow leaders on the Enterprise but Captain Kirk wanted their company.  They added perspective and support to the unfolding events and that helped the captain.  

   Both Moses and Elijah knew what it was like to stand alone on a mountain battling Evil.  They stood between their people and Evil.  Moses stood at the Red Sea and had to step forward in faith and put his rod in the water for it to part.  Elijah stood alone on Mt Carmel and prayed for the fire of God to eat the sacrificed bull with 12 barrels of water poured on it.  The followers of both men were silent.  Both men carried responsibility and could encourage Jesus as he walked to the cross.  Both men followed God’s plan and God was faithful – but it was scary.

      Jesus faced a death people would not understand.   Both men also had deaths cloaked in mystery.  Moses walked up to Mt. Nebo with God and died with God holding his hand and no one knows where Moses’ grave is.  Likewise we read about Elijah’s death, more accurately his being swept up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire. Both were very mysterious deaths but both men could testify again of God’s faithfulness and participation in the death of his servants.

Moses and Elijah had to leave behind a ministry with followers that were flakey at their best.  Moses would turn over to Joshua and Elijah would turn over to Elisha but the story was still unfolding and a new chapter of life would begin without their presence.  We look at our upcoming grandchildren and fall on our knees.  Jesus would turn over to disciples who would deny and betray him.  Supporters help us walk through those very discouraging or doubtful aspects of our journeys.

Perhaps the challenge of support is not telling the other how to act but being a presence who can draw lines of similarity and share encouragement of God’s presence as we walk through our trials.  As we visit with someone who loves us and has faced similar challenges, our courage is built to move forward. 

We know Jesus as true God knew truth but I believe being true man he also needed the reassurance of the companionship of Moses and Elijah.  We know Biblical truth but we need the company of believers encouraging us.  Our text encourages us today to be there for each other and to let them know we have their backs or at least stand by their side.  

 “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”  

The way forward is not to build churches to this or that great hero as Peter suggests.  God speaks into the disciples confusion as they try to process the “aha” experience.  God says, “listen.”  As we come to our trials, Transfiguration reminds us our God is more than we can imagine, we need each other, and  the way forward is to listen to the living Word. 

      Epiphany is about understanding who our God is as revealed in the person of Jesus.  We started with baptism and the voice in the cloud saying, “This is my son with whom I am well pleased,” and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove.  At the Transfiguration, the veil is taken away for a moment and we see that the Jesus who has taken on humanity is the light of the world.  He’s the captain of our ship.  Jesus cast out the unclean spirit that would cripple the man in the synagogue.  He has power over the evil in our lives.  Jesus gently extended his hand to Peter’s mother-in-law, put his arm around her and lifted her up and the fever left so she could serve him. He gently lifts us up and enables us to do his will.  Jesus healed many who came to him for help.  This is only the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. 

Mark reveals Jesus as true God and true man.  This Jesus was not satisfied just with healing us physically but came to spread the good news of the coming of the kingdom, eternal presence with him, under his rule.  Now Jesus turns his face to Jerusalem.  Let us journey through Lent with him.  Ash Wednesday we will place ashes on our foreheads.  AHA!  Beam us up, Lord, we are ready to listen.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN.”

This week we pondered Jesus saying to Martha as they stood before the grave of her brother Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  I stand in the shadow of the death of my husband.  You may stand in the shadow of the death of one of your dreams.  The resurrection is something we believe and perhaps I have not done a good job of explaining.  It is not like the phoenix in Harry Potter that rises from the ashes as an “ugly chick” to grow and die again in an eternal cycle thus symbolizing eternity.  Resurrection is not like reincarnation where our life essence comes back in a higher of lower being depending on our good deeds.  We do not even believe that resurrection is a stepping into a future based on how good we were in this life.  We pondered Lazarus.2, a beggar who goes to the bosom of Abraham and stands whole, not a slave, in fellowship with the greats, unashamed.

  Ultimately resurrection is a mystery we believe.  Jesus appeared to his disciples and told Thomas to touch the nail prints, put his hand in Jesus’ side and Jesus ate fish with them.  We choose to believe.  So the song I want to focus on today is “Amazing Grace.”  Resurrection is amazing grace for a sinner like me! I don’t deserve it but in Christ, I find forgiveness and a future. 

So many artists have recreated this John Newton song.  Newton was a slave seller who found faith in Christ and his life change, in a way resurrected.  My all time favorite version is by Neil Diamond, “Pretty Amazing Grace,” the first link.  I love the way the Pentatonix sing it in a more modern presentation, the second link.  Blessings on your day.