Saturday, February 29, 2020
The Wedding Service for Eric John Falk and Alana Marita Hashbarger on Thursday, February 27, 2020
On Thursday, February 27, I officiated the wedding of Eric Falk and Alana Hashbarger in New Cumberland Presbyterian Church, New Cumberland, West Virginia. Below are a couple of pictures and a podcast of the service. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
Friday, February 28, 2020
A New Devotion - Forward Ho!
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
Philippians 3:12-21
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Forward Ho!
When I was a kid, I really enjoyed westerns, and I’m not talking modern, Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. No, I liked the old, black and white movies from the 40s and the 50s. And you know, it was interesting, whether it was a wagon train moving west or the United States Calvary entering hostile territory, there was a better than even chance that someone would say “Forward Ho!” And usually that was the cue for the orchestra to play music in keeping with the mood of the scene. But whether the sound was majestic or menacing, you knew the people involved were about to move forward. They weren’t looking back. Instead, they were heading into the future.
And that’s what Paul described to the Philippians. Rather than looking backward, he was moving forward. And even though he couldn’t be sure about the specifics, he did know that his ultimate destination was going to be wonderful, because it would be grounded in God himself. And he trusted that on that day his body of humiliation would be conformed to the body of Christ’s glory. Now that’s what he believed.
And since Paul challenged us to imitate him, so should we. In other words, it’s important for us to move forward; in other words, to claim the freedom we have through Jesus Christ and to look into the future with confidence and hope. And this is possible, as soon as we make the decision to trust that God holds our ultimate destinies in his compassionate and loving hands. And so, believing in God’s immutable grace and mercy, let’s respond to the call, Forward Ho!
Philippians 3:12-21
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Forward Ho!
When I was a kid, I really enjoyed westerns, and I’m not talking modern, Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. No, I liked the old, black and white movies from the 40s and the 50s. And you know, it was interesting, whether it was a wagon train moving west or the United States Calvary entering hostile territory, there was a better than even chance that someone would say “Forward Ho!” And usually that was the cue for the orchestra to play music in keeping with the mood of the scene. But whether the sound was majestic or menacing, you knew the people involved were about to move forward. They weren’t looking back. Instead, they were heading into the future.And that’s what Paul described to the Philippians. Rather than looking backward, he was moving forward. And even though he couldn’t be sure about the specifics, he did know that his ultimate destination was going to be wonderful, because it would be grounded in God himself. And he trusted that on that day his body of humiliation would be conformed to the body of Christ’s glory. Now that’s what he believed.
And since Paul challenged us to imitate him, so should we. In other words, it’s important for us to move forward; in other words, to claim the freedom we have through Jesus Christ and to look into the future with confidence and hope. And this is possible, as soon as we make the decision to trust that God holds our ultimate destinies in his compassionate and loving hands. And so, believing in God’s immutable grace and mercy, let’s respond to the call, Forward Ho!
Thursday, February 27, 2020
WCC NEWS: Prayer campaign to end 70-year Korean War gains global momentum
As the World Council of Churches (WCC) global fellowship embarks on prayers for peace on the Korean Peninsula from 1 March to 15 August, the world is ready for an era of permanent peace, said Rev. Dr Hong-Jung Lee, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea.
But “in 2019 all the reactions from the US government have impinged upon our sovereignty, as we see all our peace-making attempts blocked,” Lee said. "Furthermore, it has been frustrating that we see both major political parties in the US manipulating the Korean issue merely to gain the upper hand in the midterm elections and the presidential election, which then stifles the progress the two Koreas might have made.”
Lee urged, at this very critical juncture, that US leaders should respect inter-Korean sovereignty.
“I sincerely wish that the global prayer campaign will break through the frozen silence of the present Korean peace process, reawakening the global citizen’s peace consciousness, particularly reflecting on the 70-year long Korean War,” Lee said. “Let us end the Korean War, and establish a peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula in 2020. Peace is the only possible way of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the world.”
The global prayer campaign for peace on the Korean Peninsula will invite hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to say: “We Pray, Peace Now, End the War!”
During the campaign, 70 prayers and stories will be published, corresponding with a commemoration of 70 years since the Korean War in 2020. In cooperation with the National Council of Churches in Korea, prayers will be published online each week.
“This year, 2020, marks the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. Seventy years! Koreans in the North and South have lived in pain and hatred for a long time,” WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said.
“During this period of prayer, churches around the world will hear the heartbreaking stories of those who have gone through the suffering from the division. They will also hear about the people who have already lived out lives of reconciliation and peace beyond the division.”
The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney
Geneve 2 1211
Switzerland
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
WCC NEWS: Young songwriters invited to shine for WCC 11th Assembly
As the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly preparations progress, the Assembly Worship Planning Committee together with the WCC Youth Engagement programme are presenting a creative opportunity to young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who attend a WCC member church, inviting them to enter a song writing competition. This is part of efforts and initiatives involving and engaging young people in the planning and delivery of the assembly; they can be a part of the ecumenical movement with their young voices through music."Inspired by their participation and engagement in a global ecumenical event or programme, young people I have encountered in the events we organised, offer a musical reflection in a form of song at the conclusion of the event. Most of these songs are original compositions. There are so many resources that young people today could offer, including musical materials, that we as a fellowship should tap into. Thus, the idea of the Youth Song Writing Competition at the 11th Assembly in 2021 came up. This is also a more intentional effort of the WCC to engage young people in every aspect of what we do in the life and works of the whole fellowship,” said Joy Eva Bohol, WCC programme executive for Youth Engagement.
Contestants are expected to compose their songs around the assembly theme “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity” as the top eight songs selected from each region will be included in assembly worship resources. Songs can be written in any language, but must be accompanied with an English translation. Every submission will be reviewed by a dedicated committee and the top three entries may be invited to lead and perform their songs in a musical event during the assembly.
“Picture this scenario. Engaging young people in this form is a way of WCC paving the direction in which our music will go and the continuity of passing on the spirit of composing original music as part of our worship materials. In the process of preparations for the assembly, we could even have veteran composers to mentor young composers on the journey of spiritual life music not just for the assembly but also beyond,” explained Rev. Dr Mikie Roberts, WCC programme executive for Spiritual Life.
The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney
Geneve 2 1211
Switzerland
Lenten devotions by Outlook editor Jill Duffield
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
A New Devotion - Gains as Losses
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
Philippians 3:1-11
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Gains as Losses
When I was a young minister, a lot of Christians measured the faith and dedication of themselves and others by the dramatic content of their conversion stories. You see, for them, every believer needed to be saved from something. And the worse the sin, the better the conversion. For example, turning away from smoking cigarettes was fine, but turning away from smoking weed was even better. And making Jesus lord of your life was great, especially if you’d hit rock bottom, because the improvement would be a whole lot more dramatic than if you believed when life was pretty good. And so a lot of believers wanted their lives to be really bad so that they could tell people about how much better it had become post-conversion. As a matter of fact, I remember a young lady telling me that she was really frustrated, because she’d never been bad enough to have a good testimony.
And even though in the passage we read, Paul was talking about things like circumcision and heritage to highlight dedication, the though process is very similar. You see, whether it was being saved from something really scandalous or being a Hebrew born of Hebrews, these are all external things that have absolutely nothing to do with the righteousness that comes from God. Instead, it has everything to do with us and what we think is important. And for that reason, for us to appreciate the power of Christ’s resurrection and to share in his sufferings, we might need to put these things we consider important aside. As a matter of fact, if we want to move closer to our savior, we might want to regard all these gains as losses.
Philippians 3:1-11
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Gains as LossesWhen I was a young minister, a lot of Christians measured the faith and dedication of themselves and others by the dramatic content of their conversion stories. You see, for them, every believer needed to be saved from something. And the worse the sin, the better the conversion. For example, turning away from smoking cigarettes was fine, but turning away from smoking weed was even better. And making Jesus lord of your life was great, especially if you’d hit rock bottom, because the improvement would be a whole lot more dramatic than if you believed when life was pretty good. And so a lot of believers wanted their lives to be really bad so that they could tell people about how much better it had become post-conversion. As a matter of fact, I remember a young lady telling me that she was really frustrated, because she’d never been bad enough to have a good testimony.
And even though in the passage we read, Paul was talking about things like circumcision and heritage to highlight dedication, the though process is very similar. You see, whether it was being saved from something really scandalous or being a Hebrew born of Hebrews, these are all external things that have absolutely nothing to do with the righteousness that comes from God. Instead, it has everything to do with us and what we think is important. And for that reason, for us to appreciate the power of Christ’s resurrection and to share in his sufferings, we might need to put these things we consider important aside. As a matter of fact, if we want to move closer to our savior, we might want to regard all these gains as losses.
A Thought from the Word
A brief thought based on Jeremiah 29:11-13 – “I will bless you with a future filled with hope–a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you”
Read, Study and Grow: The Lectionary Passages for Wednesday, February 26...
Call to Prayer for victims of global conflict
Stated Clerk calls on Presbyterians to call elected officials to end the violence
On January 18, a U.N. humanitarian facility in Ngala, Borno State, Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon, was violently attacked by nonstate armed groups. The aid workers there were providing assistance to more than 55,000 people facing famine conditions.
On January 18, a U.N. humanitarian facility in Ngala, Borno State, Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon, was violently attacked by nonstate armed groups. The aid workers there were providing assistance to more than 55,000 people facing famine conditions.
Right now, we are living in a global context of increasing migration and displacement due to war and violent conflicts, as well as extreme hunger and famine.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) calls for renewed prayers for victims of global conflicts and for actions that will create a peaceful world where none are hungry.
The PC(USA) has witnessed in our work and through our partnerships around the world that violent conflicts are exacerbating hunger and poverty. Frequently, armed groups attack or take by force farms, food stocks, and agricultural tools and equipment. Often, as a tactic of war, civilians are cut off from humanitarian assistance to create situations of starvation, which if on a large enough scale become famines.
A few places where global partners currently are impacted by increased violence and extreme hunger are:
- In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territory, our partners are providing agricultural training and assistance to rebuild greenhouses and replant agricultural fields that have been destroyed in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Gaza is experiencing high levels of conflict, food insecurity, unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure like drinking water running dry.
- In Northeast Nigeria, our partners are assisting communities to rehabilitate their agricultural activities and lives after Boko Haram militants burned down homes and fields, stole farming tools and food stocks, and raped women and girls. And just recently, Boko Haram attacked a U.N. humanitarian assistance facility that was providing lifesaving assistance to famine affected zones.
- In Yemen, since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a bombing campaign with the support of U.S. military intelligence and weapons, against the Houthi Rebels who are in power there. The largest food crisis in the world exists in Yemen, where more than 230,000 people have died from violent attacks, lack of access to food, healthcare, and infrastructure. Our partners there are providing conflict affected communities with continued and regular access to food through distribution of livelihoods assets for income generation.
Faced with all these challenges, our global partners amaze us with their capacity to adapt and cope with life in extreme conditions. They teach us the true meaning of resiliency. We are honored to walk alongside our partners and to have relationships of meaningful exchange and learning. Our global partners have astounding capacity and tenacity as they dedicate themselves to rebuilding livelihoods and lives that have been destroyed by violence. May God protect and keep all those who work in places of great harm, threat, and personal risk as they work for peace and justice and to end hunger and poverty.
Pray:
God of all the world, we give you thanks that your love and presence covers all corners of the globe. We ask you to send your Spirit to help us, as we find ways to send our love and our presence to global partners in the midst of violent conflicts. We trust that Jesus Christ, who is the prince of peace, reconciles all the Earth — and calls us to join in that ongoing holy work. May we follow the call to provide food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Act:
Please call your elected officials and urge them to condemn acts of violence around the world where innocent civilians are terrorized and to work towards peaceful resolution and humanitarian aid in places of extreme violence and hunger. Starvation should not be used as a weapon of conflict.
Learn more:
Famine and extreme hunger information and giving opportunities:
Monday, February 24, 2020
The Presbyterian Church of Hopedale Celebration Service - Sunday, February 23, 2020
Here's a copy of the bulletin and the podcast of the worship service I led in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, February 23, 2020. We focused on how we might be changed by understanding the story of the Transfiguration. We also celebrated communion during the service.
Sunday's Message - Change
Here's the message I offered during the celebration service in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale on Sunday, February 23.
Matthew 17:1-9
And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. And he was changed before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, and they were talking with him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, then I will make three booths: one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
And while he was speaking, behold a bright cloud enveloped them, and behold a voice from the cloud said, “He is my son, the beloved one, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” And when the disciples heard they fell upon their faces, and they were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise and don’t be afraid.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus by himself.
And as they were going down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone the vision until the son of man from death might be raised.
Change
As some of y’all know, what I just read is called the transfiguration of Jesus, and it’s a story found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. This a lot of y’all already know.What you may not know is that this name actually comes from a Latin translation of a Greek word that really explains what happen on that high mountain, and the word is “metamorphosis.” Of course, when we hear metamorphosis, it kind of pulls us back to elementary school, doesn’t it; because it describes what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. A metamorphosis has taken place, right? And even though that’s accurate, in Greek, the word really isn’t limited to science. In fact, anything that’s transformed goes through a metamorphosis. In other words, in Greek, it simply means to change. And you know, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus when “...his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” You see, he was metamorphosed. He was transfigured. Man, he was changed. And in my book, that’s really cool.
But I’ll tell you, as cool as that is, I don’t think the possibility of change was limited to Jesus. You see, I believe this story can also transform us. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. In fact we’re going to look at how the transfiguration can first, change our view of the past and second, change our lives in the present and third, change our approach to the future. Now that’s what we’ll be talking about for the next ten minutes or so.
But before we start, I feel I need to warn you about a couple of things that may throw you off a little bit. I mean, first, I think most of y’all know I didn’t grow up in this part of the country. I’m from the place “...where the cotton and corn and taters grow” and “...where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time,” and we’ll leave it at that. In fact, right up to the time she passed, my mom told her friends that I was on the mission field, because I was above the Mason-Dixon Line. And even though it’s almost completely gone, I still have a tiny accent. And so, if I should say “y’all,” I don’t want you to think I’m speaking in tongues. Just translate it “yuns,” ok? That’s one thing. And second, I’m an old teacher, and because of that, when I’m preaching, sometimes I ask questions. Now I know that Presbyterians aren’t used to talking during worship services unless what we’re saying or singing is written down. We’re good at reading, but not just speaking. And that’s fine, but this morning, when I ask a question, I want you to feel free to give an answer out loud. But since this may be a change, I think we need a little practice. And so I’m going to ask three questions, and I want you to give the answer. And remember, there are no stupid answers, only stupid people. Question number one, what is today’s date? (February 23) And where are we right now? (The Presbyterian Church of Hopedale) And who was the fourth Vice President of the United States? You see, I was a history teacher. By the way, it was George Clinton. And if you don’t recognize his name, you may have heard of his band, Funkadelic. Good, with that have been said, let’s talk about how the transfiguration can change us.
And like I said a minute ago, first, I think it can change our view of the past. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see some of that in the first part of the story. I mean, after Matthew wrote that Jesus experienced his metamorphosis right there in front of his disciples, do you remember the two guys who sort of showed up? They were Moses and Elijah, right? And even though that’s kind of amazing, especially since they’d been dead a long time, for a Jew, they were important for another reason. You see, the Jewish Bible, our Old Testament, is divided into three parts: the Law, the Prophets and what’s called the Writings. And who do you think was the giver of the Law: Moses, right? And take a guess at the guy they considered the greatest of all the prophets? Elijah. And so here we have Jesus chewing the fat with two of the biggest guns in Jewish history. In other words, he was now in the top three, sort of like being up there with Michael Jordan and Labron James. Now that’s what the disciples saw. But after the cloud had come and gone, how many were left? Remember that after Peter and James and John heard that voice from the cloud, and we’ll talk about why that’s important in a minute, Matthew wrote that “...they were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise and don’t be afraid.’ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus by himself.” Now I think this is really important, because I believe it shows that as it comes to the history of God’s people, we’re no longer talking about a “big three,” instead we’re now looking at a single superstar.
And I’ll tell you, that can absolutely change our view of the past, because in my opinion, it shows two things about Jesus. One, I believe it shows that Jesus has authority over the past, you know, history. In other words, he can redefine what it means to be a child of God. And isn’t that exactly what he did when he said this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”? [Matthew 22:37-40, CEV] You see, Jesus redefines and reshape the past. But I don’t think is stops there, because I believe Jesus also has authority over our past, and let me show you why that’s important. Have any of y’all done or said things that you regret doing or saying? And have y’all ever felt bad because you were still and silent when you might have made a difference by acting or speaking? I know I have. In fact, I think we all have. And I’ll tell, because of that, if we’re not careful, these regrets, which we can’t change, man, they can be an anchor holding us back and a distraction preventing us from growing into the people we were created to be. And that ain’t good. But believe the Good News. Because Jesus has authority over our past, we’ve been set free, and I’m talking about free from all those things that hold us back and free to become everything God has called and equipped us to be. Man, we’re free, just like Paul said, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” [2 Corinthians 5:17, CEV] You see, our view of the past is transformed, and that’s the first way the Transfiguration can change us.
And second, I think this story can also change our lives in the present. Now remember what happened in the story. Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah, when all of a sudden, this bright cloud covers them all. And even though that sounds like something from a horror movie, the fact that Matthew used the word “cloud” is important, because in Hebrew, the same word refers to the presence and the glory of God. I mean, just listen to what it says in the Book of Exodus: “During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.” [Exodus 13:21-22, CEV] And so they were all surrounded by the presence of God. “And behold a voice from the cloud said, ‘He is my son, the beloved one, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.’” Now that’s what God said, and even though it starts with the exact same words that came from heaven when Jesus was baptized, a command was added to the end: Listen to him.
And I’ll tell you, if we do that, man, it’s going to change how we live right now, isn’t it? For example, not only are we going to love God and neighbor, I think we’re going to put into action what Jesus told his disciples after the resurrection. Matthew wrote, “Jesus came to them and said: ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.’” [Matthew 28:18-20, CEV] Now if we take that voice from the cloud seriously, this is what we’re going to do, right? But these are just a few verses. How can we know what Jesus told us to do so we can teach others to say nothing of doing them ourselves? How can we know what to say? We’ve got to learn it, right? And how can we do that? Well, it may start by picking up a Bible and reading it, starting with the Gospels. You see, as soon as we decide to listen and to respond, our lives right now will never be the same. And that’s the second way the Transfiguration can change us.
And third, I believe it’ll also radically change our whole approach to the future. And again, I think we can see that right here in the story. I mean, after Jesus was metamorphosed and after he was talking with Moses and Elijah and after the voice told the disciples to listen to him, do you remember what happened? They came down the mountain, didn’t they? And then Jesus gave them a command that, a first glance, seems kind of strange, at least it does to me. “Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Don’t tell anyone the vision until the son of man from death might be raised.’” Now you tell me, why would he do that? Why would he give this command? My gosh, if he’d hired a good PR firm or at the very least let his disciple post this on Facebook, just imagine the numbers of likes he’d have gotten, right along with a few hearts and “wows.” Good night nurse, can you imagine any American politician telling his own people to keep something spectacularly good quiet until he or she is dead. I mean, dah. But that’s exactly what Jesus did. You see, for him, the cross and not the transfiguration defined who he was and what he came to do, because his most important mission wasn’t to be transformed into some kind of demigod but rather to die like any son of man. And that cross, along with the betrayal and the denial, the suffering and the pain, man, all that was still in the future.
And you know, I think that really should shape how we view our future as well. Now without denying the freedom from our past and the guidance we have as we live in the present, I think it’s important for us to accept the fact that our immediate future, well, it’s sort of mystery. Of course, we can be sure that we’re going to be spending all our time on a mountain top, instead, it’ll probably be lived in the valley below, where life is sometimes really smoking but other times, well, not so hot. And Jesus told us to expect that very thing. I mean, he said, “But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.” [Matthew 7:44-45, CEV] I’ll tell you, that’s just the way it is, at least for the time being. But here’s the good news, because of the cross and the resurrection that followed, we can trust that our ultimate future is going to be glorious. It’s like Jesus taught his disciples right before his arrest, “Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.” [Matthew 24:30-31, CEV] I’m telling you, we can approach the future realistically but also with a lot of hope. And that's the third way the Transfiguration can change us.
You see, on that high mountain, Jesus experienced a metamorphosis, a transfiguration. In other words, he was changed. But I’ll tell you, he wasn’t the only one. You see, as people who’ve heard the story, man, we can be changed too. For example, his transfiguration can change our view of the past. And it can change our lives in the present. And it can sure change our approach to the future. Now that can happen. And I’ll tell you, when it does, we really will be like a butterfly, leaving it’s cocoon, ready to fly.
Matthew 17:1-9And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. And he was changed before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, and they were talking with him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, then I will make three booths: one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
And while he was speaking, behold a bright cloud enveloped them, and behold a voice from the cloud said, “He is my son, the beloved one, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” And when the disciples heard they fell upon their faces, and they were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise and don’t be afraid.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus by himself.
And as they were going down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone the vision until the son of man from death might be raised.
Change
As some of y’all know, what I just read is called the transfiguration of Jesus, and it’s a story found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. This a lot of y’all already know.What you may not know is that this name actually comes from a Latin translation of a Greek word that really explains what happen on that high mountain, and the word is “metamorphosis.” Of course, when we hear metamorphosis, it kind of pulls us back to elementary school, doesn’t it; because it describes what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. A metamorphosis has taken place, right? And even though that’s accurate, in Greek, the word really isn’t limited to science. In fact, anything that’s transformed goes through a metamorphosis. In other words, in Greek, it simply means to change. And you know, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus when “...his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” You see, he was metamorphosed. He was transfigured. Man, he was changed. And in my book, that’s really cool.But I’ll tell you, as cool as that is, I don’t think the possibility of change was limited to Jesus. You see, I believe this story can also transform us. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. In fact we’re going to look at how the transfiguration can first, change our view of the past and second, change our lives in the present and third, change our approach to the future. Now that’s what we’ll be talking about for the next ten minutes or so.
But before we start, I feel I need to warn you about a couple of things that may throw you off a little bit. I mean, first, I think most of y’all know I didn’t grow up in this part of the country. I’m from the place “...where the cotton and corn and taters grow” and “...where the birds warble sweet in the spring-time,” and we’ll leave it at that. In fact, right up to the time she passed, my mom told her friends that I was on the mission field, because I was above the Mason-Dixon Line. And even though it’s almost completely gone, I still have a tiny accent. And so, if I should say “y’all,” I don’t want you to think I’m speaking in tongues. Just translate it “yuns,” ok? That’s one thing. And second, I’m an old teacher, and because of that, when I’m preaching, sometimes I ask questions. Now I know that Presbyterians aren’t used to talking during worship services unless what we’re saying or singing is written down. We’re good at reading, but not just speaking. And that’s fine, but this morning, when I ask a question, I want you to feel free to give an answer out loud. But since this may be a change, I think we need a little practice. And so I’m going to ask three questions, and I want you to give the answer. And remember, there are no stupid answers, only stupid people. Question number one, what is today’s date? (February 23) And where are we right now? (The Presbyterian Church of Hopedale) And who was the fourth Vice President of the United States? You see, I was a history teacher. By the way, it was George Clinton. And if you don’t recognize his name, you may have heard of his band, Funkadelic. Good, with that have been said, let’s talk about how the transfiguration can change us.
And like I said a minute ago, first, I think it can change our view of the past. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see some of that in the first part of the story. I mean, after Matthew wrote that Jesus experienced his metamorphosis right there in front of his disciples, do you remember the two guys who sort of showed up? They were Moses and Elijah, right? And even though that’s kind of amazing, especially since they’d been dead a long time, for a Jew, they were important for another reason. You see, the Jewish Bible, our Old Testament, is divided into three parts: the Law, the Prophets and what’s called the Writings. And who do you think was the giver of the Law: Moses, right? And take a guess at the guy they considered the greatest of all the prophets? Elijah. And so here we have Jesus chewing the fat with two of the biggest guns in Jewish history. In other words, he was now in the top three, sort of like being up there with Michael Jordan and Labron James. Now that’s what the disciples saw. But after the cloud had come and gone, how many were left? Remember that after Peter and James and John heard that voice from the cloud, and we’ll talk about why that’s important in a minute, Matthew wrote that “...they were very much afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise and don’t be afraid.’ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus by himself.” Now I think this is really important, because I believe it shows that as it comes to the history of God’s people, we’re no longer talking about a “big three,” instead we’re now looking at a single superstar.And I’ll tell you, that can absolutely change our view of the past, because in my opinion, it shows two things about Jesus. One, I believe it shows that Jesus has authority over the past, you know, history. In other words, he can redefine what it means to be a child of God. And isn’t that exactly what he did when he said this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.”? [Matthew 22:37-40, CEV] You see, Jesus redefines and reshape the past. But I don’t think is stops there, because I believe Jesus also has authority over our past, and let me show you why that’s important. Have any of y’all done or said things that you regret doing or saying? And have y’all ever felt bad because you were still and silent when you might have made a difference by acting or speaking? I know I have. In fact, I think we all have. And I’ll tell, because of that, if we’re not careful, these regrets, which we can’t change, man, they can be an anchor holding us back and a distraction preventing us from growing into the people we were created to be. And that ain’t good. But believe the Good News. Because Jesus has authority over our past, we’ve been set free, and I’m talking about free from all those things that hold us back and free to become everything God has called and equipped us to be. Man, we’re free, just like Paul said, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” [2 Corinthians 5:17, CEV] You see, our view of the past is transformed, and that’s the first way the Transfiguration can change us.
And second, I think this story can also change our lives in the present. Now remember what happened in the story. Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah, when all of a sudden, this bright cloud covers them all. And even though that sounds like something from a horror movie, the fact that Matthew used the word “cloud” is important, because in Hebrew, the same word refers to the presence and the glory of God. I mean, just listen to what it says in the Book of Exodus: “During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.” [Exodus 13:21-22, CEV] And so they were all surrounded by the presence of God. “And behold a voice from the cloud said, ‘He is my son, the beloved one, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.’” Now that’s what God said, and even though it starts with the exact same words that came from heaven when Jesus was baptized, a command was added to the end: Listen to him.And I’ll tell you, if we do that, man, it’s going to change how we live right now, isn’t it? For example, not only are we going to love God and neighbor, I think we’re going to put into action what Jesus told his disciples after the resurrection. Matthew wrote, “Jesus came to them and said: ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.’” [Matthew 28:18-20, CEV] Now if we take that voice from the cloud seriously, this is what we’re going to do, right? But these are just a few verses. How can we know what Jesus told us to do so we can teach others to say nothing of doing them ourselves? How can we know what to say? We’ve got to learn it, right? And how can we do that? Well, it may start by picking up a Bible and reading it, starting with the Gospels. You see, as soon as we decide to listen and to respond, our lives right now will never be the same. And that’s the second way the Transfiguration can change us.
And third, I believe it’ll also radically change our whole approach to the future. And again, I think we can see that right here in the story. I mean, after Jesus was metamorphosed and after he was talking with Moses and Elijah and after the voice told the disciples to listen to him, do you remember what happened? They came down the mountain, didn’t they? And then Jesus gave them a command that, a first glance, seems kind of strange, at least it does to me. “Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Don’t tell anyone the vision until the son of man from death might be raised.’” Now you tell me, why would he do that? Why would he give this command? My gosh, if he’d hired a good PR firm or at the very least let his disciple post this on Facebook, just imagine the numbers of likes he’d have gotten, right along with a few hearts and “wows.” Good night nurse, can you imagine any American politician telling his own people to keep something spectacularly good quiet until he or she is dead. I mean, dah. But that’s exactly what Jesus did. You see, for him, the cross and not the transfiguration defined who he was and what he came to do, because his most important mission wasn’t to be transformed into some kind of demigod but rather to die like any son of man. And that cross, along with the betrayal and the denial, the suffering and the pain, man, all that was still in the future.And you know, I think that really should shape how we view our future as well. Now without denying the freedom from our past and the guidance we have as we live in the present, I think it’s important for us to accept the fact that our immediate future, well, it’s sort of mystery. Of course, we can be sure that we’re going to be spending all our time on a mountain top, instead, it’ll probably be lived in the valley below, where life is sometimes really smoking but other times, well, not so hot. And Jesus told us to expect that very thing. I mean, he said, “But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong.” [Matthew 7:44-45, CEV] I’ll tell you, that’s just the way it is, at least for the time being. But here’s the good news, because of the cross and the resurrection that followed, we can trust that our ultimate future is going to be glorious. It’s like Jesus taught his disciples right before his arrest, “Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. At the sound of a loud trumpet, he will send his angels to bring his chosen ones together from all over the earth.” [Matthew 24:30-31, CEV] I’m telling you, we can approach the future realistically but also with a lot of hope. And that's the third way the Transfiguration can change us.
You see, on that high mountain, Jesus experienced a metamorphosis, a transfiguration. In other words, he was changed. But I’ll tell you, he wasn’t the only one. You see, as people who’ve heard the story, man, we can be changed too. For example, his transfiguration can change our view of the past. And it can change our lives in the present. And it can sure change our approach to the future. Now that can happen. And I’ll tell you, when it does, we really will be like a butterfly, leaving it’s cocoon, ready to fly.
The Wedding Service for Mike Zeigler and Bethany Bain on Saturday, February 22, 2020
On Saturday, February 22, I officiated the wedding of Mike Zeigler and Bethany Bain in in Tomlinson Run State Park, West Virginia.. Below is a picture and a podcast of the service. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
Prayer for China and all impacted by COVID-19
Lord, in your mercy you healed those suffering in body, mind or spirit. We cry out to you now on behalf of those infected by the coronavirus. Heal the sick, and bind up the broken-hearted who grieve those felled by this illness.
As both infection and fear spread, we ask for courage and protection for healthcare workers risking their own well-being for the sake of others. We pray wisdom for government officials and those in decision-making positions. May they rightly discern what needs to be done to treat those already infected and prevent others from falling sick.
We know there are those in quarantine, afraid they might be exposed to illness, wondering when they will return to their normal lives, anxious about what might happen next. Comfort them with your peace that passes understanding and grant them patience during this liminal and frightening season.
Lord of all, we are intimately connected to one another no matter where we reside on the earth, and so we plead for healing, good healthcare, relief and wholeness for our siblings in China and in all the places where this virus has made its appearance. May our collective care, effort, resources and love bring an end to this epidemic. Amen.
The music of “with”
One of my favorite moments in film takes place in “The Shawshank Redemption.” Andy Dufrense, ex-banker and supposed ex-murderer, has been serving time in Shawshank Prison for a crime he, allegedly, did not commit. The warden of Shawshank, a slippery, arrogant, Bible-thumping Herod-the-Great type, has taken notice of Andy’s accounting proclivities, and so stations him in an office where Andy embezzles money for him.
One afternoon, the bleakness and hopelessness of prison life causes Andy to do something irrational and rebellious. As his guard uses the restroom, Andy proceeds to lock the door. Andy then turns with glee to the warden’s beloved vinyl record player (which is the only cool thing about the warden). Andy carefully selects a record, flips on the prison PA system, cranks the volume and sits back to enjoy.
When the Italian opera aria, “Marriage of Figaro,” erupts through the prison speakers, every prisoner stops in their tracks. Morgan Freeman’s character, and Andy’s best prison-mate-friend, Red, encapsulates the sacred quality of the moment well: “I don’t know what that Italian woman was singing about. But what I do know is that it was like a beautiful bird flew into our drab little cage. And for one moment, every last man in Shawshank was free.”
Andy’s prison rebellion comes with its consequences. And so, after a month of solitary confinement, the prison yard gang inquires of Andy, “How was your time?”
“Easiest time I ever did,” remarks Andy. “The music, they can’t take that from you.”
Andy looks across the table at the unknowing blank stares of his prison yard friends. “Haven’t you ever felt that way about music?” And pointing to his heart he says: “It’s in here. It’s hope.”
Andy is right. They can’t take the music away from you. “I’ve still got music left in me,” quips the recently retired widower played by Robert De Nero in the fun-loving movie “The Intern.” There’s just something about music that speaks the language of hope into the prisons of our days. As the psalmist declares, “God drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog. … He put a new song in my mouth” (Psalm 40:2-3).” Where does music come from? According to the psalmist, ancient Israel’s jazz improvisers, it comes from the desolate pit, the miry bog.
There is hurt before the hallelujah. Perhaps the spiritual musical tradition that knows this best is one often neglected by the white church: the spirituals. In “Rise Up, Shepherd!” Luke Powery describes spirituals as “songs sung by weary throats, created in a brutal historical setting of slavery by the enslaved, yet resonating with hope through all the sinister splinters of social sin. They are musical memorabilia of hope in seemingly helpless situations.”
One such spiritual sticks out to me: All dem Mount Zion member, dey have ups and downs. But Cross come or no come, for to hold out to the end. Hold out to the end. Hold out to the end. It’s my ‘termination for to hold out to the end. In the desolate prison of slavery, enslaved voices speak of the possibility of a new tomorrow. Cross come or no come, for to hold out to the end. It’s my ‘termination to hold out to the end. In Shawshank speak, music is something they can’t take from you. It’s in here. It’s hope.
Andy’s Shawshank shenanigans and the voices of the spirituals makes me wonder what new day music makes possible in the prisons of our 21st century world. So chained are we by the liturgical summons of our screens, so walled-in by the endless news cycles churning despair for a dollar and selling chaos for a cent. Globalization and the rise of technological prowess promised to bring us closer together, and yet it would seem we are destined for the solitary confinements of anxiety, depression and loneliness. The choruses of fear and discord play like broken records. Church attendance rapidly declines, 11:00 on Sunday morning is still more segregated than 9-5 Monday-Friday, and God’s wonderfully created world is irrevocably turned to ash. Here too, in our drab little cage, we are caught in the miry bog of political polarization, manic workaholism and rampant individualism. How could we possibly follow in the footsteps of the spiritualist? How could we hold out to the end?
If I am honest, really honest, the choice between hope and despair feels thinner than ever, and especially as a religious leader. How could I presume to utter a word into this void? What song could I dare sing? In this cultural exile I am reminded of the psalmist’s tortured lament, possibly the saddest lyrics in all of Scripture: “By the rivers of Babylon — there we sat down and there we wept. … On the willows there we hung our harps. … How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:2-4). Is it time to hang our harps and give way to a world without music? Has the overwhelming chaos of the moment stolen the songs from our lips?
There is no easy answer to these questions. But perhaps this is why the arts exist at all. When we reach the point where speech fails us, the poets, prophets, songwriters and filmmakers teach us the rhythm of song once again. In particular, I am reminded of one of the final scenes of a beautiful film, “Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl.” In the movie, sarcastic and passionless 17-year-old Gregory Gaines is forced to befriend a classmate, Rachel, who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Much of the film follows Greg, his humorous friend Earl, and Rachel as they spend much of their time outside of school producing short films that parody famous movie titles.
Toward the end of the movie, Greg goes to visit Rachel while she lays on her deathbed. As he sits with her in that stale hospital room, he projects on the pallid wall a movie that he has made for her — a movie of her life for the end of life. Brian Eno’s lyric-less song “Big Ship” plays in the background. The music plays for several minutes as Rachel watches scenes from her friendship with Greg blossom upon the screen. In that sacred moment, Greg and Rachel occupy what theologians call a “thin place”—an intersection of death and life, hope and despair. In that room there are no words. There is only what Sam Wells describes in his book “Hanging By a Thread” as the most powerful force on earth — “with.” There is with. Greg is with her. Rachel is with him. They are with one another. Even at the inconceivable end of a life taken too soon, the music plays hope’s surprising refrain, “I am with you.”
Perhaps we humans love music so deeply because it expresses just how far, how high, how wide is our desire for with. Music names what we strain and struggle to name, which is that God is forever singing a song toward us. When we reach the place where words escape and rhythm ceases, God still has a song in God’s heart, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped … and the tongue of the speechless shall sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5-6). Into our prisons, pits and hospital rooms plays God’s incarnate symphony, the Emmanuel, God with us. Our harps shall not lay dormant in the willows for long, for God will climb into that tree and sing a song that plays in a thousand places, even all the way to the depths of death and hell. This song is Scripture’s grandiose promise of with, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘see the home of God is among humans, God will dwell with them; they will be God’s peoples, and God will be with them” (Revelation 21:3).
One day, and may it be soon, God will put a new song in our mouths, cross come or no come, for to hold out to the end. God’s song will fly like a beautiful bird into our drab little cage. And if just for a moment, every last one of us will be free.
JOSHUA MUSSER GRITTER co-pastors First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, North Carolina, with his wife Lara. They watch movies together with their dog Red.
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