02/22/04

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36

A dad and his five-year-old son were at the edge of a creek, the son playing in the water, the father looking on. In a little natural pool there the man noticed a bunch of tadpoles, and he leaned down and scooped up a few in his hands. "See these tadpoles," he said to his son, "they're going to turn into frogs some day." His son quickly replied, "No, they won't Dad." "Yes, they will." "No!" It took a scientific explanation way over the young boy's head before he tired of the discussion, never fully understanding, and went on to focus on something else.

In biology the process of tadpoles turning into frogs is called metamorphosis, the changing of one natural form into another. What's interesting is that this is the same Greek word used in the Gospels to describe the transfiguration of Jesus when "his face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white." When it comes to understanding this scene, we are all spiritual five-year-olds. (i) Indeed, the meaning of the transfiguration is hard to understand, but trying to understand it will help us to see the vision and promise God has for us as we trudge along on our faith journeys.

Yvonne Delk, an African-American woman, now retired, but who a few years ago was a respected leader in the United Church of Christ, tells of a children's ballet she attended. The children dance out the journey of struggle, survival, despair, and hope as they move toward the land of the great mountains, a fertile land that holds promise and opportunity for all. They move in their journey through periods of doubt and disbelief, and the closer they come to the land of their dreams, the more they realize that a chasm separates them from the promise. It's clear that if they are to reach the land of the great mountains, they must cross the chasm. But the more they look at the chasm, the more anxious and fearful they become. They need a word of hope, so they regroup and retell the story of their past and of their journey, and in so doing they receive identity, purpose, and power. Suddenly, in an act of faith, one of the dancers positions herself, takes the risk, and leaps into the air. As the child leaps forward toward the land of the mountains, she reaches back and grabs the hand of the one behind her. He reaches back and grabs the hand of another to take with him, and the stage explodes into a human chain leaping over the chasm to the land of the great mountains. It is a moment of triumph! (ii) We can picture the scene, can't we?

Well, we also need a vision, a promise - something bold and daring that will offer us perspective and power to help us make our way across the chasms of life. Perhaps this is what motivated Jesus to ascend the mountain. Perhaps he too was looking for reassurance, for a sense of direction, a vision, a promise.

Jesus at this point was near the end of his ministry, but he still must have had some nagging questions, like: "What does God want me to do now?" "How will it all end?" "Do I really have to go to Jerusalem?" Mulling over such questions, he brings Peter, James, and John with him and goes up on the mountain to pray. And while he is praying, everything becomes brighter, clearer, more in focus - even his own appearance is illuminated. (iii) Two of the greatest servants of God, Moses and Elijah, suddenly appear and start talking with Jesus. These two in their earthly lives dared to risk much for God and were powerful personalities in their people's history. And each had his most intimate experience with God on a mountain top. These two representing the Law and the Prophets connect with Jesus in a deeply symbolic way. For Jesus and also for his disciples, his mission is confirmed, though the disciples don't fully understand. But Jesus knows that his ministry will end in Jerusalem, and he knows very well what this means. But he also hears again that he is the Chosen One of God, a powerful promise of reaffirmation.

What can this story say to you and me about the chasms we face? And where are our mountain tops of glory, our vision and promise for the journey ahead? We can identify our chasms only too well - the loss of a loved one; the aging process; health issues with which we're grappling; the loss of a job; problems with children; a personal weakness we can't seem to overcome; a relationship that has gone sour; the ruts and dullness of everyday existence; despair over things happening in the world; and many others. These chasms are deep and wide and dark and scary. And they are not easy to leap over.

The "mountain tops" where we get the vision and encouragement to take leaps of faith over our chasms - these are not easily found or understood. Maybe we're looking for them in the wrong places. We may have literal mountain tops, or places like quiet lakes, or enchanted islands, or secluded beaches, where we go for our private dialogues with God. But more likely they'll be found right in the middle of our busy daily existence - in those fleeting moments and sometimes magic minutes when we pause, read scripture, listen to great music, observe the beauty all around us - in those times when we take the time to listen to the stirrings within our own souls, when we take the time to unburden ourselves to God in prayer. I think it's significant that Jesus has his transfiguration experience while he is praying. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

What we're talking about is being open, being open to God, and daring to leap over chasms, without having all the answers, but trusting that God will be with us. We need to have such a vision for sure, and we need to embrace God's vision of us, that we are loved and accepted by God, and we need to act on that vision by taking leaps of faith. But the prospect is still scary - until we hear and understand and believe God's promises for those who trust in God. In our lesson from 2nd Corinthians, where Paul compares the veiled faces of Moses and his followers with the unveiled faces of Christ and those of us who turn to him, the Apostle says this: "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another ..." That's a powerful promise! By unveiling our faces in faith, discarding all the masks we usually wear that prevent our true selves from shining forth, and by being open to God's vision for us - we are being changed and are becoming more Christ-like.

But there's more. In a verse just beyond our lesson for today, are these words: "For 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." (iv) Another powerful promise. There is light in the darkness of this world. There is light to shine down into those dark chasms. There is light, and it comes from God and is reflected in the face of Jesus Christ, and also in the faces of God's children. We may be in the dark about many things, but our faith promises us that on the ultimate issues of life God's light will shine. And because God has faced us in Jesus Christ, we can face ourselves, our chasms, our dark times, confident in God's powerful presence. What a promise!

God chose the face of Jesus, a human face, a face like yours and mine, to reveal the fullness of the divine. God still chooses human faces, faces that reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - what Paul calls the fruits of the Spirit. God still chooses human faces to give to others glimpses of God's glory. We've seen these faces, haven't we? - in the faces of our parents or grandparents; of our children or grandchildren; in the faces of spouses, lovers, partners, or friends; of nurses, doctors, teachers, or pastors; in the face of a fellow church member; sometimes even in the face of a complete stranger. We've seen these faces, and in them, we've seen something of the glory of God; and because these faces have turned toward us, we can cope with life a little better, and can go on living with hope. (v) By God's grace, we ourselves have been these faces at times, giving glimpses of God's glory to others.

You and I know that there are still chasms out there, and in here, inside each one of us. We can't blink them away as "I Dream of Jeannie" used to be able to do. Suffering, pain, fear, hardship are still part of our human existence. The season of Lent begins this week, a time when we try to come in touch with not only our own personal chasms, but also with the One who can paradoxically ease our burdens, the One who calls us to servanthood and sacrificial living, and who also calls us to enter into the fellowship of his suffering love for all of humanity's sake.

Jerusalem and the cross were at the end of Jesus' journey, and they will likely be at the end of our journeys also in one form or another. But God has not left us completely in the dark. We can't see everything, but we can see enough to know that God has found us and is with us, and that with God's help we can find our way. Because God has faced us in Jesus Christ and in one another, we can now face ourselves and our chasms with a glow of confidence. (vi) This is the vision and promise that God gives to each of us that empowers us to keep going through the tough times, that enables us to endure and to face the worst that comes our way, and that inspires us to take those leaps of faith. May we be open to God's presence every step of our journey, every day of our lives. So may it be. Amen.

The Pilgrim Church of Duxbury

Rev. Kenneth C. Landall

i J. Larry Jacobson, SF 3/98, Autoillustrator, #23971.

ii Charles Gross, The Clergy Journal, Jan. 1986, 2/9/86.

iii Ibid.

iv 2 Corinthians 4:6.

v David J. Randolph, Word & Witness, 2/9/86.

vi Ibid.