“Transfiguration to Transformation”

                                            Sermon by Pastor Dan Wilkie

                                First Congregational United Church of Christ

                                               Grand Junction, Colorado

                                                       March 6, 2011

                                  Scriptures:  Exodus 24:9-18    Matthew 17:1-13

            Perhaps it is the incredible beauty, the stillness, the largess of views in all directions, or just the human perception of closeness to God but there is something about mountains that throughout history has attracted humankind to use them to seek relationships with the Creator.  For centuries people have flocked to the Buddhist Monasteries of the high Himalayas in search of wisdom and enlightenment.  Throughout the Alps in Europe there are monasteries where pilgrims have gone and continue to go seeking spiritual renewal and peace in God’s presence.  There are also places right here in North America that are the same kinds of places, including more than a few right here in Colorado.  

            Truly it is not always in the monasteries, but just in mountain experiences, I have talked to many people who have peered down in the Black Canyon, or in the canyons of the Colorado National Monument who have also had such experiences.  Whatever it is, something calls us with a deep soul felt yearning to these high places.

            This is why I think these scripture passages are so enlightening today, because from everything we read here, our spiritual ancestors felt much the same way.

            Imagine being one of the followers of Moses and hearing God call Moses upon the mountain.  Moses goes, not fearfully, but dutifully, responsibly marching up in faith, trusting in God to do as God commanded.  Imagine also after clouds obscuring the mountains for six days, seeing the presence of God as an all-quenching fire on the very top of that same mountain.  Or imagine being Peter or James or John taking a walk with Jesus upon the mountain to pray only to see Jesus bathed in brilliant white like that of the sun, his face glowing with sheer ecstasy and imagine Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah only to hear the voice of God, “This is my son with whom I am pleased, listen to him”.  No matter who you are, I can only imagine that there would be a certain sense of fear, wonder, and awe.  Perhaps you might have reacted as many of the followers of Moses did, with great praise that God spared you, perhaps you might have reacted much as Peter did, that you knew that Jesus belonged there and you wanted to build a house, or a temple for Jesus, Moses, or Elijah.  No matter, because what you experienced was transformation and like Moses followers or the Disciples accompanying Jesus, you had an understanding of who God is, or who Jesus is, your life would be transformed never to be the same. 

            Now I have to wonder, would Moses have gone up on that mountain seeking God without God’s invitation, or would Peter, James, or John gone up on that mountain, seeking greater understanding of who Jesus was without Jesus’ invitation?  I a not sure, they were busy living their lives, doing what they felt God had called them to do, the same kinds of things that you and I do everyday.  Yet without these invitations, without some sort of inner yearning to learn more, to follow God the experiences would never have happened.

            So perhaps it is not the view after all, but the setting aside time and space, taking ones self away from the everyday stresses and strains that makes such a moment possible.  Moses for instance had to be focused on God, on doing God’s work to be aware of God’s amazing presence, for the Disciples it was the quiet invitation to go on the mountain with Jesus, away from the crowds away from the hustle and bustle, the pressure of following Jesus that allowed them the space and time to really celebrate their moment.

            No I don’t think you have to go up on a mountain to have these kinds of transfigurative and transformative moments, one simply needs to be open to the Spirit, to God’s presence in our lives.  If you think about it most of us are so busy, we have task to do, people to visit, children or parents to care for, work to do, lawns to mow and all of those things that we do on a daily basis, if God were to speak to us, we might not even hear God’s voice.  Yet when we slow down, when take time away we have an opportunity to listen.

            Yet simply stopping is not enough either, we have to be open to the idea that God speaks to us, that these moments are possible, because if our hearts and spirits aren’t open to the gift, we may also miss God speaking to us, or miss the presence of Christ in our lives. 

            Perhaps this is why many people who have had near death experiences talk about hearing God’s voice, or some other experience with the Holy that has transformed their lives, there has been nothing to distract them from the moment.  After all when we are in great pain, or frightened we turn to God, we open our hearts and spirits, seeking comfort and ease from our suffering. 

            It is also not only people who have had near death experiences, people who have spent time visiting with our guests who stayed with us during “Room At The Inn” who talked about often feeling the presence of God, others have talked about feeling God with them as the gazed on beautiful art.  Or like some folks I used to work with at the telephone company who had visited The Vatican and St. Peters Basilica or gazed up at Leonardo De Vinci’s painting in the Sistine Chapel who felt the very presence of God.  I also had neighbor who felt he met God in a rodeo arena after hanging up on a bull after an eight second ride.  Their experiences were as real for them as those of Peter, James, and John or Moses, they were almost as they said transported to another dimension, and it was as if God appeared, and their lives were transformed forever.

            Some of you may have even had these or similar experiences, if you have, do you remember how they felt, or what you were doing at the time?  My guess is that like so many others you know exactly what you were doing, where you were, or what day it was.

            There may be others who have not had such experiences, who may wonder if they are possible for you, or wonder if you have faith enough, or maybe wonder if you missed something.

            The reality is that even if you believe this moment that something will happen, you may not have such an experience today, or even tomorrow, for they happen in God’s time, not ours.  They happen when we need that special pick me up, or when we are hurting, or when our hearts feel most open to the Spirit’s presence.  Perhaps they will happen on a mountain, or perhaps they will happen by the sea, or right here in church, or in a conversation with a grandchild or our own children, perhaps they might happen in the presence of dear friends.  One never knows for sure, but in faith I believe they will indeed happen when we need them.

            So during this Lenten Season, as we take this time to reflect on our lives and our faith, maybe it could be a good time, to really seek to open our spirits and our hearts to the presence of the Holy.  To let go of those things which distance us from God, to take some time to seek the quiet spaces where we can be away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Perhaps this could be the time to figuratively or literally go to the mountains and be alone with God.  Maybe this is the time to spend extra time in prayer, or Bible Reading, or other things, which help us to focus on God, remembering that every moment focused on God, rather than our selves is a moment when our lives may be forever changed in some special way.  

            Indeed God’s grace abounds and the Spirit moves among us in amazing and wonderful ways.  The question for us, is this, will we be so involved in everyday things that we barely notice the Spirit’s presence in our lives? Or, will we truly hear the voice of God in the wilderness of our lives?  The choice as always is ours, and so is the joy of transformed lives.  What will you choose?

Amen