Arise and Shine, your Light has Come

January 5, 2014 Isaiah 60:1-6 Matthew 2:1-12 “Arise and Shine, your Light Has Come” Year A Epiphany Sunday Living to die Walker Percy, is an American novelist who has written several books about the state of affairs if the world today. In Walker Percy’s novel, The Second coming, the major character, Will Barrett is a man who has lost everything. He plans to commit suicide, until he meets a woman as depressed as he is, and he discovers that life is not so bad afterall. Instead of killing himself he finally realizes that the name of the real enemy of American society is death, “not the death of dying, but the living death. The name of this century is the Century of the Love of Death. Death in the century is not the death people die, it is the death people live How many people in the world are living in death, because they are stuck in a pattern, a belief, a lifestyle, a reality that does not really serve them. Man looking for money to get away I was reminded just yesterday how easy it is to live stuck in a pattern. As a man knocked on my door – looking for the pastor of the church next door – because he needed someone to help him think and to pray for him. So I let him in the church, and let him talk. He gave me this really sad story about how he used to be in the Latin Kings, and that he got out and moved away, but that he came back because he wanted to get back with his wife and daughter. He had a job, and was getting it together, oh and while he was in jail he had met a minister that had led him to Christ. Well today he got in a fight with his cousin, who told him that he could not get out of the gang, and that now he could not go home, or go to work, or go this his family because they were looking for him. If I could just put him in the car and drive him as far away – everything would be okay. He was mad a god for allowing all of this to happen to him. I got a little irritated and told him not to blame this on God, but that he got himself into this mess, and that God would not come out of the sky and rescue him, but that God would give him the strength to get out of it. I was not going to help him, but to trust that God would be with him. When I told him that I was not going to give him an answer of what to do next, I told me that he got himself into this mess, needed to figure out how to get out of it. he got up offended and said that I did not understand. And he just walked away. As he was leaving – I couldn’t help but to wonder what makes people stuck in dumb situations. But before you start thinking bad thoughts about that man and how he needs to get himself together and get a life. Let me tell you that I met this same man, who told me the same basic story (the details were different but the premise was the same). And that time I was so caught up into his story that I have him $50 in cash and drove him to a Mexican bus station. He promised me that as soon as he was safe who would send me the $50 back. I even preached a sermon about him, talking about how my faith in helping humanity was making a difference in the world. Needless to say I never heard from him, and was told that he makes his rounds to churches and tells the same story, of needing to get out of town, so he needs money to travel.expecting the same old results? It is not uncommon for us to remain trapped in our lives, our habits, our understandings, our own made up reality? My point for today is that is life without Christ, an illusion, and not a very happy one at that. I am not talking about the Christ that we hold in our heads, our beliefs, our sense of reality. But I am talking about the real Christ – the glorius savior, the unpredictable one who comes in our lives and shakes things up. The God who is so concerned about us that no matter how many times that we make the same mistake, no matter how many situations we cause, no matter what messes we seem to always create, God loves us enough to listen to our sad story, to change us from within, to bring us salvation. And it seems that the more he offers salvation, the more determined we are to stay stuck in our lives and blame God for what we do wrong…. Living without Christ Fred Craddock once told a parable about a man who moved into a cottage equipped with a stove and simple furnishings. As the sharp edge of winter cut across the landscape, the cottage grew cold as did its occupant. He went out back and pulled a few boards off the house to kindle the fire. The fire was warm, but the house seemed as cold as before. More boards came off for a larger fire to warm the now even colder house, which in return required an even larger fire, demanding more boards. In a few days the man cursed the weather, cursed the house, cursed the stove, and moved away. The futility that man felt is the futility of those who try to live the Christian life without Christ. He is the Word that was in the beginning with God and was God. And he is alive today. To those of us who are drowning he is someone we can hold on to. He is someone who can set our feet on dry ground again in this New Year. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com That is why the first words of Isaiah 60 are so important. It is a call to the world – Arise and Shine your light has come. It is time for us to awaken out of death and to enter into the life that God has in store for us. These are words of hope for the isrealites, who had lived in exile for years. And when they were able to come home all they saw was darkness and hopelessness. Everything was destroyed and nothing seemed to be working. And before we start to feel sorry for the Isrealites and their hopelessness. Let me reminds you that they were sent into exile because they had forgot about God, they stopped helping the poor, and living a faithful life. And God’s assurance that it would be okay – was not because they had earned relief, but because God wanted to show that he was God – he sent them into exile and he would deliver them because he was God all by himself. God doesn’t always agree with us, but he always cares enough to save us. in Isaiah 60:10 God says though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. And it gets better, in verse 20 God says that you sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; and the Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end. That is what life with Christ is all about – seeing the glory of God for ourselves with our own eyes. God’s glory is enough to help us to see clearly. There are two words for “arise”. “Arise, shine” in verse 1 means “Stand up and let us see you in all your radiant glory”. The long night of suffering is over, a new day had dawned for her, a day when she can get up out of the dust where she has lain for so long, forsaken and dejected. The other word for “rise” is usually used of the sun, but here it is twice used of the rising of the glory of the Lord (vv. 1–2); that is to say, “the sun of righteousness...with healing in its wings” (Mal. 4:2). Finally the author brilliantly combines the two when he describes the revival of Jerusalem in verse 3 as the appearance in the blackness of the morning star, proclaiming to the nations that dawn is near Not only do we shine, but Christ shines too. And we are able to see God’s light, and not our darkness. Today is the 11th day of Christmas. Tomorrow is the 12th day of Christmas - it is epiphany – the manifestation of Christ. It took the wise men 12 days to reach the baby Jesus. Matthew’s point is that the light is not just for the Jews, but for everyone who can see it. The wisemen saw the star and knew they needed to follow it. I thought it was important for us to remember the point of epiphany for the first Sunday of January. I didn’t want to do the Wesley Covenant service – you can look it up if you need it. Before we make a commitment to serve Christ, we have to remember the reason for our commitment. Christ is the light not just of our lives, but of the world. When we see the light – we need to make an intentional response. The wise men gave gifts to the baby – gold for a king, myrhh for a priest , and frankensense to make things holy. We give gifts for Christmas, because the wisemen gave their gifts. I wanted us to focus gift giving this year and not goals. Remember when someone gave a gift away or they gave it back to us we call them an Indian giver. I went to an Indian ceremony once and complimented the host on her earrings, she took them off and said that since I liked them, that she had to give them to me. I am not worthy of anyone’s earrings, because I tend to lose them. But I still treasure those earrings, because they were a special gift, given just to show that she care. It is understood in Indian culture that whatever you have, you don’t hold onto it, you give it away. I don’t have those earrings on today, and wouldn’t give them to you if you asked. But the lesson is that we should be able to give as God gives to us – freely. Scripture says that after they gave gifts they kneeled before the baby in adoration. What does “adore” mean? In its Latin roots it means to reverence and honor. But it is a much stronger word than “honor,” or the Latin venerari. It actually is equivalent to the Greek proskunein, which means to “prostrate.” So to say “I adore Chipotle burritos” or “I adore my little brother” is to say something almost sacrilegious. For to “adore” something is to go as far as we can go in worship and praise. You can glorify God, and praise God, and bless God. But when you “adore” God, you go as far as you can go. You take the ultimate step… How do you glorify God in your life? what gifts do you bring to God? How does Christ manifest in your life each and every day? God's "Random" Provision Charles Cowman and his wife were missionaries to Asia. He became fatally ill and they returned to their homeland. For six years he battled his illness. Mrs. Cowman says, "... each time when the testings had reached their utmost limit, God would illumine some old and familiar text, or a helpful book or tract would providentially fall into our hands, which contained just the message needed at the moment. The help from God that an ill person would naturally seek is healing, whether it be through medicine, supernatural means, or a doctor with an epiphany. What one does not necessarily expect to find is the strength to carry on in the illness from random inspirational thoughts, one of which simply fluttered across their path as they walked on the beach." The treasures that carried them through were developed after Cowman’s death into the classic devotional book, Streams in the Desert, which has given inspiration to people all over the world for the last 50 years. My final story is about a lady in a store in search of hope.. Planting the Seeds There was a woman once who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart and her personal life wasn't that great either. One day she decided to go shopping, and she went to the mall and walked in to one of the stores. She was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the paintings she'd seen in museums and in devotional books. Finally she got up her nerve and asked, "Excuse me, but are you Jesus?" "I am." "Do you work here?" "In a way; I own the store." "Oh, what do you sell here?" "Just about everything," Jesus replied. "Feel free to walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is you want, and then come back and I'll see what I can do for you." Well, she did just that. She walked up and down the aisles, writing furiously. There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty. There was peace in families, harmony, no dissension, no more drugs. There careful use of resources. By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list. Jesus looked over the list, then smiled at her and said, "No problem." And then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things, and finally stood up, and laid out the packets on the counter. "What are these?" the woman asked. "Seed packets," Jesus answered. "This is a catalog store." "You mean I don't get the finished product?" "No, this is a place of dreams. You come and see what it looks like, and I give you the seeds. You go home and plant the seeds. You water them and nurture them and help them to grow, and someday someone else reaps the benefits." "Oh," she said. "And she left the store without buying anything." John understood that he was planting the seeds. The message is we must wait. Are you willing to do the work and wait? Brett Blair, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com We cannot invent God, or create God, we cannot invent life, or create life. we can only discover what God has already done. We can only realize what has been true from the beginning of time, for ourselves, for others, for the world. That is why epiphany is so important – for us to finally see the light that has been there all along. Epiphany is about planting the seeds to heal our illness, to light our darkness to fulfill our hope. The story of the wise men is a familiar story – we know they bought gifts, we know that they kneeled in adoration. They were led by a star, they talked to a king. A king who promised that he too wanted to come and worship the new king. But scripture says that they were warned in a dream to go home another way. May you also, no leave the way you came – go home another way. The 7 most dangerous words for a church is we have never done it that way before. Don’t get stuck on your reality. Witness and see the glory of Christ. Arise you light has come. But make sure when you go home, don’t leave the way that you came. Be changed, glorify God do something different this year – Go home another way! Amen. In the book, “Let Us Break Bread Together” Fred Daniel Gealy writes, “The word Epiphany is a great Christian word. The grace of God has appeared is the testimony of every page in the New Testament. My eyes have seen God has not just shown himself in the past; nor is his coming simply some far-off divine event. That the one who manifested himself to the fathers is here. The coming one has come. The light shines. And in the presence of this revelation we see ourselves as we are in our true relations to the world, to one another, and to God. In showing himself to us, God shows us ourselves. Light is not to look at but to see by.” Let’s begin with a little survey. How many of you have you have taken down your Christmas tree and packed up all the festive decorations until next December? How many of you are still living with your Christmas bling-bling? I thought so. There are not too many of us who hold on and hold out until the passing of Epiphany to take down our Christmas décor. This year Epiphany, January 6, falls on Thursday, a nondescript day of the week. We are back at work. Kids are back at school. Post-Christmas and New Year’s sales are over. It’s too early to plan for “President’s Day” or Valentine’s Day. We find Epiphany, the day the Magi finally reached Mary and Joseph and offered their extravagant gifts to the baby Jesus, slightly off-putting. Maybe it is because we’ve jumped the gun and have already opened up . . . used up . . . eaten up . . . even broken up . . . all our presents by now. Maybe we have a sneaking sense that “we should have waited.” So we crate our crèches even before the wise men get a chance to show up for the celebration. But maybe there is something else about epiphany that makes us uncomfortable. When the Magi finally reached their destination, what was the first thing they did? They “knelt down and paid him homage” (Matthew 2:11). Specifically Christian worship begins here, and on the Sunday closest to Epiphany. These were rich, respected, wise men. They were on speaking terms with the king. As astrologers they were privy to the secrets of the stars, and the stars held the secrets to the universe. They were not even Jews. In this East meets West moment, the Eastern cults and traditions of the magi were far removed from the messianic traditions of the Hebrews. Yet when they came into the presence of this little star-born baby, what did they do? They threw themselves down on the ground without hesitation but with abject humility. Think of that crèche you put away. Wasn’t at least one of the wise men kneeling? Here was one to be offered praise and glory. Here was one whose greatness was to be honored. Here was one born to be “adored.” “Oh, come, let us adore him.” ___________________________ Finally, the Wise Men brought gifts. They did the thing that people in the East or in Africa or in India would do when visiting royalty. They brought gifts. Gold was the kind of gift that you brought to a king. Frankincense was the kind of gift that you would bring to a priest. Myrrh was given to someone who was about to die. On This Twelfth Day, or Three Kings Day, otherwise known as Epiphany, think of the gift that you will offer to God in the coming year. The gift of time? The gift of your talents? Your service in the community? Your witness and testimony? The gift of undying love and devotion? Their greatest gift comes to us in the form of a realization. The Wise Men were the first Gentiles to recognize that Jesus belongs to everyone. Good news is for everyone, not just a select few. Star of wonder Star of light Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading Still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light. Amen. On Epiphany we celebrate the original gift-giving, the gifts of the magi, whose example is why we give gifts at Christmas. January 5, the eve of Epiphany, is actually the twelfth day of Christmas. Today, Christmas seems to be over in one day, and Christmas trees are out at the curb the next day. Festive lighting is extinguished on December 26. The Pilgrims who landed in this country discovered that Native Americans passed gifts on and this came to be called "Indian giving." Today many "regift" items they have received, but have no use for, when they need a present. We have inherited a European understanding of gifts, but Jesus, like Native Americans, wants gifts to keep on giving. Even today gold is the essence of hard currency. Frankincense was once used for the purification of holy things, but Jesus expands holiness to include even ordinary sinners such as us. Myrrh was used for sacred anointing...

Truly Free

June 3, 2012 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-17 Truly Free Trinity Sunday Year B The Queen’s Jubilee In case you have not heard, 60 years ago yesterday – the queen of England took the throne. She assumed the duties of queen when her father died in February. But she was officially anointed as queen on June 2nd. Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, Is the second longest monarch of England. Her grandmother, Queen Victoria being the longest and oldest. Trinity Sunday Since it seems the June is the month to celebrate things. We may as well celebrate something also. This is Trinity Sunday. Normally, it is just another Sunday. As a matter of fact, for the last few years, as pastor I never even preached on this Sunday because it was always the beginning of annual conference. But the Sunday after Pentecost is the Sunday that we are to remember the fullness of the trinity. With Pentecost the promise of the coming of the holy spirit has come. We have a chance to look at God in all of his glory. And all of his fullness. We understand God – as the father, the son and the holy spirit. And we realize that the more we understand about God, the less we know. Explaining God is a mystery St. Augustine, one of the most astute thinkers the Christian Church has ever produced, was walking along the seashore one day while pondering the doctrine of the Trinity - Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. He seemed to hear a voice saying, "Pick up one of the large sea shells there by the shore." So he picked it up. Then the voice said, "Now pour the ocean into the shell." And he said, "Lord, I can't do that." And the voice answered, "Of course not. In the same way, how can your small, finite mind ever hold and understand the mystery of the eternal, infinite, triune God?" Many Christian churches will be celebrating today the doctrine of the Trinity. It is one of the most prized truths of the Christian faith. "God in three persons, blessed Trinity...." Some explanations of the trinity Some explain the trinity as like a tree – the root, the trunk and the branches – three parts of the same whole. Or some say that the trinity is like a egg – the shell, the egg white, and the yolk. Some say that the trinity is like time – the past, the present and the future. Some say that the trinity is the creator, the sustainer, and the redeemer. There are a lot of other fancy names for the trinity – but the most important to remember is that God is at work in the world and in our lives in many forms and in many ways. There is a God that is so holy that he resides in heaven. There is a God so much a part of us – the he came into the world to speak our language so that we could understand love. Our God is so big, so powerful, so wonderful that we cannot use one set of words to explain what he is doing in the world – we have to use three. Some people believe that The trinity is just one person, others believe they are three separate persons. Whatever we believe about our God – if we have an experience of God – Romans 8 tells us that we should have an assurance of God’s love. Father as example • I read about a small boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. His mother met him at the door and said nothing. • At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was a slice of bread and a glass of water. He looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed. • The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.” We know what God is like by what he did for us, in the bible, but most importantly by what he did for us in our lives. Romans 8: 14 -15 says for all who are led by the spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. Anyone can be a child of God by birth, but it is only when we experience the presence of God’s holy spirit in our lives for ourselves that we are truly adopted into the family of God. Paul says that when we take on this spirit inside of our lives – then we become equal to the son of God – Jesus. We can truly call God our brother, because through adoption we have become just like him. Worthy of the same inheritance that he has. Patria Potesta – The Father has complete control Roman adoption was always rendered more serious and more difficult by the Roman patria potestas. The patria potestas was the father’s power over his family; that power was absolute; it was actually the power of absolute disposal and control, and in the early days it was actually the power of life and death. In regard to his father a Roman son never came of age. No matter how old he was, he was still under the patria potestas, in the absolute possession, and under the absolute control, of his father. Obviously this made adoption into another family very difficult and a very serious step. In adoption a person had to pass from one patria potestas to another. He had to pass out of the possession and control of one father into the equally absolute control and possession of another. There were two steps. The first was known as mancipatio, and it was carried out by a symbolic sale, in which copper and scales were symbolically used. Three times the symbolism of sale was carried out. Twice the father symbolically sold his son, and twice he bought him back; and the third time he did not buy him back and thus the patria potestas was held to be broken. After the sale there followed a ceremony called vindicatio. The adopting father went to the praetor, one of the Roman magistrates, and presented a legal case for the transference of the person to be adopted into his patria potestas. When all this was completed the adoption was complete. Clearly this was a serious and impressive step. But it is the consequences of adoption which are most significant for the picture that is in Paul’s mind. There were four main consequences. (1) The adopted person lost all rights to his old family, and gained all the rights of a fully legitimate son in his new family. In the most literal sense, and in the most legally binding way, he got a new father. (2) It followed that he became heir to his new father’s estate. Even if other sons were afterwards born, who were real blood relations, it did not affect his rights. He was inalienably co-heir with them. (3) In law, the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out. For instance, legally all debts were cancelled; they were wiped out as though they had never been. The adopted person was regarded as a new person entering into a new life with which the past had nothing to do. (4) In the eyes of the law the adopted person was literally and absolutely the son of the new father. Adoption into the family of God is a big deal, not to be taken lightly. As a matter of fact Pauls says that when we are adopted we not only take on the joy – but we also take on the suffering. If we suffer with Christ, then we will share in his glory and resurrection. My wife and I waited 15 years for a child that never came by the natural way. However we were approached one day with a lead of a newborn not yet born. I remember standing in front of the judge on our day of adoption. He pointed his finger and asked of me, “Is anyone coercing you to adopt this little boy?” After we had assured him that we were doing so out of love for our sin, he made this statement. “From today on, he is your son. He may disappoint you, even grieve you but he is your son. Everything you own one day will be his and he will bear your name.” Then he looked to the clerk and gave this command. “So order a change in this child’s birth certificate The process through which a person who does not belong to a given family is formally brought into it and made a full, legal family member with the rights and responsibilities of that position. The practice of adoption was not common among the Jews, but was more widespread in the Greek and Roman world. The apostle Paul used the term to illustrate the truth that believers have been given the status of “sonship” in the heavenly family; they can call God “Father” (Rom. 3:15; Gal. 4:6). Adoption makes it clear that our sonship is conferred on us, in distinction from Christ’s, which is inherent.It was then that I realized that my Heavenly Father loved me so much that, without coercion, He loved me and gave His all to me. On that day, He changed my name and I gladly bear His name and His image. A princess of the King I took this opportunity to wear my tiara today. I had to go an buy a new one, when I realized that I had given my old one away. I take being a princess pretty serious. I have this card in my living room, which says Barbie is a Princess, and you are a princess too. In my garage, I have a sign which days Princess parking only – all others will be toad. And my favorite sign – yes I am a princess – my father is king of kings. Theologically that in incorrect – the title of King of Kings goes to my brother Jesus, not to the father. But the important thing to remember, especially about the trinity – is that if you have seen one, you have seen the other. And it is only with the help of the holy spirit that we see and experience them at all. We all have royal titles and royal responsibilities You are supposed to refer to the queen as her majesty, her children and heirs to the throne are his/her royal highness. Other people of noble birth as my lord. If jesus is the king of kings, your lord and savior – then you are just a royal and special as the queen or anyone else., and you get all of the royal priviledges. We have a right to call on God as the father. And know that he will provide for all of our needs. God’s love for us is bigger than we will ever know or understand. God’s deeds are much more than we can ever talk about. God’s being will always be a big mystery. You are a child of the King – wear your crown of faith well. Let us pray…

Dazzling as Snow

Dazzling as white as snow
Transfiguration Sunday
February 3, 2008 – repreached on March 6, 2011
Exodus 24:12-18
Matthew 17: 1-9
Year A


My Special moment

I have two questions for you – have you ever had that time in life, when everything came together for you? When life just seemed to make sense. It may have been your wedding day, or graduation, or birthday or some other special day that you felt that you were on top of the world.

My second question is if you could talk to any two people, dead or alive to get advice, who would you ask. For Jesus those two people were Elijah and Moses.

Thursday was that moment for me. I have not been that excited about anything in a very long time. I have not had a chance to sit on edge, and watch such an exciting scene unfold before me. A moment of intrigue, a moment where I question what is real. A moment where you can clearly see that there is a thin line between life and death, between the past and the future, between what you expect and what you don’t understand. It was that moment where you realize that there are those rare moments in our lives where all of our questions are answered, where we realize that the anticipation of waiting is finally fulfilled. But most of the time you realize that you have to spend most of your life in a cloud of confusion, that never goes away, because the answering of one set of questions, just brings about more questions.
Perhaps Jesus did not have the season premier of the television series lost in mind when he bought his most trusted disciples with him to a mountaintop to pray. Season premiere or no, Lost is just a very clear mind game that is not scheduled to end until 2010. But Jesus must have known that there are those moments in all of our lives. The moments where the true identity of the Christ becomes clear to us.

The transfigurations story
When Jesus took his disciples up to the mountain – it must have seemed like a very cruel mind game to them. Jesus takes those 3 of the brothers that we talked about last week – Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain……..

The significance of clouds

In the gospel, God talks to the disciples through a cloud and encourages them to listen to Jesus. In the Hebrew gospel God also talks and acts through a cloud. Moses takes his trusted helpers with him to Mount Sinai to talk with God to get the Ten Commandments. No one is allowed at the top except Moses. But once again a cloud covers the mountain for six days, and on the seventh day – a special day Moses comes out of the cloud with a message for the people.

Now we tend to think of clouds as a bad thing- a bad time in our lives, a time of uncertainty, a time of confusion, a time when we are not able to see things clearly. What are the things that cloud your vision? What are the clouds in your life that prevent you from doing what you really want to do.

The Shekinah Glory

Clouds are actually a good thing in the bible. A cloud signifies the presence of God on earth. The presence of God was somewhere far away on a throne on heaven, but there is also a presence of God here on earth. God’s earthly presence is called the Shekinah glory – and you knew the Shekinah glory was present when you saw a cloud. It was a cloud that guided the Israelite to freedom by day and a pillar of fire by night. It was in a cloud in the mountain that Elijah was able to find the silence of God, it was a cloud that constantly talked with Moses to give him instruction to lead the people, it was a cloud that talked with the disciples to tell them that he was his beloved son listen to him, and when you think about it is that cloud of confusion, doubt, questioning, misunderstanding that constantly stays with us and shapes our faith journey. Cloudiness is a way of life for us.

I just learned about this, this morning. But if you climb a mountain. If you stand between a cloud and the sun, then a halo will develop around you. A round circle with a rainbow on the outside. The phenomenon is called a glory. But isn’t that how we spend most of our lives, somewhere in the middle of a cloud and sunshine?



Moments of Sunshine

When you think about it – those moments when things are totally clear and obvious are few and far between. An organization that I am a part of calls them moments of sunshine- those times when you are totally happy, when you are on the top of your game, when all of your questions have been answered, when you see life very clearly.


The disciples hold onto that moment

We are a lot like the disciples in those moments – we want to worship them forever – do you know anyone who still talks about that moment in high school. We want to build a temple so that moment can last forever, so that we can keep that feeling of clarity, so that we can live in that high of understanding. When the disciples asked if they could build temples for the appearance of Moses, Elijah and Moses, Jesus says no. Jesus usually reminds us that those moments in our lives are not intended to last forever. They come to give us perspective on the clouds, they come to give us a sense of hope to go on, and they come to give us special memories. But they always come to end


Most of our lives are lived in a cloud

Most of our life is to be lived in the cloud – a cloud of confusion and questions – because life is to be lived in the presence of an awesome, overwhelming, unknowable, mind boggling God. A God so big and so wonderful that we will never find the words to describe God. And yet a God who cares so much for you – that God is with you all of the time.


Consulting an oracle
God presence is with us all of our lives – but we have to take special times to learn to move and navigate our way through the thickness and beauty of the Shekinah glory – of god’s presence on earth. Lent is one of those times. Time to get in touch with the cloudiness of God. In the midst of cloudiness many people consulted special people to get the answers to your questions. Perhaps you are still thinking about what to do in Lent – so I have a special way to help you think about what to do for lent……

Okay some of the suggestions may not really be helpful – you will have to eat something in 40 days, and it is probably not a good idea to stay in bed for 40 days. Only God can truly tell you what to do- to see God more clearly in your life. ( not used)

The man at the new company
One man had just been hired by a new company – people started to complain- because he seemed to sit in his office all day and they didn’t see where he was doing anything. So one day his supervisor confronted him and asked what he was doing all that time – nothing he said. But 40 days later he was able to present a plan which increased the company sales by 50% - He had spent those 40 days on silence quietly waiting for an answer from God.

This lent I don’t know what your questions for God are, I don’t know what God has in store for you, I don’t know how God intends to use you to build God’s wonderful kingdom.

But I do know that God’s glory is surrounding your life- may you embrace that cloud in your life.

The significance of the transfiguration

The significance of the transfiguration was that it was a moment of sunshine – where the true nature of Jesus was revealed to the disciples. As they left he told them to tell no one until after the resurrection.

There was a magician who got hired to perform tricks on a cruise ship. And on a ship your performance schedule can be pretty demanding. Every night that he performed, there was always a parrot around. The parrot seemed to love to complain. While the magician performed, he would always yell to the audience that he was a fake, and that he did not know what he was doing. This seemed to get on the magician’s nerves. He did not like that parrot. One day the ship sank. And the parrot and the magician ended up in the same rescue boat. Since there was animosity between them- they sat in total silence, until the parrot finally asked “So, what did you do with the ship?” what was really going on was too deep for the parrot to really comprehend, so he just said what came out of his mouth. That is the same thing that the disciple did. That is why Jesus tells them to tell no one until the resurrection. Nothing that happens to them will make sense until the resurrection. After that they will understand who Jesus really is, and God’s true purpose for us. That is the same for us in lent, today we are just going through the motions, doing what needs to be done, but after Easter, we will walk in the sunshine, and everything will be clear.

My wish for you this lent

May you enter into the clouds of lent, discover the sunshine of Christ in your life- and be willing to keep God’s little secret to yourself until after Easter. Amen.

We are Glory Bearers

Year C
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:28-43
We are Glory Bearers

Introduction - Earthquake
Did any of you feel the earthquake – on Thursday morning? I felt it and immediately knew what was going on. Well sort of –I was awake enough to know what was happening, but sleep enough not to be sure if it was real or not.
As a matter of fact I was sure that I was dreaming, because there was no way in Illinois that I would be living through an earthquake for the second time in what two / three years.
I remember that moment of thinking that the wind was blowing the house, but the wind was coming from the ground and not the air. It was a rare moment that I never expected to feel again. For me a moment of God moving in my life in special way. A moment that you want to treasure – but which doesn’t last very long.
How do you hold onto those special moments – usually you take a picture, or your write a story – or you find the words to tell someone. You try to do something to hold onto the moment.

How do we Hold onto God Moments? Those special moments?
The gospel story takes place 8 days after Peter has a chance to experience God in his life. He has met a new friend – Jesus , and he realizes that he is not only a special person – he is the son of God. He has been invited to share in a special moment in Jesus life. The time when Jesus is praying with the law and the prophets, and Moses and Elijah come to join him. Like most of us, Peter asks the same question – how do I hold onto the once on a lifetime moment. And like all of us – Peter realizes there is no real way to hold onto God moment. There are no words, no images, no feelings that will adequately hold onto the moment. All you can really do is vow to hold onto that moment in your heart and remember.

Transfiguration Sunday
No moment on life is intended to last forever. The moment for us is transfiguration Sunday. The Sunday when epiphany ends and lent begins. The moment between seeing the light and entering into a time of darkness. I don’t think any of us will voluntary enter into darkness. We don’t chose to be sad, or depressed, or to suffer. We don’t chose to enter into the darkness of lent – we have to be coaxed into it or forced into it.
But it is in the darkness where we get closer to Jesus Christ. What does our relationship with Jesus mean? Who is this Christ for us? What difference does Christ make in our lives? Would our lives really be any different if Christ had not entered into our lives? These are the questions for us to ponder during the time of lent.



The Transfiguration Story
Every year we hear the story of transfiguration – every year we hear a different version of the same story. It is in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The concept of transfiguration is also in John.
In Luke’s version – Jesus brings his newfound friends – Peter, James and John with him on the mountain to pray. It is a mystery to us why Jesus chose to bring them there. Obviously it was a mystery to them also because they fell asleep.
While they are asleep, Jesus prays, and Moses and Elijah appear with him. A voice comes from the clouds and says – this is my son, my chosen, listen to him.
Luke doesn’t say anything about a bright light – or Jesus being transformed by the light. There is no light. The moment is so short and strange – that the disciples decide that they wont say anything to anyone.
But it is the moment for us that Jesus becomes the light of the world. In John Jesus says – I am the light of the world. Transfiguration not only means – change forms – it also means to experience glory – or light of God.
What light was lit your path recently? What illumination has taken place for you to see things more clearly? What shines for you in bright times?
Lent is a dark time, but it is a time for us to glorify God. Paul says that we are free – free to proclaim our love for Christ. It is a time for us to show others that Jesus is the light of our lives.


Story of Three Gold Miners
Three gold miners traveled to Montana territory to find gold. One day one of them found a strange looking stone. He broke it open and was thrilled to find gold. Soon – the miners found gold everywhere. They started to dance, sing and celebrate. They were rich. But soon they became worried – what if others found this place. They would lose their fortune. They had to keep it a secret.
On their next trip into town, they vowed that they could tell no one. They were very quiet in buying supplies, but they soon discovered that as the left, it seems that the whole town of prospectors was following them. Okay - who told – they discovered that no one had betrayed the secret. The prospectors said – you didn’t have to say anything. We saw the truth on your face. We could tell that you had found God. Or Gold – a Freudian slip.

We are Glory Bearers
What do people see when they look at your face? Light or darkness? Good things are sadness? God or the world?

What light do they see? What light has lit your path? What has illumined your dark places? What shines in your bright times?

I cant answer that question for you. I don’t know your dark places in your life? I don’t know your response to darkness. I don’t know the moment in your life when you finally saw the light. I don’t know your response to light. Did you run to it, or choose to keep on fumbling in the dark.
One of the promises of life – no matter how dark things may get – the light always comes. Lent always starts – but it always ends in the joy of Easter. Jesus is the light of the world.
Jesus is the light of my life. Jesus is the lense in which I choose to experience every moment. In Christ, every moment, every experience, no matter how short or how long is a God moment. A chance to see the light. Light is always a challenge to see things more clearly. A chance to see what needs to be done, what needs to be changed, who needs to be loved.
Lent is our chance to sit and wait for the light – and to be still enough to recognize it and respond.
What light do you walk by? What illumines your life? What shines in the midst of your darkness? The glory of God in the presence of jesus Christ.
We are glory bearers – ones who see the glory of God for ourselves. Ones who bear the glory of God in our lives, the ones who know the presence of Christ when we see and feel it. May the glory of God be with you always in all times – let us pray..
Amen.