Conspiring With Jesus
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For February 11, 2024:
Conspiring With Jesus
by Mary Austin
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
The news is a swirl of conspiracy theories. The right is suggesting that the NFL, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift are in league to throw the Super Bowl to re-elect Joe Biden. (Never mind that the election is months away, and voters have short memories.) As Jimmy Kimmel explains it, “The same people who believe Joe Biden has dementia and needs Kamala Harris to feed him butterscotch tapioca every night also believe that he has somehow planned and executed a diabolically brilliant scheme to fix the NFL playoffs so the biggest pop star in the world can pop up on the Jumbotron during the Super Bowl in between a Kia and a Tostitos commercial to hypnotize her 11-year-old fans into voting for Joe Biden.”
Older conspiracy theories persist, too. The moon landing was faked. 9-11 never happened. Paul McCartney is dead. The "Paul is dead" conspiracy goes something like this: “On Nov. 9, 1966, Paul McCartney got into an argument with the other Beatles, stormed out of the studio and was promptly decapitated in a car accident. To cover the whole thing up, the band hired a look-alike (and sound-alike).” Or, there's the idea that 5G cell towers undermined American immune systems, and caused the Covid pandemic.
Into this maddening swirl of ideas, Paul speaks a word about God’s truth, revealed for us in Jesus. In Paul’s time, like ours, like every era of human history, not everyone can see the truth. For Paul, the inescapable truth is that Jesus is Lord, and the glory of God shines through his life. That same glory is unveiled in our hearts, too. That knowledge triumphs over all the untruths of the world, if we’re willing to take it in.
Paul is eager for the truth to be unmasked — good news in his time and ours.
In the News
Who knew that the Denver airport is the headquarters for the Illuminati? Or that Prince Charles is a vampire? The Covid-19 pandemic continues to inspire conspiracy theories, with China blaming the US for infecting them. For those concerned, you can buy fake Covid documents, sold in fake ads with fake pictures of real doctors. “Kristina Collins didn’t know her photo was being used on Telegram. Over the past few months, an Instagram picture of Collins, a Texas-based doctor and dermatologist, has been used by scammers on the chat app to try to persuade people to buy false proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and other diseases.”
We have more access to false information and conspiracy theories, thanks to the 24 hour news cycle and the wealth of information available at our fingertips on the internet. Some theorists argue that “As long as humans have existed, there have been conspiracies. Research examining the evolutionary roots of such belief systems tracked them all the way back to early civilizations.”
Professor Marcel Danesi notes that lies and conspiracy theories have a powerful impact on our brains, helping their purveyors continue to veil the truth and influence our behavior. Danesi’s research shows that “throughout history, speeches by dictators and autocrats have one thing in common: they use dehumanizing metaphors to instill and propagate hatred of others…Once someone is tuned into these metaphors, their brain actually changes in ways that make them more likely to believe bigger lies, even conspiracy theories. These metaphors are part of a cognitive process that entraps some people in this kind of thinking while others are unaffected.”
“The first step in veiling the truth for people, Danesi says, is to find them in a state of fear. Any kind of fear will work. Once they start to believe these conspiracies and lies, the neural pathways become more and more alert to them, and inclined to believe. The beliefs build, and “research into this brain wiring also shows that once people begin to believe lies, they are unlikely to change their minds even when confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. It is a form of brainwashing. Once the brain has carved out a well-worn path of believing deceit, it is even harder to step out of that path — which is how fanatics are born.”
One expert says we turn to conspiracy theories when we lose a sense of control “and feel afraid and anxious because these theories can offer comfort in the form of a black-and-white answer.” We like the certainty, even if it’s false.
In the Scriptures
Paul calls us back to the faith where we don’t need to rely on false information or conspiracy theories.
We sense some frustration as Paul writes to the believers in Corinth. Just before our passage, he writes, “Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.” Perhaps talking both to himself and to the churches, he’s offering a word of encouragement. Revealing the good news of Jesus is not an easy process. Some people choose not to see, blinded by the world around them. Too much focus on the tangible, present, knowable world keeps us from living fully in the realm of God.
So, how do we get to the truth of God’s grace?
Just before this passage, Paul offers the answer to this riddle. “When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” (2 Corinthians 3:16) And God is not done working. “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (3:18)
As we wind up the season of Epiphany, and move into Lent, we get a big splurge of glory. The gospels show us Jesus on the mountaintop, ablaze with his inner light. Paul gives us the deep contrast between God’s revelation in Jesus and the shadows of the human world.
In the Sermon
The “gospel is veiled to those who are perishing,” Paul writes. The sermon might look at the people in our world who are perishing from loneliness, from a hunger for connection, from grief, from overwork, from racism or homophobia. What would the good news look like to them, and how can we be a part of unveiling it through our actions?
Or the sermon could explore how we keep ourselves from seeing some truth about the world, living in our news bubbles and consuming information that confirms what we already think. We also keep ourselves from the full experience of God, limiting God’s access to us with our attention to our devices, our busy lives, and our parade of worries. How often do we build a veil between ourselves and God? How can we remove the veil and know more of God’s light?
Paul asserts that the God of creation, the God who said, “Let there be light!” is the same God who creates the light within each of us. The sermon could talk about how that looks in everyday life. Who glows with that light? How do they make it known? When we shine with that light, we proclaim Jesus without words, which is the best way.
Or, as we stand at the edge of Lent, the sermon could talk about this light from God as our guide through Lent. We get this gift right before we plunge into the shadows of Lent. In Lent’s somber time of reflection, we still carry the light within us, and the light of the world still shines, even as we move toward the cross.
To conspire, of course, means to breathe with. May we breathe in communion with Jesus as we live with God’s light.
SECOND THOUGHTS
A Good Time to Stop Talking
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 9:2-9
Have you heard about the giant, underground, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Democratic Party conspiracy? You haven’t? How could you have missed it?
According to some right-wing media personalities, the entire Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance is a fake, a plot by the Democratic Party, a scheme concocted by the Deep State/Dark Web/Liberal Cabal to use the Super Bowl as a stage whereupon the couple will take center field at half time to announce their endorsement of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Wait! What?
Well, that’s the claim made by right wing voices such as former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, alleged actress Roseanne Barr, media personality Benny Johnson, self-described Islamophobe Laura Loomer, Salem Media host Mike Crispi.
The Super Bowl, according to this august group, has been rigged by the Democrats and the Pentagon and, uh, others in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs because, well, who knows why. It has something to do with the color red, I think. Also, as everyone knows, Kansas City is a hotbed of liberalism and Las Vegas is just chock full of liberal elites. Right? Well, okay, maybe.
At any rate, the extreme wing of the MAGA party has obviously solved all the other problems of the world and they don’t have anything else to say so, now, they’ve taken on this so-called conspiracy.
Or, since they obviously don’t have anything to say, maybe they could just stop talking.
Yeah, right.
In the Media
Politicians love verbal blunders, especially the ones made by the other side.
When Joe Biden accidentally referred to the war in Ukraine as the war in Iraq, the right went apoplectic, screaming that this gaff was proof positive that Uncle Joe was not fit to lead the country.
When Donald Trump said that his favorite book of the Bible was “Two Corinthians” instead of, as any first grade Sunday school student knows, Second Corinthians, the left pounced upon the verbal error as proof that Trump’s alleged love of scripture was a joke. He may have learned his lesson. When he wanted to reassure his evangelical Christian supporters that he was still committed to the Bible, he used tear gas to clear protesters from the street in front of the White House so he could stand in front of a church holding up a Bible. He wisely refrained from speaking.
When Biden addressed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as “Mr. President,” he immediately corrected himself and the two leaders laughed it off, but not soon enough or good enough to satisfy the right-wing media who, again, claimed that it was an unforgivable blunder that may have permanently wounded American/British relations.
During a speech on January 19th, Donald Trump confused Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On occasion he has appeared to slur his words and he also suggested former Democratic President Barack Obama was still in office. Rival Haley jumped on all these as proof that he was too old and feeble to lead the country.
Haley’s age-related attacks, however, may be a case of “turnabout is fair play.” Trump (77) has made the same claims about Biden (81) whenever the President stumbles, verbally or physically. (Biden has even referred to himself as a “gaff machine.”)
In the Scriptures
Because we are students of scripture, we know that big things happen when you go up a mountain, whether it’s Horeb, Sinai, Nebo, Carmel, Zion, or the Mount of Olives. If you’re going up a mountain, hold onto your hat; something important is likely to happen.
Noah’s saga ended on a mountain. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses on a mountain. God was said to have lived, at one time, on a mountain. Elijah witnessed the whirlwind and heard God’s still, small voice on a mountain. David hid from Saul in the mountains. And Jerusalem was built on a large hill but the ancient Hebrews called it a mountain, Mt. Zion, to give it prominence and a sense of importance.
So, important things tend to happen on mountains and we are not disappointed in this story.
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain but asks them to stop just short of the summit while he goes on alone to pray. From their spot below the top, they see Jesus with Moses and Elijah, transfigured and glowing white. That this is an important event goes without saying. It places Jesus squarely within the ancient prophetic tradition with two icons of that movement.
But there’s another important part of this story and that is the response of the three disciples to the event. They are present in the midst of an up close and personal, ecstatic revelation, an experience that could change their entire outlook, their understanding, indeed, their entire lives.
Since the entire episode is told from Peter’s point of view, he is, as usual, the spokesperson and he has two responses that we all probably recognize because they are so familiar.
His first response is to offer an evaluation: “You know, it’s good that we are here.” The fact that he is right does nothing to alter the absurdity of what he says.
Who does he think that he is? Siskel and Ebert? Does he think he was brought here to write a review? To judge the value of the event?
Secondly, after he gives his evaluation, Peter offers to build three tabernacles or shelters — one for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses. Why? Because…
A) It’s the nice, polite thing to do.
B) It’s the religious thing to do. And
C) It’s the safe thing to do.
So, to review, Peter’s response to a life altering revelation is to 1) evaluate it and find it acceptable, and 2) rush about doing nice, safe, religious things.
In the Sermon
Peter said these things, Mark tells us, not becaue he actually believed they were the good and right responses to his experience, but because he was afraid and didn’t know what to say. So, he talks.
He’s not so different from us, is he? A tragedy happens and a Christian finds themselves in a situation where they don’t know what to say. They say something that they hope will sound religious, something they’ve heard someone else say, some axiom or cliché that they haven’t really thought about but sounds kind of good, something generic and bland, kind of meaningless, something harmlessly religious.
We hear them say it and we nod and then, after we’ve had a chance to think about it, we realize that we’ve just committed blasphemy, we’ve accused God of doing something so horrible that, if a human being did it, we would throw that human being in prison for the rest of their life.
It is the fear of committing this kind of faux pas that keeps us from going to the bedside of someone who is ill, or to the visitation at the funeral home, or to the jail. We don’t know what to say and we are afraid we’ll say the wrong thing.
Experiences of the divine in our lives can be scary. God can be kind of scary. That’s what the children of Israel discovered in the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy. They didn’t trust Moses. They wanted to hear God’s voice for themselves. But all God did was clear his throat and they ran away and cowered behind trees and told Moses that they had changed their minds and they would trust him to actually do the talking with God.
The Hebrew scriptures are full of stories that make God seem dangerous. People touch the Ark of the Covenant and drop dead. Priests break the rules of handling this or that holy item and they die. God’s presence always seems to be accompanied by whirlwinds, brush fires, gale force winds, and thunder and lightning.
We think of the New Testament as less scary, filled with stories of love and acceptance. But is it, really?
Jesus tells us to love our enemies. I don’t know about you but that seems kind of scary to me. What if the enemies don’t love us back?
Jesus tells the rich young man to “sell everything you own and give it to the poor and come, follow me.” And I’m hoping that story is metaphorical, you know? Because that “sell all you own and give it to the poor” stuff is really scary to me.
And if all that isn’t scary enough, what’s this about “take up your cross and follow me,” and the “first shall be last,” and “if you have two coats, give one of your coats to your neighbor?” You start taking that stuff seriously and things get heavy and scary really fast.
No wonder Peter has decided that it’s just a lot easier to say religious sounding things and do religious looking stuff than to actually let your life be addressed by the living God and his son, Jesus Christ.
Fortunately, God’s there to stop this nonsense before it gets out of hand.
God steps in and stops Peter before he really does make a fool of himself. God causes a cloud to overshadow Peter, James, and John and from the cloud comes this deep, resonant, baritone voice. (I think we can all agree that God has a baritone voice, can’t we? No? Oh, okay.)
Since those present can’t figure out the proper response to this experience, God lays it out for them in simple, straightforward terms. Mark gives us a brief homily, a mini-sermon delivered straight from the mouth of God.
First, the indicative: “This is my Son, the Beloved.”
Jesus is a great teacher of morals and ethics but he is not just a teacher. He is a healer of the sick but he is not just a healer. He is a Jewish religious reformer but he is not just a religious reformer. He is the Son, the beloved of God.
Now, to you and me that may work as a nice, cozy metaphor — you know, the father and son thing. But to first century Jews that phrase, “Son of God” was about the long-awaited messiah.
God says to Peter, “Peter, please! Stop babbling. Stop running around. Put those rocks down and come over her. Sit down. This man is my son, the messiah, the one you’ve been waiting for all your life.”
Then comes the imperative: “Listen to him!” (Exclamation point)
And there it is in three simple words.
This is the appropriate response that we are instructed to bring to this moment. This is how we are supposed to respond to Jesus Christ on the mountaintop. This is the religious activity in which we are to be engaged. This is what it means to be Christian.
“Listen to Him.”
Listen to him when he says, “Pick up your bed and walk.”
Listen to him when he says, “Follow me.”
Listen to him when he says, “In as much as you do it to the least of these…”
Listen to him when he says, “Love your enemies.”
Listen to him … well, just listen to him.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Mark 9:2-9
Elijah & Moses
I have never seen an explanation for how the disciples were able to identify Moses and Elijah on the mountain with Jesus. When I’m feeling playful I imagine they wore something like this:
Each is very, very important; it is fitting that they appear together. Moses and Elijah have a lot in common.
Moses represents the Covenant and the Torah.
Elijah represents the prophetic tradition and its denunciation of idolatry.
Moses’ burial place is unknown (Deuteronomy 34:6).
Elijah is not recorded as having died. He ascended into heaven in a whirlwind after a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated him from Elisha (2 Kings 2:11).
Both stood in God’s presence and spoke to God.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Elijah
When modern Jews celebrate Passover, many families have a fifth cup of wine for Elijah. Elijah is the prophet who is believed to herald the coming of the Messiah. It is believed that Elijah will appear as an unknown guest. Some traditions go so far as to leave a door open for Elijah. This practice is the origin of this satirical haiku
On Passover we
opened the door for Elijah.
Now the dog is gone.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
What’s in a name?
Elijah in Hebrew is אליהו literally it means “My God is Yah.”
Moses in Hebrew is משח , the name comes from Exodus 2:10 when Pharoah’s daughter says, “I drew him out of the water.” “Moses” sounds like the Hebrew verb for drawing something out of water.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Significance of Moses & Elijah
The very last words of what Christians call the Old Testament are Malachi 4:4-6 (NRSVUE):
Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
It is very fitting that these two would appear with Jesus as the New Age is dawning there on the mountaintop.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Proof that Peter was a preacher
Peter didn’t know what to say, but he spoke anyway. And he thought a building campaign would be a good way to fill the awkward silence.
* * *
2 Kings 2:1-12
Some Bible trivia
There are two men who appeared in the Hebrew scriptures whom scripture does not record as having died. Enoch, Moses’ great-grandfather: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” (Genesis 5:24, NRSVUE) and Elijah: “As they (Elijah and Elisha) 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. (2 Kings 2:11, NRSVUE)
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:
Mark 9:2-9
You cannot see what I saw!
Poor Peter. He was the historical embodiment of the phrase Pic’s or it didn’t happen!
If Jesus and the apostles were present and active in the modern day I am more than positive that Peter would have a secret TikTok account where he would divulge what happened on that mountain as soon as he got to Wi-Fi. While many would be quick to point out that Jesus specifically told his disciples present with him that day not to tell anyone about the Transfiguration and God speaking from heaven, but come on, that's pretty amazing and not an easy secret to keep. It's weird to preach on a ministry of secrets because that is what Jesus is asking of the three. They must keep this secret not because they are more special than the others but because the others could never see what those three saw and heard. I know personally, when I have a secret, a harmless one of course, I am on cloud nine. I feel invincible. Yet, conversely, I want to tell everyone immediately. In this way I have to exercise restraint, something that Peter seems to lack. He is the first to want to tell the whole world by building a monument to the one thing Jesus asked them not to share. I would not be the first to tell my congregation that keeping secrets is close to Godliness, yet I, like Peter, had to figure out the hard way that what I find joy in, might not be joyous for others. There are some things best kept secret — best kept safe.
* * *
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Light in the dark
Personally, I enjoy using the lighthouse as a metaphor for God’s glory. The Fresnel lens, a powerful central magnifying glass, has the ability to refract light with a clear-weather range of 20 nautical miles. To put that into perspective, a lighthouse is able to focus a beam of light so strong that it crosses the horizon. Even on the darkest, foggiest nights, the light from a lighthouse can be seen. There is something awe inspiring about a light bright enough to guide the voyager safely home.We proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world and he alone can guide us to salvation, yet we struggle with committing to Christ's call to be beacons of his light. The Corinthians text puts into perspective what a world looks like when there are warring ideologies. The issues our ancestors faced are the ones we are facing today. We question whether the light on the horizon is the lighthouse of God's glory or someone or something else. Have we denied the beacon trying to call us home?
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
Mark 9:2-9
Transfigured by Awe
I love that the sum of transfiguration is to talk less and listen more. It reminds me of so many times how humans are not very good at listening. How we listen to respond instead of listening to understand. God tells the disciples to listen to Jesus — and Jesus tells the disciples essentially to shut up. What a message!
It also makes me think about how humans have many different ways of listening. For neurotypical people, looking people in the eyes is a way to show that you are listening. But if you have ADHD or Autism, you are probably listening better if you look away.
My brother-in-law says he is listening and remembering the best if he is doodling while he is taking things in. My husband needs some kind of background noise. My children cannot physically sit still when we sit down together for dinner. However, that gathering is not about being proper but to understand one another. It often amounts to about fifteen minutes total.
How is your body situated when you listen to understand? How can we talk less? What is your attitude of awe? In the wake of the Grammys there was a lot of chatter about who was in awe of who. Tracy Chapman and Joni Michell were two for whom most people agreed people were in awe of — they shut up and listened to them. The attitude of deference is about respecting what it is they have to say. How can we understand and be in awe of one another more?
* * *
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
The Veil
It hurts to think that there are those who cannot see the good news at all. There are those who are so far away from the good news that they do not even have inklings of it. Yet everyday there is evidence of this.
One such group was the MAGA convoy that came for a “Take Our Border Back” Rally. Not only did they go against scripture to deny the immigrant, taking no heed of Leviticus 19:34, which commands us to love and welcome the immigrant — but the group arrived to find that they were lied to. There was no invasion of immigrants. Though there was a rally for pro-MAGA, anti-immigrant sentiment, and Eagle Pass (the site of a legal battle about barbed wire), immigration on the whole is down. The facts, and human rights, as well as Biblical mandates seem to be of little importance to these followers. They would rather be certain and right than open themselves up to new learnings. The veil feels safe — the gospel is not. Good news requires changing one’s behavior.
* * *
2 Kings 2:1-12
Walk a Little More with Me
I feel for Elisha, who journeys with Elijah as long as humanly possible. He says, “I am walking with you as long as I can, even though I know it will be short and this is the end.” It feels like a test of Elisha’s spirit. Can he stand to look at Elijah as he is being taken away? I chose to believe the opposite. I think that Elijah knows that Elisha cannot stand to look away, and so he is making that a grace-filled moment.
Ever have that moment when you are watching your beloved one being taken away and it hurts but you have to watch? When my grandmother was dying, we sang hymns to her. She loved music. She was only an okay musician, but she always sang in the choir, and attended so many musical performances. She came to every concert and performance of mine that she was able to — is that not beautiful. She could not look away, because she loved me and she loved music. Even though I was not more than mediocre in singing, clarinet, and piano, she fostered a love of music in me, too.
As she was dying, my siblings and I sang her favorite hymns to her (with all the verses). She could no longer speak, and we all knew that she must have hated that. She was a verbal processor. She loved to talk so much that she would talk even when there was no one else there to listen. But we could at least sing to her.
I have to believe that’s how it was with Elijah and Elisha. Elisha knew that Elijah would be walking until the end, so they walked together. And, the gift of double spirit made it a walk of grace — so the memory could be beautiful, just like the hymns blessed our time with my grandmother. Amazing how those things turn certain moments holy.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
2 Kings 2:1-12
Prophetic Persistence
From the outset, this passage reminds us that Elijah’s time on earth is coming to an end. The bitterness of anticipatory grief hangs in the air as Elijah prepares to leave Elisha — and everything else — behind. Elisha refuses to go away. He refuses to be separated from his mentor. This sense of steadfast persistence is a reminder of God’s steadfast presence with Israel, even as grief tears at the fabric of our lives.
In an article in a chaplaincy journal, the Rev. Christopher Holms reflects on the different ways he was affected by a police officer’s death. Holms writes that painful notion of death as separation became particularly acute for him. Holms says that in the days following the officer’s funeral, the feeling of death as separation filled him with fear:
In the following days, the idea of my family being left alone haunted me. I felt scared for the first time in my career. I stopped pulling over cars as this is the second most dangerous act for an officer. Still I denied these feelings, telling myself that I was just tired from the process of becoming an Episcopal deacon and that CPE was taking too much out of me. All the while, I knew that I was hiding from the truth — and from my fear.
Like Elisha, Rev. Holms persisted in prayer and remained attuned to God’s Spirit. His own prayers approached the level of Elisha’ daring request of Elijah (“Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”). He says:
My prayers changed as I began to think of Paul's letters to the Ephesians. I realized that I was not giving myself to God but to fear. I began to have a new respect for life and for my role in it. I began to hear things in sermons that pertained to my challenges, and I began again to pray prayers and Psalms that gave me strength. It still is on my mind and in my heart, but I am not overcome by it anymore. In retrospect, I feel that God gave me time to ponder, to question and even to hide for a while. (Christopher Holms, “A Police Chaplain’s Reflections,” (from Chaplaincy Today, Volume 24 Number 2, Autumn/Winter 2008.)
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Listen to him! The power of sound
God’s voice thunders across the canyons, silencing Peter’s anxiety-driven quest to make sense of the mysterious theophany. God’s words echo the affirmation offered to Jesus at his baptism, but this time they are directed to the disciples: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him!” Maria Popova explores the sacred dynamics of listening and speaking in an essay posted on DailyGood.org. Popova notes that most conversations can be characterized by a degree of unpredictability. “Even the warmest intention can be met with frost.” Still, she says, something about this “ancient and abiding human gift” compels us to engage in acts of speaking and listening. “And the most magical thing, the most sacred thing,” she writes, “is that whichever the outcome, we end up having transformed one another in this vulnerable-making process of speaking and listening.”
Popova turns to author Ursula K. LeGuin, who died in 2018, to explore these concepts further. Drawing on LeGuin’s essay, “Telling is Listening,” Popova describes speech as “the most potent form” of relationship formation we have. She quotes LeGuin’s reflection on sound, event, and listening, making a connection that mirrors the power of the Transfiguration. LeGuin writes:
Sound signifies event. A noise means something is happening. Let’s say there’s a mountain out your window. You see the mountain. Your eyes report changes, snowy in winter, brown in summer, but mainly just report that it’s there. It’s scenery. But if you hear that mountain, then you know it’s doing something. I see Mount St. Helens out my study window, about eighty miles north. I did not hear it explode in 1980: the sound wave was so huge that it skipped Portland entirely and touched down in Eugene, a hundred miles to the south. Those who did hear that noise knew that something had happened. That was a word worth hearing. Sound is event.
Speech, the most specifically human sound, and the most significant kind of sound is never just scenery, it’s always event.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Holy Listening
Kay Lindahl, founder of The Alliance for Spiritual Community, writes and teaches about the value of listening as a spiritual practice. In her book The Sacred Art of Listening, Lindahl provides a series of reflections designed to cultivate listening as a spiritual practice. She refers to studies conducted by the International Listening Association that show humans spend about 45% of our time listening, yet also become quickly distracted. An average adult attention span is 22 seconds, Lindahl says, which leads most people to having minimal recall of what we have heard.
It is not just the power of what we say that offers transformation; it is our ability to listen well that leads to relationships that become the building blocks of transformation. As Lindahl writes:
…it is the quality of our listening that has the greatest impact in any conversation. Quaker writer Douglas Steere says: “To listen to another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service one human being ever performs for another.” What makes listening spiritual? It is the art of becoming a listening presence, a way of being in which stillness and attentiveness provide the space for people to speak authentically and know they are being heard. It is from this place that we can listen across diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions and belief systems. It is about being a presence for understanding rather than for judging. When we are open, curious, and attentive to others in this way we discover a deeper, sacred connection; we are in relationship.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: God summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
All: Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
One: Our God comes and does not keep silence.
All: Before God is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest is all around.
One: God calls to the heavens and the earth, “I will judge my people.”
All: The heavens declare God’s righteousness, for God is judge.
OR
One: God comes among us to reveal to us the truth.
All: Open our eyes, O God, that we may know what is real.
One: The truth is not just about God but about us, as well.
All: We may need some help taking in the truth about ourselves.
One: The truth is meant to move us to action in the world.
All: With God’s help we will allow the truth to move us.
Hymns and Songs
Fairest Lord Jesus
UMH: 189
H82: 383/384
PH: 306
GTG: 630
NNBH: 75
NCH: 44
CH: 97
W&P: 123
AMEC: 95
Renew: 166
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
GTG: 667
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
GTG: 662
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Renew: 296
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH: 454
PH: 324
GTG: 451
NNBH: 218
CH: 586
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
GTG: 829
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
GTG: 450
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
GTG: 697
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
O Wondrous Sight! O Vision Fair
UMH: 258
H82: 136/137
PH: 75
GTG: 189
NCH: 184
LBW: 80
ELW: 316
Let There Be Light
UMH: 440
NNBH: 450
NCH: 589
STLT: 142
Open Our Eyes, Lord
CCB: 77
Renew: 91
Shine, Jesus, Shine
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is truth and all that is real:
Grant us the courage to see the truth as you see it
and to act on it as the Christ has done;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the truth and you are the foundation upon which sets all reality. Help us to see the truth as you reveal it to us and help us to act upon that truth. Help us to follow Jesus in truth and in real actions. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially complacency with knowing only in our heads and not in our hearts or our hands and feet.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to be ‘right’ in what we believe but we are less concerned with that truth moving us to right actions. Instead of using what you reveal to us about yourself and ourselves to draw closer to you and to enter more fully into your kingdom, we use it to justify ourselves and set ourselves above others. Forgive us and renew us that we might know the truth and be the truth. Amen.
One: God created us to reflect the image of God. Receive God’s Spirit as you are renewed in God’s reality and live into God’s realm.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, because in you there is not deceit or falseness. In you and from you there is only what is real and true.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to be ‘right' in what we believe but we are less concerned with that truth moving us to right actions. Instead of using what you reveal to us about yourself and ourselves to draw closer to you and to enter more fully into your kingdom, we use it to justify ourselves and set ourselves above others. Forgive us and renew us that we might know the truth and be the truth
We give you thanks for inviting us into the reality of your own being. You have made us in you image, filled us with your Spirit, and made us citizens of your eternal realm. You dwell among us to reveal yourself to us moment by moment.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for the desire to see the truth. We pray for the courage to live the truth. We pray for those who find it difficult to trust that your truth is the way to a full and abundant life. We pray for those who risk being truth tellers among us.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Pass the Coat
by Elena Delhagen
2 Kings 2:1-12
Items needed: a large cloak or cape
(Begin the sermon while wearing the cloak/cape) Good morning, friends! How are you doing today? This morning, I’d like to talk to you about one of the prophets in the Bible who was named Elijah. A prophet is kind of like one of God’s messengers; they tell people the things that God wants them to know. Now, God had something wonderful planned for Elijah. God wanted to take him straight to heaven without dying first. This was a special honor that God had given to only one other person, a man named Enoch.
Another man named Elisha was Elijah’s assistant. Elisha knew that soon the prophet Elijah would end his work and it would be Elisha’s time to carry on. One day, Elijah took Elisha on one last journey. The thought of losing Elijah the prophet filled Elisha with sadness. He was probably a little nervous about taking over Elijah’s work, too. Elijah also knew he would soon be leaving Elisha. So he gave his helper a test. At each stop they made, Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here. I need to go on.” But each time Elisha insisted on going, too. He didn’t want to let Elijah out of his sight. He wanted to be with him until the very last moment.
So, the two of them kept walking, and soon they came to the Jordan River. Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water with it. (Take off the cloak) The water parted, and the two men walked across on dry ground. On the other side it was time to say goodbye. “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elijah asked Elisha. Elisha could have asked for a lot of things. He could have asked for money. He could have asked to be famous. But instead he asked for a special blessing. “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” he answered. He knew that the only way he could do the work he had been called to do was with extra help from God’s spirit. He knew that God’s spirit would give him the power!
“If you see me when I am taken up from you, it will be yours; otherwise not,” Elijah said, and they kept walking. Then suddenly a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated the two men. Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, and at first, Elisha was really sad. But then he saw Elijah’s coat where it had fallen. He picked it up and walked back to the river. Rolling up the coat, Elisha hit the water with it, just as Elijah had done. Again the waters parted, and Elisha walked across on dry ground. God had kept his promise and given Elisha the gift of his Spirit, just like Elijah had, too. And Elisha did many wonderful things while serving God. (Put the cloak on another child)
Now, I’m curious. Do you think it was a good thing or a bad thing that Elisha wanted to have double the power that Elijah had? (Allow time for responses.)
I think it was a good thing because he wasn’t asking to be selfish or greedy. He just really wanted to serve God!
I’m wondering — do any of you play sports? Have you ever been on a sports team? (Allow time for responses.) When you’re on a team, everyone has their own positions to play, right? Like, if we’re talking about baseball, somebody might be the pitcher, someone might be on third base, someone might be in the outfield — everyone has their own jobs to do, right? But even though everyone has different jobs, they all have the same goal. They’re all working together to accomplish the same thing. And maybe someone on the team scores lots of runs, and maybe someone scores one or even none, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter because the team won. (Have a child take the cloak off and put it on another child.)
Elijah and Elisha were kind of like teammates. Elijah did lots of amazing things for God; he scored lots of runs! And then when he went to heaven, he gave the ball to Elisha. He gave Elisha his coat, which is like him saying, “Ok, it’s your turn now!” And then Elisha, because he had that double portion, was able to do so many more wonderful things for God’s kingdom. (Have child take the cloak off and put it on another child, continue until all children have had a chance to wear it.)
See, friends, the good news is that God has given us a big community so that we can all work together to share love, peace, and justice in the world. We don’t have to do it all ourselves. We all do our part, and then we can pass the coat to someone else so they can do their part, too. Because we’re all working toward the same goal, which is sharing the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.
That, I think, is very, very good news indeed. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 11, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- Conspiring With Jesus by Mary Austin based on 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.
- Second Thoughts: A Good Time to Stop Talking by Dean Feldmeyer. When you don’t have anything to say, that’s probably a good time to stop talking.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Chris Keating, Katy Stenta, Quantisha Mason-Doll.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Pass the Coat by Elena Delhagen based on 2 Kings 2:1-12.
Conspiring With Jesusby Mary Austin
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
The news is a swirl of conspiracy theories. The right is suggesting that the NFL, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift are in league to throw the Super Bowl to re-elect Joe Biden. (Never mind that the election is months away, and voters have short memories.) As Jimmy Kimmel explains it, “The same people who believe Joe Biden has dementia and needs Kamala Harris to feed him butterscotch tapioca every night also believe that he has somehow planned and executed a diabolically brilliant scheme to fix the NFL playoffs so the biggest pop star in the world can pop up on the Jumbotron during the Super Bowl in between a Kia and a Tostitos commercial to hypnotize her 11-year-old fans into voting for Joe Biden.”
Older conspiracy theories persist, too. The moon landing was faked. 9-11 never happened. Paul McCartney is dead. The "Paul is dead" conspiracy goes something like this: “On Nov. 9, 1966, Paul McCartney got into an argument with the other Beatles, stormed out of the studio and was promptly decapitated in a car accident. To cover the whole thing up, the band hired a look-alike (and sound-alike).” Or, there's the idea that 5G cell towers undermined American immune systems, and caused the Covid pandemic.
Into this maddening swirl of ideas, Paul speaks a word about God’s truth, revealed for us in Jesus. In Paul’s time, like ours, like every era of human history, not everyone can see the truth. For Paul, the inescapable truth is that Jesus is Lord, and the glory of God shines through his life. That same glory is unveiled in our hearts, too. That knowledge triumphs over all the untruths of the world, if we’re willing to take it in.
Paul is eager for the truth to be unmasked — good news in his time and ours.
In the News
Who knew that the Denver airport is the headquarters for the Illuminati? Or that Prince Charles is a vampire? The Covid-19 pandemic continues to inspire conspiracy theories, with China blaming the US for infecting them. For those concerned, you can buy fake Covid documents, sold in fake ads with fake pictures of real doctors. “Kristina Collins didn’t know her photo was being used on Telegram. Over the past few months, an Instagram picture of Collins, a Texas-based doctor and dermatologist, has been used by scammers on the chat app to try to persuade people to buy false proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and other diseases.”
We have more access to false information and conspiracy theories, thanks to the 24 hour news cycle and the wealth of information available at our fingertips on the internet. Some theorists argue that “As long as humans have existed, there have been conspiracies. Research examining the evolutionary roots of such belief systems tracked them all the way back to early civilizations.”
Professor Marcel Danesi notes that lies and conspiracy theories have a powerful impact on our brains, helping their purveyors continue to veil the truth and influence our behavior. Danesi’s research shows that “throughout history, speeches by dictators and autocrats have one thing in common: they use dehumanizing metaphors to instill and propagate hatred of others…Once someone is tuned into these metaphors, their brain actually changes in ways that make them more likely to believe bigger lies, even conspiracy theories. These metaphors are part of a cognitive process that entraps some people in this kind of thinking while others are unaffected.”
“The first step in veiling the truth for people, Danesi says, is to find them in a state of fear. Any kind of fear will work. Once they start to believe these conspiracies and lies, the neural pathways become more and more alert to them, and inclined to believe. The beliefs build, and “research into this brain wiring also shows that once people begin to believe lies, they are unlikely to change their minds even when confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. It is a form of brainwashing. Once the brain has carved out a well-worn path of believing deceit, it is even harder to step out of that path — which is how fanatics are born.”
One expert says we turn to conspiracy theories when we lose a sense of control “and feel afraid and anxious because these theories can offer comfort in the form of a black-and-white answer.” We like the certainty, even if it’s false.
In the Scriptures
Paul calls us back to the faith where we don’t need to rely on false information or conspiracy theories.
We sense some frustration as Paul writes to the believers in Corinth. Just before our passage, he writes, “Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.” Perhaps talking both to himself and to the churches, he’s offering a word of encouragement. Revealing the good news of Jesus is not an easy process. Some people choose not to see, blinded by the world around them. Too much focus on the tangible, present, knowable world keeps us from living fully in the realm of God.
So, how do we get to the truth of God’s grace?
Just before this passage, Paul offers the answer to this riddle. “When one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” (2 Corinthians 3:16) And God is not done working. “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” (3:18)
As we wind up the season of Epiphany, and move into Lent, we get a big splurge of glory. The gospels show us Jesus on the mountaintop, ablaze with his inner light. Paul gives us the deep contrast between God’s revelation in Jesus and the shadows of the human world.
In the Sermon
The “gospel is veiled to those who are perishing,” Paul writes. The sermon might look at the people in our world who are perishing from loneliness, from a hunger for connection, from grief, from overwork, from racism or homophobia. What would the good news look like to them, and how can we be a part of unveiling it through our actions?
Or the sermon could explore how we keep ourselves from seeing some truth about the world, living in our news bubbles and consuming information that confirms what we already think. We also keep ourselves from the full experience of God, limiting God’s access to us with our attention to our devices, our busy lives, and our parade of worries. How often do we build a veil between ourselves and God? How can we remove the veil and know more of God’s light?
Paul asserts that the God of creation, the God who said, “Let there be light!” is the same God who creates the light within each of us. The sermon could talk about how that looks in everyday life. Who glows with that light? How do they make it known? When we shine with that light, we proclaim Jesus without words, which is the best way.
Or, as we stand at the edge of Lent, the sermon could talk about this light from God as our guide through Lent. We get this gift right before we plunge into the shadows of Lent. In Lent’s somber time of reflection, we still carry the light within us, and the light of the world still shines, even as we move toward the cross.
To conspire, of course, means to breathe with. May we breathe in communion with Jesus as we live with God’s light.
SECOND THOUGHTSA Good Time to Stop Talking
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 9:2-9
Have you heard about the giant, underground, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Democratic Party conspiracy? You haven’t? How could you have missed it?
According to some right-wing media personalities, the entire Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance is a fake, a plot by the Democratic Party, a scheme concocted by the Deep State/Dark Web/Liberal Cabal to use the Super Bowl as a stage whereupon the couple will take center field at half time to announce their endorsement of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Wait! What?
Well, that’s the claim made by right wing voices such as former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, alleged actress Roseanne Barr, media personality Benny Johnson, self-described Islamophobe Laura Loomer, Salem Media host Mike Crispi.
The Super Bowl, according to this august group, has been rigged by the Democrats and the Pentagon and, uh, others in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs because, well, who knows why. It has something to do with the color red, I think. Also, as everyone knows, Kansas City is a hotbed of liberalism and Las Vegas is just chock full of liberal elites. Right? Well, okay, maybe.
At any rate, the extreme wing of the MAGA party has obviously solved all the other problems of the world and they don’t have anything else to say so, now, they’ve taken on this so-called conspiracy.
Or, since they obviously don’t have anything to say, maybe they could just stop talking.
Yeah, right.
In the Media
Politicians love verbal blunders, especially the ones made by the other side.
When Joe Biden accidentally referred to the war in Ukraine as the war in Iraq, the right went apoplectic, screaming that this gaff was proof positive that Uncle Joe was not fit to lead the country.
When Donald Trump said that his favorite book of the Bible was “Two Corinthians” instead of, as any first grade Sunday school student knows, Second Corinthians, the left pounced upon the verbal error as proof that Trump’s alleged love of scripture was a joke. He may have learned his lesson. When he wanted to reassure his evangelical Christian supporters that he was still committed to the Bible, he used tear gas to clear protesters from the street in front of the White House so he could stand in front of a church holding up a Bible. He wisely refrained from speaking.
When Biden addressed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as “Mr. President,” he immediately corrected himself and the two leaders laughed it off, but not soon enough or good enough to satisfy the right-wing media who, again, claimed that it was an unforgivable blunder that may have permanently wounded American/British relations.
During a speech on January 19th, Donald Trump confused Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On occasion he has appeared to slur his words and he also suggested former Democratic President Barack Obama was still in office. Rival Haley jumped on all these as proof that he was too old and feeble to lead the country.
Haley’s age-related attacks, however, may be a case of “turnabout is fair play.” Trump (77) has made the same claims about Biden (81) whenever the President stumbles, verbally or physically. (Biden has even referred to himself as a “gaff machine.”)
In the Scriptures
Because we are students of scripture, we know that big things happen when you go up a mountain, whether it’s Horeb, Sinai, Nebo, Carmel, Zion, or the Mount of Olives. If you’re going up a mountain, hold onto your hat; something important is likely to happen.
Noah’s saga ended on a mountain. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses on a mountain. God was said to have lived, at one time, on a mountain. Elijah witnessed the whirlwind and heard God’s still, small voice on a mountain. David hid from Saul in the mountains. And Jerusalem was built on a large hill but the ancient Hebrews called it a mountain, Mt. Zion, to give it prominence and a sense of importance.
So, important things tend to happen on mountains and we are not disappointed in this story.
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain but asks them to stop just short of the summit while he goes on alone to pray. From their spot below the top, they see Jesus with Moses and Elijah, transfigured and glowing white. That this is an important event goes without saying. It places Jesus squarely within the ancient prophetic tradition with two icons of that movement.
But there’s another important part of this story and that is the response of the three disciples to the event. They are present in the midst of an up close and personal, ecstatic revelation, an experience that could change their entire outlook, their understanding, indeed, their entire lives.
Since the entire episode is told from Peter’s point of view, he is, as usual, the spokesperson and he has two responses that we all probably recognize because they are so familiar.
His first response is to offer an evaluation: “You know, it’s good that we are here.” The fact that he is right does nothing to alter the absurdity of what he says.
Who does he think that he is? Siskel and Ebert? Does he think he was brought here to write a review? To judge the value of the event?
Secondly, after he gives his evaluation, Peter offers to build three tabernacles or shelters — one for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses. Why? Because…
A) It’s the nice, polite thing to do.
B) It’s the religious thing to do. And
C) It’s the safe thing to do.
So, to review, Peter’s response to a life altering revelation is to 1) evaluate it and find it acceptable, and 2) rush about doing nice, safe, religious things.
In the Sermon
Peter said these things, Mark tells us, not becaue he actually believed they were the good and right responses to his experience, but because he was afraid and didn’t know what to say. So, he talks.
He’s not so different from us, is he? A tragedy happens and a Christian finds themselves in a situation where they don’t know what to say. They say something that they hope will sound religious, something they’ve heard someone else say, some axiom or cliché that they haven’t really thought about but sounds kind of good, something generic and bland, kind of meaningless, something harmlessly religious.
We hear them say it and we nod and then, after we’ve had a chance to think about it, we realize that we’ve just committed blasphemy, we’ve accused God of doing something so horrible that, if a human being did it, we would throw that human being in prison for the rest of their life.
It is the fear of committing this kind of faux pas that keeps us from going to the bedside of someone who is ill, or to the visitation at the funeral home, or to the jail. We don’t know what to say and we are afraid we’ll say the wrong thing.
Experiences of the divine in our lives can be scary. God can be kind of scary. That’s what the children of Israel discovered in the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy. They didn’t trust Moses. They wanted to hear God’s voice for themselves. But all God did was clear his throat and they ran away and cowered behind trees and told Moses that they had changed their minds and they would trust him to actually do the talking with God.
The Hebrew scriptures are full of stories that make God seem dangerous. People touch the Ark of the Covenant and drop dead. Priests break the rules of handling this or that holy item and they die. God’s presence always seems to be accompanied by whirlwinds, brush fires, gale force winds, and thunder and lightning.
We think of the New Testament as less scary, filled with stories of love and acceptance. But is it, really?
Jesus tells us to love our enemies. I don’t know about you but that seems kind of scary to me. What if the enemies don’t love us back?
Jesus tells the rich young man to “sell everything you own and give it to the poor and come, follow me.” And I’m hoping that story is metaphorical, you know? Because that “sell all you own and give it to the poor” stuff is really scary to me.
And if all that isn’t scary enough, what’s this about “take up your cross and follow me,” and the “first shall be last,” and “if you have two coats, give one of your coats to your neighbor?” You start taking that stuff seriously and things get heavy and scary really fast.
No wonder Peter has decided that it’s just a lot easier to say religious sounding things and do religious looking stuff than to actually let your life be addressed by the living God and his son, Jesus Christ.
Fortunately, God’s there to stop this nonsense before it gets out of hand.
God steps in and stops Peter before he really does make a fool of himself. God causes a cloud to overshadow Peter, James, and John and from the cloud comes this deep, resonant, baritone voice. (I think we can all agree that God has a baritone voice, can’t we? No? Oh, okay.)
Since those present can’t figure out the proper response to this experience, God lays it out for them in simple, straightforward terms. Mark gives us a brief homily, a mini-sermon delivered straight from the mouth of God.
First, the indicative: “This is my Son, the Beloved.”
Jesus is a great teacher of morals and ethics but he is not just a teacher. He is a healer of the sick but he is not just a healer. He is a Jewish religious reformer but he is not just a religious reformer. He is the Son, the beloved of God.
Now, to you and me that may work as a nice, cozy metaphor — you know, the father and son thing. But to first century Jews that phrase, “Son of God” was about the long-awaited messiah.
God says to Peter, “Peter, please! Stop babbling. Stop running around. Put those rocks down and come over her. Sit down. This man is my son, the messiah, the one you’ve been waiting for all your life.”
Then comes the imperative: “Listen to him!” (Exclamation point)
And there it is in three simple words.
This is the appropriate response that we are instructed to bring to this moment. This is how we are supposed to respond to Jesus Christ on the mountaintop. This is the religious activity in which we are to be engaged. This is what it means to be Christian.
“Listen to Him.”
Listen to him when he says, “Pick up your bed and walk.”
Listen to him when he says, “Follow me.”
Listen to him when he says, “In as much as you do it to the least of these…”
Listen to him when he says, “Love your enemies.”
Listen to him … well, just listen to him.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Mark 9:2-9
Elijah & Moses
I have never seen an explanation for how the disciples were able to identify Moses and Elijah on the mountain with Jesus. When I’m feeling playful I imagine they wore something like this:
Each is very, very important; it is fitting that they appear together. Moses and Elijah have a lot in common.
Moses represents the Covenant and the Torah.
Elijah represents the prophetic tradition and its denunciation of idolatry.
Moses’ burial place is unknown (Deuteronomy 34:6).
Elijah is not recorded as having died. He ascended into heaven in a whirlwind after a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated him from Elisha (2 Kings 2:11).
Both stood in God’s presence and spoke to God.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Elijah
When modern Jews celebrate Passover, many families have a fifth cup of wine for Elijah. Elijah is the prophet who is believed to herald the coming of the Messiah. It is believed that Elijah will appear as an unknown guest. Some traditions go so far as to leave a door open for Elijah. This practice is the origin of this satirical haiku
On Passover we
opened the door for Elijah.
Now the dog is gone.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
What’s in a name?
Elijah in Hebrew is אליהו literally it means “My God is Yah.”
Moses in Hebrew is משח , the name comes from Exodus 2:10 when Pharoah’s daughter says, “I drew him out of the water.” “Moses” sounds like the Hebrew verb for drawing something out of water.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Significance of Moses & Elijah
The very last words of what Christians call the Old Testament are Malachi 4:4-6 (NRSVUE):
Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.
It is very fitting that these two would appear with Jesus as the New Age is dawning there on the mountaintop.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Proof that Peter was a preacher
Peter didn’t know what to say, but he spoke anyway. And he thought a building campaign would be a good way to fill the awkward silence.
* * *
2 Kings 2:1-12
Some Bible trivia
There are two men who appeared in the Hebrew scriptures whom scripture does not record as having died. Enoch, Moses’ great-grandfather: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” (Genesis 5:24, NRSVUE) and Elijah: “As they (Elijah and Elisha) 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. (2 Kings 2:11, NRSVUE)
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:Mark 9:2-9
You cannot see what I saw!
Poor Peter. He was the historical embodiment of the phrase Pic’s or it didn’t happen!
If Jesus and the apostles were present and active in the modern day I am more than positive that Peter would have a secret TikTok account where he would divulge what happened on that mountain as soon as he got to Wi-Fi. While many would be quick to point out that Jesus specifically told his disciples present with him that day not to tell anyone about the Transfiguration and God speaking from heaven, but come on, that's pretty amazing and not an easy secret to keep. It's weird to preach on a ministry of secrets because that is what Jesus is asking of the three. They must keep this secret not because they are more special than the others but because the others could never see what those three saw and heard. I know personally, when I have a secret, a harmless one of course, I am on cloud nine. I feel invincible. Yet, conversely, I want to tell everyone immediately. In this way I have to exercise restraint, something that Peter seems to lack. He is the first to want to tell the whole world by building a monument to the one thing Jesus asked them not to share. I would not be the first to tell my congregation that keeping secrets is close to Godliness, yet I, like Peter, had to figure out the hard way that what I find joy in, might not be joyous for others. There are some things best kept secret — best kept safe.
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2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Light in the dark
Personally, I enjoy using the lighthouse as a metaphor for God’s glory. The Fresnel lens, a powerful central magnifying glass, has the ability to refract light with a clear-weather range of 20 nautical miles. To put that into perspective, a lighthouse is able to focus a beam of light so strong that it crosses the horizon. Even on the darkest, foggiest nights, the light from a lighthouse can be seen. There is something awe inspiring about a light bright enough to guide the voyager safely home.We proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world and he alone can guide us to salvation, yet we struggle with committing to Christ's call to be beacons of his light. The Corinthians text puts into perspective what a world looks like when there are warring ideologies. The issues our ancestors faced are the ones we are facing today. We question whether the light on the horizon is the lighthouse of God's glory or someone or something else. Have we denied the beacon trying to call us home?
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From team member Katy Stenta:Mark 9:2-9
Transfigured by Awe
I love that the sum of transfiguration is to talk less and listen more. It reminds me of so many times how humans are not very good at listening. How we listen to respond instead of listening to understand. God tells the disciples to listen to Jesus — and Jesus tells the disciples essentially to shut up. What a message!
It also makes me think about how humans have many different ways of listening. For neurotypical people, looking people in the eyes is a way to show that you are listening. But if you have ADHD or Autism, you are probably listening better if you look away.
My brother-in-law says he is listening and remembering the best if he is doodling while he is taking things in. My husband needs some kind of background noise. My children cannot physically sit still when we sit down together for dinner. However, that gathering is not about being proper but to understand one another. It often amounts to about fifteen minutes total.
How is your body situated when you listen to understand? How can we talk less? What is your attitude of awe? In the wake of the Grammys there was a lot of chatter about who was in awe of who. Tracy Chapman and Joni Michell were two for whom most people agreed people were in awe of — they shut up and listened to them. The attitude of deference is about respecting what it is they have to say. How can we understand and be in awe of one another more?
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2 Corinthians 4:3-6
The Veil
It hurts to think that there are those who cannot see the good news at all. There are those who are so far away from the good news that they do not even have inklings of it. Yet everyday there is evidence of this.
One such group was the MAGA convoy that came for a “Take Our Border Back” Rally. Not only did they go against scripture to deny the immigrant, taking no heed of Leviticus 19:34, which commands us to love and welcome the immigrant — but the group arrived to find that they were lied to. There was no invasion of immigrants. Though there was a rally for pro-MAGA, anti-immigrant sentiment, and Eagle Pass (the site of a legal battle about barbed wire), immigration on the whole is down. The facts, and human rights, as well as Biblical mandates seem to be of little importance to these followers. They would rather be certain and right than open themselves up to new learnings. The veil feels safe — the gospel is not. Good news requires changing one’s behavior.
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2 Kings 2:1-12
Walk a Little More with Me
I feel for Elisha, who journeys with Elijah as long as humanly possible. He says, “I am walking with you as long as I can, even though I know it will be short and this is the end.” It feels like a test of Elisha’s spirit. Can he stand to look at Elijah as he is being taken away? I chose to believe the opposite. I think that Elijah knows that Elisha cannot stand to look away, and so he is making that a grace-filled moment.
Ever have that moment when you are watching your beloved one being taken away and it hurts but you have to watch? When my grandmother was dying, we sang hymns to her. She loved music. She was only an okay musician, but she always sang in the choir, and attended so many musical performances. She came to every concert and performance of mine that she was able to — is that not beautiful. She could not look away, because she loved me and she loved music. Even though I was not more than mediocre in singing, clarinet, and piano, she fostered a love of music in me, too.
As she was dying, my siblings and I sang her favorite hymns to her (with all the verses). She could no longer speak, and we all knew that she must have hated that. She was a verbal processor. She loved to talk so much that she would talk even when there was no one else there to listen. But we could at least sing to her.
I have to believe that’s how it was with Elijah and Elisha. Elisha knew that Elijah would be walking until the end, so they walked together. And, the gift of double spirit made it a walk of grace — so the memory could be beautiful, just like the hymns blessed our time with my grandmother. Amazing how those things turn certain moments holy.
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From team member Chris Keating:2 Kings 2:1-12
Prophetic Persistence
From the outset, this passage reminds us that Elijah’s time on earth is coming to an end. The bitterness of anticipatory grief hangs in the air as Elijah prepares to leave Elisha — and everything else — behind. Elisha refuses to go away. He refuses to be separated from his mentor. This sense of steadfast persistence is a reminder of God’s steadfast presence with Israel, even as grief tears at the fabric of our lives.
In an article in a chaplaincy journal, the Rev. Christopher Holms reflects on the different ways he was affected by a police officer’s death. Holms writes that painful notion of death as separation became particularly acute for him. Holms says that in the days following the officer’s funeral, the feeling of death as separation filled him with fear:
In the following days, the idea of my family being left alone haunted me. I felt scared for the first time in my career. I stopped pulling over cars as this is the second most dangerous act for an officer. Still I denied these feelings, telling myself that I was just tired from the process of becoming an Episcopal deacon and that CPE was taking too much out of me. All the while, I knew that I was hiding from the truth — and from my fear.
Like Elisha, Rev. Holms persisted in prayer and remained attuned to God’s Spirit. His own prayers approached the level of Elisha’ daring request of Elijah (“Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”). He says:
My prayers changed as I began to think of Paul's letters to the Ephesians. I realized that I was not giving myself to God but to fear. I began to have a new respect for life and for my role in it. I began to hear things in sermons that pertained to my challenges, and I began again to pray prayers and Psalms that gave me strength. It still is on my mind and in my heart, but I am not overcome by it anymore. In retrospect, I feel that God gave me time to ponder, to question and even to hide for a while. (Christopher Holms, “A Police Chaplain’s Reflections,” (from Chaplaincy Today, Volume 24 Number 2, Autumn/Winter 2008.)
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Mark 9:2-9
Listen to him! The power of sound
God’s voice thunders across the canyons, silencing Peter’s anxiety-driven quest to make sense of the mysterious theophany. God’s words echo the affirmation offered to Jesus at his baptism, but this time they are directed to the disciples: “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him!” Maria Popova explores the sacred dynamics of listening and speaking in an essay posted on DailyGood.org. Popova notes that most conversations can be characterized by a degree of unpredictability. “Even the warmest intention can be met with frost.” Still, she says, something about this “ancient and abiding human gift” compels us to engage in acts of speaking and listening. “And the most magical thing, the most sacred thing,” she writes, “is that whichever the outcome, we end up having transformed one another in this vulnerable-making process of speaking and listening.”
Popova turns to author Ursula K. LeGuin, who died in 2018, to explore these concepts further. Drawing on LeGuin’s essay, “Telling is Listening,” Popova describes speech as “the most potent form” of relationship formation we have. She quotes LeGuin’s reflection on sound, event, and listening, making a connection that mirrors the power of the Transfiguration. LeGuin writes:
Sound signifies event. A noise means something is happening. Let’s say there’s a mountain out your window. You see the mountain. Your eyes report changes, snowy in winter, brown in summer, but mainly just report that it’s there. It’s scenery. But if you hear that mountain, then you know it’s doing something. I see Mount St. Helens out my study window, about eighty miles north. I did not hear it explode in 1980: the sound wave was so huge that it skipped Portland entirely and touched down in Eugene, a hundred miles to the south. Those who did hear that noise knew that something had happened. That was a word worth hearing. Sound is event.
Speech, the most specifically human sound, and the most significant kind of sound is never just scenery, it’s always event.
* * *
Mark 9:2-9
Holy Listening
Kay Lindahl, founder of The Alliance for Spiritual Community, writes and teaches about the value of listening as a spiritual practice. In her book The Sacred Art of Listening, Lindahl provides a series of reflections designed to cultivate listening as a spiritual practice. She refers to studies conducted by the International Listening Association that show humans spend about 45% of our time listening, yet also become quickly distracted. An average adult attention span is 22 seconds, Lindahl says, which leads most people to having minimal recall of what we have heard.
It is not just the power of what we say that offers transformation; it is our ability to listen well that leads to relationships that become the building blocks of transformation. As Lindahl writes:
…it is the quality of our listening that has the greatest impact in any conversation. Quaker writer Douglas Steere says: “To listen to another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service one human being ever performs for another.” What makes listening spiritual? It is the art of becoming a listening presence, a way of being in which stillness and attentiveness provide the space for people to speak authentically and know they are being heard. It is from this place that we can listen across diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions and belief systems. It is about being a presence for understanding rather than for judging. When we are open, curious, and attentive to others in this way we discover a deeper, sacred connection; we are in relationship.
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WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: God summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
All: Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
One: Our God comes and does not keep silence.
All: Before God is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest is all around.
One: God calls to the heavens and the earth, “I will judge my people.”
All: The heavens declare God’s righteousness, for God is judge.
OR
One: God comes among us to reveal to us the truth.
All: Open our eyes, O God, that we may know what is real.
One: The truth is not just about God but about us, as well.
All: We may need some help taking in the truth about ourselves.
One: The truth is meant to move us to action in the world.
All: With God’s help we will allow the truth to move us.
Hymns and Songs
Fairest Lord Jesus
UMH: 189
H82: 383/384
PH: 306
GTG: 630
NNBH: 75
NCH: 44
CH: 97
W&P: 123
AMEC: 95
Renew: 166
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
GTG: 667
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
GTG: 662
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Renew: 296
Open My Eyes, That I May See
UMH: 454
PH: 324
GTG: 451
NNBH: 218
CH: 586
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
GTG: 829
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
GTG: 450
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
GTG: 697
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
O Wondrous Sight! O Vision Fair
UMH: 258
H82: 136/137
PH: 75
GTG: 189
NCH: 184
LBW: 80
ELW: 316
Let There Be Light
UMH: 440
NNBH: 450
NCH: 589
STLT: 142
Open Our Eyes, Lord
CCB: 77
Renew: 91
Shine, Jesus, Shine
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is truth and all that is real:
Grant us the courage to see the truth as you see it
and to act on it as the Christ has done;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are the truth and you are the foundation upon which sets all reality. Help us to see the truth as you reveal it to us and help us to act upon that truth. Help us to follow Jesus in truth and in real actions. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially complacency with knowing only in our heads and not in our hearts or our hands and feet.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to be ‘right’ in what we believe but we are less concerned with that truth moving us to right actions. Instead of using what you reveal to us about yourself and ourselves to draw closer to you and to enter more fully into your kingdom, we use it to justify ourselves and set ourselves above others. Forgive us and renew us that we might know the truth and be the truth. Amen.
One: God created us to reflect the image of God. Receive God’s Spirit as you are renewed in God’s reality and live into God’s realm.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, because in you there is not deceit or falseness. In you and from you there is only what is real and true.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want to be ‘right' in what we believe but we are less concerned with that truth moving us to right actions. Instead of using what you reveal to us about yourself and ourselves to draw closer to you and to enter more fully into your kingdom, we use it to justify ourselves and set ourselves above others. Forgive us and renew us that we might know the truth and be the truth
We give you thanks for inviting us into the reality of your own being. You have made us in you image, filled us with your Spirit, and made us citizens of your eternal realm. You dwell among us to reveal yourself to us moment by moment.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for the desire to see the truth. We pray for the courage to live the truth. We pray for those who find it difficult to trust that your truth is the way to a full and abundant life. We pray for those who risk being truth tellers among us.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
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CHILDREN'S SERMONPass the Coat
by Elena Delhagen
2 Kings 2:1-12
Items needed: a large cloak or cape
(Begin the sermon while wearing the cloak/cape) Good morning, friends! How are you doing today? This morning, I’d like to talk to you about one of the prophets in the Bible who was named Elijah. A prophet is kind of like one of God’s messengers; they tell people the things that God wants them to know. Now, God had something wonderful planned for Elijah. God wanted to take him straight to heaven without dying first. This was a special honor that God had given to only one other person, a man named Enoch.
Another man named Elisha was Elijah’s assistant. Elisha knew that soon the prophet Elijah would end his work and it would be Elisha’s time to carry on. One day, Elijah took Elisha on one last journey. The thought of losing Elijah the prophet filled Elisha with sadness. He was probably a little nervous about taking over Elijah’s work, too. Elijah also knew he would soon be leaving Elisha. So he gave his helper a test. At each stop they made, Elijah told Elisha, “Stay here. I need to go on.” But each time Elisha insisted on going, too. He didn’t want to let Elijah out of his sight. He wanted to be with him until the very last moment.
So, the two of them kept walking, and soon they came to the Jordan River. Elijah took off his coat, rolled it up, and hit the water with it. (Take off the cloak) The water parted, and the two men walked across on dry ground. On the other side it was time to say goodbye. “What can I do for you before I am taken from you?” Elijah asked Elisha. Elisha could have asked for a lot of things. He could have asked for money. He could have asked to be famous. But instead he asked for a special blessing. “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” he answered. He knew that the only way he could do the work he had been called to do was with extra help from God’s spirit. He knew that God’s spirit would give him the power!
“If you see me when I am taken up from you, it will be yours; otherwise not,” Elijah said, and they kept walking. Then suddenly a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated the two men. Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, and at first, Elisha was really sad. But then he saw Elijah’s coat where it had fallen. He picked it up and walked back to the river. Rolling up the coat, Elisha hit the water with it, just as Elijah had done. Again the waters parted, and Elisha walked across on dry ground. God had kept his promise and given Elisha the gift of his Spirit, just like Elijah had, too. And Elisha did many wonderful things while serving God. (Put the cloak on another child)
Now, I’m curious. Do you think it was a good thing or a bad thing that Elisha wanted to have double the power that Elijah had? (Allow time for responses.)
I think it was a good thing because he wasn’t asking to be selfish or greedy. He just really wanted to serve God!
I’m wondering — do any of you play sports? Have you ever been on a sports team? (Allow time for responses.) When you’re on a team, everyone has their own positions to play, right? Like, if we’re talking about baseball, somebody might be the pitcher, someone might be on third base, someone might be in the outfield — everyone has their own jobs to do, right? But even though everyone has different jobs, they all have the same goal. They’re all working together to accomplish the same thing. And maybe someone on the team scores lots of runs, and maybe someone scores one or even none, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter because the team won. (Have a child take the cloak off and put it on another child.)
Elijah and Elisha were kind of like teammates. Elijah did lots of amazing things for God; he scored lots of runs! And then when he went to heaven, he gave the ball to Elisha. He gave Elisha his coat, which is like him saying, “Ok, it’s your turn now!” And then Elisha, because he had that double portion, was able to do so many more wonderful things for God’s kingdom. (Have child take the cloak off and put it on another child, continue until all children have had a chance to wear it.)
See, friends, the good news is that God has given us a big community so that we can all work together to share love, peace, and justice in the world. We don’t have to do it all ourselves. We all do our part, and then we can pass the coat to someone else so they can do their part, too. Because we’re all working toward the same goal, which is sharing the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.
That, I think, is very, very good news indeed. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, February 11, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
