Moses comes off the mountain with his face shining. By the narratives in the Bible, Moses is the ONLY one who gets to speak face to face with God (whatever that means). However, the experience of being close to the Divine Presence changed him – physically even. The rest of the people, in fact, couldn't handle it. Being close to Moses when he'd been transformed by being close to God was too much for them. They made him cover his face so he wouldn't freak them out. My guess is that they didn't want to be reminded that profoundly of the mystery and power of God.
Peter, James and John had a similar experience. They were SLEEPING when it started, but were woken to a vision of Jesus shining with God's light, standing between Moses and Elijah. What a way to wake up! And, in addition to seeing the glory of God they also heard God's voice. Which, as the scripture says, terrified them. Peter had been on his understandable kick about “let's memorialize this moment” when the voice spoke with “This is my child, the beloved, listen to him!” Even Peter was stunned into silence.
Its intentional, in the Gospel, to mention that the disciples were sleeping. It is meant both as “sleeping” AND as “failing to be attentive to what God is doing.” The Gospels are often contrasting FULL LIFE with God to spiritual sleep-walking through life without seeing what God is doing. The disciples were, as it all started, not noticing what God was doing, but they woke up to it. And, yes, good job if you noticed it – this stands in contrast to the sleep FILLED night for them in the Garden of Gethsemane. This time they notice. That night they lose the battle.
The battle to stay awake to God's Presence and work in the world is one of the primary challenges of faith life. Just like its easy to forget how nice it is to move around freely until you twist and ankle, or how great it is to have opposable thumbs until one is hurt, or how much you really do love a family member until that person goes away for a week, or how much you have in life until you see a homeless person beg for pennies; its possible to tune out the extraordinary Presence of God.
Bruce Epperly, in the Process and Faith Lectionary for this week says that “the church is called to be a laboratory for spiritual experiences, a place where persons expect God to “show up” in their lives in life-changing ways.”1 That is, we're not meant to take the experiences of Moses and Jesus as cool moments that show how faithful they are – we're supposed to follow in their footsteps, walk up to the mountaintop and open ourselves to God's presence like they did. And then watch and see what God does with us.
This leads us to some very important questions: where is your mountaintop? I've asked a lot of you that question, and many of you have great answers. I've even gotten to see some of the places. However, some are a bit less accessible at this time of year ;) Let me ask again, for those of you who haven't answered, and for those who know but may need to consider: Where is your mountaintop? That is, where is your holy place? That is, where can you go to let God change you from the inside out? I know of: a fishing pond. A fallen tree by a steam. The garden. Hilltops with views. A quiet place under the hickory trees. But it isn't always about place.
In the book “The Five Love Languages, “ Gary Chapman2 suggests that each human being “speaks” one of 5 love languages. That language is the primary way that the person experiences love, and because of it, is the primary way that person tries to express love. His point is that each person in a partnered relationship needs to speak to their loved one in the language of the loved one – not the language they wish to receive in.
The 5 are: Being Present; Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation; Physical Touch; and Giving Gifts. It occurs to me that these are also a key to our Holy Places. For some, it will be place – probably those (like me) who respond most to BEING PRESENT. We just wanna hang out with God. Many of you tell me that you feel most connected to God when you are in service to the church – cleaning the pews or polishing the brass or teaching Sunday School. That should be an ah-ha about what you need to do when you need closeness to God. I suspect that people for whom love is best known in words of affirmation, worship is KEY to connecting to God. Perhaps writing poems to God, or a valentine, or just singing praise songs throughout the week helps. I'm not QUITE sure how those who speak physical touch best seek God, but I have a few guesses – perhaps there is something more positional for you in how you pray – like the vision I used to have lying in a church pew and thinking of myself as lying on God's lap for prayer. Also, perhaps, physical connection with others – a partner or a family member or a friend – or just holding a baby – is the best way to feel God's closeness. Finally, for those who know love through Gifts, perhaps giving your offering, or buying the flowers for the church, or donating to the trustees project, leaving some pens downstairs for the rest of us, or giving to the graduates each year, is important to your connection to God.
The key here is to remember that we aren't all the same, and that connecting to God takes on MANY forms. BUT – you are responsible for finding the ways that work for you and using them! And for finding the time to do so!
Now, my dear brother is the best skier in the family – sorry Mom and Dad. He operates under the theory that if you aren't falling while skiing, you aren't trying hard enough. And, because of that theory I'm convinced, he has pushed himself further and gotten better than I really even dream of. But we actually all keep his rule in mind on the mountains.
This week I stood in a glade at Jay Peak, on top of a mound of snow which was on top of a small tree trunk and looked down the mountain. To get off of that mound of snow was going to require a super tight turn that I was pretty sure I couldn't make that would land me going too fast for the next turn. And, to be honest, there wasn't any better way out of my situation. So, I took a breath (which is ALWAYS a form of prayer), and told myself, “OK. You are going to try this turn. And you are going to fall. And that's OK. You won't get hurt, you'll just fall.”
Now, before you think I'm being arrogant, I'll let you know that I had plenty of falls this week, and I have a bruise on the INSIDE of my upper arm from one of them to prove it. But, after that little pep talk to myself, I planted my pole, and took the turn. And I got it around without a problem and continued down the rest of the trail without a fall.
The fear of falling had stopped me in my tracks, but once I remembered that it wasn't such a bad thing if I did, I could continue on. And once I wasn't afraid of the fall, I didn't even have to do it – I was more able than I knew! Seek God with a willingness to risk – a willingness to fall! Because you never know when you'll be surprised at how close God is and how willing God is to shine through you!
It is scary to be face to face with God. And its hard to even seek God because closeness to God also brings you face to face with yourself. Those are the risks.
Knowing them, are you willing to risk to get closer to God?
That is, are you willing to really see yourself, and the world, and deep truth? Are you willing to take a class (Death and Resurrection) and see where it takes you? Are you willing to give up some time in service? Are you willing to come talk to me about forms of prayer that may get you out of a rut? Or to ask someone to be your prayer partner? Or to give more to Haiti because God's heart is broken with the people's pain? It won't hurt, at least not in the long run, but it will change you!! Are you willing to try new ways, seek old ways that worked, look for God in all you do?
And then, if you go to a holy place and find the time to tune in to God, are you open to the changes that may come? How might prayer move you to act in the world? How might more God in your being make you more loving, and thus worried for others? How does your spirituality impact your living?
Here we end– with the questions to answer, with the knowledge that God DOES change people into Shining out with love, and with the affirmation that you have to be willing to fall to move forward sometimes – ESPECIALLY in spiritual life. May you find space, time, and willingness to risk.
Amen
1Bruce G. Epperly, "February 14, 2010
6th Sunday after Epiphany
Transfiguration Sunday" http://www.processandfaith.org/lectionary/YearC/2009-2010/2010-02-14.shtml, accessed on 2/13/210
2Gary Chapman, Five Languages of Love. (Northfield Publishing, 1995).
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