Last Sunday after Epiphany (Transfiguration) – Year B (RCL) 2009
II Kings 2: 1 – 12; Psalm 50: 1 – 6; II Corinthians 4: 3 – 6; Mark 9: 2 – 9
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, February 22, 2009
II Kings 2: 1 – 12; Psalm 50: 1 – 6; II Corinthians 4: 3 – 6; Mark 9: 2 – 9
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, February 22, 2009
MIGHTY DEEDS IN THIN PLACES
Let us pray: All powerful, immense and un-knowable God – we struggle to meet you in the realities and the seeming impossibilities of your revelations into our merely mortal lives. Help us to surrender to the impossible realities of your power and majesty made manifest in our midst. Guide us to grasp onto the the mountaintop experiences and incarnational moments in which you connect our humanity with your divinity. For you alone are holy, you alone are God and we stumble in the experiences of your power and glory revealed in your Holy One, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
What do the feasts of Annunciation, Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension all have in common? Several things – not the least of which is the human/divine dichotomy of the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the messiah the son of the living God. One other commonality of these pivotal biblical events in the ministry and mission of that Christ are that they are difficult and potentailly dangerous topics on which preach! I have no desire to drum myself out of my pulpit by posing questions and observations about the improbability if not impossiblity of these events in light of our limited scientific and human understanding. It is partially for this reason that preachers throughout our Christian history have avoided direct confrontation and handed over that exploration to the sometimes vague and always dense explanations of philosophers and theologians. It makes far greater sense to leave those explorations in the hands of Agustine, Aquinas, Borg or Spong who have far greater insights into them than you or I.
Yet, we return to these narrative events as depicted in our sacred scriptures year after year and in so doing search for their truths and relevance to the Good News in our lives and times. There are only so many occassions when a preacher worth their salt can say, “how about that story of Elisha and Elijah and those horses and chariot of fire and the presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus as he is transfigured before Peter, James and John, don’t they really ilumine and complement each other? Now I would like to turn to an exploration of the 50th Psalm and its importance in the lives of the people of Israel.” The facts and realities of our relationship with Jesus the Christ impell us to relive those miraculous moments of the Incarnation of our God made manifest in the mission and ministry of the radical itinerant rabbi of first century Palestine who sacrificed everything, including the distance and dignity of Divinity, in order to reconcile us with the source of all being.
The Transfiguration has always seemed somehow un-knowable and other worldly to me. Oh certainly I can understand the narrated story as it has been given to us by the author’s of the synoptic Gospels. Today we hear the author of Mark’s telling of these events. This narrative story occurs exactly in the middle of this author’s retelling. Previously Jesus has acted as healer and teacher – after the events of the Transfiguration, Jesus will turn toward Jerusalem to complete God’s purpose for his earthly ministry i.e. crucifixion, death and resurrection. Immediately prior to the events we hear this morning Jesus, tell’s the disciples of the reality of the events around that death and resurrection. Peter, in that telling makes strenuous objection; the author in fact tells us that Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to “rebuke him”; six days later we are told that Jesus takes Peter and John and James and retreats with them up a mountain to pray. While the three are waiting and watching, Jesus’ garments become dazzling white. Two men, Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus about the events which are to occur in Jerusalem around the crucifixion and resurrection. Just as the prophets are leaving, Peter (who is ever Peter) overwhelmed with the awe and majesty of the moment suggests building three dwellings, or tabernacles, for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Just as Peter finishes this suggestion, a cloud descends and overshadows them – then from this cloud comes a voice that says, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him.” Then the cloud disapates and they find themselves once again alone with Jesus. Descending from the mountain, Jesus instructs them to tell no one at that time what they have experienced – but that they may reveal it, “after the Son of Man has risen from the dead”.
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
In the Celtic tradition and understanding of human/divine enounter in relationship has developed a concept they call “thin places”. Those are times when that permeable boundary between things worldy and “other worldly” is stretched to its maximum so that we might enounter more fully the relationship between ourselves and our God. I think that those moments of incarnational glory between the human and divine Jesus are such thin places. Some of us might be able to share “thin places” in our own experiences with the Divine – but then again they are deeply personal and immensely powerful moments that often defy conventional scientific human understanding, and we might often find ourselves stunned to silence in their presence and aftermath and share them with only very few – if any – other human beings. We know, however, deep down to the very core of our beings that they are “real” and precious enounters and we treasure their memory and return to explore their significance and meaning time and time again in our journey.
The events surrounding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth has been called “the greatest story ever told.” It has been called that, because it is of mythic proportion. I caution us here on the meaning and understanding of the term “myth”. Our true “myths” are not fairy tales or made up memories of the lives and deaths of our mythic heroins and hero’s. Neither are our true “myths” scientific provable facts which are irrefutable in their telling and retelling. Rather, they are fundmental understandings of our relationships to each other, to our tribes or societies and to our God. Dr. Richard F. Ott in a medical journal article writes, “throughout time myths have provided meaning for the lives of individuals and their societies. They have also provided the ability for people to experience the mystery of life by participating in the rituals of myth.” We experience some of that mystery when we join in the mythic retelling of Jesus’ story each week around God’s table in our eucharistic re-membering of one of the fundamental moments in our Christian journey.
In the “thin place” of the transfiguration experience of Jesus with Peter and John and James an answer is being provided by the author of the narrative who has been posing the question since the beginning of the retelling of the good news; “who is this Jesus?” The Pharisees and Scribes who have been following Jesus in the synagogues preaching, and into the towns and villages of Galilee healing the sick and all marvel astounded by his authority. They marvel and mumble as the crowds continue to clamor for the healing touch of the Holy One. Even the political leaders like Herod are fearful asking; “who is this about whom I hear such things”? Jesus finally asks the disciples who the crowds and followers believe him to be, and Peter in the chapter immediately prior to the one we read this morning gives answer when Jesus asks, “but who do you say that I am”? with the bold declaration, “you are the Messiah.” Then in the cloud of the mountain God’s voice is clearly heard giving the answer, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him!” In a letter written to the early believers of the Church under the teaching of Peter the author tells us – “You wlll do well to be attentive to this as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Often humanity living in the early part of the twenty first century seeks to rid itself of our myths and boldy proclaim the value of our humanist and scientifically reasoned discoveries. If truth be told we have learned and gained much in the centuries since we entered this ‘age of enlightenment’ – and we have also lost much. We might seek to return to that place of balance where our myths can inform and enlighten us just as much as our scientific discoveries can. We simply cannot expect to flourish in our relationship with the Divine by relying on either to the exclusion of the other. In an interview program entitled “The mythical bible”, well known Christian author and lecturer Madeleine L’Engle has this to say: “Far from being a lie, myth is a way for us to see beyond limited fact into the wonder of God’s story…Strong stuff. Mythic stuff. That stuff which makes life worth living, which lies on the other side of provable fact. How can we be Christians without understanding this? The incarnation itself bursts out of the bounds of reason. That the power which created all of the galaxies, all of the stars in all of their courses, should willingly limit that power in order to be one of us, and all for love of us, cannot be understood in terms of laboratory proof, but only of love. And it is that love which calls us to move beyond the limited world of fact and into the glorious world of love itself. Of Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had themselves stood on the mount and been illuminated by God's glory…The brilliance of God is indeed blinding, and we need myth, story, to help us bear the light. The existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved. Most of what makes life a wondrous journey lies beyond the realm of provable fact. Did God make the universe? Again, we have neither proof nor disproof, at least not as the scientists search for proof or disproof…myths make us more alive, more human, more courageous. They are more powerful in the long run than cruise missiles or scuds or heavy artillery, and if we have allowed our myths to dwindle and diminish we are in grave danger[1].”
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
Incarnation, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension are all powerful pieces of our mythic Christian expereince which enlighten and inform our realtionship with our God and with each other in community. We do not all envision these experiences in the same way – just as we do not all experience the “thin places” in our lives in the same way. Yet God is present in some mysterious and monumental way when the Christ which lives in me meets the Christ which lives in you and allows us to continue to unfold the narrative of “the greatest story ever told”.
Amen.
[1] From a sermon by Madeleine L’Engle titled “The Mythical Bible” given in a television broadcast titled; 30 Good Minutes, produced by WTTW (PBS) Chicago, IL first aired on January 6, 1991
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
What do the feasts of Annunciation, Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension all have in common? Several things – not the least of which is the human/divine dichotomy of the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the messiah the son of the living God. One other commonality of these pivotal biblical events in the ministry and mission of that Christ are that they are difficult and potentailly dangerous topics on which preach! I have no desire to drum myself out of my pulpit by posing questions and observations about the improbability if not impossiblity of these events in light of our limited scientific and human understanding. It is partially for this reason that preachers throughout our Christian history have avoided direct confrontation and handed over that exploration to the sometimes vague and always dense explanations of philosophers and theologians. It makes far greater sense to leave those explorations in the hands of Agustine, Aquinas, Borg or Spong who have far greater insights into them than you or I.
Yet, we return to these narrative events as depicted in our sacred scriptures year after year and in so doing search for their truths and relevance to the Good News in our lives and times. There are only so many occassions when a preacher worth their salt can say, “how about that story of Elisha and Elijah and those horses and chariot of fire and the presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus as he is transfigured before Peter, James and John, don’t they really ilumine and complement each other? Now I would like to turn to an exploration of the 50th Psalm and its importance in the lives of the people of Israel.” The facts and realities of our relationship with Jesus the Christ impell us to relive those miraculous moments of the Incarnation of our God made manifest in the mission and ministry of the radical itinerant rabbi of first century Palestine who sacrificed everything, including the distance and dignity of Divinity, in order to reconcile us with the source of all being.
The Transfiguration has always seemed somehow un-knowable and other worldly to me. Oh certainly I can understand the narrated story as it has been given to us by the author’s of the synoptic Gospels. Today we hear the author of Mark’s telling of these events. This narrative story occurs exactly in the middle of this author’s retelling. Previously Jesus has acted as healer and teacher – after the events of the Transfiguration, Jesus will turn toward Jerusalem to complete God’s purpose for his earthly ministry i.e. crucifixion, death and resurrection. Immediately prior to the events we hear this morning Jesus, tell’s the disciples of the reality of the events around that death and resurrection. Peter, in that telling makes strenuous objection; the author in fact tells us that Peter takes Jesus aside and begins to “rebuke him”; six days later we are told that Jesus takes Peter and John and James and retreats with them up a mountain to pray. While the three are waiting and watching, Jesus’ garments become dazzling white. Two men, Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus about the events which are to occur in Jerusalem around the crucifixion and resurrection. Just as the prophets are leaving, Peter (who is ever Peter) overwhelmed with the awe and majesty of the moment suggests building three dwellings, or tabernacles, for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Just as Peter finishes this suggestion, a cloud descends and overshadows them – then from this cloud comes a voice that says, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him.” Then the cloud disapates and they find themselves once again alone with Jesus. Descending from the mountain, Jesus instructs them to tell no one at that time what they have experienced – but that they may reveal it, “after the Son of Man has risen from the dead”.
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
In the Celtic tradition and understanding of human/divine enounter in relationship has developed a concept they call “thin places”. Those are times when that permeable boundary between things worldy and “other worldly” is stretched to its maximum so that we might enounter more fully the relationship between ourselves and our God. I think that those moments of incarnational glory between the human and divine Jesus are such thin places. Some of us might be able to share “thin places” in our own experiences with the Divine – but then again they are deeply personal and immensely powerful moments that often defy conventional scientific human understanding, and we might often find ourselves stunned to silence in their presence and aftermath and share them with only very few – if any – other human beings. We know, however, deep down to the very core of our beings that they are “real” and precious enounters and we treasure their memory and return to explore their significance and meaning time and time again in our journey.
The events surrounding the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth has been called “the greatest story ever told.” It has been called that, because it is of mythic proportion. I caution us here on the meaning and understanding of the term “myth”. Our true “myths” are not fairy tales or made up memories of the lives and deaths of our mythic heroins and hero’s. Neither are our true “myths” scientific provable facts which are irrefutable in their telling and retelling. Rather, they are fundmental understandings of our relationships to each other, to our tribes or societies and to our God. Dr. Richard F. Ott in a medical journal article writes, “throughout time myths have provided meaning for the lives of individuals and their societies. They have also provided the ability for people to experience the mystery of life by participating in the rituals of myth.” We experience some of that mystery when we join in the mythic retelling of Jesus’ story each week around God’s table in our eucharistic re-membering of one of the fundamental moments in our Christian journey.
In the “thin place” of the transfiguration experience of Jesus with Peter and John and James an answer is being provided by the author of the narrative who has been posing the question since the beginning of the retelling of the good news; “who is this Jesus?” The Pharisees and Scribes who have been following Jesus in the synagogues preaching, and into the towns and villages of Galilee healing the sick and all marvel astounded by his authority. They marvel and mumble as the crowds continue to clamor for the healing touch of the Holy One. Even the political leaders like Herod are fearful asking; “who is this about whom I hear such things”? Jesus finally asks the disciples who the crowds and followers believe him to be, and Peter in the chapter immediately prior to the one we read this morning gives answer when Jesus asks, “but who do you say that I am”? with the bold declaration, “you are the Messiah.” Then in the cloud of the mountain God’s voice is clearly heard giving the answer, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him!” In a letter written to the early believers of the Church under the teaching of Peter the author tells us – “You wlll do well to be attentive to this as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Often humanity living in the early part of the twenty first century seeks to rid itself of our myths and boldy proclaim the value of our humanist and scientifically reasoned discoveries. If truth be told we have learned and gained much in the centuries since we entered this ‘age of enlightenment’ – and we have also lost much. We might seek to return to that place of balance where our myths can inform and enlighten us just as much as our scientific discoveries can. We simply cannot expect to flourish in our relationship with the Divine by relying on either to the exclusion of the other. In an interview program entitled “The mythical bible”, well known Christian author and lecturer Madeleine L’Engle has this to say: “Far from being a lie, myth is a way for us to see beyond limited fact into the wonder of God’s story…Strong stuff. Mythic stuff. That stuff which makes life worth living, which lies on the other side of provable fact. How can we be Christians without understanding this? The incarnation itself bursts out of the bounds of reason. That the power which created all of the galaxies, all of the stars in all of their courses, should willingly limit that power in order to be one of us, and all for love of us, cannot be understood in terms of laboratory proof, but only of love. And it is that love which calls us to move beyond the limited world of fact and into the glorious world of love itself. Of Jesus standing with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had themselves stood on the mount and been illuminated by God's glory…The brilliance of God is indeed blinding, and we need myth, story, to help us bear the light. The existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved. Most of what makes life a wondrous journey lies beyond the realm of provable fact. Did God make the universe? Again, we have neither proof nor disproof, at least not as the scientists search for proof or disproof…myths make us more alive, more human, more courageous. They are more powerful in the long run than cruise missiles or scuds or heavy artillery, and if we have allowed our myths to dwindle and diminish we are in grave danger[1].”
(SUNG) THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
THIS IS HOLY GROUND, WE’RE STANDING ON HOLY GROUND,
FOR OUR GOD IS PRESENT, AND WHERE GOD IS – IS HOLY.
Incarnation, Annunciation, Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension are all powerful pieces of our mythic Christian expereince which enlighten and inform our realtionship with our God and with each other in community. We do not all envision these experiences in the same way – just as we do not all experience the “thin places” in our lives in the same way. Yet God is present in some mysterious and monumental way when the Christ which lives in me meets the Christ which lives in you and allows us to continue to unfold the narrative of “the greatest story ever told”.
Amen.
[1] From a sermon by Madeleine L’Engle titled “The Mythical Bible” given in a television broadcast titled; 30 Good Minutes, produced by WTTW (PBS) Chicago, IL first aired on January 6, 1991
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