No one likes change. Actually, we don’t mind change. It’s loss we dislike. People change things about their lives everyday. They look forward to it. They celebrate it. They get married. They have children. They get a new job or a new house. What we fear is loss. We look forward to getting married, but not the change in old friendships. We look forward to a new home, but we miss all the familiar things about our old one. We look forward to the birth of a child, but not the loss of sleep.
Lately we are troubled by the changes we see around us. We say that we don’t like change but perhaps we are really suffering loss. The way to get through loss is not to deny it or to pretend that it can be avoided. We bear our losses when we see the benefits of change. The new home is in a better location, or it is more affordable. The new marriage is work, but it is a more rewarding relationship than older friendships. The work of parenting is very difficult, but children are a joy and a blessing.
Change is often not something we choose. All that we can control is how we respond to the changes that happen around and to us. The economy goes bad, or we get a diagnosis of an illness. There is no choice to go back to a time when things were not so bad. We only have a choice to live the best way we know how or to give up to whatever happens. At the most basic level we are faced with the choice to live or to die.
This Sunday we remember the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop. We remember who Jesus is. We also remember the journey of Jesus from the beginning of his story to its end. There is a glorious vision and there are limits placed upon the glorious vision. Peter wants to set up tents. There will be no pause on the mountaintop. As soon as the vision vanishes, Jesus takes the disciples down the mountain, and reminds them of his path to Jerusalem where he will die before he will be raised.
Our faith is not static. Our God is sure and dependable. The belief statements of our creed are absolutely firm and unchanging. The promises of God will certainly be fulfilled. However, we will not remain the same. We may prefer to have a self-understanding that is unchanged, but God seeks more for us. We may prefer to have a spiritual community that stays the same as we have always remembered it, but God knows we need people around us who are growing as we are growing in our faith. It would be nice if this church could be a haven from all the confusing changes we see in the world. Instead, God wants our community to equip us to face the changes that trouble us. God would have us guide and support each other through the troubles of life.
Elijah is about to depart and Elisha, his disciple and spiritual son is following him. The story is a little hard to follow, but they travel in stages from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and finally to the Jordan River. They are following the path the people of Israel took as they entered into the Promised Land. The company of prophets, the official religious leaders, supply the facts about what will happen. “You master is going to leave you.” They know the facts but they have no hope. Elisha knows that things will change, but he hopes for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit – that double portion means the blessing of the first-born son. When Elisha sees the vision, it is proof that he will continue the work given to Elijah. His master is gone, but God’s work continues.
Jesus is transfigured before the disciples. They are terrified. Moses and Elijah are talking with Jesus. Is this everything they hoped for? Peter suggests they preserve the moment. They hear a voice. “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”
No more visions. No more clouds of glory. No conversations with the great prophets. Now they only have the flesh and blood Jesus with his difficult words and troubling suggestion that he might have to die. Why can’t we stay in that great place on the mountaintop? Why can’t our faith give easy answers that are easy to live up to? Why does it have to be so difficult?
Our faith is not based on ease and comfort. Jesus makes a literal life or death decision. He knows he has to sacrifice himself so that we can live. Every follower of Jesus has to make the same choice. We have to make the hard choices that lead to life. If we don’t we will only die.
We will soon begin our journey with Jesus through lent. Part of that journey is to examine our hearts and to discern the things in us that must die. We may take on a discipline of giving something up so that we can practice letting go of things. We may take on a discipline to learn to add good things to our lives. As we journey together as a congregation we will be learning how to live with the changes all around us. We will be well aware of the things that are dead or passing away. We will also need to look for signs of life.
We have not been brought to this place to perish on the edge of a vision. We have traveled here to see what new thing God can do. We may no longer be a great cultural or civic center for the community of New Milford – but we can be a faithful congregation. People no longer come here because of our prestige, but now it may be easier to be a community without boundaries and expectations. We really can invite anyone. It no longer matters how we are dressed or whom we know – we’re all on the journey together.
We may be counting our pennies, but maybe we can also discover gifts in our community that have not been valued. Every member has wisdom and every soul has gifts to offer. We can’t do things the same way anymore, but now we have the freedom to create a way that works for us.
The most difficult part of this is that we don’t yet see the end. We are in good company. The disciples had no idea where Jesus was leading them. The path to new life is not clear, but we know we will get there. That’s all we know for now. Until then, we live in hope that the God who has stood with us in all things will guide us to the end.
Lately we are troubled by the changes we see around us. We say that we don’t like change but perhaps we are really suffering loss. The way to get through loss is not to deny it or to pretend that it can be avoided. We bear our losses when we see the benefits of change. The new home is in a better location, or it is more affordable. The new marriage is work, but it is a more rewarding relationship than older friendships. The work of parenting is very difficult, but children are a joy and a blessing.
Change is often not something we choose. All that we can control is how we respond to the changes that happen around and to us. The economy goes bad, or we get a diagnosis of an illness. There is no choice to go back to a time when things were not so bad. We only have a choice to live the best way we know how or to give up to whatever happens. At the most basic level we are faced with the choice to live or to die.
This Sunday we remember the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop. We remember who Jesus is. We also remember the journey of Jesus from the beginning of his story to its end. There is a glorious vision and there are limits placed upon the glorious vision. Peter wants to set up tents. There will be no pause on the mountaintop. As soon as the vision vanishes, Jesus takes the disciples down the mountain, and reminds them of his path to Jerusalem where he will die before he will be raised.
Our faith is not static. Our God is sure and dependable. The belief statements of our creed are absolutely firm and unchanging. The promises of God will certainly be fulfilled. However, we will not remain the same. We may prefer to have a self-understanding that is unchanged, but God seeks more for us. We may prefer to have a spiritual community that stays the same as we have always remembered it, but God knows we need people around us who are growing as we are growing in our faith. It would be nice if this church could be a haven from all the confusing changes we see in the world. Instead, God wants our community to equip us to face the changes that trouble us. God would have us guide and support each other through the troubles of life.
Elijah is about to depart and Elisha, his disciple and spiritual son is following him. The story is a little hard to follow, but they travel in stages from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and finally to the Jordan River. They are following the path the people of Israel took as they entered into the Promised Land. The company of prophets, the official religious leaders, supply the facts about what will happen. “You master is going to leave you.” They know the facts but they have no hope. Elisha knows that things will change, but he hopes for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit – that double portion means the blessing of the first-born son. When Elisha sees the vision, it is proof that he will continue the work given to Elijah. His master is gone, but God’s work continues.
Jesus is transfigured before the disciples. They are terrified. Moses and Elijah are talking with Jesus. Is this everything they hoped for? Peter suggests they preserve the moment. They hear a voice. “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”
No more visions. No more clouds of glory. No conversations with the great prophets. Now they only have the flesh and blood Jesus with his difficult words and troubling suggestion that he might have to die. Why can’t we stay in that great place on the mountaintop? Why can’t our faith give easy answers that are easy to live up to? Why does it have to be so difficult?
Our faith is not based on ease and comfort. Jesus makes a literal life or death decision. He knows he has to sacrifice himself so that we can live. Every follower of Jesus has to make the same choice. We have to make the hard choices that lead to life. If we don’t we will only die.
We will soon begin our journey with Jesus through lent. Part of that journey is to examine our hearts and to discern the things in us that must die. We may take on a discipline of giving something up so that we can practice letting go of things. We may take on a discipline to learn to add good things to our lives. As we journey together as a congregation we will be learning how to live with the changes all around us. We will be well aware of the things that are dead or passing away. We will also need to look for signs of life.
We have not been brought to this place to perish on the edge of a vision. We have traveled here to see what new thing God can do. We may no longer be a great cultural or civic center for the community of New Milford – but we can be a faithful congregation. People no longer come here because of our prestige, but now it may be easier to be a community without boundaries and expectations. We really can invite anyone. It no longer matters how we are dressed or whom we know – we’re all on the journey together.
We may be counting our pennies, but maybe we can also discover gifts in our community that have not been valued. Every member has wisdom and every soul has gifts to offer. We can’t do things the same way anymore, but now we have the freedom to create a way that works for us.
The most difficult part of this is that we don’t yet see the end. We are in good company. The disciples had no idea where Jesus was leading them. The path to new life is not clear, but we know we will get there. That’s all we know for now. Until then, we live in hope that the God who has stood with us in all things will guide us to the end.
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