Trust beyond ourselves

2^nd Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2009

Mark 8:31-38 with Genesis 17:1-17 in b.g.

 

Last Sunday I was sitting beside one of my closest friends who was bedridden in a Winnipeg hospital. I was attempting to accompany him as he was dying. My friend had been living an incredible life. He was graduated from university with high marks. So high in fact that IBM wanted him. He began his career working out of Ottawa, Montreal and Washington DC while in his early 20's.  He was professionally and personally well respected. He had a bright future. But a few years into that career he decided to leave for a while, sensing another call. He began to do youth work in the old ELCC. A few years later he decided to pursue another call. Eventually he traveled to the little city of Saskatoon to attend Seminary. As part of those studies he lived for the year of his internship in the tiny community of Hodgeville Saskatchewan. Then he graduated from Seminary. Not convinced that he wanted to be a parish pastor he did more computer work being employed for a time by the Cooperators. But then he did become a Pastor. He served 2 congregations in Winnipeg. Then he became responsible for overseeing all the youth work in the MNO Synod. And then my friend became the first North American officer of the Lutheran World Federation. He worked out of Chicago often traveling many countries of the world. As the North American officer he coordinated the LWF Assembly in Winnipeg in 2003. Over the last 4 years my friend worked as a consultant to the Ethiopian Lutheran Church helping to partner with other churches, that they may see and do what Jesus is truly calling them to do this world. On February 17 of this year my friend was still working somewhat, having traveled to Geneva.

 

But sitting there silently as last weekend and watching him die quite quickly, I wondered about the meaning of any of that, of all of that. His kidneys were shutting down. His liver had stopped functioning. He could barely speak or open his eyes. 

 

So I ask, what do we value? What matters for us in life?

 

Immediately prior to today's gospel reading Jesus asks his disciples, who are people saying that he is? The disciples tell the truth.  Some of the people are saying that Jesus is  John the Baptist returned to life. Others are saying that Jesus is Elijah ,the great prophet whom Malachi pointed to as returning just before the Messiah was to arrive. Still others were saying that Jesus is one of the prophets. Eventually Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter inspired by God's own Spirit says, "You are Messiah!" Peter's words are absolutely correct. 

 

Sometimes we too use the right words. We sing, Jesus loves me. We also proudly sing that we will follow Jesus. Occasionally we even do things that are honorable. We may give of our time and talents in ways that help others and the creation. Sometimes we do this with little or no thought for ourselves, or even while making a conscious sacrifice. I witnessed some of this on Friday night as people in the Out of the Cold shelter at St. Alban's Church slept with quilts some of you ladies made. Your work is good. It makes a difference.

 

The early disciples had left home to follow Jesus. Such an act in itself is amazing. But why had they left? Did they grasp, did they even begin to comprehend who Jesus was, who Jesus is, what that might mean for them and others?

 

Apparently not! Mark writes that just after Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus BEGINS TO TEACH THEM what that means. Pay attention to Jesus words: He must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the religious establishment and yes, be killed. He must! But Peter (perhaps even while loving Jesus) says, NO! Being rejected, SUFFERING, DYING, is not Peter's dream for Jesus, is not Peter's expectation for Jesus. NO, NO, NO!

 

What does Jesus do? Jesus looks at all the disciples. Then Jesus "rebukes" Peter. The word translated rebuke is the same word that Jesus had used in casting out some of the demons in earlier parts of Mark. Not only does Jesus rebuke Peter, but in this context, as Peter is trying to get Jesus to shy away from his mission of rejection, suffering and death, Jesus dares to call Peter, Satan. Perhaps this is Jesus way of saying that Peter in attempting to deflect Jesus' obedience to God is not acting on behalf of God, but on behalf of the power of evil. Peter may be personally convinced that such suffering and dying wouldn't be, couldn't be God's will. But Jesus points out that Peter is blind to God's ways, that Peter is thinking only of himself or in human ways, not divine ways.

 

This causes me to wonder: how am I blind?

 

How are you blind?

 

I have dreams. Yet so often they have to do with myself or of things that I would see as being successful. These things seem to me to be good: more people in church; a wonderful reputation for myself and this congregation; financial success for my children; even the healing of my close friend. I can rationalize all of these dreams, my wishes:  Wouldn't God want more people in church? Wouldn't God be pleased if I as a Lutheran Pastor had a good reputation? Wouldn't we as a congregation be able to do more of God's good and gracious will if our finances weren't in the red?  Wouldn't it be better for my children if they had more financial assets, and didn't need to work so, live with uncertainty? And finally, if my friend who was dying and now has died were healed couldn't he have continued to do more of God's good and gracious will on this earth?

 

But are any of my wishes, my dreams, truly God's will?

 

Peter was convinced that God wouldn't allow Jesus, the Messiah to die. Surely there must be some other way. But Jesus says, NO. He must suffer, be rejected and die. Why? I am convinced that there are many reasons, numerous possiblities. Read the New Testament. According to Mark – the hope is that by Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection people will be freed from the captivity to themselves and the powers of death and evil to actually see in new ways. By God's grace we may be freed from our blindness and enslavement to our way of thinking, our way of dependence, our often absolute prioritization of trusting only in things that we can see, feel, taste and touch. All such things, even though they may be filled with wonder and beauty, are far less than God.

 

To employ Jesus' language: losing our self is essential if we are to live. It's like a mother or father who is blessed with a child. Only God knows why they have hoped to have a child in the first place. There may be as many reasons as there are brain cells. Nevertheless, now they are parents to this child. This child begins to draw them beyond themselves in ways they may never could have imagined. To lose sleep, to give of time and money without thought that before they would have spent on themselves is now their new reality. To be challenged by that child to see the world in ever new ways is now their reality.

 

Last week I finished reading reflections on the life of Pierre Trudeau by so many people who had interactions with him. All of these people said that Trudeau saw as his greatest accomplishment or contribution to the world as being raising his children. His greatest contributions to the world weren't the repatriation of the constitution, or his unique ability to keep Quebec in Canada.

 

Christ tells Peter, the disciples and all of us, that in trusting him, being drawn beyond ourselves and emptying our lives in whatever ways that His drawing us brings, in that is NEW LIFE!  Such life is to be life here and now. Such life also points beyond the here and now, for such life is life with God.

 

And nothing can separate us from such life – not even death.

 

By God's grace may we glimpse Jesus. He suffers and dies because He loves all and refuses to be idle or silent about injustice and the power of evil and death.  They confront Him and he confronts them. He refuses to confront with violence or deceit. Rather Jesus confronts these powers with honesty, his own self-emptying given for the purpose of love. As we glimpse Him may we by God's grace also follow him, trusting that although death is involved, ours and others, such death and loss need not paralyze us.

 

What is to be feared is the temptation to give into our fear in the face of evil and death and place our trust only in ourselves or only in that which we can see, feel, taste and touch. Then death and evil have us in their grasp.

 

May our living prayer be, "Lord we believe, help our unbelief!" Amen.

 

Mountain climbing anyone?

Transfiguration Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009

Mark 9:2-9

 

When our kids were little we lived in Vernon. Now Vernon is nearly surrounded by three lakes, situated in a valley at the bottom of Silver Star Mountain. Occasionally on my day off we would drive up Silver Star Mountain to hike, ski or toboggan. The ascending from that mountain is marvelous. To the east one can view the Monashee mountain range 50 miles away, stretching off into the distance for at least a hundred miles. Below one can see our little city of Vernon. Though that city is over 40,000 people, from part way up the mountain it seems so tiny. Perspective – I often thought about how that tiny speck occupied and occupies a large part of our lives after 17 years. From the height of the mountain I realized that Vernon wasn't unimportant but it couldn't be all there is or was meant to be for me or anyone else. 

 

Mountains have that capacity – to move us in such a way that we are nearly forced to have a different, often a "bigger" perspective. We have older colloquial sayings that pick up on such truth: "Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill!" So, if you haven't ventured up a mountain lately I invite you to make time to take that pilgrimage. As you make the ascent be disciplined to stop, to breathe deeply, to reflect and feel in the silence. I have often felt a closeness to God on mountains – not because I somehow believe that heaven is the only place God is, or that heaven is somehow a geographical place at some "high" elevation. Rather there is something about a mountain that draws me beyond myself – a transcendence about mountains if you will.

 

Today's Gospel text seeks to take us up a mountain. As we arrive we are not alone. Already there are Peter, James and John – Jesus' 3 closest disciples. Jesus is in our midst. In fact Jesus has been leading all of us to this mountain place. At first it's just Peter, James and John, Jesus, you and me who are present. In some ways it's as if we are apart from everyone and everything else. That's no small feat today. Cell phones, blackberries, laptops, music that's piped to almost any and all places, cars and cameras that accompany some of our other gadgets, almost insure that we are never really alone or apart from others. But here on this mountain we are apart by ourselves.

 

And now, right now, some amazing things are happening. Jesus is transfigured in front of us. What we are actually seeing is impossible to describe. The Greek text puts it this way: it says that Jesus' clothes became whiter than any bleach could bleach them, blazing white, glistening white, whiter than white. Words are not sufficient for such reality. Then suddenly, Jesus isn't the only one standing in front of us. Now Elijah with Moses is also there. Do you remember Moses? Moses is the One whom God called from a bush. The bush was burning but wasn't being consumed. As Moses is being drawn to that bush God calls him to be the person through whom God works freedom for the Israelites. They will be given their own land. God will keep the promises God had previously made to Sarah and Abraham. And Elijah? Well, Elijah is only one of two people in the Bible who never died. Elijah was taken directly from earth to be with God without dying. Elijah had been a great prophet.

 

Some scholars in reflecting upon the meaning of Mark's account of the transfiguration say that Moses and Elijah represent the sum of the law and the prophets. If that's accurate then Jesus is standing alongside the sum of the law and the prophets.  Others see Elijah with Moses beside Jesus signifying that in Jesus there is the completion, the fulfillment of all the promises God had been making from the beginning of time. It is from the line of Abraham and Sarah, that a blessing emanates for the entire universe. The debates rage on.

 

Can you imagine it? Someone you knew and cared for having their appearance changed in inexplicable ways right before your eyes? Add to that the appearance of people who had lived literally hundreds of years before. What would you do? Would you think you  were losing it?  Would you lose control of your faculties, even your bodily functions?

 

As is Peter's nature, he begins to talk.  What he says isn't all babble. He wants to build booths to either preserve the moment or reflect some of Israel's experience in the wilderness. During the journey from Egypt to Canaan men annually built temporary booths to live in and worship God. Mark reports that Peter didn't know what to say because he, James and John were terrified. Who could blame them? God is up to something.

 

T o add to the mystery a cloud appears. This is not at all an unusual occurrence on  mountains. Clouds float over and around mountains all the time. But from this cloud comes a very audible voice. The voice speaks of Jesus saying, "This is my Son, the beloved, LISTEN TO HIM!"

 

Sooner or later Peter, James and John look around. Now they only see Jesus.  And then as Jesus bids them, they come down the mountain back to a reality that they are more familiar with. Indeed in the rest of Mark's Gospel they rarely seem to even in the faintest ways comprehend what had happened to them on that mountain. They either temporarily forget or just don't comprehend. Nevertheless they continue journeying with Jesus. He moves to Jerusalem to die. The night before he invites them to wait for him. But they fall asleep. They seem incapable of hearing him, following him.

 

Have you ever been up on that mountain? Have we heard, do we hear the voice of God commanding us to trust that Jesus is God's own Son? Many declare that there is no God. Sometimes we ourselves live as if there is no God. But in Jesus, God, the Creator of the universe takes on our flesh in order that we may glimpse not only that God is but that God loves. Sometimes as with those early disciples Jesus almost drags us along on His journey to the Jerusalems of life, inviting, commanding us to see, to hear, to obey Him. Not merely his words, though they are very important, but also his actions which flesh out the truth of his words. Jesus is the Son of God!

 

Reading further in Mark's Gospel we begin to see that Jesus' sonship, Jesus' love for us does not give us some sort of privileged status over/against others. Instead Jesus as God's Son, living and dying wills to usher all people into the sphere of God's love in which the reality of evil and death around and within us are being confronted. This Jesus, God's own Son can lead us in that confrontation through death to new life.

 

Only God can do this. The other things that we so easily are wrapped up in and trapped by: status, prestige, appearance, finances, these things are unable to overcome evil and death. Any and all of these other things can easily be co-opted by the many powers of evil and death. Only God can transform our hearts and minds, leading us through death to new life, here and now. Only God, can move us beyond ourselves, beyond our fear, our arrogance, our pride to trust the One who is also beyond our explanations, our attempts to manipulate. Only God, acting as God does in Jesus, can deliver us beyond the realities of despair to hope, overcoming even the cruelest powers of death with new life.

 

This morning, this very Son of God, the One whom Peter, James and John saw transfigured on that mountain, the One who goes to Jerusalem to suffer and die, comes speaking to us. Are we listening? Do we trust Him? Will we follow Him today? Are we being transformed by His life, death and the calls He places in and upon our lives?

 

The mountains He beckons us towards are all around us. Best be going! Amen.