Sermon for February 23rd 2020 - an everyday God transfigured for a day

Matthew 17: 1-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³ Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ⁵ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

 

Loving God, may the words of my mouth, and the mediations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Lord, my God and my redeemer. Amen

So, the transfiguration, what’s that all about then? It’s all a bit everyday really, isn’t it?

Or perhaps it’s like one of those old fashioned cinemascope films where the leading lady, who was previously unnoticed, takes off her glasses, and all around are dazzled by her beauty while her dashing suitor declares, “ey up love, ‘am well chuffed wi’ ee’ like” - perhaps I should have mentioned the film in my head is set in Yorkshire…

Or perhaps it’s like Close Encounters of the Third Kind when the alien appears from the spaceship with a blinding light behind him until his amazingness is revealed to all.

In truth, It’s difficult to know what to relate this to, what happened with Jesus and the disciples on the mountain is other-worldly, like a science fiction film, but perhaps in the moment where the hero is acknowledged as the saviour of all the people.

I don’t know if you’ve spotted it, but there is also a kind of divine joke here, the voice of God says, ‘Listen to him,’ then later Jesus says, ‘tell no one about this vision.’

If I was being flippant, I could say this was meant as a father son joke, almost contradicting each other, but the event was significant enough to appear in every gospel except John and also for Peter to refer to the meeting in his second letter.

This event is important, because it marks the point where the disciples see Jesus for who he truly is, the son of God the Father, the Almighty, powerful, as bright as a thousand suns, majestic and terrifying enough to fill them with fear.

Yet, while important to the disciples in their journey, because they needed proof that Jesus was more than a wise teacher, is this such an important to us, in our everyday lives as Christians?

In the same way, women don’t transform when taking off glasses, and aliens don’t exist, as far as we know, my faith, and that of many others, hasn’t been marked by profound road to Damascus moments like Paul’s, or on mountain tops meeting God.

Faith has grown in the everyday, in learning and listening, in reading and sharing with others.

In fact, I would argue, that God is more in the everyday than in the profound, because he is in us and around us all the time, and while being open to God’s presence isn’t always easy, I’m not sure we need to visit a mountain top, a cathedral, a church, or a  holy place to find him, and while these things are amazing and spirit-filled, so is our everyday God.

I was trying to think of a time in my life I could compare to this, and none really came to mind.

There have been some wonderful moments on mountain tops, when clouds parted after a storm and a ray of light lit up the mountain across the valley, or a rainbow filled the sky and for me, these are thin places, where the veil between the divine and the earthly are more transparent, but I don’t believe I can only be with God on a mountain.

So, are there any glimpses of the ordinary here?

Well, secrecy, is a recurring theme in the gospels, especially in Mark, where many times, people are told to keep the news about Jesus a secret, and when the truth is told by Jesus, it’s then told with helpful, circuitous parables which are open to interpretation.

We don’t talk about the idea of secrecy in church a lot and while it’s important to keep confidences, most of the time, it’s not a great idea.

In Jesus time, however, new believers were persecuted, so they did meet in secret, or in the wilderness. They would share meals in each other’s homes, spreading the good news by word of mouth, rather than in public.

This is counter-intuitive to modern day Christianity, where we have churches with tall spires, choirs, organs and worship songs sung by rock bands, and while all of these mountain-tops are appealing, one could argue that perhaps we get to know Jesus best when alone, or with a small group, Jesus himself said:

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them. . . But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Even today, in many places, like China, and parts of Asia, Christianity is not welcome, and we must pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who still meet in secret.

There is a big exception in this secrecy stuff, and it’s about personal safety. No one today, should ask anyone to meet in secret, and by all means, we can pray alone or with a small group, but there should be no pressure from anyone to ask for a secret meeting, especially with minors or vulnerable adults. Please speak to someone if a situation doesn’t feel right.

Peter, James and John were all convinced that they had heard God and seen Jesus transformed, then they were told to listen, which they did. They all each went on to write books of the New Testament, knowing there was a time and place to be secret and when to share.

As we learn about Jesus in the Gospels, he is many things, a healer, a teacher, a friend, a son and a miracle-worker but this is one of the few times when Jesus is seen as God, as a heavenly being.

I also find it interesting that we aren’t specifically told why God felt it necessary to transform his son and to speak, was he responding to Peter’s odd suggestion to do some DIY, or was it to affirm his son and I use the word affirm deliberately.

Affirmations are tool sometime used as a part of treatment for some mental health issues, like low self-esteem, stress or depression. So that, whenever the mind turns to negative thoughts, we can use affirmations to help the brain learn a more positive approach.

For example, when an inner voice says, I’m worthless, we repeat instead, I am worthy, or I have value, or perhaps a negative voice might say; nobody loves me, and affirmation would be, I am loved or I am loved by God.

There are two reasons why I’ve laboured this point.

Firstly, mental health issues affect one in four people at any one time, including me, and so counselling and affirmations have been helpful. It’s good to talk and please get help if you’re struggling.

Secondly, the phrases God uses, to me, sound like God is affirming Jesus; This is my son, (acknowledging his identity),  I am well pleased in him (I’m proud of him, just for being my son), listen to him (my son is so awesome, you really have to hear what he has to say) and then, my son, the beloved (I love my son) and what child doesn’t want to told that their dad loves them.

And sometimes it can feel like the word love is thrown around quite a lot, but beloved is a little rarer, it’s a bit old-fashioned and charming, it speaks of a person who is loved, of devotion and permanence, and not even necessarily with romantic love, although it can be.

So when Jesus hears his father say these words, it must be affirming, it must give him a lift and a sense of hope, that what he is doing is right, that where he is going next has a purpose and whatever happens, he is loved by his father. Let’s hold onto this as we move into Lent and follow Jesus to the cross.

And let’s remember. We too are children of God, created by God in his image, every single person on this planet, is beloved by God and I think the mountain top experiences we enjoy, like actual mountains, or sunlit meadows, or a beautiful church - remind us of the love and joy we give and receive from God.

But not every moment can be like this and we don’t always get them when we need them, but that’s okay, because God is always with us, with you, now.

And God is always there in the ordinary and in the everyday. And he is still our Father in Heaven and I promise that in us, he is very well pleased, in his beloved children.

Amen

Preached at St George, Cam and St Cyr, Stinchombe