it shows

It shows 020716

Today we have two mountaintop experience stories—one about Moses and one about Jesus; both would stretch the imagination, especially of the literalists among us…..

When Moses has been conversing with God, it showed—face glowing so bright he has to cover it

When Jesus has been praying, conversing with God, it showed—first his face then his whole self glowing bright in this case

It all seems a bit like something from the Twilight Zone….do do do do

and yet there is truth to be found for our lives in both stories:

we might first realize that we need to be intentional about setting aside a time and a place for prayer, for being in conversation, or even just silence, with God.

That’s primarily what Sunday morning worship is….a mountaintop experience.  It may not be a doo doo doo doo experience, but it is a time to put ourselves in the Presence, the Mystery, of the divine. It's a mountaintop not because of external qualities like great music or a good sermon, but because of what happens to you in the experience of it. And as we've heard before: you get out of worship what you put into it.....It is a time to learn, seek insight, listen for an experience of God.  Jesus that day came with that intention, and brought disciples with him for that intention.    Do we come here with that intention?  

And where and when else do go with that intention?  For some it’s early morning quiet time, for others its midday prayer, for others its our centering prayer groups or other spiritual practices.   But for a healthy spiritual life, we need to practice placing ourselves open to the Divine.

We tend to think of our spiritual lives as private, a bit like those disciples who “kept quiet and told no one” , or Moses who draws the veil over his spiritual life when he's out in public...and because we say nothing about our "private" spirituality, attendance in churches drops, spirits falter, and lives get distracted from what realy matters.    But Christianity isn’t a private faith, something not to be spoken about,  tho it is personal.   It’s public, and communal.  And it shows.  Or it doesn’t.  it may not show with glowing faces or shining clothes, but our individual and communal practice of being with God does show.

It shows in a cancer patient who realizes that his experience of love in the midst of pain and anxiety is transformative: it changes him.   And it shows.

It shows on a woman’s face before she has heart surgery, as her expression changes from fear to calm as she is encircled by prayer

It shows in an elderly nursing home resident who confronts her visitors with their un-faithful desire to gossip

It shows when two of our high school seniors, basically very shy young women, stand up in front of a hundred people to call us to go where Jesus wants us

It shows in a Muslim woman who has just arrived in the US, whose face lights up with the gift of a bottle of conditioner and a pair of gloves from a church member who had been with Jesus enough to know how to share God’s love without preaching

It shows in the commitments we make of time and talent and treasure that tell people we’re disciples, not churchgoers

It shows in our attitude to the first person we see after church, especially if that person has blocked our car in.

It shows in your reaction when your husband calls and says he’s bringing an Iraqi couple home for dinner in half an hour.   If you’ve been with Jesus, there’s a better chance of a Jesus response.

People know where we’ve been and who we’ve been with, by our words, our attitudes, our actions and our reactions.

This holy place of prayer, this sea level ‘mountain top’, is where we encounter the divine which leads us to lives that are changed, transformed, transfigured even

Thanks be to God.