Movement or Monument

A couple of truly extraordinary things happened yesterday. To begin with, for the first time in over a dozen years my wife Jody and I were able to worship together. This was also the first time I had been in a church since retiring from the ministry. It was wonderful to be able to sit beside my wife, but at the same time it felt really strange to be sitting in a pew instead of standing up front. I guess it will just take some time to get used to.

The other extraordinary thing was the former bishop of our synod happened to be preaching at the church we were visiting. This is the bishop who ordained me nearly 10 years ago. He gave an excellent sermon and a couple of the things he said have stayed with me and I would like to share them with you.

First, some context on the day. Yesterday was Transfiguration Sunday which celebrates Jesus appearing in glory on a mountain to a group of his closest disciples. It’s such a wonderful vision that the apostle Peter wanted to stay on the mountaintop forever and even offered to put up tents. But, as the former bishop put it, “God doesn’t want monuments. God wants movement.” This mountaintop experience didn’t exist merely for its own sake, but to give Jesus and the disciples strength for the journey ahead. Jesus was always coming back down from that mountain.

Which brings me to the bishop’s other point I wanted to share. Look at the direction of the movement in this story, he said. First the direction is up, up the mountain. And then it is down. Downhill. We live in a society in which upward mobility is prized and pursued at all costs. But Jesus and his disciples are moving in the other direction. Where others try to flee the cares and problems of this world, where they try to make their lives easier, Jesus does the opposite, moving to where life is difficult and where there are people in crisis.

Transfiguration Sunday always comes on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. As the Transfiguration did for Jesus, it can also give us strength for our 40+ day journey ahead through Lent. Perhaps more importantly, it can give us a direction to follow on that journey.

Many of us will follow some sort of discipline for Lent. Some of us will choose to give something up as a way to show humility and repentance. Others of us will add something for Lent such as Bible study and prayer. Lent is a wonderful time for personal reflection and deepening communion with God. But, be aware of the direction these disciplines take you. All of these things are focused inward, and that is good. But, it is only the first step. None of these disciplines are worthwhile if they keep you focused only on yourself and/or your own personal piety. Ultimately, you must change direction from the inward to the outward. And what will you find when you do this? People in need; People who need you.

The faith we follow is personal, but not private. Giving up chocolate for 40 days won’t do anyone any good unless it leads you to think about and help those who experience hunger on a daily basis. The movement from private faith to public action has always been tricky for me and it’s something I want to be more mindful about this year.

This Lent I ask you to be aware of the movement of Jesus through the Passion story, the ups and downs and ultimately the movement from death to life. And, with me, try to be aware of your own movement. If 40+ days later we’re standing in the same place we started, then we may have become monuments.