The Changing Face of God

This sermon was heard at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, Louisiana on Sunday March 2, 2014, Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday.

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Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm 2

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

Our brains are wonderful things. When we see things, they allow us to process images and colors into wonderful images others may not see. It’s why when some people look up into the clouds they can see animals. It’s why the ancients saw winged horses and lions; huntsmen and water bearers in the night skies.

In addition, our imaginations, perhaps with a twinge of ecstatic fervor, have seen the Almighty in more than just the clouds and the skies. The image of Christ has been seen in (among other things) Cheetos, tortillas, trees, dental x-rays, cooking utensils, windows, rocks, stones, and walls—both painted and plastered.

During a space shuttle mission in March 2002, a new camera with extremely high resolution was installed on Hubble Space Telescope. One month later the Hubble Space Science Institute released new photographs of the Cone Nebula, also known as the Space Mountain, to showcase this new camera. Located in the constellation Monoceros, the Cone Nebula is a region that contains cones, pillars, and majestic flowing shapes that abound in stellar nurseries where natal clouds of gas and dust are buffeted by energetic winds from nurseries of newborn stars. Shortly afterwards people, believing they could see the Lord’s face in it, began to call it the “Jesus Nebula”.

A controversial incident that received considerable publicity happened in October 1996 when the face of Mother Teresa was claimed to have been identified in a cinnamon bun at Bongo Java in Nashville, Tennessee. Dubbed the “Nun Bun”(yes, the Nun Bun) by the press, it was turned into an enterprise by the company, selling T-shirts and mugs, which led to an exchange of letters between the company and Mother Teresa’s representatives. On December 25, 2005 (yes on Christmas Day 2005) the bun was stolen during a break-in at the coffee house.

To put the cherry on this sundae, here’s something from the “I saw it on the internet so it must be true” file, The Jesus Toaster. Yes my brothers and sisters in the Lord, you can invite the Lord to breakfast burning his image into a piece of bread. What a great way to start the day, your favorite spread over the visage of the fully-human fully-divine Messiah. List price is $39.99, but it can be yours for only $34.95 at Amazon.com and at jesustoaster.com it’s just $24.95! You want to see the face of our God? Just a little “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” and you better believe you will see the face of Jesus!

How’s that for the changing face of God? As for me, I’d suggest using wheat or rye bread in the Jesus Toaster. Using white bread may be just a bit too on the nose as Presbyterian stereotypes go.

Now, as far as miracles go, toasting bread quit being miraculous a long time ago. Today we read what is in my opinion one of scripture’s great miracles; the revelation of Jesus to his apostles, the transfiguration. This word, transfiguration, literally means “to change face” or as we would understand it “to change appearance.” His essence remained the same, Jesus did not change, but his appearance did. And on the mountain Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.

His face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, as white as light.  Suddenly, this simple Palestinian carpenter wasn’t engulfed by light; he was light as bright as the sun. His clothes were whiter than alabaster, whiter than the palest moon.

He appeared with two of the greatest heroes of the faith; Moses, the Law Bringer and Elijah, the One Who Was Lifted in the Whirlwind.  Then a voice suddenly came from a bright cloud that came over them like a white fog saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased,” and then these words came from the cloud, “Listen to him.”

Now, this voice from the bright cloud isn’t the first time the Lord spoke to the people out of a cloud. Our Old Testament reading has another instance where this happened. In that reading the Lord said to Moses; whether out of a dream, a cloud, or the clear blue air we’ll never know, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait for me there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”

The voice even went as far to tell the tag-alongs to stay with Aaron and Hur. Oh, and if they had any complaints they should be lodged with Aaron and Hur. Appeals up the food chain would not be heard.

Then the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai and the cloud covered it for six days and on the seventh the Lord called Moses out of the cloud. The appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring, a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. Through the cloud, at the base of the mountain, the people of Israel could see the fiery appearance of the Lord. That is where Moses stayed forty days and forty nights.

In our two readings we have seen the face of God in Jesus, Jesus shining with great heroes of Judaism. We have heard God in clouds and in a disembodied voice. The Lord appeared to Moses as fire. God even spoke as the Word cast in stone to the people in the Ten Commandments not long before this passage. Those who saw these things were some of the greatest leaders and disciples of our Lord and God that we know, Moses, Aaron, Peter, James, and John. We even get a few others like Hur and the unnamed “elders.” So why does God show up in so many different ways to so many different people? I may not have the “correct” answer, but I have an answer.

I believe that the Almighty reveals God’s own self to people in the way the people need. There is no “one size fits all” revelation of the Lord to the people. The Transfiguration even shows that in the special revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord chooses more than one face to show the people.

In the days before Jesus, God appeared to the people through fire, cloud, voice, written word, the word of the Prophets, even in silence and absence. Then God became incarnate, the fully-human, fully-divine Messiah Jesus was born, lived, died, lived again, and rose. Then fifty days later, on Pentecost, through the Holy Spirit, the Lord came to be known to humanity forever.

Now here’s what’s even more important about this, I am not saying that God changes. God is the same and remains the same. No Christian would ever say we worship three Gods, we worship the Trinity of the three persons of the one God whom Karl Barth called not the “three divine I’s, but thrice the one divine I.” I’m saying we worship a God who meets us where we are, Father, Son, and Spirit. God seeks a relationship with each and every one of us where we live—in our homes, in our workplaces, in our churches—everywhere we live. God meets us in our joy and even more in our tribulation. Jesus comes to us and says, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.”

In a changing world, God changes appearance to meet us where we are, but God never changes being who God is. A reading which is often heard this Sunday comes from 2Peter. I will share the New Living Translation because it sounds more conversational, more like something you would hear at a coffee house:

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

Peter tells us we don’t need to make stuff up. We don’t need to create Christ out of Cheetos. The voice of God came to Peter, James and John at the Transfiguration and is shared again in Peter’s letter, “This is my son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Oh, and the first time we heard these words? The baptism of the Lord.

Because of all of this we can have great confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Their words are like a lamp shining in the dark until the day dawns and Christ shines in our hearts. Because God comes to us where we are, because God comes to us in joy and sorrow, because God comes to us in light when we are at our darkest, we can live in the confidence of our vocation as Christians to shine the light of Christ into the world.

We too are called to shine the light of Christ into the world.

We are to carry on the work of Jesus; going to those who are overcome by fear, those who are terrified.  And we are to touch them saying, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”  We are witnesses to the grace and peace and glory of Jesus the Christ who walked the earth as a Palestinian Jew two-thousand years ago and continues to walk with us today; empowering us through the Holy Spirit for the work of the church for all of creation.  We are the ones who are called to gather and welcome the broken people of the world and through God’s love make us one.

We can give a smile, or a word of encouragement.  We can spend time with someone.  We can give gifts of ourselves and our works.  We can do service for others who need our help, who need to see the light of God in the world.  We can give the thirsty a cold drink.  We can offer a prayer on their behalf.  We can visit people who are alone and frightened.

We are to share the message Jesus shared with his disciples on that mountain top so long ago.  “Get up and do not be afraid.”  In this word, Jesus reminds his disciples that he is with them.  In this word, Jesus reminds us, his disciples, that he is still with us.

“Joan of Arcadia” was a TV fantasy/family drama telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. In the pilot episode, God appears to Joan and reminds her that she promised to do anything he wanted if he would let her brother survive a car crash that left him a paraplegic. God appears in the form of various people including small children, teenage boys, elderly ladies, transients, or passersby. Joan is asked by God to perform tasks that often appear to be trivial or contrary, but always end up positively improving a larger situation.

In its way, it was her own private transfiguration, the same God showed different faces. Each of these faces met Joan where she was in her specific time and place. Each of these faces had a specific thing for her to do. That of course, is the nature of episodic television.

We won’t always have that same “thing to do” when we see the face of God, after all, we don’t live in episodic television. We do have three things though. We hear God’s voice saying “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. We feel the touch of Jesus as he tells us “Get up and do not be afraid.” We also have the vocation of all Christians, “Go and do likewise.”

Go and do likewise, this is the Word of the Lord. Amen.

Andrew

This sermon was heard at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Longview, Texas on Sunday January 19, 2014, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary time.



Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

A movie I like to see every time it’s on TNT is “A Knight’s Tale.” You might remember; it starred Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, and Paul Bettany. Ledger played a peasant who served a knight who died in the middle of a tournament. Impersonating the knight, Ledger wins. With a bit of mischief, a ton of gumption, and a cadre of great friends Ledger becomes Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein and sets the medieval world afire with his jousting.

Adding fun to the festivities, Paul Bettany plays the poet Geoffrey Chaucer . In this version, Chaucer is a down on his luck degenerate gambler who joins up with our merry gang to provide papers of nobility, vital for a band of peasants masquerading as a knight and his squires, and serves as von Lichtenstein’s herald announcing him before battle.ⁱ My favorite of his introductions goes like this:

I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure of introducing to you to a knight, sired by knights. A knight who can trace his lineage back beyond Charlemagne. I first met him atop a mountain near Jerusalem, praying to God, asking his forgiveness for the Saracen blood spilt by his sword. Next, he amazed me still further in Italy when he saved a fatherless beauty from the would-be ravishing of her dreadful Turkish uncle.

This is when the crowd boos the dreadful Turkish uncle.

In Greece he spent a year in silence just to better understand the sound of a whisper. And so without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you, the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein!

And the crowd goes wild!

I love this, and Bettany sells it so well. You know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. Then under his breath, as the crowd goes wild, in an aside meant for himself and the theater audience, Chaucer says, “Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.”

In its own way, this reminds me of the introductory portion of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, which we read today. I enjoy Paul’s writings because they are so rich. There is so much in every letter. It may seem awkward for us to read what we would think of as an intimate form of communication being shared publicly. Then again, in an age of social media; maybe we’re actually getting back to this more open form of letters… but that’s for another day.

Paul’s letter begins as so many of them do, with greetings and uplifting words.

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

How’s that for a greeting. It sure beats “Dear Valued Customer.” Once at the church in Berryville, Arkansas I got a piece of junk mail addressed to the “Owner” of the church. I spent a good hour praying over the glorious theology and horrible polity of that little tidbit.

Paul tells them they are sanctified in Christ Jesus! It is through Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, that they are made holy, set aside for God's work; and it’s not just the church at Corinth. It’s “all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord,” together, all of us, the entire body of Christ; we are sanctified in Christ Jesus. We aren’t “Lone Rangers,” we aren’t flying solo. Now that’s what I call a greeting. So what’s next?

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I begin a service, I like to begin with words similar to theseⁱⁱ because, well, those words? How’s that for a blessing? Then Paul said says “God our Father.” First he established that the church is the church of all believers, and then he makes sure that all believers know that God is our Father. Our Father! Absolutely glorious.

Seeing that we just heard the rest of this I won’t rereading more of it, but what Paul writes is so wonderful. He gives thanks for them; the Apostle gives thanks for the congregation. As one who has been sent to congregations, pastors do give thanks; and Paul gets even more specific. He is thankful for the grace God has extended in Christ so that they may be enriched in spiritual gifts as the testimony of how Christ has been strengthened amongst them as they wait for the return of the Lord.

Again, Paul explains that as they have become stronger in Christ they have received these gifts. Now, the gifts aren’t a reward. It’s not “You know Jesus, here’s a cookie.” No, gifts are given for a specific reason, and if you are familiar with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians you will know what Paul has to say about this. Again... that’s for another day.

Paul also affirms that God will strengthen them to the end so that they may be blameless on the day of the Lord. Code? Maybe a little. He’s saying that until the day of Christ’s return God will strengthen them so that they may be righteous under the law. Would you like someone to tell you that? How about Kemper? How about me? [In the Late Service I added the name of the person who read the passage from 1Corinthians: How about William?] I can do you better. The Apostle Paul speaking with the authority of scripture tells us all that.

In “A Knight’s Tale,” there was more than one stadium introduction, here’s another gem from Chaucer:

Yes, behold my lord Ulrich, the rock, the hard place, like a wind from Guilderland he sweeps by blown far from his homeland in search of glory and honor, we walk... in the garden... of his turpulence!

As we know, Paul teaches hard lessons as well as encourages. He showed people the rock and the hard place like a wind from Guilderland. Paul wasn’t in it for glory or honor and we may still be walking in his turpulence. Whatever that is. ⁱⁱⁱ

While we stopped at verse nine, the timbre of Paul’s words changes at verse ten, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” Yes, Paul's turpulence will be known in abundance by anyone who reads this letter regardless of the century it is read.

So if Paul takes the people to the rock and the hard place, why does he begin with such flowery prose? First it's not unusual to open a letter with something nice to say, but undeserved flattery isn't Paul's style.

That leaves only one viable conclusion, what Paul wrote in verses one through nine is absolutely true, and what he wrote in verse ten and beyond is absolutely true too. Paul loves the people of the church at Corinth enough not to tell them what they want to hear. He tells them the truth. He tells them that they are blessed. He tells them that they are sanctified to do God's work with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He tells them that God is their Father and Jesus is their Lord. He tells them that they are blessed. The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with them all.

And he will show them where their walk with their Lord lacks, and again... that is for another day.

Paul loves them enough to share the joys and the pain of new life in Christ. He loves them enough to build them up. He loves them enough to point out the rock and the hard place. He loves them too much to lie. He loves them too much to hide their demons; he'd rather they meet them in Christ. He does this as an Apostle and as an evangelist.

This takes us to our gospel reading; Jesus walking through the wilderness as John the Baptist screams out “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Now John had been proclaiming the coming work of the Lamb of God, and while many of the temple leaders considered him the weirdo-in-the-wilderness, he had followers. So when John announced the coming of the Lamb two of John's disciples left to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew and the other was unnamed.

Jesus noticed them, of course and asked the big question, "What are you looking for?" They asked in reply, "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine a coy smile and maybe a cock of the eyebrow as the Lord said "Come... and see." There they stayed. Except for that nastiness around the crucifixion, they stayed.

Jesus walked and they followed.

When they followed their world opened up. They lived the greatest story ever told, and went on to tell it themselves. Andrew is known as the great evangelist, and the first person he brought to the Lord is his brother Simon, the man who would become Peter, the Rock upon whom Christ would build the church.

Jesus walked. They followed. But on that first day, where did Jesus walk? Where did they follow? Scripture's kind of vague on this, the city square perhaps. Maybe they went to the garden, maybe a nice sitting room. Maybe there was some place in a vineyard, scripture doesn't say.

I would love to imagine that they had their conversation at the fisherman's or carpenter's union hall. Or maybe they found a place to hold their discussion over a cold one and a game of pool. If they were in a hipster state of mind, maybe they went to a coffee house that sold fair trade coffee. What I'm saying is that I imagine they assembled where people assemble.

We put names and titles and labels on Jesus, Andrew, and the Unnamed Apostle; names they have earned and deserve. But when we do we might forget that they were men. They were guys. They had calloused hands from working a hard trade. They had first century lunch pails. So I imagine when they went to talk about what ever they talked about that day, they were comfortable. They weren't in the Pastor's Study .

So what happened next? What happened after the following of the earthbound Lord?

According to ancient church historians Andrew preached in Scythia. He preached along the Black Sea and the Dnieper river as far as Kiev, and from there he traveled to Novgorod. He became a patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. According to tradition, he founded the See of Byzantium in AD 38, installing Stachys as bishop.

He preached in Thrace, and his presence in Byzantium is mentioned in the 2nd century Acts of Andrew. This diocese would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople where Andrew is recognized as the patron saint.

He is considered the evangelist to the people of Soviet Georgia. After being shipwrecked in Malta, Andrew struck the rocks where they ran aground, A healing spring opened and the ship's captain who was blind in one eye was healed.

In short, he got around.

Andrew was an evangelist. Looking at John's gospel he was the first evangelist, bringing Peter to the Lord. His influence has been known far and wide in Asia and Europe for over two millennia. And it is known in this sanctuary.

The name by which this congregation is known, St. Andrew, was suggested by Dr. Joel May and was met with enthusiasm because of Andrew's association with evangelism and with the nation of Scotland, yet another land where Andrew is the patron saint.^iv Where does that leave us today? How has this congregation been sanctified to continue doing God's work?

Gloriously since the very beginning, since 1965 this congregation has been breaking new ground in ministry. While still a mission of First Presbyterian here in Longview, St. Andrew was the first local congregation to scandalize the mission of Christ by ordaining and installing women as Elders. It's as right as rain to us today, but 50 years ago it was a scandal as large as any the church faces today in ordination standards. And St. Andrew led the way.

From the very beginning the congregation has opened the doors of the building and put blade to the land for the community. Within the last ten years, St. Andrew has helped birth the Longview Interfaith Hospitality Network. LIHN is an ecumenical coalition which houses homeless families in various local churches. This provides a safe place for people to get on their feet out of the cold. The next year saw literal ground breaking on the community garden providing fresh veggies to LIHN families.

Throughout the years this congregation has also provided support to seminarians and missionaries including our friend the Rev. Jan Dittmar.

There is no way we can ever forget our Lord's love for children and the love shown through the Little Angel's Academy. Help to those who are homeless began here with Habitat for Humanity. The original Longview offices were on this very campus. St. Andrew is now able to serve as an assistance center with the American Red Cross.^v

As for the future of St. Andrew, a vision is laid out. By the insight of the Spirit, led by the Pastor Nominating Committee, the congregation has developed a mission study to guide you as you seek your next pastor.

At the end of “A Knight's Tale,” when the charade is up, Sir Ulrich has died and Heath Ledger's Sir William Thatcher has risen like a phoenix out of his ashes, Chaucer gives one final stadium introduction.

I would lay rest the grace in my tongue and speak plainly. Days like these are far too rare to cheapen with heavy handed words, and so, I'm afraid without any ado whatsoever... Here he is, one of your own, born a stone's throw from this very stadium, and here before you now, the son of John Thatcher... Sir Wiiiiiilliam Thatcheeer.

Days like these are far too rare, so let me end without any ado. Just last week this part of the Body of Christ responded to new life in Christ by ordaining and installing new Elders to the Session. In the Presbyterian Church in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and installation; the children of God are referred to by their first names alone. The reason for this is glorious. The reason is that in Christ we share the same last name. We are the children of God and by this miracle of grace the family names we carry are an earthly convention. The Lord does not need them to know whose children we are. We are the Lord’s children, the children of God.

So today, as the children of God, living wet in the waters of our baptism, remembering the heritage of Andrew's evangelistic fervor, I leave you with the words of St. Andrew's third pastor, the Rev. Michael Parsons, “As we go about our daily business, we should remember a witnessing church is a living church—and a church is PEOPLE. … This is no easy task for me; it is a day by day challenge to us all... it may well be said that 'fellowship is as fellowship does'—where this church goes depends on you, for you are the church.”^vi

iAll quotes from “A Knight's Tale” come from the Internet Movie Database page for “A Knight's Tale.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183790/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

ii I begin worship saying “May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” To many it seems like a formula, but what it is is a wonderful and powerful blessing.

iii According to the Urban Dictionary, turpulence is “a tumultuous explosion of persona resulting in a feeling of total envelopment by another person's presence.” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=turpulence

ivRogers Smith, Nancy, “St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, The First Twenty-Five Years, 1965-1990.” page 3.

vFrom the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Mission Report.

viIbid Rogers Smith p. 10.