Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up,
and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other,
until the two of them crossed on dry ground...a chariot of fire and horses of
fire separated the two of them and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. [2
Kings 2:8, 11b]
The Lord, the God of gods...Our God
will come and not keep silence... [Psalm
50:1a, 3a]
Even if the gospel is
veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this
world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [2 Corinthians 4:3-4]
And
[Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no one on earth could bleach them...Then a cloud overshadowed them, and
from the cloud came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to
him!"
[Mark 9:2b-3, 7]
It isn't at all difficult, these days, to imagine the
Transfiguration scene given all the special effects available for the making of
films and television. How about in 3D IMAX?! And, while the Transfiguration is,
most likely, the focal point for this week's sermons across many Christian
pulpits, don't discard the other astounding moments we're given with Elijah.
Ask your friends, "Where does the water get parted in the Bible?"
It's a trick question, of course, so all the more fun! It is a moment easy to
overlook but here it is: Elijah struck the water with his rolled
mantle and the water was parted. It is surprising, to me, in its
subtlety. No multitudes on a grand escape with a chasing army close on their
heels. A simple: part the waters and walk on dry ground. And onto
his ascension.
Many who don't know the Hebrew
Testament know, at least, that someone named Elijah was carried to heaven in a
chariot, one of fire pulled by horses of fire; think of the spiritual Swing
Low, Sweet Chariot. But we sometimes don't equate that lift-off
with ascension. Elijah didn't die. He just merely ascended to heaven in a
whirlwind after parting the Jordan river with his cloak! Maybe we should look a
little closer at Elijah. After all, as he appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration
along with Moses, it seems he and Moses had a lot in common.
There’s also Elisha, the heir apparent to
Elijah, who repeated three times when Elijah said stay here… As
the Lord and you yourself live, I will not leave you. Various
prophets met them as they were hiking their way to the Jordan River and asked
if Elisha knew his master was being taken away, 3 times Elisha replied, Yes
I know; be silent. Imagine the sight of that chariot and the horses,
the fire, and the whirlwind ~ would Elisha receive the inheritance he’d asked
for? An epic story in so few paragraphs.
The Psalmist is clear
that God reveals himself in glory…Our God will come and will not keep
silence and so we must watch and wait and know that God calls
the heavens and the earth from above to witness the judgment of his people,
are we prepared?
Paul speaks of a veiled Gospel, that is,
hidden from those who are perishing in the darkness of
unbelieving. He tells us that the god of this world has blinded the
minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. We are to seek the
removal of our spiritual blinders that keep us tied to earth-bound distractions
so to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord…the glory of God in the face of
Jesus…
Of
course the main event this Sunday is The Transfiguration. It is one of the five
major markers in the life of Jesus along with his Baptism, Crucifixion,
Resurrection, and Ascension. Each event is spectacular in its own right and
each gives rise to disbelief, even among those who were present. This
particular Gospel moment is located high up on the holy ground of the Mountain;
which specific mountain is a matter of discussion and debate among scholars and
tour leaders. But let us be released from unbelief and the need for factual
details. Be enveloped in the mystery, in the "shekinah" ~ the
cloud of God's glory.
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John on a
hike up a high mountain, presumably with no explanation. Suddenly he
was transfigured…his clothes became dazzling white… What exactly does
that mean? Transfigured and transformed though similar are different. Jesus
transfigured, was an external change, an outward and visible sign of the
Divinity co-existing within his Humanity. When we ask to be transformed, we are
asking for an internal change, an inward attitude and motivation upgrade as to
be transformed by the renewing of our minds [see
Romans 12:2].
And then, Elijah and Moses appeared and the
trio were having a conversation as a cloud [the
shekinah] overshadowed them, and out of it came a voice, This
is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!
I
envision the Michaelangelo painting in the Sistine Chapel of Adam's finger
nearly touching God's, and on this whichever Mountain, I can see a brilliantly
radiant, lighted figure who is suddenly at the center where Human and Divine
meet and connect within. A spark ignites and The Cloud surrounds, the Voice,
the dazzling brilliance too hard to look at...take a moment to imagine, breathe
all that in, and just sit with it.
The Light of Christ is
always on within us and in every moment of darkness or doubt if we choose to
lift the veil. To reach the pinnacle of Christ shining through us we must
listen, and follow the path, no matter how steep, rising, if only
metaphorically, to a "thin place" where we encounter and experience
the full Presence of God. It's time for us to pry open the eyes of our souls
and, spiritually, take a hike.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of Mystery and Splendor, guide us
away from earthly noise and distraction to consciously seek the lifting of the
Gospel veil, that we may listen, and live according to Your Word and Wisdom,
the dry and sacred ground of our being.
Christ,
Most Glorious
RESPONSE:
Shine Your Light in and through us
~
O God of Mystery and Splendor, enfold the leaders of our Planet, our Country,
and our Community in a double share of Your Spirit. Open all blinded minds by a
heaven-sent whirlwind of spiritual fire to illuminate and beckon all to the
path of Your truth, justice, and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Christ,
Most Glorious
Shine
Your Light in and through us
~
O God of Mystery and Splendor, grant comfort and healing to all who suffer in
body, mind, or spirit, and lighten the hearts of all who give care and
support. We
now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Christ,
Most Glorious
Shine
Your Light in and through us
~
O God of Mystery and Splendor, ease the darkness of grief across this
Earth for those we have sent ahead, who now live again in Your eternal
radiance. We
pray especially for… add your own petitions
Christ,
Most Glorious
Shine
Your Light in and through us
~
O God of Mystery and Splendor, we pause
in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Christ,
Most Glorious
Shine
Your Light in and through us
~
O God of Mystery and Splendor, enliven and excite the spirits of all who
lead us in Your church, that they may be a luminous beacon to guide us across
this life’s troubled waters toward the wholeness of eternal life in You. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
Christ,
Most Glorious
Shine
Your Light in and through us
The Celebrant adds: God of
gods, Lord of All That
Is, infuse us with greater strength and purpose to faithfully
reaffirm our covenant with You. Arouse our desire to ascend the
highest peak our souls can reach, to be dazzled by the heart of Christ ~
where Divine and Human connect ~ and to be transformed in our own
hearts and minds and wills. We ask through Jesus, the Beloved Face of God; and
the Mystical Breath of the Holy Spirit within us; who together with You reign
as One God, now and forever. Amen.
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