Reverend Ref +

SERMON
LAST EPIPHANY (TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY)
1 KINGS 19:9-18, MARK 9:2-9

We are living in interesting times; but then again, aren't they all? We are always at war or on the brink of war, living on the bubble of depression or witnessing the advent of something new like flight, cars, computers or space travel.

These are also interesting times in the Church. They probably haven't been this interesting since Chalcedon or Nicea, or maybe even the Donatist controversy.

These are interesting times in the church as, it would seem, we are headed for schism. In broad brush strokes, you have one group of people who want to follow the literal, plain-sense teachings of the Bible regarding homosexuality and are attempting to keep the church holy and pure. Those people are pitted against, again broadly speaking, another group of people who see the Bible as a living document, not a static set of purity codes, and who think it is time to fully include gays and lesbians in the life of the church.

In the middle of this controversy, the Archbishop of Canterbury requested a "study" be done in an attempt to calm things down. The result was the Windsor Report. It calls for a lot of things -- recognition of hurt, moratoriums on rites of same sex blessings, an end to bishops jumping across diocesan boundaries, and more. The short answer to this solution is, "It isn't working."

ECUSA has, in some form, recognized that GC03 caused problems within the Anglican Communion. Some provinces have responded by saying, "That isn't enough." Some dioceses are still working on formalizing a rite of same sex blessings. Some bishops still refuse to honor diocesan boundaries. The rhetoric is being turned up, and the civility is being toned down.

This argument, though, is more than just about "the gay issue." It's about inclusivity and exlusivity, who's in and who's out. It's about authority issues and where I can go if I disagree with someone, namely my bishop. It's about who has the authority to interpret scripture. It's about who is holy and who is not. It's about . . . power.

I would like to be able to say that this controversy is all the fault of one side, but I can't. Each side has good points and bad points, good behavior and bad behavior. Based on my own observations, I will say this: the hellfire speeches, condemnations, bombastic tones, covert political actions, and generally hateful and spiteful comments are, by and large, coming from those who want to uphold literalistic interpretations of scripture and well-defined holiness codes in the name of "orthodoxy." And not just any interpretations or codes, but their interpretations and codes.

I don't believe that God is in bombastic and windy speeches that try to break the rock of the church into pieces. I don't think God is in hateful speech that attempts to make its enemies quake in fear. And I don't think God is in hellfire speech that attempts to scorch those of differeing opinions.

I do, however, think that God, as Elijah found out, is in the sheer silence. I think God is in the silence that is us not yelling at each other. I think God is in the silence of prayer. I think God is in the silence of a cloud where we are told, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

And just how are we to listen to him? First, we can listen intellectually through our hearing and reading the words of Jesus. Reading through the Gospel of Mark, we hear that Jesus had the authority of God and that he was proclaimed to be the Son of God. We hear about having faith and having a willingness to follow Jesus. We hear about the importance of knowing yourself and what implications that has on your relationship with God. And we even hear about having a willingness to change your position to allow for new understandings.

Second, we can listen by emulating the actions of Jesus. This includes visiting the sick, inviting outcasts to join us, accepting those who come looking for help, and even sharing a meal with those whom we deem to be sinners (think of communion here). It also means praying on a regular basis and proclaiming the Good News to those around you. And it means reaching out to the less fortunate and providing them with what they need.

The story of the transfiguration is more than a theophany (that is, a visible but temporary appearance of God). It is also a warning. It is a warning that we can't put God into boxes or tents or dwellings of our own making and keep him there. God is not static. We can't say to those around us, "I have seen God, I have been transformed by God, and you must do exactly what I tell you if you want to be holy like me."

Instead, we must listen to Jesus. We must come down off our own high mountain to live with everybody else. We must listen to the words of Jesus and we must emulate his actions. We must invite rather than shun. We must reach out rather than close ranks. We must proclaim good news to sinners and outcasts, rather than condemn them with hateful and spiteful words. We must allow God to transform and transfigure them, rather than force them into our own molds of what is holy and acceptable.

These are interesting times. And as much as we might want to stay up on the mountain living with Jesus in a cloud of holiness in a place of our own making and removed from the issues and problems of the world, we can't. Jesus did not call the disciples into solitary lives where they sat around being right. Rather, Jesus called the disciples to invite other people into the kingdom of God where they could witness his tranformative power in their own lives.

As we approach Lent, take some quiet time this season and listen for God. Then come down off your mountain, share that experience with others, and let God do his job.