Windows into heaven The main street window- The Shekinah of God First UMC 2/ 22-23/ 2020

Windows into heaven

The main street window- The Shekinah of God

First UMC 2/ 22-23/ 2020

Did anyone else have a little plastic glow in the dark Jesus when they were growing up?

I did. It is long gone, and I couldn’t find a picture exactly like it, but this is kind of close. My glow in the dark Jesus didn’t have a painted face, though. Do you want to know the kicker?  When I found this glow in the dark Jesus on Amazon with 2 week shipping it cost $34.55 +tax. I think Peter may have had the right idea. Maybe he is the one selling these to Amazon.

When he saw Jesus and Elijah and Moses shinning, he said, Let’s build three booths here. In other words, let’s hang on to this experience. He doesn’t say it, but I wonder if he had visions of glow in the dark Jesus, three booths where he could charge people big denarii to see this. Maybe 2 denarii for the opening act, and 5 for Jesus who would be the main attraction.

 Maybe he would call it the Holy Land Experience. You can imagine how things would develop. The disciples might set up a priority pass system for an extra cost of course. They might rope off the area outside the shrine so that the faithful could cue up in lines, kind of like at an amusement park or the bank. They would take everyone’s picture but you would have to pay an extra denarii to take it home. They’d set up a gift shop that would double as the exit like at Disney. Who knows, they might even start selling these wonderful glow in the dark Jesus’s for a mark-up of course.

This might sound ridiculous and sarcastic, but I think Luke kind of intended for Peter James and John to look ridiculous. The bumbling disciples could hardly stay awake to see one the greatest shows in heaven let alone on earth.

I think Luke is intentionally making them look foolish because he wants us to see beyond the wow factor. He wants us to understand that this is more than just a cheap magic trick. There is an important message here.

The closest we can come to that message is reflected in one of my favorite stained glass windows in the church. The window over The Main Street entrance depicting a sunrise… it could be a sunset, but I just have a feeling.

If you are looking at the screen and saying “I don’t remember that” it might be because you don’t come in the evening very much. During the day the window doesn’t look like much, but let the sun go down and the lights go up and I think it is beautiful.

Maybe the closest we can come to the experiencing the transfiguration is watching the glowing sunrise or sunset. It doesn’t matter if it is from your deck, at Swan lake, over the mountains or sitting by the ocean, or even in stained glass. Sunrises and sunsets are as close as we can get to the Shekinah of God.

This window reminds me that in spite of all the ugliness in the world… in spite of all the meanness around us… in spite of all the hatred and crime and sickness and prejudice and war… in spite of the darkness of sin in our world, The Light and power of God transfigures each and every day into a kingdom day. And the Light and power of God transfigures each and every one of us each … every day into kingdom people. As the darkness moves in on the parking lot, or the world, or our lives, the light of God shining through this window takes over as a beautiful glass reminder of God’s transfiguring power

 Just before the hiking trip we read about today, Jesus and the boys were hanging out and apparently out of blue Jesus announced

“The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Now in Matthew this is where Peter steps up and says, God forbid, lord. This will never happen to you.! And Jesus famously replies, “Get thee behind me Satan.”

 Jesus continues in Luke

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

The disciple might have though, “A cross might be in yoru future, but I have an aversion to painful torturous death.”

Jesus continued, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”

 8 days later, Jesus and the 3 disciples, Peter, James, and John head off for the mountain top. When they got to the top the 3 disciples were tired. And in their groggy stupor, these bumbling disciples almost miss the light of heaven, the light of eternity, the light of the one who is the light of the world, the light that was sent forth as the very first act of creation. They almost miss God’s notarized signature on Jesus as God’s beloved son and hear the command “LISTEN TO HIM.”

 Let’s talk about this piece by piece. First the Shining- or as we usually call it the transfiguration. Jesus’ transfiguration, visible to the disciples on the mountaintop is the Shekinah of God the light of God’s presence

Sunday school kids studying the 10 commandments… listen because I have a question for you. Listen

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.

You young folks studying the 10 commandments, why did shine when he came down from the mountain with the 10 commandments? He was filled with the light of God’s presence. We call that the Shekinah of God.

Moses wanted to see God’s face, and God says, “no one can see my face and live.” So, he let Moses look at his back. Even just looking at God’s back Moses came back to the people shining with the shekinah of God. The indwelling of God which is described as shining.

Shekinah is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word which means to dwell or stay. It came to be connected to the tabernacle and in the wilderness, and the temple in Jerusalem.

There is no place is Elijah’s story where he shines with the shekinah of God, but he is one of only 2 people who were taken to heaven without dying. Elijah was taken to heaven in a whirlwind, a chariots of fire and horses of fire separated him from Elisha as he rose out of sight. The chariots and horses of fire? Maybe that was Elisha’s way of describing the shekinah of God. I don’t know for sure.

So, before even one word is said, we know that Jesus’ shining with the Shekinah of God is a strong sign of the presence of God, the light of God in him. This shinning Shekinah says that Jesus is indeed God, God’s only son. As the Nicene creed says, “light from light, true God from true God.”

Before a word was spoken, we know this was God in the flesh.

 Then the voice comes from heaven with two messages. THIS IS MY SON. God said, “this is my son.” This stirring revelation comes 10 verses after Jesus asks the disciples “who do you say that I am?” And Peter replies, “you are the messiah of God.”

Here is definitive proof of Jesus divinity. If the shekinah of God is not enough proof for you, God’s voice speaks from heaven says this is not a glow in the dark Jesus… it is my son. Then there is no room left for doubt.

Finally, God says, “listen to him.” When God says listen to him what are we to hear. Perhaps we go back to what Jesus has said most recently. That Jesus must “suffer and be rejected and die and be raised gain.” LISTEN TO HIM. The light I see in this window is the light of God’s salvation shining on a world of sin. It is the shekinah of God seen on Easter morning shining light into the darkest corners of the world where people are entombed by sin and guilt. Their eyes may be closed, but they see the light anyway.

Shortly before that Jesus asked who do you say that I am? Peter said you are the Christ eh son of the living God. LISTEN TO HIM. The light I see in this window is the light of faith in Jesus Christ shining faithfully from the church night after night into the skeptical world that usually doesn’t believe it even if they see it. They might not want to see, but the light shines on them anyway.

Jesus said love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Love one another. LISTEN TO HIM. The light I see in this window is the light of love shining through the darkness on neighbors and passersby. Some of them live in the darkness where they believe no one loves them. They may be right. They may be considering taking their life. No one would notice anyway, right? This window says there is light in Christ and there is the light of love in this place and no matter how deep your self-hatred might be, our light shines just for you because someone does care, and someone does love you.

Jesus said the father hears and answers our prayers. LISTEN TO HIM. I see in this window the hope that someone is listening to the prayers of the person in the ambulance as they speed past to the hospital. I see in this window the hope that someone is listening to the prayers of the parents who are searching for their runaway teenager. I see in this window the hope that someone is listening to the prayers of the police officer who speeds by in the middle of the night praying that they will be able to diffuse this domestic disturbance before anyone gets seriously hurt. I see in this window the hope that someone is listening to the prayers of the mother returning home from her second shift Job, hoping that her check will be big enough to keep the electricity on.

Jesus said the kingdom of God is at hand. LISTEN TO HIM. I see in this window the vision of justice for the imprisoned, jobs for the unemployed, services for the disabled, shelters or homes for the homeless, treatment for all kinds of ills including mental, physical, addictions, emotional, and relational; equal treatment for all people no matter in what pigeonhole society places them. This is the light of justice, healing, and hope.

Jesus teaches that he is the vine and we are the branches- he is the source of abundant life that is ours if we stay connected to him LISTEN TO HIM. I see in this window the call for those who are hungry for a closer relationship with God to come and sit in the light with us. For those who need a reminder that God is still with them to come and feel the light of God’s presence in this place. I see in this window the call for anyone who feels guilt or shame to come and be forgiven. I see in this window the call for anyone who feel empty to come and be filled with the life-giving light of God’s power. This is the light that calls all the world unto him.

Jesus teaches that we are the light of the world. I see in this window a charge for us to shine with love as bright as the sun. I see in this window a charge for us to treat others as we want to be treated. I see in this window a charge for us to go into the streets and alleys and pray with hose who can’t seem to find words. I see in this window a charge for us to bring those same people back to God so they too can grow close to God. I see in this window a call to make a difference in this community, in the state, and around the world being leaven in the loaf. I see in this window as a call to teach the little ones, steady the elderly, support families, encourage single people, visit the sick and lonely, and to worship with a light so bright that all the world will know how much we love Jesus.

Former American Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky, said, “we never know which point in our lives marks our zenith, and it’s probably a good thing we don’t.” I don’t know what the future holds for us. We are all a little scared, but we need to stand together in the light of the transfiguration and the light of this window. I see in this window a promise for the transfiguration of each new day into a kingdom day. I see in this window the hope that God will transform each of us daily so we never be afraid that the darkness will put us out. I don’t think our best days are behind us. I don’t know if today is the best day in the history of this church, or tomorrow or 5 years from now. But as long as we shine as bright as we can, love as much as we can, work as hard as we can, give as generously as we can, pray as much as we can each and every day… the stained glass sunrise over our doors will be a God-rise.  Whether we realize it or not God will rise up and make us into the church God wants us to be.   God will rise up and make us unto the people God wants us to be. Remember, when the world gets darker out there, or in here, the God-rise only shines brighter.

We don’t need a bunch of glow in the dark Jesuses. We have people who glow with God’s love as they are the hands and feet of Jesus. Go transfigured by God’s presence and power in you bring a Godrise to someone each day.