Sermon 2/22/04
Come on Down! - Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36
(view lectionary notes for this text)
Today we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday before we begin the journey of Lent toward Easter. Transfiguration Sunday has almost a lower place than we traditionally give to Epiphany Sunday, if you can believe such a thing is possible. Perhaps the word Transfiguration does not even mean much to you, at least not in terms of church calendars. And even if you know exactly what Transfiguration Sunday is about, perhaps it still doesn't make much of an impact on your spiritual life. But actually, I think that somehow, in the midst of this sort of supernatural, otherworldly event we read about in Luke today, we find a passage that can have some of the most concrete, down-to-earth applications for our own lives.
In Luke, we meet Jesus taking Peter, James, and John away with him for some retreat and rest time after a series of teachings given to the crowds. Once on the mountain, Jesus begins to pray, and we read that his face was changed, and his clothes were dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, and talk to him about the journey he must yet face. Peter and the other two disciples had been tired, but were lucky enough to stay awake to witness this amazing event. Peter suggests that they build tents for the visitors and for Jesus, dwellings, so that they can all stay on the mountain together. Before anyone could responds, a cloud overshadowed them, I imagine somewhat like the phenomenon one experiences when going through the clouds on an airplane. From inside the cloud, from that special God space, they hear God's voice saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen! Listen to him!" Then Peter, James, and John find themselves once more alone with Jesus. They return down from the mountain, speaking to no one of what has occurred. This is the Transfiguration of Christ, the event where his glory was made manifest, shown to some of his disciples, where God's voice rained on them much like it had at Jesus' baptism, another confirmation of the path that Jesus was following.
In our reading from Exodus we find that Moses, too, has been spending his time on a mountain, talking to God. When he comes down from his holy encounter, we read that his face was changed, much like Jesus'. It was so radiant, that he wore a veil to assuage the fear of the people who didn't understand why his face was so shining and bright, and who didn't understand what Moses had experience on the mountain.
Our stories today from Exodus and from Luke show us the ways we humans want to respond when we have an encounter with the holy, when we come dramatically into God's presence. In Exodus, Moses responds by veiling his face, after receiving all this precious one on one time with God. Peter, one of the three lucky disciples chosen to witness the transfiguration of Jesus, wants to set up camp on the mountain and just stay there. We can, perhaps, understand why Moses and Peter would react this way. Who hasn't wanted to stay in a place where God seems so close and available? Who hasn't wanted to extend a school vacation that seems so restful? Who hasn't wanted to slow the passing of time when things are fun and joy filled? We have a hard enough time finding God, connecting with God as it is - we certainly don't want to hurry off the mountain when we finally make the connection.
Many of have had, and cherish, these experiences, these "mountain top experiences". When and where, how and why have you felt closest to God in your life? This past weekend, I spent my time with about 70 youth, 9th-12th grades, at our Youth Retreat at Camp Casowasco. I wish you could all peek in on one of these events, as Penny Stewart got to do as she bravely agreed to help chaperone. What you'd find is a roomful of excited youth who, other than the struggle to make lights out time stick, don't cause much of what you'd call typical teenage trouble. They're there for the friendship, the workshops, the praise time, and the Bible studies. They're there, standing up, sharing their faith and the ways they see God working in their lives. They look forward to these twice a year retreat with great anticipation, and they talk about their fond memories of them long after the event is over. I expect for many of them, they would describe these events as mountain-top experiences. Super fun weekends, where they felt really close to one another and really close to God. None of them want the weekends to go so quickly, and many struggle with the realities of school and work and family that wait for them back at home. It's hard to find all of these things exciting after having attended such an awesome youth event. Indeed, just last week, I spoke with the pastor of one of the youth who is active in the leadership of the Conference Youth Council. The pastor complained that though the youth always returned from events like the retreat or larger youth gatherings with fire and excitement to do God's ministry, soon the young person lost enthusiasm and energy. This young man, despite being offered many opportunities at church, would not get involved in his own youth group or Sunday School, and shied away from the responsibilities his pastor offered him. This pastor was upset that the youth could be so inspired at Conference Youth events and then forget it all when he got home. The pastor was concerned that the mountain-top CCYM experiences were replacing the everyday tasks of discipleship that this young man would face at home. This young man, it seemed, did not and does not want to come down off the mountain where God can be found.
Unfortunately, or fortunately for us in God's wisdom, we're not meant to stay on the mountain, as comforting as it may be for us to be there. As Peter said to Jesus, it is indeed good for us to be close to God. But imagine, imagine if Jesus had shared Peter's sentiments, and decided to stay with Moses and Elijah on the mountain? There would be no Good Friday crucifixion, and no Easter resurrection. Imagine if Moses had not come down to the Israelites after talking with God. There would be no commandments brought down to the people. Imagine if you and I stayed on the mountain where we found God - there would be no spreading of the gospel that Christ commanded us to share. No one new would ever hear about God's love. And self-indulging, we would soon grow less appreciative of the way we were experiencing God.
Last weekend while I was at Casowasco at the youth retreat, the youth, expressing their deep love for me, gave me a poncho and a pair of goggles, set me on a chair inside a small toddler's wading pool, and proceeded to dumb strawberry filling and whip cream all over me. Yes, Ashley Woodcock, Belen, and Mary Beth Watson all took part in this event! Yes, there were pictures taken, to prove this crazy event actually took place. Somewhere in the midst of all the whip cream, I was reminded of my high school economics class. When I was a senior in high school, my economics teacher, Mary Byrne, was trying to teach our class about the concept of diminishing returns. I still remember the illustration that she used quite clearly. She talked about eating ice cream cones. If you buy an ice cream cone for a dollar, and you eat the cone, and enjoy it very much, you have gotten your money's worth. In fact, you might even want a second cone. So you buy cone number two and eat it, and you might enjoy it even more, and have that wonderful full-of-chocolate-ice-cream feeling. So, you think, why not buy a third cone - after all, they are only a dollar - a good deal you should take advantage of? So you eat up cone number three, and it's good, but not nearly as good at cones one and two, because now you are just a bit too full. Maybe, you think, if you just have one more cone, you can remedy the situation, and remember how good the first two were. But alas, now you are feeling really full, and not so good, and you can't even remember how much you enjoyed the first cone. This, taught Mary Byrne, was what diminishing returns was all about. Too much of a good thing - not worth the good deal you got on the desired product once you'd had too much. I think this is something like what happens if we try to stay on the mountain too long. If we're not willing to share with others our experience, to show them the glow of our radiant face, to show them how changed, how transfigured we are having been touched by God. A caterpillar, changed to a butterfly, does not sit idly at the site of the chrysalis, but flies away, to continue the cycle of life. We are called to come on down, come out of the clouds, clear our heads, and tell about the God we've experienced.
Yes, life down here in the valley and on the plains is difficult, and full of obstacles. You may remember that the Chronicles of Narnia, by theologian C.S. Lewis, are some of my very favorite books. In one of the books of the series, the Silver Chair, a young girl named Jill finds herself on a high mountain, being given a task by Aslan, the Christ-like figure of the series. Though she likes being on the mountain, near to Aslan, she soon must travel down into the world to set about the tasks he appointed for her. As she is traveling into the world, he speaks these words to her. "I give you a warning," he says, "Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the Signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the Signs and believe the Signs. Nothing else matters." (1) In our day to day life, we don't always hear God as clearly as we'd like. We get confused about the clarity we saw on the mountaintop, and we can't remember what it was like to see God face to face. Nonetheless, God goes with us. Though we have to look harder, listen more carefully, risk more completely, we find God in the valley, on the plains, in the people, as well as on the mountaintop. So come on down: we've got some good new to share. Come on down, we've got some people to reach. Come on down, we've got a journey to walk, as we turn with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Come on down. Amen.
(1) C. S. Lewis, "The Silver Chair", Chronicles of Narnia, pg. 21