February 6, 2005

Mindekirken, February 6, 2005
Pastor Jens Arne Dale

After the service and the church coffee today, we’ll have the annual meeting of the congregation. Sometimes an annual meeting might be considered dull. There are a lot of papers which have to be presented, not to mention numbers and accounts. People are allowed to express their opinions in different matters.

At a special congregational meeting in Nov. 2003 the attendance was poor, and some members had to leave before the end of the debate. The result was that we didn’t have quorum at the end of the meeting, and no vote could be taken. The congregation shot itself in the foot, metaphorically speaking.

If the annual meeting were considered to be the highlight of the congregation’s life, something would really be lacking here. But I think we can learn a lesson from the second reading today, from 2 Peter 1. There, Peter reflects on the things which happened when Jesus was transfigured before them on the mountain. And then he uses this powerful experience as a basis to go forward on the way of faith.

We shouldn’t live life on the surface without looking back. Life should be a process of gaining maturity by processing what happens to us. We need to learn from what happens to us. We have to relate to our experiences in order to avoid making the same mistakes over again.

An annual meeting is a unique tool in the life of a congregation. Today we present reports which put words to what we have done, or maybe we as a Christian congregation should say what Christ has been doing amongst us.

There are a lot of things we reflect upon with gratitude, as well as things for which we may ask for forgiveness. We need to discuss to which extent we reached our goals. Are we where we want to be? Where do we go from here? Plans and budgets have to be approved. Committees and Church Council must be elected.

Some complain that annual meetings aren’t spiritual enough. I totally disagree. God is the God of order, according to Paul. To provide and lead are gifts given by the Lord. Practical things mustn’t be considered as opposing the spiritual matters. As a congregation we’re all equipped with a special gift with which we’re supposed to serve each other in the particular place the Lord has put us.

It’s not quite the disciples’ annual meeting we get to hear about today. But the text gives a reflection on something that might have been the great highlight for the ones who experienced it. The experiences on the mountain of transfiguration were so strong that Jesus ordered them not to tell about it before the resurrection.

It was so unreal that Peter, in his letter, almost had to pinch himself in the arm and ask if he were dreaming. But no, he says: We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16-18. And the vision of the transfigured Lord became an important part of the great story of Jesus when the gospels were written.

What did they experience there on the mountain with Jesus? I think they might have been brought behind the scenes of history. Time and space were limitless for a while. They saw connections and explanations that were not obvious to the bare eye. The celebrities of the OT showed up: Moses and Elijah. They had been dead for hundreds of years. But now they suddenly stood there, speaking with Jesus.

In the presence of Jesus, death doesn’t divide people any more.

Therefore, we confess every Sunday, the belief in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Death will be extinguished. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies. John 11:25. The mountain of transfiguration is a sign that tells us we’ll meet in another life.

Moses and Elijah were great personalities in the old covenant. About both of them, it is said that they spoke with the Lord. Exodus 34:34 and 1 Kings 19:14. Now they were speaking with the Son of God. It’s as if they were giving him a recommendation.

Yes, this is the one we predicted, the law and the prophets looked forward to this Jesus. For as many as God’s promises are, in him they have got their Yes and their Amen. 2 Cor. 1:20. It was a wonderful moment. Think of seeing the fulfillment of what God’s people had longed to see for more than a thousand years.

Peter wanted to freeze the situation, to keep this wonder forever. Let’s make three dwellings… Maybe he was inspired by the Arbor Festival. But that won’t happen. Moses and Elijah are not there to stay, but to confirm. Jesus is on the right track. Which way? Down from the mountain and towards Jerusalem. There, not a King’s crown was waiting, but a crown of thorns, and suffering and death.

A cloud came and hid everything from their sight. A cloud is used many times in the Bible as a symbol of God himself. And now his presence is made clear by the voice saying: This is my Son the Beloved; listen to him! Wasn’t that the same as what was said when he was baptized? Yes: You are my Son, is quoted from Psalm 2:7. It’s about the Messiah. Jesus is, with other words, the promised King of Salvation.

But his power would be shown through impotence. The Beloved, is quoted from Isaiah 42:1, where it’s sung about the suffering servant of the Lord. The text culminates in Isaiah 53 with the words about he who is wounded, punished and crushed, and dies on behalf of his own people. It’s the Father who presents his Son: This is the Messiah, the promised king. But he is also my suffering servant, he who gives his life for the sin of the world.

Listen to him! The voice from heaven said. We can trace a repetition of the old Israeli creed: Listen, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Deut. 6:4. Until now the law and the prophets have accounted for the word of God one should listen to. From now on, Jesus is the one we’re supposed to listen to. Listen to him! Listen to him who is called the Word, John 1.1. Heb 1.1 states it like this: Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.

What would you mention if you wanted to present some highlights from the last year? For some of us, it might have been meeting special people who have meant a lot to us. Or maybe it would be an experience in nature, a highlight in the concert hall or at the art gallery. Maybe one should ask: In which way did God speak to you last year? Some people experience God speaking to them when a child is born or when someone passes away.

Today’s text urges us: Listen to him! God’s speech may reach us in the most different ways. But nowhere God speaks clearer than through his word. That’s why the gathering around the word of God is so important. We live in a time where it’s fight for the truth. There are so many voices out there, so many who would like to convince us that they are right. Therefore it’s more important than ever that we listen to what God has to say.

Listen to him! What Jesus gives us are words that may set us free. Jesus reveals sin, but he doesn’t stop there. He proclaims words of forgiveness, renewal and freedom. No one has ever loves us as Jesus has, he who gave his life for us.

Recently I got to spend time together with a man whose life had been ruined by drug abuse. But he had gotten help to put the drug abuse behind him. The feeling of shame was the worst thing, he said. He needed to hear words of forgiveness and love over and over again. The words of Jesus had step by step decreased the enormous shame he felt. It had helped him reconnect with his two teenage daughters. He was on his way back to a working life and to the community. Few of us have had as dramatic problems as this drug addict. But we all need to listen to the voice that really can confirm who we are. The words of love set us free. Let yourself be inspired by him.

Glory be to God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716