Transfiguration Sunday

Holy One, you are all in all and we give you great thanks for your irrepressible delight and your unquenchable fire of life. As we gather in your name, we would ask that you might remind us of your touch. Touch my mouth and all of our hearts so that the words about to be spoken and the words about to be heard might be your word. Amen.

Kris' alarm clock clicks and the sound of NPR jolts me out of the depths of sleep. As she hits the snooze button, I groan and roll over, trying to burrow more deeply into the warmth of the sheets and the softness of the pillows. Falling back asleep, the process happens again as the nine minute mark comes around and NPR's music becomes the harbinger of the day. Again we hit the snooze and seek to avoid day's beginning by burrowing, burying, shutting out the light, pretending it isn't happening. But by the third cycle of snooze and shock, we must face the reality that day has begun.

Groaning, trying to defend against the blinding bathroom lights, I stumble into wakefulness.

There are pieces that help the transition-- the routine of familiar things-- my toothbrush and favorite toothpaste. The warmth and comfort of the shower and my favorite shampoo and the ex-folliating washcloth that was a gift. The knowns of daily vitamins and my favorite pottery bowl that Kris made, filled with my favorite cereal.

The list goes on, but there is a pattern, a routine, a place of comfort that gives me what I need to make it from the safety and rest of sleep to the first steps of my day.

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Take the journey. Get up and do not be afraid.

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In this morning's Scripture we encounter one of the classic stories in the life of Jesus-- that of the Transfiguration.

Now, I have to admit to you that for years, I had no idea what in the world this text was talking about. It has all these details like Moses and Elijah showing up and then disappearing without our knowing what they said. It only involves three of the disciples. It happens away from everyone else. It has Peter saying the most ludicrous thing about building three dwellings on top of the mountain. It has God's voice coming from the clouds. And it has this strange recounting of Jesus being transfigured. What does transfigured mean anyway?

This was how I viewed this text for years-- as a jumble of pretty weird details whose focal point was an event whose definition I didn't know.

But, fear not, I do have something to say this morning! Because I've come into a new relationship with this text. Particularly as it marks the last Sunday before Lent.

The piece that has come to mean a great deal to me about this story is the way in which the Transfiguration reveals God's commitment to us.

Let me explain. The story we read this morning about Jesus' Transfiguration directly follows two very important texts. The first is Jesus' prediction of his confrontation with the powers that be in Jerusalem and his crucifixion. The second is Jesus' challenge to the disciples that they are called to the same kind of journey if they want to be his followers.

So right before the Transfiguration, Jesus has told the disciples that he will be killed and that, if they want to be his followers, they, too, are called to risk it all.

The only indication we have of how the disciples took in all this news is Peter. In the text that comes before our text for today, Peter takes Jesus aside and says, No way. This can't happen to you.

But Jesus responds to him, don't set your mind on human things, instead, set it on divine things.

What I read in these two stories that set the context for our Scripture today is this. In order to walk humbly with God, in order to set our mind on divine things, we must decide to take an enormous risk. Because walking humbly with God, setting our minds on divine things means confronting those things in our world that would seek to lessen another person or creation.

Jesus didn't run into trouble with the political and religious leaders of his day because he wanted to or needed to. Instead, he came into confrontation with them because they were perpetuating a system that was unjust and dehumanizing. And because he was called to walk with God, to set his mind on divine things, he was therefore called to confront that which was not of God.

And furthermore, he tells the disciples and us that if we want to follow him, we are called to such confrontation and risk. We are called to such a journey as this.

So I can only imagine how Peter and James and John are feeling when they are led up the mountain with Jesus. I can imagine that they are thinking to themselves, "Great what next? So far we know that Jesus is going to be killed and that we are to follow him and confront the same powers that be as he is."

I imagine they are confused, sad, and disillusioned.

But then, right before their eyes Jesus is transfigured. Now, remember how I didn't really know what transfigured was. Well, I found a definition that helped me a lot. Right before the disciples eyes, Jesus is transformed to reveal his future glory.

For me, this means that in the moment of Transfiguration, Peter and James and John see the resurrection. They see the fullness of Jesus as he is in his resurrected self. They see that even though he says he will be killed, God's response to his death will be life. They witness God's commitment to Jesus and to us-- death is never the end. Suffering is never the end. Life is always the end. Life is always the answer.

But this, too, must have overwhelmed Peter and James and John. There in their midst stands the Transfigured Jesus with Moses and Elijah. And Peter starts saying inane things. James and John must have been dumbfounded because they don't say a thing. And then God's voice reminds them that Jesus is God's Beloved and that they are to listen to him.

And Peter and James and John can't take any more. They fall to the ground and are completely overcome with fear.

But then an extraordinary thing happens. Jesus comes over to them and touches them. And says very gently, "Get up and do not be afraid."

Take the journey. Get up and do not be afraid.

And in these three scenes, I find great challenge and comfort. Because they reveal to us both the unbelievable risks we are called to and the awe-inspiring comfort that is ours.

The one who will be crucified has already been resurrected. The Transfiguration promises this. And the resurrected one is called to face into all kinds of crucifixions.

The same is true for us. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we are called to journey with God into those risky places that threaten our safety, our standing, our lives. If we are to be followers of Jesus, we are called to take the journey that leads us through crucifixions.

But that is not the end of the story. Because even as we are called to risk it all, we know that Transfiguration is real. We know that resurrection is real. We know that life is always God's answer to any kind of crucifixion the world might come up with.

But it's not easy starting the journey. It's not easy taking the first step. On the surface it would be much simpler to burrow down in the warm sheets and hide ourselves under the soft pillows. It would be much more facile if we could deny the call, bury our heads, pretend we hadn't heard the invitation.

But we have heard it. We've heard it many times over.

And we can only hit the snooze so many times.

But we don't go without comfort. We don't go without those familiar things like this beloved community and our favorite hymns. We don't go without the knowns of friends and chosen family. We don't go without all the moments of Transfiguration when we see clearly the future promise in our midst.

Lent begins this Wednesday. We bless the Labyrinth today.

And in each of these and in so many other ways, God calls to us.

Take the journey. Get up and do not be afraid.

Amen.