A New Glimpse of Glory
Luke 9:28-36
February 17, 18, 2006

A few weeks ago, our youth group went on their annual winter ski trip. All of my children have been on one or more of these trips. They tell me that snow skiing is a lot of fun. Many other youth and adults have been on these trips, and I have heard how exciting it is. They describe the awesome adrenalin rush they get as they fly down the mountain. But I have to confess that in all of my fifty plus years, I have never been snow skiing. Oh, it looks like a great time. But to be honest, I really don't like to be cold-and that's a bit of a problem when it comes to snow skiing. And I even enjoy watching it from time to time-especially during the Olympics when they are showing the downhill skiing competition.

In recent years, they have developed these new "ski cams"-you know, those cameras they can strap to the heads of the skiers? The cameras can provide some sense of the experience. Whoosh, whoosh, bumping and bouncing and barreling down the mountain-literally at "break-neck" speeds. The stories I hear and the shots from the "ski cams" have given me some sense of what snow skiing is like. But I guess I'll never know exactly what it's all about. I'll have to trust the stories of my children and others.

And I have reflected a bit on what it must be like for these skiers-especially the very competitive athletes.
I wonder if they still see the beauty of the mountains? I wonder if they get so caught up in the speed and the thrill and the clock and the competition-that they miss the majesty of it all? I wonder if the spectacular slopes and scenery just become another place to work? And I wonder if they are in such a hurry to get down the mountain, that they miss the breathtaking beauty that surrounds them?

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE LESSON FROM LUKE TALKS ABOUT A MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE. But the story is not about skiing-it's about seeing. Luke tells us that instead of being in a hurry to get down the mountain, Peter, James, and John want to stay on top of the mountain. As you recall, this threesome is kind of the inner circle of disciples. Jesus takes them apart from the group for a holy hike up the hilltop. They go for some time away-a spiritual retreat of sorts. And they are so excited about it that they do what? Luke tells us that they are "weighed down with sleep!" (That could be a whole sermon in itself! But we won't go there right now!)

Anyway, Jesus prays-and the appearance of his face changes. His clothes become as bright and brilliant as a bolt of lightning! Two men, Moses the great giver of the Law, and Elijah the great prophet, appear with him. The dozin' disciples are disturbed. They start mumbling and grumbling. "Hey, somebody turn off the light!" But then they catch a glimpse of the glory around them! And one translation says, "They became FULLY awake!" And Peter says to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here-let us put up three shelters, three tents." "There will be one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!" Luke tells us that poor ol' Peter does not know what he is saying-probably because he does not realize what he is seeing. But can you blame Peter for his reaction? What an electrifying experience!

We don't need to debate the details of how it happens or why it happens or exactly what happens. It is one of those indescribably delicious moments in life… When mortals meet Majesty… When dust encounters Divinity… When humanity comes into the Holy of Holies. Who can blame Peter for his reaction? Who wouldn't want to capture and cling to the moment? Grab the digital camera! Get the DVD recorder! Get out your cell phone! Put this on "My Space," IM your friends, put it on the website. Call the news station, call 911, call somebody!

Can you blame Peter? Some of you know the name Blaise Pascal, one of the true geniuses in all of human history. Pascal was a 17th century French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. In his brief 39 years, he made scientific discoveries which have become the foundation for some of our most significant contemporary knowledge. But with all his ability in logic and all his commitment to tough-minded scholarship, Pascal found the greatest assurance in his experiences of faith. On the evening of Monday, November 23, 1654, he felt the presence of Jesus Christ with such intensity that his life was changed forever. He wrote: "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob." "Certainty, certainty; feeling joy, peace." "God of Jesus Christ." He copied on parchment the full witness of his experience. It became so important to him that he sewed it into the lining of his coat. His servant discovered it 8 years later-after Pascal died. For Pascal the greatest reality was not what he discovered in laboratory experiments. His greatest discovery was what he found in his communion with God, through Jesus Christ. This transforming moment marked the time when he became "fully awake."

OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY FOLKS WHO FEEL THAT THOSE KINDS OF EXPERIENCES DON'T REALLY HAPPEN. Some feel that these glimpses of the glory of God are just fictional fables of the faithful. But I am convinced-I believe-that many of us simply miss the mountaintop moments in our lives. We become too weighed down with dozin' or distractions. We become blind to the beauty and blessings of God. Some people treat life as if it were some kind of super slalom course on a steep slope. There is gate after gate to manipulate-quick-turn-don't look back. Quick-another turn-don't stop. Whoosh-our children are growing up. Whoosh-time with family members. Whoosh-meant to spend time building meaningful relationships. Whoosh-gotta eat, gotta sleep, gotta work, got another meeting. Gotta squeeze a little God-time in there somewhere. Whoosh-can't stay-gotta go.

Sometimes adrenalin and the thrill get us to the bottom of the hill. But we may have a strange feeling-"Did I miss something?" Sometimes we come down the mountain and experience a sense of emptiness that crowded schedules cannot fill. We may have completed the course successfully. But we have missed the beauty in life that feeds us and sustains us and nourishes our souls. Those of us who are workaholics or play-aholics or shop-aholics or meeting-aholics or church-aholics may know what I'm describing. Some call it the sin of busyness-a sin that often leads to spiritual blindness.

In the German classic, Faust, the author describes a pact that Dr. Faust makes with the devil. The agreement allows Dr. Faust to satisfy his every human want and desire-except one! Never-never under any circumstances-is Dr. Faust permitted to stop and say to a passing moment, "Wait! You are so beautiful!"

Some folks are like Dr. Faust. They never stop to recognize the glimpses of the glory of God, which are all around them. Sometimes we stand in the very midst of the marvelous and miraculous and mysterious-and miss it completely. As many of you know, Ellen and I were given a generous gift from a family member to celebrate our 25th anniversary in Rome earlier this year. One of our first tours was Vatican City. We had both greatly anticipated seeing in person what we had only seen in pictures-especially the works of Michelango in the Sistine Chapel. As you probably know, the artwork was cleaned up and restored several years ago. They have left a few small sections unrestored so that viewers can have a sense of the "before and after" effect of the project-and it's amazing! Anyway, we were not prepared for the experience. The pictures we had seen were generally broken down into individual scenes, which are easier to comprehend and analyze. But as we entered the chapel with our tour group, we were overwhelmed. The size and scope of the artwork engulfed us. Necks strained in an effort to continue to look up and take in the awesome artwork. I made a comment to Ellen that somebody could make a nice profit if they would rent out cots or air mattresses by the hour so people could lie down and try to take it all in. But, of course, not everyone in the crowd was all that interested. Some folks moved on through fairly quickly. Some just chatted with friends, or paced impatiently waiting for their group to get on with it. Words I had read in a tour guide booklet became more prophetic. Philosopher William Irwin Thompson said, "Sometimes we wish we could be a fly-right up there near the paintings where we could see them more closely." And yet, that is not necessarily a helpful vantage point. "Too often we become like flies, simply crawling across the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel." "We cannot see the angels and gods that lie underneath the threshold of our perceptions."

CAN WE SHARPEN OUR SENSITIVITIES TO THE GLORY OF GOD, WHICH IS ALL AROUND US? A little boy was out in his front yard, throwing a ball up in the air. An elderly passerby asked the boy what he was doing. He replied, "I am playing a game of catch with God." "I throw the ball up in the air-and God throws it back."

I am not in a position to comment on God's ability to play ball, but I do wish that more of us had a constant sense of God's presence. A much more serious story was shared in a magazine; the article was titled, "A Letter for Luke." The story described an 11-year-old boy named Landon. He stood in front of his mother one day and said, "I wish I could write a letter to Luke." The mother could see tears welling up in her son's eyes. Nine months earlier, Landon's friend Luke had passed away very unexpectedly. Landon's grief was deep and unreachable. His mother longed to ease his pain and all she could think to do was hug him and hold him when he was upset. Perhaps, though, writing a letter would be a helpful thing to do? So she said, "Let's do it-let's write a letter to Luke." They gathered up some colored pencils and paper. Landon's mother suggested that he tell Luke how much he missed him and how much he loved him. He wrote a long letter-and transformed it into a work of art. Every line was written in a different color. He carefully drew an elaborate border around the words. It was truly a letter of love-a gift of grace. Landon folded the letter carefully and put it in an envelope.
Landon told his mom, "Mom, what I would really like to do is to tie my letter to a balloon. I know it can't really get to heaven-but…." Before he could finish his sentence, his mother said, "What a great idea-let's to the store." Landon picked out a neon pink balloon to carry his letter. They left the store and drove out to a beautiful, high place at the edge of town. It was peaceful and quiet there; a gentle breeze was blowing. The skies were heavy with clouds, but that didn't dampen Landon's spirit. He released the balloon and the letter and they went dancing skyward, higher and higher, up, up and away. Landon whispered, "I wish something would happen so I could know that God got the letter." His mom assured him that no matter what happened, the message would get through. Just as the balloon was about out of sight, the clouds parted for a moment. The brilliant ray of sunshine broke through-and the balloon and letter disappeared. Landon and his mother stood there-speechless. After a few moments, Landon said, "Mom…did you see that? God got my balloon."

A coincidence? Maybe? A time they wanted to last forever? Certainly. An experience they would never forget? Without a doubt. A mountaintop moment that would bring some healing to their sense of loss and grief… A moment that would feed and nourish their souls for the rest of their lives… Friends, let our eyes and ears be open, let us be fully awake… To the glimpses of the glory of God.