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When I started meditating upon the texts for this Sunday, I started hearing bits and pieces of a song by Sting called ‘Brand New Day.’ Mostly the lines from the refrain echoed God’s spiritual treatise upon us: “We're starting up a brand new day… “I'm thinking in a brand new way”... and the song concludes in saying: “Stand up and be counted”… “Stand up all you lovers in the world”… “We're starting up a brand new day.”
Perhaps this is another way to look at the culmination of
the Beatitudes of Jesus teaching the disciples.
How could He have taught them a clear enough vision for what their work
in the world would bring, once they adopt and incorporate all that Christ needs
for them to DO? Every New day is a
challenge and a promise that the Spirit will guide us to truly live into being
faithful witnesses, “DO’ers” of the Gospel!
Being a “DO’er” of the Gospel in the world takes a strong
commitment to witness. It is no easy
task in actuality as well as spiritually.
When we do begin to, not only see, all that God needs for us to see,
happening along our lives’ journeys; we begin to intentionally live into that
New Way. This is living into every day, in a brand new, hopeful and blessed
way… Just think how much we could begin to change? Not only our hearts would transform but our
lives would transfigure the face of the earth for the Glory of God through the
New Natured fruits of our voices, hands and feet!
Poor St. Peter, Jesus nearly scared him to death, on that
mountain side…. It was as if he was
grasping for straws in thinking what on earth to say to Jesus, Elijah and Moses! What an amazing thing to eyewitness! What a
miraculous event to invite all the disciples into beginning their ministries
around the art of witnessing. Most likely when we hear these texts this Sunday,
they seem too fantastic to even begin to understand yet alone perhaps want
to. Why did Jesus need to reveal Himself
this way to the disciples? How is He revealing Himself to us in the here and
now?
Can we say today, we have moments of clarity, in vision,
that is God’s manifest work in our lives? That has been a question floating in
my mind during the arduous, but meditative task of packing. The last time my husband and I moved, a
friend who helped us move, counted something like 75 boxes of books to my
library! What each and every book,
gathered to compose my library, truly means, are moments of learning—trial and
error, memories of where I was, who I was then and who I am now—where God is
leading…. My life as an artist and
teacher takes one sizable chunk of this library as well as in the past decade
of formation into ministry, belong most of the rest of my library. I know once my husband and I make that
amazing new journey into a new frontier and settle in… opening those boxes is
going to feel like how Peter felt in the flash of a moment—the glory of God’s
guiding presence and purpose unto you, revealed by opening each and every box!
Peter gives us something profound to spiritually chew on
about our work as the Body, he says in his letter excerpt here: “19So
we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be
attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and
the morning star rises in your hearts.”
What he’s telling people here, is that he not only witnessed God
literally at work in his life but knows the power of the Living Word of God as
that motivation to encourage our work in the world as disciples of Jesus. Encouraging our lives to take shape willingly
and prayerfully to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in order to become those guiding
lights to others. Realizing God’s work
in our very lives is like a bright star rising in our hearts—Epiphany.
We’ve used that term in creative ways—“having an
epiphany.” What does it really mean
however beyond ourselves?—that should be the question building up the foundation
of one’s faith journey. I believe the
way to begin is to look upon each New day as mentioned, at the beginning of
this message, as starting something truly New.
Each and every day is a New beginning to some aspect of your life, God
is needing to reveal to you. The sense
of Promise and Hope are glorious—they do, reveal the Glory of God.
Speaking of the beginning of days, I’m sure waking
pre-dawn for most of us is a grueling effort especially when we don’t perhaps
sleep too well the night before… We wake
up cussing or grumbling at the alarm clock asking it why it had to ring… We
crack open a bloodied eye to turn on the local news and start the day. Perhaps our Old Natured tendencies don’t wake
up singing, “Good Morning Sunshine?” Perhaps our minds are just seeing the
weight and burdens of the day ahead and feel as if nothing has really changed
except for the days moving seemingly, aimlessly forward? How depressing! That’s how the Evil One works
upon us in the sense of causing us to stumble over pessimism, anxiety, fear,
hopelessness, doubt… Once the day is
deadened by those layers of clouded thoughts… it’s hard to see God’s work,
revealed, in the every day.
Just the other day, in providing spiritual care through
Visiting Angels for the elderly man with advanced dementia; revealed God at
work in a special moment between a father and a son. The elderly man I have been caring for, is currently
experiencing a new stage of feelings and memories. The day before, apparently, his son found a
photo album of pictures of the man from his childhood immigration from Sweden
to America. What this triggered for him
was an elaborate dream which once he woke up, he felt as if he was still
witnessing this very moment. It is often
called Sun-downing. Beyond the medical, technical terms of his affliction, he
was also experiencing being down on his son.
Upon his waking and walking forward into this continued
vision, he broke down and started sobbing looking for those lost. For a moment, it was almost as if he was in
panic wondering where the rest of his family was and if they were coming with.
A few moments after this, it was as if he experienced a glimpse of reality and
began to cry over the loss of his family, in the here and now— they were no
longer really there for him, anymore. They, as well really couldn’t
understanding what was happening to him….
It was very sad to witness.
Once I calmed the elderly man down to a degree, I walked
towards the son’s room, knocking on his door and told him that he should come
out to comfort his father. At first
there was the rumblings of impatience, frustration and a moment of blurting out
anger since he really didn’t know what his father was experiencing. In some senses his vented anger was one of
doubt and perhaps of fear. Once he
realized what he needed to do, why he was truly there, his whole attitude
changed. Not only was he sorry for his release of emotions, but he felt
affirmed in the clarity of the moment—this was God’s purpose revealed to him
that he now must care for his father—he was truly home.
They say that if you dream a lot about homes or changing
rooms, you’re really spiritually working on yourself. The son, before his father began to require
24-7 supervision, was homeless. His
brothers and sister cajoled him to moving into care for his father at night
alongside a ‘Visiting Angel’ by day. For
the past several weeks, I have witnessed their relationship change as well as
how they’ve individually changed.
There’s that word—Witness. It is amazing how the human mind works. For one moment you are grounded in a sense of
self and then, God brings you beyond the self, to turn your heart down a
glorious New path! Father and son
renewed—this could be likened to our renewal as God’s children and our formerly
estranged relationship, now made right by the concrete reality of Christ Jesus’
Divine intervention in this world.
Jesus’ needs us to be witnesses to not only what the
Living Word reveals, day by day, but how we are affected by it. Whether you like it or not, you are in a
constant flux of change. The greatest
change is the one needed in the heart—the heart creates faith by and for God’s
Grace and is most profoundly lived in some form or another by our very
reality—we “fleshy” humans, God’s creations struggling and defying, the very
notion, of loving God and neighbor!
As said once in one of the Gospels, as to when the son of
man will return, you will not know the day or hour… 2,000 something years may
have gone by but it is hardly an eternity yet alone a reason to avoid the
awesome, sovereign presence, God with
us, truly brings. In this message, you
have witnessed a lot of introspection and witness of faith… Church is the building within us— the
heart—that sanctuary home God needs us to grow from. It may not be a mega-church, or a store front
or a hotel meeting room, or a Sunday school room of another community… It is your very self, making Christ Jesus’
Gospel known—being a friend to someone who you sense is hungering and thirsting
for the Good News! Bringing the Good
News naturally from a heart that has transfigured itself beyond its capacity to
LOVE.
It’s the little things, as it’s been said, that truly
matter… The other day, I was caring for
my evening “granny.” Truth be told, she reminds me a lot of my own grandmother,
shrinking in height and everything else.
I have been branching out in cooking more elaborate meals for her before
I help her settle in for the night. She
turned to me and said: “why do you do this?
I don’t think anyone has ever done something so nice….” I answered her in saying: “the Spirit led me
to do it for you. Besides, I love cooking it’s fun!” No matter where you are,
the very present, reveals God—He walks with you every step of the way. Like the
sun rising breaking forth that New Day, the Son shines in our hearts—revealing
an ever-transforming New Way!
Let us pray:
Gracious and Loving Lord Jesus
May we allow that morning star’s light
To start a New Day in our life of faith together as Your
children of Grace and Promise
May we cast aside all layers of fear, doubt, sadness,
pessimism and so forth…
To have that spiritual epiphany to be and become your
great shining stars, witnesses to Your Gospel
Living Your Word for Your glory and our
regeneration. AMEN
February 26th,
2017; Transfiguration Sunday; Year A; SOLA Lectionary
Sermon By
Reverend Nicole A.M. Collins
Psalm 2:6-12;
Exodus 24:8-18; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew
17:1-9
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