Change: Times of Transformation
Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 9:2-9
You’ll recall that a couple of months ago I started my column in the Clarion with that old light bulb joke (I first heard this about Presbyterians, but it really could apply to most any religious group): “How many members of (fill in the blank with a religious group) does it take to change a light bulb?” Answer (and it really probably sounds better being said aloud than on the printed page): “CHAAAANGE?!?”
Yes, change can frighten us. Yet, as I said in my annual report, we weathered quite a bit of change last year – voting to become an Open and Affirming congregation, getting new hymnals, having the church properties painted and re-tooled inside and out – showing all kinds of resiliency and flexibility throughout. Now we are approaching a pretty big change since in one week Northwest Community Church begins to worship here in this sanctuary at 9:00, while we change our worship time to 10:30 and begin the process of accommodating ourselves to all the big and little ways that this change will affect our lives as a congregation and as individuals.
I had originally titled this sermon “Times of Transition” – thinking about what will be happening as we welcome Northwest here as a kind of transition in our ways of doing and being into a new paradigm. But then I realized that on the liturgical calendar today is Transformation Sunday – which is perhaps a bigger deal than simply transitioning from Point A to Point B. Indeed, in my on-line dictionary while “change” is listed as a synonym for both “transition” and “transformation”, another word for “transition” is “evolution”, while another word for “transformation” is “revolution”. Becoming transformed is a whole lot more of a radical process than merely transitioning.
Which is why these two stories that are our lectionary texts for today have such an impact – both are stories of change and transformation. Elijah and Jesus are the only two characters in the whole Biblical narrative who are taken up into heaven while still alive. That smacks somewhat of the mystical and the uncanny, and our rational, scientific minds don’t really want to focus on this too much. But that’s OK, because the truly important point in both stories is the preparation that Elijah is giving Elisha and that Jesus is giving the disciples for their role in the change that is to come.
When I first read this story of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings it reminded me a bit of the ending of “The Fellowship of the Ring”, the first third of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The nine who constitute the Fellowship of the Ring have been set upon by orcs, Boromir has been killed (in part, at least, because of his lusting after the power that the ring would provide), and so Frodo has decided that he must bear the ring to the fire of the Cracks of Doom in Mordor by himself, even though he believes he is going to his death. But his faithful Sam simply will not let him go alone. Frodo says, “It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,…and I could not have borne that….. But I must go at once. It’s the only way.” And Sam quickly responds, “Of course it is…but not alone. I’m coming too, or neither of us isn’t going. I’ll knock holes in all the boats first.”
Three times Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind, as the company of the prophets come to Bethel and then to Jericho and then to the Jordan. And just like Sam to Frodo Elisha responds, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” What persistence! What steadfastness! What faithfulness! Elisha clearly knows that Elijah is about to be taken up into heaven, and that frightens him. It scares him because it means that he, Elisha, is now going to have the responsibility of carrying on the prophetic tradition. That’s why he asks Elijah, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He wants to be given whatever tools he can get hold of in order to be able to carry out his responsibilities. Elijah is willing to grant this, but he needs Elisha to understand that this is no easy thing to give; indeed, it is only because of Elisha’s persistence and steadfastness and faithfulness that such a double share being granted is even possible.
Elisha is afraid that he won’t be able to live up to people’s expectations of him once Elijah is gone. That’s something we can identify with, can’t we? No matter how confident or even cock-sure we may project ourselves, there’s almost always that little seed of doubt gnawing away inside us that we’re just not going to measure up. It would be easy to give in to that sense – to follow Elijah’s directive when he says, “Stay here,” to paddle our way back to the shore when Frodo says he must go on alone. Or, to put it in the context of where this congregation is right now, to say, “Enough! I’ve had as much change as I can stomach. Let’s stay where we are for awhile.” Faithfulness will not let Elisha or Sam or us take that kind of stance.
(By the way, if you’re counting, just from a quantitative point of view, Elisha did exactly double Elijah’s share – performing 16 miracles to the eight the Bible recounts for Elijah. Elisha’s fears we’re not exactly justified.)
(By the way, number two: I don’t think Don and Anita were peering ahead and looking up the lectionary texts when they laid out the anthems the choir was to sing for this month, but “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” does refer precisely to this passage: “As they continued walking and talking a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.” That promise held out before us of being taken home is what this spiritual that the choir sung says for those slaves who were weary and beaten down and yearning to rise up like Elijah. Again, here is a mystical event – wholly outside our normal everyday experience – but both the Biblical writers and the shapers of the spiritual used this imagery of a fire-y chariot to impress upon us what it is like to be lifted up into the arms of God.)
Peter and James and John felt that experience, too. And, boy, did they ever want to stay and just relish that moment. We’ve talked before about what it means to have mountain-top experiences, and this was the ultimate mountain-top experience. Oh, let’s just stay there and build tabernacles and say that here is where we’re going to establish what our religious knowledge is all about – that’s what Peter is feeling and that’s the temptation whenever that mountain-top experience occurs. Actually, both Elisha and Peter seek to hang on to what is known and sure. For Elijah to leave and for Jesus to come down from the mountaintop will mean a change for Elisha and for Peter, James, and John. They are about to experience real loss in the changes that are about to occur.
Jesus is transformed. The key to this story is that Jesus knew that his earthly ministry was nearly over and he needed to give his disciples their marching orders in order for them to be able to carry on his work. Now, mountaintop experiences are part of the life of faith. There are times when we feel lifted up, taken up to a place a little closer to God and God’s glory. There are times when we feel we’re hearing God speaking to us, telling us things, giving us direction, comfort, joy. These times, unfortunately, do not come often, no matter how much we long for them. We live our lives mostly down here on the ground, often unaware of the wondrous, transformative power of God at work in the world, even in the life of the church.
There’s an interesting parallel in Mark’s story of the transformation to what happened earlier in the gospel when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. God speaks – and this time the disciples hear God: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” The disciples, of course, weren’t there for the baptism when God speaks directly to Jesus in nearly identical words: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” These two stories of God speaking and establishing Jesus’ unique identity also form a liturgical calendar ellipse: we talk about Jesus’ baptism at the beginning of Epiphany, and now here we are at the last Sunday of Epiphany and his transformation. Who Jesus is for us – that is, the Son of God – points us to Ash Wednesday and that time known as Lent. And we are invited to respond.
We are there, in our mind’s eye at least, along with Peter and James and John in the moment of Jesus’ transformation. Like them, we can see the glory of God enfolding Jesus and hear our marching orders: “Listen to him!” In the story of Elijah and Elisha, the whirlwind and chariots of fire speak to the presence of the glory of God, as well. These strange and wonderful appearances are recounted as manifestations of the holy which give assurance and encouragement to Elisha and to the disciples – and to us. The assurance is that an experience of loss and transformation can become a gateway to new ministry for them – for us — as agents of God’s positive change in the world.
Elisha and the disciples have had as awesome experience and they seek to know what it means for them. See if you can think back to a time when God’s glory appeared in your life. It probably wasn’t as dramatic as a whirlwind or chariots of fire or a voice from heaven. But it may have been a moment when contemplating the beauty of nature, or seeing the sparkle in the eyes of someone you have just helped, or experiencing the fact of being forgiven, or even forgiving yourself. The experience of God’s Spirit may be in the appreciation felt for a teacher, mentor, or friend. Whatever mountain-top experiences you have had in your own lives, they have presumably pointed you, as they did Elisha and the disciples, to discover how you can act upon them as God’s messengers in the world.
We are the actors in God’s plan. Soren Kierkegaard in his book Purity of Heart takes an image from the theater and says that in worship there are three roles: the prompter, the actor, and the audience. Typically, when we think about worship we think of God as the prompter, whispering the correct lines to the minister (or actor), who then delivers them to the congregation (or audience). But, Kierkegaard says, this is wrong. Actually, the minister is the prompter, each member of the congregation is the actor, and God fills the role of audience – watching the way each one of us acts out our role on that stage which is the world. What we do has an impact on our God.
Another way to get at this is with a fairly fanciful story which is told (actually, it would be a good one to tell the children) that when Christ went back to heaven after the resurrection an archangel met him and asked, “What are your plans now, Master?” Christ replied, “I have left all that in the hands of human beings.” The archangel was nonplussed: “But humans are notoriously unfaithful. They resist your call. They are lazy and not responsive enough. What if they fail? What if they refuse to accept your command? What other plans do you have?” And Christ replies, “I have no other plans.”
In The Lord of the Rings the wizard, Gandalf, is criticized for leaving the fate of all of Middle-earth in the hands of small, fun-loving, timid Hobbits. But Gandalf declares that it is not folly, for folly would be to cling to false hope. In the end the Hobbits – particularly Frodo and Sam – prove him to be wise.
The difference between Elisha’s story and that of the disciples at the transformation is that after Elijah is carried away by the chariots of fire Elisha “picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan” (vs. 13). The prophetic ministry continued. However, Mark’s story goes on to tell us of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion and resurrection. His ministry can only continue now in the lives of those who claim his power and presence and through whom God’s light shines. Both are valid pieces of our religious heritage. We need constantly to keep the prophetic ministry, as embodied and symbolized by Elisha, before us. But above all we need to recognize that the crucified one calls us to come down from our mountain-tops and not stay there, for, as the hymn says, “And to each servant does the Savior say, ‘Go work today.’”
Amen.
Dave Pomeroy
First Congregational Church/United Church of Christ Las Vegas, NV February 22, 2009Change: Times of Transformation (2 Kings 2:1-1:12, Mark 9:1-9)
2 Kings 1:12-2:1
12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”
17 So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
2:1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. (ESV)
Mark 9:1-9
9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (ESV)
