Today is August 6 the day set aside for the reading of the transfiguration story, the day that Jesus is revealed as the Son of God. The disciples have been following this man, knowing in their hearts that he was something special. But here, they can’t escape the fact that Jesus is the chosen son of God.
At this point, they are all overshadowed by a cloud. The cloud in many ways represents the darkness that might surround us at various times in our life. There is a small book, written by an English Monk called the Cloud of Unknowing. It is sometimes referred to as Christianity with a Zen outlook. It encourages its readers to seek God, not through knowledge, but through love. It has been derided by many as being anti-intellectual and therefore not worthy of serious consideration.
Long before I went to seminary, I began to discover that there two different approaches to God, one was experiential and the other was intellectual – and for the intellectual, these two paths never cross. Any personal experience of God was derided as bunk, unworthy of God, and yet, - that was exactly how the disciples experienced Jesus Christ. Yes, his words may have thrilled them at times, but more often than not, they were confused by his words, asking him over and over to explain what he meant. It was their experience of the living God that drew them in over and over.
But to get back to the cloud, the cloud scares the disciples – not unlike the cloud that covered the mountain where Moses met with God. The Israelites were scared by the thunder and lightening and the darkness that overshadowed them. I think often we find ourselves in darkness and it scares us, too.
But from the darkness experienced by the Israelites, they received the Ten Commandments, a light to live by, a way to walk in God’s favor.
For the disciples, out of the darkness came a voice – assuring them of God’s love in the presence of Jesus Christ – “This is my Son, listen to him.” This is a reassurance to all of us that even when things seem darkest, there is always hope when God is at the center of your life.
We are human and being human, we can go through types of transfiguring events, but just as with the Israelites and with the disciples, when the transfiguring events are ended, things seem not so different from before. The Israelites still sinned – that’s why they spent 40 years wandering in the desert.
Even Peter, who was so enthusiastic about this mountaintop experience, is the same Peter who later would deny Jesus in the face of the cross. I used to have a sign on my door that started out, “Being Christian doesn’t mean we are perfect. It just means we’re forgiven.”
We can rejoice in an exalted passage of scripture, be moved by emotion during the singing of a hymn, find great joy in receiving the sacrament, marvel at the goodness of God in our midst, and then go out and live no differently than before.
A primary symbol for Cursillo is a rooster. There was a song written for the Cursillo movement that goes something like this – “The rooster crows reminding me who I am and what I believe. Hello rooster, you know me inside, faces I wear and love that I hide.” We forget at times, through fear, or distraction, or negligence… We need that reminder from time to time that God is with us, even in the darkness, even when we turn away, even when we forget him.
We have a monthly meeting of clergy the first Wednesday of each month. One of the things we have started doing is an experiential study of the upcoming Gospel lesson based on the Bible study method introduced by the African bishops at Lambeth Conference 16 years ago. Imagine a room full of 10 or more clergy bouncing ideas around concerning this transfiguration.
This kind of study starts with three readings of the passage from three different translations and after each reading everyone shares a word that stood out to them, next an idea that strikes them and finally what they believe God is calling them to change or do based on the scripture.
In this lesson, it was the contrast between dark and light that stood out for most. Someone brought up a idea thrown out by Bishop N.T. Wright, bishop of Durham. Bishop Wright is a popular author around the Anglican communion. Writing under the name N. T. Wright for scholars and under Tom Wright for everyone else. In one of his commentaries on the Transfiguration, he put forth the contrast between the mountaintop experience and the cross that was being discussed by Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
On this mountain, Jesus’ clothes are bright and shining,
at Calvary, he is stripped naked.
On this mountain, Jesus is flanked by Moses and Elijah,
at Calvary he is flanked by two criminals.
On this mountain, Jesus is surrounded by his friends,
at Calvary, he has been deserted by them.
John Newton, Bishop Doyle’s chief of staff, added in a sermon that it is not on the mountain of transfiguration that we are saved - it is on the cross in that valley of darkness that Jesus saves us.
Mountaintop experiences are wonderful, inspiring and life giving. And we sometimes go through periods of darkness in the gullies of this world. But it is somewhere in between that we are called to live and minister. It is in going to that mountain that we are inspired to go back down into the gentle slopes or planes to live out our lives and to share and minister to those around us. When the mundane world gets you down, or your life seems to be overshadowed by the worldly worries, listen for the voice of God coming out of the darkness.
For Sam and I, Cursillo was something of a mountaintop adventure that sent us back fired up and ready to see where God was leading us. I wouldn’t trade that experience or what has happened since then for any other possible variation of life.
God reveals himself to us over and over, reminding us of who he is, of his great love for us, and of his place in our lives.
Two thousand years ago, the disciples experienced Jesus walking beside them and teaching them. Three questions:
Have you been aware of Jesus walking with you somewhere in this life?
Where has God spoken to you out of a cloud that has over-shadowed you?
Where have you been inspired by God’s glorious presence?
I invite you to sit now quietly for a few moments, and contemplate where God has made his presence known in your life.
(Silence)
Amen.
Thank you, Nan. You always touch our hearts with love for God.
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