The Shining….s!
2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:2; Luke 9: 28-36
February 18, 2007

In a few days, we will be making Mardi Gras masks together. They will glitter and shine, be fun and silly and artistic. We will dance with them before the Mardi Gras Queen and King who will throw us candy and necklaces. We party masked. Then to approach "The Service of Ashes", worship God/talk to God, we take off our masks. Same as Moses.

When Moses is in the presence of God, he goes just the way he is. In those God moments, when he opens his heart and mind to knowing God’s deepest desire for him and the people, something happens to him, literally. He looks different for it. He glows. Shines. It changes him from the inside out.

Returning to his people, they don’t know what to make of it…it frightens them…that someone would become different. That God is that powerful. They were afraid. Moses, being a wise leader, didn’t push them too far too fast, and he veiled himself whenever he spoke to the people revealing God’s message for them.

Moses’ use of a veil, a mask, is sort of the opposite of what we will do on Tuesday night moving into Lent….thanks to Jesus. Jesus invites us not to veil our minds or our hearts, not to mask our deepest longings and biggest shortcomings in the presence of God or with each other. It is safe to be with God and each other. We reveal ourselves, not because God doesn’t already know about our lives, not because we have a news flash for God, but more so we come to see ourselves more clearly, more dearly….as Moses did, and Elijah, and Jesus.

Moses’ shining….is the glow of love made real in the guidance God gives to live a joy centered life of freedom…back then known as the 10 Best Ways To Live.

Jesus’ shining….has to do with connecting to the love and wisdom of the past, brought forward through all the generations of the faithful. It is so powerful, it changes him physically and brings him fully into the present moment in such a way that this event becomes a turning point for him and brings him down that mountain into a real world to do ministry. In a way, it is a new baptism…not of fire or water…but love so powerful he could no longer just talk the talk; he had to walk the walk.

Jesus’ frustration with his favorite disciples….they weren’t in the moment, even though it was happening right before their very eyes. They were thinking about the future….trying to make this moment last….hanging on to it...as if hanging on to something good can make it last. As if this is all you get.

Hanging on to the past or the present closes you down, holds you in place while the world changes around you. It’s like you veil yourself from reality and put yesterday’s mask on hoping to make it through today, feeling very confined. Paul says, "Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." If you aren’t feeling free inside, you are not in the presence of the Lord, God’s deepest desire for you. You are not living in the present moment. You are trying to hold on to what was rather than live into what can be. Thing is, we not only hold on to the good stuff wanting it to last, we hold onto the bad stuff making it last and giving it power over us. No freedom. Must not be what God wants for you.

Sometimes we think turning points/holy moments can only happen on "mountaintops", in special places, on retreats, in church. We want to set apart those places, we build a monument there…actual or in our memories. We convince ourselves the present moment could never match that moment. Like the disciples we try to hang on to the moments.

But holy moments happen everyday when you live in the moment. Thinking about the past and the future can be helpful at times, but as a life pattern, it is a stall pattern for being in the present. Hope is in the present. When we are in the present moment, only then can we be transfigured, transformed….for it is only in the moment we can remove our masks and approach God.

Everyday mountaintop experiences: praying while you’re doing the dishes, connecting with the Creator while gardening, watching children play or sleep, loving your family by folding the laundry, lighting a candle, the way you appreciate each mouthful at mealtime, coming along side someone in distress and not hiding when you don’t know how to help, hearing complaints as calls for help, seeing what is done rather than not done. …Sacred everyday moments that can change you if you let them.

And, it seems that Jesus’ transfiguration had something to do with the presence of Elijah and Moses. Part of what transforms Jesus is their presence. God’s loving and gracious power descends through all the generations to Christ….to you! Aware of the past, stand firmly in the present, turning toward the future. All the generations stand with you in the power of the moment. We stand with each other in the name of love. You are not alone.

This experience is the turning point in Jesus ministry. It turned him out toward the people and toward the cross….the Lenten Journey.

God’s words on this mountain top echo the words spoken at Jesus baptism. "This is my son, the chosen/the beloved, listen to him." It is as if the journey through epiphany has come full circle, yet we don’t find ourselves back at the same point. The point is, Jesus allowed himself to be changed by the presence of God in his life. Companioned the wisdom of the generations, he goes right down the side of this moment with a dedication of spirit and energy to be new and to help others. The world has not seen the likes of him since.

How has your journey through these last six weeks of Epiphany changed you? What new awarenesses do you have about who God is and who you can become? What encounters can you remember here in worship or in your life that have been transformative…that is if you were willing to take off your mask, let down your veil? How are you shining?

Sunday after Sunday, as I have the great privilege to look out into your faces, I can see what you may not have seen. You do shine. You are a part of the shining. How do you want to let your shine show? What is God inviting you to do or become this Lent? It’s time to go down the mountain side and turn toward new ministry, new life!