Middletown United Methodist Church

The Transfiguration of Jesus as recorded in Mark 9:2-8 parallels that of Elijah. This time it is a mountain rather than a river that separates. The mountain carries the same high symbolic weight as the river. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a high mountain. There he is transfigured before them; his garments glow intensely white, and Elijah and Moses appear with him. Peter is beside himself at this revelation and calls out, “Let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Then a voice comes from a cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Peter, James, and John had been privileged to experience the transfiguration of the Christ. What followed from this revelation? Though they were not perfect, the mantle was passed on to them. Just as Elijah continued miraculous works after Elijah passed the mantle to him, Peter, James, and John came back down the mountain to assume the role of discipleship in a new way. They moved ahead and began the work of growing into the daily meaning of their inheritance. To do this they worked: no sooner were they down the mountain than people flocked around them for nurture and healing. It was not till much later that they were able to wear the mantle of Jesus in a way that befitted the experience.

The mountain is a symbol similar to that of the river. Moses received the commandments on the mountain; he came back down to wrestle with the people until they understood what it means to be in covenant relationship with God. Jesus went onto the mountain at the beginning of his ministry in Matthew; and he came back down to carryforward his work. As miraculous as a transfiguration may be, it still points to the same two consequences: the spirit is passed on, and the meaning of it does not rest until embedded into everyday faithfulness. It’s as simple as that.

We receive the faith, and our lives are transfigured. We are convinced we shall be loyal forever, faithful in every phase of life. How easy it will be. Are we not clothed with the mantle of the Spirit? What then is there to do? When I have a lot to do, I make a “to do” list.When I go to the store, I make a shopping list. When I have decisions to make, I make a list of pros and cons. There are many reasons we make lists.

The Transfiguration of Jesus as recorded in Mark 9:2-8 parallels that of Elijah. This time it is a mountain rather than a river that separates. The mountain carries the same high symbolic weight as the river. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on a high mountain. There he is transfigured before them; his garments glow intensely white, and Elijah and Moses appear with him. Peter is beside himself at this revelation and calls out, “Let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Then a voice comes from a cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Peter, James, and John had been privileged to experience the transfiguration of the Christ. What followed from this revelation? Though they were not perfect, the mantle was passed on to them. Just as Elijah continued miraculous works after Elijah passed the mantle to him, Peter, James, and John came back down the mountain to assume the role of discipleship in a new way. They moved ahead and began the work of growing into the daily meaning of their inheritance. To do this they worked: no sooner were they down the mountain than people flocked around them for nurture and healing. It was not till much later that they were able to wear the mantle of Jesus in a way that befitted the experience.

The mountain is a symbol similar to that of the river. Moses received the commandments on the mountain; he came back down to wrestle with the people until they understood what it means to be in covenant relationship with God. Jesus went onto the mountain at the beginning of his ministry in Matthew; and he came back down to carryforward his work. As miraculous as a transfiguration may be, it still points to the same two consequences: the spirit is passed on, and the meaning of it does not rest until embedded into everyday faithfulness. It’s as simple as that.

We receive the faith, and our lives are transfigured. We are convinced we shall be loyal forever, faithful in every phase of life. How easy it will be. Are we not clothed with the mantle of the Spirit? What then is there to do? When I have a lot to do, I make a “to do” list.When I go to the store, I make a shopping list. When I have decisions to make, I make a list of pros and cons. There are many reasons we make lists.

Across Northern Africa stretches the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, almost as large as the United States. From east to west, it measures thirty two hundred miles, farther than the distance from New York to San Francisco.

Mile after mile of scorching, shifting, sand dunes make up the Sahara, where temperatures reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer –so hot that breathing is nearly impossible. Yet at the eastern edge of this mammoth oven lies one of the richest, most fertile valleys know to human kind –the Nile Valley.

Flowing through the valley is the great Nile River, the longest river in the world. It was not the river alone that made the valley so abundantly fertile. It was the fact that prior to the building of the Ashwan Dam, the Nile river overflowed each year generously depositing all over the valley layer upon layer of rich tropical soil, washed down from the jungles of Central Africa.

What the Nile did until it was contained is a picture of our Proverbs verses: A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water. It is when your heart overflows generously that you are enriched to the point of life being meaningful. It is when your heart overflows generously that you provide refreshing water for all the parched lives around you.

Some of the sharpest teachings in Scripture are about money. For example, the incident of the widow’s mite, the parable of the talents, the alabaster box, and other stories, deal with money. In the early church the tragedy which overcame Ananias and Sapphira was a money matter and an example of how many who started out to follow Christ fell out over money and its use.

Our dilemma is easily stated. The church cannot do without money. This was true from the first and is increasingly true in our economy which is a “money” economy. But the church also teaches that money can be (note I didn’t say “is”) the root of all evil. We find ourselves balancing our focus between wanting to provide everything we can through our ministries and being able to pay the bills. History reminds us of times when the church exploited its people by setting up a church culture that promoted the selling of indulgences. When the church gives her heart away to money, she offers a false witness. Last week we talked about our consistent presence in the church enabling us to discern truth from false teaching. That discernment will also tell us when the church’s bank balance is more important to us than what we are doing to bring in the kingdom. Of course, this brings us around to the original dilemma. The church cannot do without money.

The church tends to apologize for her need of money, but we shouldn’t have to do that. You understand, I’m sure, that everybody doing their part keeps us afloat and allows us to support our ministries. We are deliberately not using a money focus story from the Bible today. Rather than talk about the actual dollars, we want to talk about generosity of a spiritual nature.

Leonard Bernstein once said: “I fully confess that nothing exists in this life of ours until or unless I can share it with others. Sharing, if I may be so bold, is the whole meaning of my life, whether it be with one single person or five or five million.”

When we are generous with our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, the church will always be able to pay its bills. And we will be a congregation filled with glad and generous hearts.

Jesus has already begun to create controversy with his ministry. He slips into the festival of the tabernacles quietly but eventually ends up in the temple courts, where he begins to teach. His teaching authority is immediately questioned, prompting the response that begins in verse 16. Those who follow wholeheartedly, as we saw in Caleb’s story last week, will be able to discern the difference between teaching that comes from God and teaching that is self-promoting. This relates to our membership vow to be present here, where we hear the word of God proclaimed; where we share prayer, study, and mission service. The more “experienced” we are as followers, the greater our ability to discern what is authentic.

Jesus gives a beautiful promise in verses 37-38: if we drink the living water he offers, rivers of it will flow out of our hearts. We will be alive, both as individuals and as a church, and be able to share the blessings of faith with others. Our worship each week offers us a drink of the living water so we might stay spiritually refreshed and let the river that flows from us carry the gospel to others. If our thirst for it is not quenched, we cannot do this. This is why our presence here, together, is of vital importance to the kingdom.

Jesus has already begun to create controversy with his ministry. He slips into the festival of the tabernacles quietly but eventually ends up in the temple courts, where he begins to teach. His teaching authority is immediately questioned, prompting the response that begins in verse 16. Those who follow wholeheartedly, as we saw in Caleb’s story last week, will be able to discern the difference between teaching that comes from God and teaching that is self-promoting. This relates to our membership vow to be present here, where we hear the word of God proclaimed; where we share prayer, study, and mission service. The more “experienced” we are as followers, the greater our ability to discern what is authentic.

Jesus gives a beautiful promise in verses 37-38: if we drink the living water he offers, rivers of it will flow out of our hearts. We will be alive, both as individuals and as a church, and be able to share the blessings of faith with others. Our worship each week offers us a drink of the living water so we might stay spiritually refreshed and let the river that flows from us carry the gospel to others. If our thirst for it is not quenched, we cannot do this. This is why our presence here, together, is of vital importance to the kingdom.

Caleb is a good example of perseverance and not losing sight of goals and purpose. He received God’s promise; wholly followed God; didn’t fear the giants; didn’t allow delays or circumstances to make him bitter or cause him to give up. If we are wholeheartedly committed to our membership vows and to making God’s kingdom a reality through our efforts as a church, there will be no mountain we can’t climb; no giant that will stop us. The discipline of prayer enables the believer to practice wholehearted following. Focus on prayer by leading a special prayer time for the church at the end of the service. This could be done at the altar, special stations, etc.

Children’s Sabbath is a set time each year when places of worship across the country are engaged in focusing prayers, worship, education, and action on learning more about the urgent challenges facing our nation’s children. In addition, we will incorporate the needs of/what we can help with for our neighborhood and MUMC children.

We are called to work, but what happens when we live in a culture of “go, go, go” and “more, more, more”? What happens when work starts to feel oppressive? It is easy for Christians to also fall into the “protestant work ethic” that so permeates our culture. This is not to say that working hard is bad, but overwork and oppressive work is. We are commanded over and over again by God to have a rhythm of work and rest. When we properly understand that work is a gift from God, we can also freely accept the gift of Sabbath and taking one day a week to rest from our work

We are called to work, but what happens when we live in a culture of “go, go, go” and “more, more, more”? What happens when work starts to feel oppressive? It is easy for Christians to also fall into the “protestant work ethic” that so permeates our culture. This is not to say that working hard is bad, but overwork and oppressive work is. We are commanded over and over again by God to have a rhythm of work and rest. When we properly understand that work is a gift from God, we can also freely accept the gift of Sabbath and taking one day a week to rest from our work

How do we decide where God is calling us in our current life situation? We are all called, but how do we decide our vocation amidst our calling? God may be calling us to serve within our church or in the community, but God also calls us to particular work.Sometimes our jobs connect to how we serve and build up the kingdom while other times we find ways to serve tangibly outside of our jobs. We are not all called to be full time ministers, but we are all gifted for ministry wherever we are.