Wednesday 24 October 2012

Sunday 30 September 2012, St Michael, The Transfiguration, Mark 9, Bruce


Today we celebrate St Michael’s Tide.  We have brought harvest gifts, and we are considering the next stage of the Renewal Project.  We need to be renewed in our lives, our community and in our building.

You will remember that the major question that we have been asking over the past few weeks as we have looked at Mark’s gospel together is: “Who is Jesus?”  We have been endured what is sometimes called the “Messianic Secret” as Jesus has encountered crowds, Pharisees, followers of Herod, his own family and his inner group of disciples, and none of them seem to have been able to work out who he is.  Worse, the doubt and scepticism of some people seems to be infecting others, so that we saw last week that Jesus thought that his disciples’ hearts were being heartened.  The disciples know now that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, and have been faced with the terrifying truth that he will be betrayed, and killed, and will rise again.  They do not understand. Moved by the best of intentions, even Peter has been found acting as a mouthpiece of Satan, tempting Jesus to take the soft option and find a way to avoid the cross.  Actually, Jesus says, it is worse than that, because if you want to follow him, you must also take up your cross.  In a world where people just want to get ahead and prosper, the true followers of God are those who are prepared to surrender their rights.   “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.”  All four gospel writers record these words, and they seem to have been near to Jesus’ heart.  But he also promises that they (we) will share in his coming glory.  In the words of an old children’s chorus “If you will not wear a cross, you can’t wear a crown.”

Following on from this, just a few days later, we have this startling incident that we call the Transfiguration.  Matthew and Luke also record it.  Jesus takes Peter, James and John up onto a mountain, and he starts to shine.  They have seen him feed multitudes and stop storms, heal the sick and raise the dead, but this is different.  Always he has been a remarkable man, doing remarkable things.  Now he is permeated with this divine, supernatural light.  There are two men with him, Moses and Elijah.  Both, along with Enoch, were famous for having “walked with God”, and no-one knew what ever happened to their bodies.  There were clear links between them and Jesus.  Both of them had been sent by God but had been rejected by their own people.  Both had to battle with loneliness and misunderstanding.  Both had gone up onto a high mountain to meet with God.  Elijah was expected to usher in the “day of the Lord”, and Moses had promised in Deuteronomy that God would send a “prophet like me”; for them both to appear now indicated that God was fulfilling his promises. 

Once more Peter is terrified.  Another gospel suggests he had dozed off and woken with a tremendous start.  Either because he wants some distraction therapy, or perhaps because he wants to preserve the moment and the experience, he suggests building three huts so that Jesus and his guests can take shelter.

Jesus makes no reply.  He does not need to.  A cloud appears (is this supposed to remind us of Moses on the mountain top when he met with God and his face was transfigured and started to shine?)  Out of the cloud come these words:  “This is my beloved son; listen to him.”  And suddenly, Jesus is the only one that they can see.

This is our need for renewal.  Each of us will have our own response to Jesus.  We have perhaps taken on board some bible stories.  We have heard or said prayers.  We are aware that there is debate about the biblical and historical record.  We have formed our conclusions, and these may be fixed or perhaps changing over time.  We know a lot about him, have talked much about him, but how well do we know him?  Every so often we hear of someone who was a keen church attender, seemed to have a firm faith, and yet who suddenly announces that they no longer believe.  Perhaps they never truly believed but had been trying their best, for a variety of good reasons; it was the way they had been brought up, or they wanted to please a loved one.

The truth is that the Christian life is a miserable one if you do not know Christ.  I would go further and say that it is impossible to live the Christian life without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ himself.  We each need to “listen to him”. 

This is our need for renewal.  Even when we do know him, events and our own waywardness conspire to harden our hearts.  We need to “listen to him”, to encounter him and grow in him.

Thus the first week of Alpha Renewed is on the theme “Who is Jesus?”  There are historical and biblical answers to this question, but there is also our experience of him today.   I look forward to the chance to interact with you as we explore this together. 
The command to “Listen to him” is the word that we need to hear, each as individuals, and also as community.  We are called to be his servants in Camberley today.  We stand in a long line that stretches back to the Revd Smith in 1851, and forward into the times of our children and grandchildren.   There are many ways of “doing church”, and some would maintain that a traditional building such as this is no longer needed.  It will not surprise you to learn that I do not take this view.  Our Victorian forebears worked hard and innovated to stay at the cutting edge of engagement with their culture and time, and it falls to us to listen to what God is saying as we seek worship and serve in ways that will bless the people of this and coming generations.  Peter did not get it wrong when he wanted to build, but he was acting on his own agenda.  We are called to listen out for God’s agenda, to look for the direction and leading of his Son by his Spirit.

This is why we are not telling you how much we think that you should give.  As the PCC seeks God’s will for the detailed planning and implementation of the way forward, we are asking every member to consider what they feel that God is prompting them to pledge over the next four or five years.  One reason that this is difficult time to do this is that there is a recession and money is short; however the project is so large that even during a boom period we would still depend upon God to help us to do it.  Some might be troubled that the future is uncertain and they might have to vary the amount they can give.  All I can say is that if you are depending upon investments, it is unlikely that interest rates will fall.  Indeed, it could be argued that you will have a better return by investing in the kingdom of God.

Who is Jesus?  This is the question that we want to hold up before our families, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.  A renewed building will prompt some to ask.  Much more important will be the changed quality of our lives as we learn together, laugh together, pray together, encounter him together.  

No comments: