Be Transformed by Prayer

This is my sermon text for Sunday, February 10 - Transfiguration Sunday. I focused on the Luke text, and was influenced by David Lose's article on WorkingPreacher.com.

We celebrate Transfiguration Sunday every year on the Sunday before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. We hear from Matthew, Mark and Luke about Jesus going to the top of a mountain, accompanied by his closest disciples. On top of that mountain, Jesus’ appearance is changed. His clothes become bright, eye blinding white, and his face shines. They are joined by Moses and Elijah.

Moses is considered to represent the Law. It was through him that God gave Israel the Commandments and established a covenant with them; that He would be their God, and they would be God’s people. Elijah represents all of the prophets who spoke God’s word to God’s people, warning and calling them back to God when they had strayed from God’s commands.

In all of the Gospel accounts of this encounter, Jesus is joined by these two. Peter always wants to build tabernacles or tents to stay there. God always speaks to them from a cloud, saying that Jesus is God’s son and that the disciples are to listen to him.

We hear these stories in preparation of Lent every year, because they come just after Jesus first tells his disciples that he will be killed and then raised. The visit to the mountaintop takes place a week after Jesus announces that his ministry will result in his death. It is his death and resurrection, or exodus, that he discusses with Moses and Elijah.

We hear these stories at this time of the church year because they point to the cross. As Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem and Golgotha, he is strengthened by being in God’s presence and blessed by God. These stories serve to lead us into Lent because they take us to the heights (literally) of Christ’s mission, reminding us of how much Jesus gave up for us, and our salvation.

But Luke’s telling of this story has something a little different than Mark and Matthew do. It’s a detail that occurs in many of the events throughout Luke’s Gospel.

It is prayer.

Jesus goes up this mountain to pray. While he is in prayer, he is transformed and Moses and Elijah appear.

Luke continually writes about Jesus being in prayer. Event after event through Luke’s Gospel tell of Jesus being in prayer or going away to pray. With the text for Ash Wednesday focusing on Jesus directions to his disciples about prayer and their conduct, I began to think about prayer.

Too often, I think our prayers fall into two categories, emergencies and shopping lists.

Emergency prayers are those where we come to God asking for what we are afraid will happen to not happen. We ask God to take care of us, or someone we love, and to not let the worst happen to them. We ask for healing. We ask that troubles pass us by. We ask to be kept safe. We ask for deliverance.

These are usually short prayers. They get to the point. Sometimes there is a bit of begging. Occasionally, there are attempts at negotiating or deal making. Once in a while, there is sweating or cold chills involved. Often, tears may flow.

Shopping lists are the prayers when we ask God to bless a lot of people, who we try to name, or causes we ask God to support. We name relatives, family and friends. We name people who have been, and are, important in our lives.

And these types of prayers are ok. There is nothing wrong with these prayers. The Lord’s Prayer could be considered to fit in both of these categories.

I want to suggest a few of things with prayer.

First, any prayer is a good prayer. Talking to God is always a good thing. Any prayer – any time. Say a prayer when you think of it. Thank God for getting up in the morning. Say thanks for the blessing of your family; then ask God to be with them and protect them through the day. Ask God to be with people as you meet them through the day.

Praying for others is important as well. We ask God for things for ourselves, and give thanks for the blessings we have received. But when we ask God to help others, we are sharing the love God has given us. We admit we need God’s help, and that we cannot do everything on our own. We invite God into our hearts and lives for the sake of others. But we need to realize that sometimes the answer to those prayers we make for others may just be the person who stares us in the mirror each day. When we ask God to help someone, understand that their help may come from us.

But one of the most important parts of prayer is part of the proclamation that came from God on the mountain, “Listen to him!” Prayer is a conversation. And we do a lot of the talking.

During our prayers, take a deep breath, and be quiet. Try to clear your mind. Open your mind to what God may be telling you. Listen to those thoughts that seem to come out of nowhere. Be willing to hear God talking to you.

Prayer is opening yourself to God. It is getting comfortable being with God and communicating with God. It is being willing to share yourself, the good and bad, your hopes and fears, what brings tears of joy and tears of sorrow, with God. It involves quieting yourself to hearing God.

Prayer is a transformative experience. Being close to God changes us. Maybe not in the way that Moses was changed on Mount Siani. Maybe not the way that Jesus was on this mountain. But it will change you. It will cause you to glow and shine on the inside.

It prepares us to do God’s work and share God’s love. Christ was always in prayer, all the way through his journey to the cross. He needed to be in conversation with his Father to strengthen him and guide him, for him to lay down his life for our sake.

Open yourself to God and make time to be in conversation with Our Creator and Savior. And listen to him.