Sermons for the Month
Seeing and Being the Glory of God
DATE: February 18th, 2007
SERVICE: Transfiguration Sunday
TEXT: Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36 and 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
It's an amazing concept - nothing gets in the way of our seeing the glory of God. That wasn't true for the ancient Israelites. When Moses encountered God in the wilderness, on Mt. Sinai, his face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil to shield the people from the glare. Actually, though, it was not that they could not look, it was that they were afraid to look. Moses had to wear the veil because of the people's trepidation. They would not come near him while his face was shinning. So, the thing that got in the way of their seeing God's glory was their fear. It's not just that they were hesitant to trust the Divine; they actually had reason to be afraid. You remember, I hope, the story of Moses' first trip up the mountain to consult with God and receive the commandments. He was gone a long time, and dread overtook the Israelites. With their leader missing they needed something to turn to for assurance. So, in spite of the fact that Yahweh had freed them from slavery in Egypt, leading them safely through the Red Sea - which is known as the Exodus - they lost faith. Even though God was meeting their needs in the wilderness, they created a god, a Golden Calf to worship and to distract them from their anxiety. Moses is in God's presence when this idolatry of the people occurs, and he is informed that the Creator fully intends to wipe them out. Surprisingly, Moses convinces God that destroying the Israelites would make God look foolish to their enemies. So, scripture tells us, "God repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people." (Exodus 32:14) Still, some nasty things happen as a result of their unfaithfulness - there is a bazaar report of the Sons of Levi murdering their brothers, neighbors and friends as a sign of loyalty to God and of a plague that descends on the people. In the end, though, God makes a proclamation of recommitment and promises again to be present and to restore their homeland. But, the people cannot let go of their fear - perhaps they do not trust that God has forgiven their many sins - and they miss out on seeing God's glory in the face of Moses. We, however, can see God's glory; nothing gets in the way of our doing so, We do not need to be afraid, even of the power of sin. The way that we see God's glory is the same way Peter, James and John saw it - in Jesus. Today, as is true every year on the Sunday before Lent begins - we read the story of the Transfiguration. Just before the events we heard about in the Gospel lesson Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah. And, Jesus declared that he must suffer and die. Since this is not what the disciples had in mind for their Messiah, it's a good time to go up on the mountain to pray. There, Jesus is transformed, the glory of God shines around and through him, and he is joined by Moses and Elijah, who the Jews expect to return to usher in the messianic era. They talk about Jesus' exodus, which we translate as departure, and is a nice way to refer to his death. It's interesting, isn't it, that Moses was there and the word exodus is used? It's a reminder that Jesus, like Moses is about to set God's people free. Their bondage, however, is not to pharaoh and slavery, but to sin and death. "God planned another exodus for them," Barbara Brown Taylor wrote, "in Jerusalem this time - where the Red Sea of death would be split with a cross and Jesus would lead his people through." (1) They would receive forgiveness and be set free to gaze at the glory of God - no more fear, no more veils, no more idols to distract them from their anxiety. And, here's an even more amazing thing, people would be free not only to see the glory of God - as clearly as if Jesus' face was reflected in a mirror - but also to reflect the glory of God, that is to be the glory of God. Did you notice the verse from the second reading? "And all of us …are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." Scholars interpret this verse in a variety of ways, but I like the straightforward way, which means that we are the bearers of God's glory in the world. So … as the conveyors of God's glory … what does that mean for us? Do you feel glorious today? How about ever? Perhaps glory is stronger at some points than others. Dr. Fred Lehr, the speaker at the Professional Leaders' Retreat held earlier this week would probably call a glory moment "Life in the Spirit", which is at the top of the ladder toward spiritual maturity that he developed. He defines Life in the Spirit as when a person has an intense and deep sense of God's peace that is profound. Also, the world's agenda's fall short for that one; only God's agenda rings true. Now, that does not mean that a person has all the answers, but is faithful to the quest, which is best pursued in the company of other believers. (2) Dr. Lehr said that he goes in and out of Life in the Spirit, or perhaps we could say glory moments. The story he told about a Life in the Spirit event is one that could happen in any of our lives. He and his wife had adopted two children from Korea, and had a particular concern for displaced people from Asia. When there began to be a need for people to help resettle refugees from Vietnam they felt a call to help. He was a parish pastor at the time and suggested that the congregation sponsor a refugee family, but the idea was not well received. So, after much prayer, he made an announcement that they were taking on this ministry - just the two of them - without knowing how they could meet the needs. In fact, a quick review of their income and assets revealed that doing so was impossible. But, he added that if anyone from the congregation wished to help, their support would be most welcome. Well, between the church and the community nine families volunteered and the group became responsible for a family of six. Amazing things happened. They found a house to rent, but it needed painting. The owner of the paint store donated the paint, with the caution that he did not agree with their ministry. The landlord then gave them a month's free rent, because he was pleased with the paint job. People gave furniture, clothes, food - often saying they didn't think the ministry was a good idea - but they gave anyway. The first month they spent $25. And it continued like that, the checkbook would be empty, but needs were met. A job was found for the father, a woman volunteered to teach the family English, and eventually they became independent. And even to this day there is a Resettlement Group in that community that continues to reach out and convey God's glory, because one couple stepped out in faith. For Dr. Lehr it was a Life in the Spirit experience that he strives to repeat in his life. Using today's text I would say that all of those involved in that ministry were being transformed from one degree of glory to another. It can happen among us too because, amazingly, nothing gets in the way of our seeing God's glory, or being bearers of it! AMEN
(1) "Dazzling Darkness" by Barbara Brown Taylor, Christian Century, February 4-11, 1998, pg. 1-5, www.religion-online.org
(2) Clergy Burnout by Fred Lehr, Fortress Press, MN., 2006, pgs. 73-75