Transfiguration for Unusual Times

Luke 9:28-43a

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

The Transfiguration sermon for “usual” times calls us to move quickly BEYOND the happenings on the mountaintop.  The shining trio of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as well as Peter’s offer to make them each a mountaintop vacation villa, are usually seen as temptations, enticing us to stay too long in the comfort of God’s Glory and ignoring the needs of the world.  The usual take home is, “Yes, the mountaintop is very, very cool… NOW go down the other side, and get to work!”  

But we no longer live in “usual” times.  For times such as these, this story tells us something different.  It tells us it is not just “okay” but in times like these it is actually SPIRITUALLY REQUIRED for us to take intentional time out from the world, to leave the chaos of the world behind, to walk up the Holy Mountain and spend SIGNIFICANT time in God’s Divine Glory.  In times like these we should NOT rush or be rushed down the other side and back to the work we are called to do in the world.  That time will come, yes, but that time is not now.     

Today we climb God’s Holy Mountain.  We begin from where we are.  My sense of where we are, is that we are surrounded by a growing spiritual darkness.  My sense is that we are all starting this journey overwhelmed by the weight of tremendous hatred born of unimaginable fear.  That we are beginning our journey surrounded by evil… a word I don’t just throw around, but a word find myself using seriously in these unusual times.

So before we take the first step up the Holy Mountain, I want you to take a good solid minute and really NOTICE where in your body you are carrying all of that these days.  (PAUSE) Where in your body does the darkness press the hardest? (PAUSE) Where is it in your body that you carry the weight of the world?  Your first thought may be “All Over!” which is understandable, but sit and try to NOTICE where in your body it is centered. (PAUSE)

Now, think about all that pushes on you… all that you carry… the darkness, the weight, the fear and the evil… think of it all together.  What does it look like?  What is it’s consistency?  What color is it?  How does it move?  (PAUSE) Now, in your mind, begin gathering it, condensing it, herding it into a smaller and smaller space.  In your mind being working it like clay.  Kneading it and shaping it and giving it a personified form.  (PAUSE) What’s it’s name? (PAUSE) Now, take that stone and the marker you were given and write that name on the stone and as you write, I want you to understand that what you are doing is injecting ALL of that darkness, all of that weight, all of that fear, all of that evil into that stone with that pen.  (Go to the center)

Now I’d like you to bring it here.  As you make your way up here I want you to understand that you are walking up God’s Holy Mountain.  Bring your stone up the Holy Mountain and leave it here.  As you leave your stone I want you to understand that you also are leaving whoever it is you wrote on your stone and all that went into them.  You’re going to leave them right here for the entire season of Lent.  Don’t worry about them.  God will watch them.  God knows what they like to eat and will put them to bed at the right time.  They will be in good hands.  

(Create the Cairn)

Your calling for now, is to leave that stone and all that it contains right there for the entire season of Lent.  While it sits there and God keeps an eye on it.  We will be working to give up the things that keep us from fully absorbing God’s Glory here on God’s Holy Mountain.  To prepare you for that work I want to pray St. Patrick’s Breastplate over you.  It is an ancient and powerful prayer of protection.  The clergy among us have offered help surround you with this prayer.

 

We arise today to pray for you and bless you 

Through a mighty strength: the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the three-ness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

We pray for you today and bless you

Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom.

We pray for you today and bless you

Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim,

In the obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of our ancestors,

In prediction of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of the righteous.

We pray for you today and bless you

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.

We pray protection on you today and bless you

Through God's strength to pilot you:

God's might to uphold you,

God's wisdom to guide you,

God's eye to look before you,

God's ear to hear you,

God's word to speak to you,

God's hand to guard you,

God's way to lie before you,

God's shield to protect you,

God's host to save you,

From snares of devils,

From temptation of vices,

From every one who shall wish you ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in a multitude.

We summon today all these powers between you and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes your body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of hatred,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of the nefarious,

Against every knowledge that corrupts the body and soul.

Christ to shield you today

Against poisoning, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So there come to you abundance of reward.

Christ with you, Christ before you, Christ behind you,

Christ in you, Christ beneath you, Christ above you,

Christ on your right, Christ on your left,

Christ when you lie down,

Christ when you sit down,

Christ when you arise,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of you,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of you,

Christ in the eye of every one who sees you,

Christ in every ear that hears you.

We arise today to pray for you and bless you

Through a mighty strength: the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the three-ness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.