After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters - one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud:“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
(Mark 9:2-9)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It happened at a funeral I conducted a very long time ago - long before I came to Central. I hadn’t known either the deceased or his family, and I had been told that no one in the family would want to speak at the service, either. About 5 minutes before the service started a woman approached me and told me that she was the deceased man’s daughter-in-law and since no one else in the family felt up to speaking she thought that she should say a few words. It sounded like a wonderful idea and a generous gesture; something that would personalize the service. I learned a lesson about last minute offers to speak. When the moment came, I invited the woman to the lectern to say a few words. I noticed a few looks skyward in the congregation, but nothing really concerning. One other thing I noticed was that the woman was carrying a large bag with her. I was intrigued. She began by expressing her sympathies to everyone, and then said “I married into this family 15 years ago and I never met [him.]” I wondered, “what the …” Then, out of her bag, she pulled the King James Bible and proceeded to tell everyone that unless they believed in the King James Bible they were going straight to hell. I kid you not. She went on with that message for a few minutes while I twitched nervously and looked from side to side uncomfortably, although the congregation seemed bored rather than upset. Then, she pulled some other books out of her bag, saying that if there were people who couldn’t believe the King James Bible, they could read these books about the King James Bible that would help them believe the King James Bible - because, of course, if they didn’t believe the King James Bible they were going to hell! She was almost in tears as she spoke. After about 10 minutes she sat down. I went back to the lectern, not having a clue what to say. After standing quietly for what I think was just a few seconds (although it seemed much longer) all I could think of was “well, we should pray.” They were the only words I could come up with. Of course, I was not using the King James Bible in the service, so I assume that she has already decided my eternal fate!
So - the transfiguration of Jesus. The lectionary makes it the Gospel reading for the last Sunday before Lent. I confess that I’m not really sure why that is. I have some ideas, but I’m not sure. But it’s always there on the Sunday before Lent. It’s the traditional reading for this day. And you know what? I looked back at almost 21 years of preaching I’ve done in various churches - and I discovered that I’ve never, ever preached on the transfiguration. I always manage to find something else to talk about on this Sunday. Yes, I can figure out some of the theological points you can take out of this. Jesus appears with Elijah and Moses. Moses is the giver of the Law, Elijah is the greatest of Israel’s prophets. Having Jesus stand between them is a sign that in Jesus the Law and the prophets are held together and he is the fulfilment of them both. How’s that! It seems so obvious. I mean what else are you going to do with a passage that has Jesus standing with Elijah and Moses - who were long dead! But, of course, Peter didn’t get that from the experience. Instead, Jesus’ clothes turned a dazzling (almost blinding) white, Moses and Elijah appeared - and Peter, not having a clue what to make of it, mumbles a rather inane, “uh, well, Jesus, should we put up some tents for you and Moses and Elijah to lay down in?” Tents? Shelters? That was the best he could come up with? At a moment of such overwhelming spiritual significance? Tents and shelters? Come on, Peter. There’s got to be something better than that you could say, man! But then, I think - almost twenty one years and I’ve never touched this subject. And do you want to know why I’ve never touched this subject. Well, honestly - because I don’t know what to say about it either. I can come up with a theological explanation - which I just offered - but, really, confronted by Jesus in blinding white clothes standing with Moses and Elijah? Well - I’m as tongue tied as Peter. I’m not sure I can offer much about that vision that would be any more inspiring than Peter did. “Why don’t we put up some tents for you three?” Or, I might take one look at this baffling scene before me, be tempted to remember that funeral, and say to no one in particular but just because I couldn’t think of anything else, “we should pray.”
It all got me wondering - is it necessary for us to always have something to say about everything? I realize that it’s anathema for a preacher to suggest that maybe there’s really nothing to say, but I wonder - is it all right to be speechless sometimes? So awestruck by God that there really just aren’t words that can capture our response. The word “awesome” is all the rage today - sometimes we call God “awesome.” The word is so all the rage today, in fact, that I think it’s been rendered largely powerless. God may be awesome, but are we really in awe of God? And would there be anything wrong with being so in awe of God that we’re rendered virtually speechless by it? Would there be anything wrong with being so overwhelmed by some display of God’s might or power or love or grace that we just can’t come up with words to express it? Would there be anything wrong with that?
I’m taken by the Quakers, I admit. I’ve never attended Quaker worship - but Quaker worship is usually conducted in complete silence. Quakers gather, sit together, ponder God, open themselves to the Spirit and only speak (and anyone can speak) if they feel certain that they’re being moved by God to do so. Otherwise, they sit in silence - and they ponder God. Sometimes I wonder if that wouldn’t be a better way to experience the awesomeness of God than with a service filled with words and songs and prayers. Sometimes. But I’m a preacher, so I quickly drive the thought out of my mind! But words can dominate us and our lives so much and they can become so expected by us and of us when we respond to something that we often feel the need to use them - even if we really have nothing of importance to say.
I come back to these words: “He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.” I’m not convinced it was fright, and if you were to substitute “awestruck” or “amazed” or “dazzled” for “frightened” then these may very well be the wisest words you’ll find in the Bible. Maybe it’s OK to be shocked into silence by God; to be so dazzled by an encounter with Jesus that we just don’t know what to say!
No comments:
Post a Comment