Sunday 02/11/24 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Transfigured Lives!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 50:1-6
New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Gospel Lesson: Mark 9:2-9
We
have all had those moments. Those moments of glory. Those moments of wonder,
joy, amazement, excitement, and maybe even a little fear. I remember in 2016,
when my Chicago Cubs won the world series. It had only been 108-years since the
Chicago Cubs had won a World Series! It was an amazing mountain top moment for
me!
I remember the day I got married to Melissa
in 2004, the day I graduated from Seminary School in 2014, the day we adopted
our dog Sally, and how I feel every year when McDonald’s brings back the Shamrock
Shake. Moments in our lives, where we felt amazing, moments where we saw and felt
something extraordinary.
I have had
moments in my life where I felt God’s presence, where I have felt the Holy Spirit
move, faith grow, and saw amazing things happen. I have seen God do amazing
things here in this church. Those moments where the stars seem to align, and those
days that you wish would never end. Often when someone dies for example, we
often hear people say that the person is in a better place. I like to say that
the person is having a better day than we are. I think of the Kenny Chesney
song “I Go Back,” as Kenny Chesney is reminiscing on his childhood, and amazing
times that he had. Times and moments that he never wanted to end.
For some of us
here in person and watching online, maybe one of these moments was the day that
one or more of your children were born. Maybe it was the day that you went on a
trip somewhere that you have been wanting to go on for years. As I am talking,
think about those moments in your life that you saw glory, you felt hope, love,
mercy, and grace. Maybe those moments were so powerful in fact, that they might
have even been a little scary.
On this UMC
Scouting Sunday, I wonder how many of our scouts and our scout leaders and parents
have had moment or glimpses of glory? I remember one year when I was in cub
scouts years ago in Northern Illinois, when I won the Pine Wood Derby in my Cub
Scout Pack. It was an amazing moment, but then I was quickly defeated when I
went up against the winners of other nearby cub packs. It is exciting to move
up in rank as scouts? It is exciting to earn a merit badge, or to challenge
yourself and succeed. I can imagine for those here today and watching online
that if you became an Eagle Scout, or for Girl Scouts, that earning the Girl
Scout Gold Award was a special and a glorious moment. All those years of work,
all those merit badges, all those belt loops, handkerchiefs, campouts, etc.
Scouting and
life is full of moments. Some of them glorious, some on them not glorious, like
going winter camping and you have no toilet paper. In fact, probably going
camping anytime of the year with no toilet paper is not good. Or moments like losing
a Pine Wood Derby race to Pastor Paul. I know a Pine Wood Derby is coming up
soon to, and if I am available, the “Rev. Mobile” will be racing. So be ready
scouts, scout leaders and parents. With all of this said, the moments of glory,
of hope, mercy, Godliness and love is what I want to talk about this morning.
In addition to
this being United Methodist Church Scout Sunday, this is also “Transfiguration
Sunday”. “Transfiguration Sunday” is a special Sunday in the life of some
Christian Churches and some Christian Denominations that we celebrate the
Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on a high mountain. You might be asking
yourself what does word Transfiguration even mean? Let me give you a definition
of Transfiguration. According the Merriam-Webster online diction Transfiguration
is:
1. a
change in form or appearance : METAMORPHOSIS
2.
an exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transfiguration).
On this day scouts, leaders, parent, and everyone, Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior is Transfigured. In fact, our gospel of Mark 9:2-9
reading for this morning says, once again, starting in Mark 9:2:
2 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus (Mk. 9:2-4, NRSV).
In an instant the apostle Peter, James,
and John see Jesus elevated and he looks different than normal. For Jesus was Transfigured.
His clothes became dazzling white, better than they have ever seen, and could ever
imagine. Jesus’ presence was like life, hope, glory, mercy, grace, love, and a
little fear all wrapped into one. It is as if Peter, James, and John were
seeing the fullness of God’s glory, the fullness of Jesus Christ, so that Peter,
James, and John were getting a glimpse of the fullness of the kingdom of God.
Getting a glimpse of not only eternity with Jesus Christ, but the return to
earth and the reign of Christ on earth. The day where there will be no more war,
no more suffering, no more hunger, no more pain, no more disease, and no more
darkness. Jesus’ Transfiguration is a glimpse for us into seeing the fullness
of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and the fullness of eternity with Christ. It
also shows us the fullness of what Christ’s reign will look like when he returns
to earth one day.
Not only this, but after Christ is Transfigured
on this day on the Mount of Transfiguration, which could have on Mount Tabor,
or on Mount Hermon in and around Caesarea Philippi, then Moses and Elijah show
up in this scene (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1211). In picking up in our Mark
9:2-9 reading for this morning, our gospel lesson then says in 9:5-6 saying:
5Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified (Mk. 9:5-6, NRSV).
So, the Apostle Peter in this amazing
moment of Transfiguration, this moment of amazement, seems to have had some
fear and some concern. I think that the potential worry and the fear that Apostle
Peter had was that Jesus’ Transfiguration was so amazing and overpowering. It
seemed as if the Apostle Peter felt like as if he shouldn’t even be present in
this moment, because the Transfiguration of Jesus was so amazing and so
overpowering.
Not only this, after Jesus is transfigured,
and after the Apostle Peter reacts to this, Peter then asks Jesus if he should build
some sort of tents for Him, Moses, and Elijah. Moses, the law giver of the Jewish
people, and Elijah one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament or the
Hebrew Bible had appeared, and were talking with Jesus. Yet Jesus is set above
them, as he is often portrayed in many paintings and works of art. Jesus is
greater than the great prophet Elijah, and greater than Moses, the law giver.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, is the second and greater Elijah.
Peter, James, and John are witnessing a glimpse of the fullness of God’s glory,
kingdom, and kingdom to come. It would seem that this scared and freaked out
the Apostle Peter a little but, and he then offers, as I said, to build dwellings
or tents of sorts for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. It is as if Peter couldn’t just
see and enjoy this glimpse of glory, but instead he wanted try to interrupt the
Transfiguration to help.
Our gospel reading says that Peter, James,
and John we all terrified in fact, in the moment of Transfiguration, as it must
have been just so overwhelming. After the Apostle Peter asks Jesus if he should
build a dwelling or a tent for him, Moses, and Elijah, our gospel of Mark
lesson for this morning then ends, once again, saying in Mark 9:7-9:
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.9 As they were until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead (Mk. 9:5-9, NRSV).
Just like that Jesus, Peter, James,
and John went up the mountain, Jesus was Transfigured, it was exciting,
overwhelming, and even scary. Peter overreacted, as he often did, then God the
Father spoke to Peter, James, and John, telling them to trust Jesus. Then in an
instant the whole Transfiguration was over. Moses and Elijah were gone, God the
Father’s voice had ceased, and Jesus looked as he did before he was Transfigured.
This is certainly a powerful and
transformative moment in Jesus’ earthly ministry. So powerful and
transformative in fact, that some Christian Churches and some Christian Denominations
have special Sunday every year to celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.
To celebrate the glimpse of the fullness of Christ, the fullness of his kingdom,
the fullness of eternity, and the fullness of his kingdom to come.
Since Transfiguration Sunday also
falls on United Methodist Scouting Sunday, the idea of us having our own glimpses
of glory, excitement, hope, mercy, joy, victory, and maybe even fear, can be
similar in a lesser way to the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. As scouts,
scout leaders, as parents, and as people, we are called to love God, and as we
walk with Christ, we will experience all sorts of things. Some of the things we
will experience are glimpses of glory. As we move through life and as we challenge
ourselves to grow, may we look for and anticipate glimpses of glory. For in doing
this, we can continually live “Transfigured Lives!”
We have the words from this morning
from our Old Testament Psalm 50:1-6 reading, that have such a similar sound to
the Transfiguration story in our gospel of Mark 9:2-9 story for this morning. Psalm
50:1-6, says once again:
1 The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’ 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah (Ps. 50:1-6, NRSV).
One
of the main themes of Psalm 50, is that God will fulfill his promises, and will
fulfill his promises in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We hear in our Psalm 50:1-6 reading for this
morning that God speaks, and the beauty of God shines forth, and Jesus shined like
the sun this morning in his Transfiguration. The Psalm says that God comes and
does not keep silence, as our gospel of Mark 9:2-9 reading for this morning
includes God saying of Jesus, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Many
therefore think that our Psalm 50:1-6 reading for this morning is foreshadowing,
or even predicting the Transfiguration of Christ that we celebrate this
morning.
In our
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 reading for this morning, the Apostle Paul tells in 4:6:
6 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 (2 Cor. 4:6, NRSV).
Glimpses
of glory. Living “Transfigured Lives!” This morning on this Transfiguration
Sunday, I want to encourage our scouts and all involved with scouts, and everyone
else here and online, to see, to seek glimpse of God’s glory. Enjoy the journey,
have fun, push yourself, and don’t get lost in the moment like the Apostle
Peter did this morning, offering to built three tents. For scouts however,
sometimes offering to build three tents is a good thing!
I
also want to say that scouting matters. I want to say that some of the best
leaders that I have ever met have been a product of scouting. It is an honor
and a privilege to have our scouts meeting under our roof at this church.
Whether it is cub scouts, girl scouts, boy scouts, or some other kind of scouts
I am missing, we are proud of you, we support you, and we hope and pray that as
you rank up, achieve, and move forward, that you will see glimpses of glory, as
we all seek to live “Transfigured Lives!”
For
the values of scouting, are similar to that of the church, we love and value our
scouts, their parents, and out scout leaders. Keep working hard, we are proud
of you, we have your back, and keep seeking glimpse of glory, and we continue
to strive after living “Transfigured Lives!” Amen.
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