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How do we come to understand Christ's transfiguration? What does it mean to a battered group of modern Christians struggling to still be FAITHFUL to the Word of life within a growing graceless wilderness? If we don't venture there....how will we ever truly know? The root word in the Greek for transfigure is metamorphosis which literally means “changing form in keeping with inner reality.”
The
glory of God coming into our world as Jesus and this revelation—unveiling of
His Divine plans in, with and through Christ is that aspect of Grace we are
still growing to understand. The wisdom
of this moment however is only realized in facing and unveiling the New Nature
capacity we have within us as children of Grace to tap into.
As
disciples of Jesus changing form must begin with developing and opening up the
receptors of our hearts to develop heart knowledge first. If we recall, the heart is both the
tabernacle of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives within the true church’s
walls and windows, being the soul (Who we spiritually are!). “Church” begins here and is what Jesus
intended to be developed from to eventually grow through our hands and feet.
It is
here that we are to grow a Godly faith with Godly goals that reflect NOT our
will but the Lord’s. St. Paul says this in another passage to his wayward
Corinthians: “17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And all of us, with unveiled faces,
seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being
transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this
comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” Essentially Paul is saying that the Glory of
God is our acceptance and faithful transformation into being New Nature-bound
citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Who we spiritually
are is better understood for the disciple as whose we spiritually belong
to. Belonging is that hard road for us
all venturing out into faithfully living into the priesthood of all believers.
Realizing profoundly your particular place, your gifts and knowing deeply what
you need to DO, be and become for the Love of God and neighbor is a lifetime’s
journey. It takes being shaped prayerfully in knowing who loves us and why we
must love as Paul says: “5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we
proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For
it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.”
There
are so many people in the world in our sphere of history that lived into that
radical call from God contrary to how the world would expect them to. These individuals didn’t lose heart but lived
over and above their challenges to shine in the world, be and become salt and
light for the sake of the Gospel and most importantly for the Glory of God.
Glory
is that “Pandora’s box” word that our human nature/ Old Nature can see as
either entirely ego-driven, works righteousness or socialized/ individualized
justice OR through an unnatural, radical perspective being New Nature driven
alone. Being and becoming New Nature
driven is the process of sanctification—a lifetime’s journey which will always
fall short on some level but should be strived for nevertheless!
Our
lives are to be lived spiritually shaped by the cross and glory of Christ
alone, through faith & grace alone and guided, nurtured by the Living Word
alone. This is where the ruler of the
Kingdom of this world works against this Godly process. He works into our hearts to either inhibit us
from change or to help us begin our path into the graceless wilderness to truly
become spiritually lost… and struggling this is our spiritual warfare battlefield.
Losing this battle, however, is death.
Death
can begin spiritually when one becomes weary. Despair is the heart becoming
lost. The Evil One loves to do his best work here. Losing heart can be beyond
losing momentum but feeling the bars of the prison you have placed yourself
behind. These
bars have no time limit or are set up during any time of your life during the
struggling challenges you face. Looking into that mirror goes beyond being
"ok...." Where does your heart lie?
I want
to live into my New Nature truly and truthfully but if I become weary how can
I? Here's the pain of being human, being, becoming a disciple of Jesus in a
precarious world! The wilderness of the world does have the capacity to change
but it has to begin through you, NOT necessarily for you but for the true Glory
of God—GRACE. Grace as a New Nature
manifestation, be(ing-the-)attitude plain and truly simple.
Coming
to be discipled by the meaning and purpose of Christ’s transfiguration is that
enlightenment that goes far beyond stretching ourselves into God’s plans but
unveiling the Kingdom of Grace which is the glory of God’s plans for the world.
We may not ever become Mother Theresa’s or Dr. King’s or others like them who
operated from a radical, New-Natured perspective but that is because we are individually,
God’s own treasures to tap into and grow from as members of the priesthood of
all believers.
Our
lives’ stories impart the miraculous ways God works through us for His
Glory. It may be difficult to see this
shining before us however when we are distracted by the peril, evil and
idolatries of the world. It may be
difficult to feel the warmth of the light of God’s Grace shining in your heart
if you are despairing, weighted down, burdened.
There will always be, as well, some people casting a dark light of doubt
upon the motives of a heart growing and transforming for the Lord’s use.
We have
standards of measurements, limits, restrictions, exclusions to levy upon one
another since we want to be in control, “have” the glory. If you have no capacity for humble servitude,
and would rather hide within the fortress of intellectual, theological or
doctrinal “delusions of grandeur…” You do not serve anyone except
yourself. Change becomes manipulation,
politics and other ugly fruits born within the graceless wilderness to none other
than Satan’s glory alone! The ramifications and consequences of this is what we
are imprisoned with today.
I believe
I have used this metaphor before but it is the most powerful image for one to
think about in regards to reflecting upon where they are spiritually on their
discipleship journey. Just imagine for a
moment, a Chrysalis cocoon only a step away from its complete metamorphosis
into the butterfly… What if that shell
became solid and impenetrable? Obviously the creature would never break forth
and die. Now imagine this Chrysalis shell is the walls of your heart.
How can
we grow as those charged with continuing to carry and care for the Gospel of
Jesus if our hearts are hardened and veiled with our own needs and “glory?” The
truth is that we can’t. We strip the
Gospel of Grace and its Glory away from those perishing from spiritual
starvation! Plain and simple!
In the
on-going sad story of what has been happening at a friend’s church, he shared
with me that a number of parishioners are considering leaving. Many of these individuals were the remaining
faithful and dedicated left after their pastor retired. The latest session the
interim had them “sit through” was, as I was told, a condescending lecture of
what they must do and so on and that she is not a Shepherd only a
facilitator.
She
also mentioned to them that: Christ is not only not Divine but more or less
just a social justice activist for our example; but to “believe in whatever you
feel comfortable in believing in, this is why we gather.” I’m sorry… but
YIKES!! I don’t believe this pastor has or could understand this passage: “1Therefore,
since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose
heart. 2We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we
refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement
of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of
God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who
are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the
minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
This is
just one example of many “places of belief” that are perishing away into the
cultural ideology of a world shaped by sin (& potential evil) not by
grace. If we don’t step up to the
challenge of unveiling the TRUTH of the Gospel of Grace for the Glory of the
Lord as disciples of Jesus; we will succumb to the fate of being, becoming
those trapped future Butterflies crying and despairing in vain…
AMEN
February 15th, 2015; The
Transfiguration of Our Lord; Year B; SOLA Lectionary;
Sermon by Rev. Nicole A.M. Collins
Psalm 50:1-6; Exodus 34:29-35; 2
Cor. 3:12-18; 4:1-6 & Mark 9:2-9
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