Sermon – Mark 9:2-9 – The Light of Christ

Rev. Sara McCurdy, Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church

October 14, 2024 - Transfiguration

20 plus years ago, here at LNPC, a letter went out to the members of the congregation announcing a 2-year Bethel Bible Study training class led by Dee Hazen. I was interested but I was new to the church, and it seemed presumption for me to sign up. Jim and I lived in Kite Hill at the time and one evening I went down to the community Jacuzzi. And behold, across from me in the bubbling warm water, there was Frank Pearce. “Frank, I said, “I received this letter from Dee about a Bethel Bible Study training class. I want to do it but I’m not really sure if I’m equipped for such an important commitment.” Frank was super encouraging. “Do it” he said. “Go for it.” So, I signed up and as it goes, the rest is history. The Bethel series—reading the Bible so intensely changed my life.

Members of the class, Dee, Debbie Perkins, Jackie Settles, and Andy Logan, joined together over a period of two years - meeting in one of the portables—20 weeks on the New Testament and 20 weeks in the Old Testament. Each lesson in the Bethel series included a picture—some people couldn’t stand them, an artist’s rendering of the content of the Lesson. This must have been during the New Testament series because I recall before class one evening being deeply engaged in gazing at the picture of Jesus for that particular lesson. Then, quite unexpectedly, while gazing away, I became acutely aware of a light shining down from above me, surrounding me completely—a light, and with it came an unquestionable sense of comfort and deep, deep peace. In those moments as I gazed at this kind of ordinary Bethel picture of Jesus, it became for me much like a Greek Orthodox meditative icon used for centuries to bring Christ’s presence to the observer of the icon. I have never forgotten that spiritual experience. It did last long but it changed me. Being bathed in the light of Christ is something one never forgets. I still draw on that experience today. I’ve tried to will it back to no avail. The boundary between the divine and human opened and there surrounding me was a new experience of divine reality.

In this passage, perhaps in a much more profound way, that happened to Peter, James, and John. Before their own eyes, they witnessed the full representation of the light of Christ—Christ’s full glory. The boundary between the divine and human opened and right above them was a new view of divine reality.

Three work buddies, fishing partners from way back, whose lives had been relatively predictable at least until they were called to follow Jesus. In this passage, these three alone—two brothers, James and John, and their fishing buddy, Peter—are invited to put away their nets and take a hike with Jesus. Off they go, thinking they knew Jesus pretty well. He was their friend, their teacher and rabbi. They were in relationship with him.

By this time Jesus had changed Simon’s name to Cephas, which is translated Peter. Peter had witnessed Jesus’ miracle of the great multitude of fishes, at which time he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Peter had first-hand knowledge of Jesus’ compassion, and he rested in Jesus’ reassurance that he would be a fisher of people.

At Caesarea Philippi Peter had already confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter had seen Jesus heal and teach and he knew all too well what it was like to be rebuked by Jesus as well. Remember the “Get behind me, Satan” comment? Peter, James and John knew a whole lot about Jesus. They alone saw the raising from the dead of Jairus’s daughter. Until this event, all three thought they knew the truth of Jesus’ identity not only on the basis of their idea of a coming Messiah but in a way that can only be known personally in the context of a personal relationship.

Have you ever had the experience of thinking you know someone very well and then they do something, or you find out something new about them and you have to rearrange your understanding of who that person is? You have to get to know them in a new way.

There’s a cartoon that shows a couple at breakfast table. Both with part of the newspaper and a cup of coffee. The woman says, “This time away from television will give us a chance get to know each other better, Martin. And the man turns and says, “It’s Marvin.”

That’s pretty silly. If you know someone well enough to have morning coffee with them in your pajamas, you really ought to know their name. But, here I’m talking about taking in some new information that is critical to their identity. Perhaps some of you remember some years back when then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (first woman to hold that position) learned from a reporter that her parents, whom she’d always known as Catholics, were actually Jews who had converted to save themselves and their family from the Holocaust. "This,” she said, “was obviously a major surprise to me. I have never been told this." Without warning, Albright faced something new and different - some very dramatic new information that must have aroused feelings of anxiety and a very deep need to reassess the truth of her own and her parent’s identities.

Jesus led Peter, James and John up the mountain and something about Jesus was dramatically different. They felt the same way anyone would feel when facing something new and different. They felt scared stiff.

The famous golfer, Sam Snead, once said that “of the mental hazards on the golf course, “being scared is the worst.” When you get scared you get tense”. Peter, James and John were tense. Even Peter didn’t know what to say, for as the passage says, “they were terrified.” Before their very eyes Jesus did not look the same. He was changed completely He wasn’t making a whole lot of sense either, at least from their perspective. The change in Jesus these three disciples witnessed out on that walk confused and scared them. Things were not the same and “change is a magnet for emotional reactions (The Door Set Open, p21).”

That statement, “change is a magnet for emotional reactions”, is a quote from Peter Steinke’s book A Door Set Open. Dr. Steinke writes about and consults with churches large and small across the country on how to remain healthy and vital during times, especially when things are rapidly changing. In his book, he says, “there was once a world that was eager to be hospitable to Christian churches—a world that supported “blue laws,” soccer less Sundays, eating fish rather than meat on Friday, public prayer in schools and weekly religion sections in urban newspapers. “In a post-Christian world, the church cannot expect favorable treatment or higher visibility.”

Things have changed. And so, Dr. Steinke reminds us that at this point in history, the church exists in the context of change and change has the potential of producing fear and anxiety among its members. At a time when it is essential to rethink the church’s mission in a changing environment, folks face the same mental hazard that Sam Snead identifies on the golf course. They become tense. How can one not become anxious when financial and membership worries become the focus. Anxiety in the church can result, he says, in imagination gridlock. It becomes difficult to see future possibilities and to embrace the future with hope. I’m not saying this is happening at LNPC. But generally, this is the case.

When the church is anxious, it prefers familiarity and begins to honor the past rather than the future.

In this passage we see three frightened disciples confronting a sea of change they do not really understand. Jesus was physically changed in a way they had never seen before. This event that we call the transfiguration might have happened over two-thousand years ago, but those three human beings were wired up just like we are when it comes to reacting to the new and different.

Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Son of God but he was unprepared for anything so magnificent – so glorious – illuminating brightness, cloud and prophet all in full sight. The boundary between the divine and human opened and there right above him was a new view of reality. This is a apocalyptic moment – the heavens are opened. High on a mountain in a place nearest heaven Jesus appeared in full glory.

While Peter may not have known what to say, he must have felt as though he had to say something. Tension will do that to you. With eyes firmly fixed on human things, in a moment of fear Peter reacts by suggesting a plan to freeze the vision in time. “Let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Let us construct something like a shrine that will allow us to hold on to this moment and to the past. But before anyone could answer, a cloud overwhelmed his anxious reactivity and a voice spoke, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.” While the three disciples wanted to build a shrine to commemorate the occasion, they are reminded that it is Jesus’ way and not theirs that will lead them into the future. They are minded to Listen to Him.

The boundary between the divine and human opened and there right above them is a new view of Divine reality. As they walked back down the mountain each one was changed by what they had experienced, Jesus continued to draw them into his truth. He spoke about his suffering, his death and his resurrection. Peter, James and John listened to him in a new way.

In her book, A Multitude of Blessings, Dr. Cynthia Campbell reminds us that for a Christian truth is personal. Our truth is a person, namely Jesus Christ himself. Peter, James and John continued in personal relationship with Jesus in a new and changed way. Dr. Campbell reminds us “the truth of another person can only be known personally, that is to say in the context of a personal relationships. In that way your depth of understanding - the nature of the truth about that person grows.” The depth of the disciples understanding of Jesus grew in relationship with Christ and they rearranged their understanding of their mission in light of Jesus life, death and resurrection. They continued to listen to Him as God had commanded through the presence of the Holy Spirit just as we are called to do.

The Bible is our witness to these life changing events we read in scripture – our witness to experiences with Jesus. We don’t have to be physically present when they happened to be changed by them. The Bible is our living witness to their power and truth. Read the Bible – Go to Bible study – Listen to Him – and then hold on because, I’m here to testify, you will be changed.

Peter, James and John eventually move with us back down the mountain into the normal routines of life. The overarching problem Dr. Steinke encounters during times of change is that most congregations do not have a clear sense of mission that motivates and drives them with energy into the future. Just as Pastor Jim has been teaching and preaching, the futures hinges on knowing who we are, and being clear on what we are about and then making all decisions about how to use time, energy and resources in order to hit that target. Under Pastor Jim’s leadership you are exploring who you are. You have a great Head of Staff with whom to move into the future.

As a congregation you are being called at this particular moment in time to extend God kingdom and share God’s love in a way that only LNPC can do. Unlock your imaginations. I think with God’s help you already have. A future in relationship with Jesus Christ if full of possibilities and hope. Amen.