Holy Moments

Mark 9:2-9; 2 Kings 2:1-12

Every year at about this time we read of Peter, James and John on the mountain with Jesus. This gospel story is called “the transfiguration,” which is a 15-letter word for that holy moment, that awesome mountaintop experience. They went up the mountain to pray and while they were praying they had a vision of Moses and Elijah, the two greatest prophets, standing with Jesus, while the face of Jesus glowed with the image of the glory of God.
And this text is paired with the story of Elijah’s sweet chariot of fire (the passage that inspired that beautiful gospel hymn), which swept down from the heavens to carry him home to God, while Elijah’s disciple, Elisha, stood watching. These holy moments, recorded in scripture, are brief, as are all holy moments. The moments themselves were probably briefer than the time it takes to read about them. Before Elisha can blink, and before Peter can speak of building monuments, the moment is passed. Elisha picks up Elijah’s mantle and returns the way he came, across the Jordan. Jesus led the disciples down the mountain, and life went on, for all appearances much as before the holy moment.
The holiest moments in life catch us by surprise. The moment the infant, who has been screaming all night, settles into heavy sleep on your chest, and you know you should put her in her crib and go back to bed (and finally get some sleep), but you just don't want to lose that holy moment.
       Or the moment after you've cried all the tears your eyes can produce, after learning of the death of your beloved, when a snippet of truth comes to your inner ear: "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  And you know that you will not die with your beloved.
       Or the moment of exquisite joy when all your family is gathered around the table and you realize that this is as good as it gets, and it's so much better than you ever imagined. So much better than you could ever ask or imagine.
        What is your holy moment? I invite you to call it to mind.
Was it a night of wonder, under the stars at a campsite in the Boundary Waters?
Was it love at first sight, when you saw your beloved across the crowded college cafeteria?
Perhaps you never thought of it this way before, but I invite you to christen the moment, declare it holy. I believe we are all given holy moments in life that we may know the ecstasy of intimacy with God. Holy moments are a gift, a grace of God.
I suppose that after your holy moment, life continued, much as before. You returned from the wilderness, back to work, back to class, back to laundry and lawn mowing. For all appearances, life goes on. Or does it? In my experience, the holy moments make a difference. They become our touchstone, our treasure buried in a field, our well of living water. We return from these holy moments with strength renewed, well-supplied for the journey of faith that is our life.
How can worship in a sanctuary such as this compare to life’s genuine holy moments? Even the most awesome Christmas Eve service cannot hold a celebratory candle to your personal transfiguration, your mountaintop experience. But worship is what we do to prepare ourselves for those holy moments.
Worship is a reenactment of a history of momentous holiness. Ideally, worship fosters our intimacy with God.
        Ideally. Truthfully, not always. Sometimes worship may feel like one of those weekly chores, like laundry, like shoveling snow, like mowing the lawn. Yes, worship can feel like drudgery. But practice moves us closer to perfection.
        As we enter the season of Lent our order of worship will change, as it does seasonally. The new style of worship may be uncomfortable for you or it may be exactly what you have always wanted worship to be, but whether the one or the other, I encourage you to participate with your heart and mind and soul. Remember that what you may find uncomfortable might just be what one of your brothers or sisters here most needs, to feel closer to God. And remember, that God is full of surprising grace, you might even have a holy moment in church!
        May your life be blessed with these holy moments.

For Sunday, February 22, 2009

Scripture:
2 Kings 2:1-12 Elijah is carried away in that sweet low-swinging chariot.
Psalm 50:1-6 "God shines."
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 "...the light of the knowledge of the glory of God..."
Mark 9:2-9 Jesus is transfigured, Moses and Elijah make an appearance.

Sunday Bulletin Service Theme: Sense of the Sacred.
Hymns: #8, Praise to the Living God; #502, Dear God Embracing Humankind; #182, We Have Come at Christ's Own Bidding.

This is Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany, which begins with the revelation of the light to the gentiles, symbolized in the story of the astrologers who come from the east, guided by a star, to find the new born king (Matthew 2:1-12). The seasons ends with the light of the glory of God illuminating Jesus, revealing his son-ship to Peter, James and John, who were there by invitation.
Peter, James and John are singled out again, later in the gospel, after the passover meal, just before Jesus' arrest. Jesus went out to the garden of Gethsemane with Peter, James and John and asked them to keep awake while he prayed. But twice Jesus found them asleep, and caught sleeping a second time, "they did not know what to say." Which is what Mark writes about Peter in this story of the transfiguration, "he did not know what to say."
But not knowing what to say didn't stop Peter from speaking anyway. I suppose we have all made that mistake.
Some years ago, I saw a bumper sticker that read, "To know is to care, to care is to do: The United Church of Christ." We are a "doing" sort of a church.

"Don't just stand there, do something," could be the subtext of our mission statement.

But this gospel story challenges that busy-ness. Peter has the urge to say something, to do something, anything, to commemorate this event. And God says: "Shut up and listen."

"Don't just do something, stand there."