Invitation to Prayer
a sermon based on Luke 9:28-36
by Rev. Randy Quinn
This
is one of those stories that have all the makings of a great Hollywood
scene: Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray, seemingly at night, when
suddenly a light shines down on him, two men appear, a cloud covers him,
and a voice speaks. It seems especially suited for Stephen Spielberg’s
style of creating special effects.
But it’s also a story
that’s hard to explain and maybe even harder to understand! Even the
disciples find themselves pondering as they leave the scene in silence
(v. 36). Like many – if not most – passages of scripture, the context
in which it is told makes a difference in its interpretation. But I’m
not sure in which context to place it.
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We can look at it from the context of the
previous passage where Jesus tells us that anyone who wants to follow
him must take up their cross every day (Lk. 9:23).
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Or we can look at it from the context of
what follows where the disciples argue about who is the greatest among
them (Lk. 9:46).
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Or we can hear it from the context of the
broader scriptural story and remember how Moses and Elijah both met God
on the mountain (Ex. 34; 1 Kgs. 19) – and maybe alludes to the vision
Daniel had of the son of man meeting God in the clouds on a mountain
(Dan. 7:13).
Depending upon the context
in which we place this story, we may find ourselves hearing entirely
different messages – all of which are valid, all of which are important
to consider.
Since we don’t have enough
time to explore all of those possibilities today, let me tell you the
context in which I heard this story: and that is the context of the
church today, the Sunday before we enter into the season of Lent, a
season of fasting and prayer. It is out of that context I realized this
happened during prayer (v. 29).
Several times in Luke’s
gospel, we read about Jesus going off to pray at night (See Lk. 6:12,
9:28, 11:1, 22:39). But only on this occasion do we hear about a
transformation that takes place. I don’t think the prayers were any
less intense in other places. I know there were people with him on
other occasions – in fact, the disciples even fall asleep on him in at
least one other place (Lk. 22:45).
Only here does Jesus
experience and the disciples witness his transfiguration.
And in response, Peter
wants to build a monument. This is the place, he thinks, where
God meets us. So he wants to mark the place. It had not happened
anywhere else or on any other occasion, so Peter does what many others
have tried to do before and after him: memorialize the event so we can
go back and re-live it.
It’s as if he wants to
bottle up the event and experience it again.
I don’t remember when it
was, but I remember recognizing a tendency in my habits that needed
changing. I was reading a book, and like many people, I was
highlighting passages that I thought were meaningful. But then it
occurred to me that I was simply postponing a personal connection with
the passage. Rather than interacting with the author at this point in
time, I was putting off that encounter until another time – and what I
realized on that particular occasion is the truth: in reality I was
procrastinating, and quite often I would postpone it so long that it
would never happen.
That’s when I stopped
writing in my books.
If I don’t want to
interact with the author while I’m reading something, I don’t pick the
book up and start reading.
In wanting to build a
temple, I don’t think Peter wanted an encounter with God; rather he
wanted to have a place for that encounter to happen later. He didn’t
want to pray like Jesus was praying – a way of praying that was so
powerful God’s presence made his face glow. Peter wanted to know that
it was possible to do – so someday he could come and do it himself.
There is a story about an
ancient mystic who was sought out in times of crisis.
He would go off to a private place in the woods and build a fire in a
particular way and say a special prayer and return with an answer from
God.
When the mystic died, one
of his students heard the pleas for help, so he went to the same place
in the woods, but he didn’t know how to build the fire, so he prayed the
prayer and asked God for guidance. And God answered him.
When he died, one of
his students faced a similar crisis. But he didn’t know how to
build the fire nor did he know where to find the secret place in the
woods. So he prayed the prayer the wise mystic had used and asked God
to help. And God answered him.
In the next generation,
they learned that it wasn’t the place that mattered. It wasn’t the
fire. It wasn’t even the specific prayer that had been prayed. It was
about placing their trust in God that allowed them to hear God’s
answer. They learned that because no one could remember the prayer –
and yet God answered their pleas.
Peter would eventually
learn that it wasn’t the mountain that made this event special. It
wasn’t the particular words that Jesus prayed, either. It wasn’t even
about the earnest seeking of God that was behind the way Jesus prayed.
The secret was in the relationship Jesus had with God.
Peter would eventually
learn to pray out of the context of that kind of relationship with God
(Acts 3:1, 9:40, 10:9). But not here. Not yet.
Wednesday is Ash
Wednesday. It is the beginning of the season of Lent. As we enter into
the season of Lent, the regular habit and discipline of prayer that
Jesus had – and Peter eventually learns about – is both instructive and
informative.
It reminds us that the
secret to a strong prayer life is a healthy relationship with the God to
whom we pray. And in a rather circular way, it is made healthy by
spending regular periods of time in prayer and fasting. But not every
prayer experience will be like this one. Jesus spends other nights in
prayer where no one seems to notice a difference – but he is
strengthened by it, and more importantly his relationship with God is
healthier because of it. Those experiences make this one possible.
During Lent I want to
encourage you to find times to pray and to try different methods of
praying. For some, that will be rehearsing old practices. For others
it will be exploring new disciplines.
As I explained to the
youth in the Confirmation Class (in Winchester) last week, Lent is a
season to fast in some form. The purpose of the fast is not to lose
weight or to add guilt into our lives. The purpose is to remind us that
no matter what we think, the truth is that life itself is a gift from
God. When Jesus resisted the temptation to turn stone into bread, he
quoted Moses who told the people that we do not live by bread alone, but
by the word of God (Lk. 4:4; Dt. 8:30).
When we fast, we are
remembering that we don’t live by bread – or pop or desserts or coffee –
but by the grace of God.
Maybe during Lent this
year you want to fast one day a week or one meal a day. Maybe you want
to drink only water during Lent rather than the mixture of coffee, pop,
milk and juice that you normally enjoy. It is a way to remember that we
depend upon God for life, not whatever it is we stop eating.
Rather than fasting, or
taking things out of your life that we easily think we need – like TV or
computer games – maybe you will want to celebrate Lent by adding
spiritual disciplines like reading and prayer. Some of those spiritual
disciplines you might want to explore include sitting in silence to
watch the sun set, or to explore your own life’s history through
journaling, or listening for God’s voice by memorizing scripture
passages.
And then there are the
corporate celebrations of Lent we will offer here at the church. In
worship we will be focusing on what it means to be a United Methodist,
and will include at least one hymn each week written by either John or
Charles Wesley. We will be looking at how God speaks to us still
through the traditions of our church.
During Lent this year I
will be meeting with the Confirmation Class. Adults are always welcome
to join us – we will meet on Thursdays after school each week – except
this week and during Spring Break.
Another option is the
Lenten Breakfast. We will gather every Wednesday during Lent and share
in fellowship and prayer.
Or maybe you’ll want to
spend time reading the Lenten Devotional Book this year, joining others
in a corporate spiritual discipline of prayer and reflection.
However you decide to
celebrate Lent, I hope you will reflect on the transfiguration as an
invitation to enrich your relationship with God. I can’t guarantee that
you will have a mountaintop experience like Jesus did. The only people
who can make that kind of a guarantee have a rather limited image of God
who is all too easily manipulated by our actions.
What I can promise is that
by participating in Lenten Disciplines you will make it easier for God
to speak to you. In fact, that’s why I always look forward to Lent. I
know that during this season I am tuning my eyes and ears to the
presence of God – so that when God speaks, I know I will be listening.
The voice Peter and James
and John heard from the cloud on the mountain said to them, “This is my
son. Listen to him” (Lk. 9:35).
Jesus is still speaking.
If you haven’t heard him, maybe it’s because you haven’t been
listening. Lent may be just the opportunity you need to train your ears
to hear and your eyes to see. It’s a time when lives can be changed by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
