Easter Vigil - April 3, 2015

The Rev. Canon Kimberly Reinholz
Easter Vigil
April 3, 2015
Mark 16:1-8

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It was early morning when they set out—probably first light.  Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James, and Salome had gathered the spices and oils, linens and other materials they needed to anoint Jesus’ body.  As they walked the streets of Jerusalem, and headed towards the grave in the hillside they were focused on the task at hand.  Focusing on their “to do list”   they concerned themselves not about spiritual things but earthly ones- how will we move the stone they asked one another as they walked. They did not notice as they walked that the light has begun to spread and the head of the day had begun to rise. 

When they arrive at the tomb they found the stone rolled away and they were relieved, one less thing to keep them from their unpleasant task.  Still singularly focused on the task at hand they entered the tomb and only then did they become aware of what had happened. 

How often in our lives do we journey through our day as Mary and Mary and Salome do.  Focusing on a single task or a master to do list, we mentally check off ticks as we go about our days.  This is especially true when we are going through times of great change- for instance at the birth of a child or the death of a loved one, we often find ourselves with lives so out of whack that the only thing that makes sense for us is to do is make those check lists so that we can complete even the most mundane tasks.  Feed the dog, walk the dog, do the dishes, take a shower, get dressed, in times of transition even the littlest things can seem like boulders, a major impediment to completing a task.

But for us, while even little things can become impossible obstacles when we are overcome by grief or anguish or anxiety for God, nothing is impossible.  We are here tonight in this gathering darkness to celebrate that fact.  The fact that God’s infinite power overcomes all barriers, time and distance, guilt and sorrow, grief and loss, distractedness and singular focus, and even death itself. 

We are here to recognize the infinite power, grace and love of God, in this Holy Space, at this most Holy Time. The Celts , our great Anglican ancestors, believe that the twilight times of dusk and dawn are especially Holy , thin times.  Holy times when heaven and earth are most likely to comingle. Thin times when we are most able to see God in this world.  It is certainly true for the Women in the Gospel today, that during the early morning hours, at first light, they were able to encounter the unexpected (even in the midst of their singularly focused distraction).

It is easy to understand why the early morning and late evening hours are considered mystical.  Even the most agnostic among us can believe in God when we witness a glorious sunrise or an amazing sunset.  But tonight as darkness gathers and we celebrate the Great Vigil of Easter I find myself pondering in my heart how much I have missed. 

Realizing that more often than not these days, even though I am up before sunrise (while this was not always the case) I have noticed that when I wake up it is dark and by the time I get to work it is fully light and I have missed the sunrise.

And the same is true for the sunset, dinner has to be made or bought and bath time and bedtime routines must be adhered to or else there will be hell to pay, and before I know it, it is dark. 

So this year I am especially grateful to gather with you, because so long as I don’t talk too much longer, as we leave tonight we will have the opportunity to witness the sunset.  I pray that we will be able to pause and breathe and encounter the God who created the world, the God who joined with humankind in covenantal relationships established through Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, and a host of prophets, judges and kings.  Continuing through Christ and the Apostles martyrs and saints- including us- all the baptized members of the Church.  A covenantal relationship that we will all be reminded of when we renew our baptismal vows later in the liturgy.

I pray that in one of these thin moments- in the sunset, the renewal of vows, or any time that we catch a glimpse of God’s love that we might remember the God who became human and lived as one of us as Jesus Christ.  I pray that we will be embraced by the God who loves us so much that daily he reminds us that Heaven isn’t a far off imaginary place, but rather that the kingdom of God can and is experienced here, in thin times and in thin places.  Like Salome and the Marys did on that early morning and we do on this glorious evening we have the opportunity to pause and realize that everything that keeps us from the love of God has been pushed aside; if only for a moment; and in this moment I pray that we might more able to share the knowledge that God’s kingdom is present in the here and now, with those around us who are so singularly focused on the tasks at hand, that they are unable or unwilling to look beyond the boulders, to look beyond the check lists and recognize the thin spaces in our everyday life. 

Tonight is an opportunity for all of us to remember that we are enveloped in Holy time.  Every morning and every evening we are given is a gift from God; each one is a unique opportunity to witness the Holiness of Creation and the Glorious and Unfathomable Love of God. Tonight as the sunsets we prepare ourselves to witness the resurrection and remember the morning that changed everything.  The morning when heaven and earth collided and God demonstrated that no matter how distracted we are, how singularly focused we can be on worldly things that Jesus still can and will still break through whatever separates us from the Love of God—be it stone or distraction or even death.  When we take the time to encounter the Holy we realize that in fact the stone will be rolled away and we can be amazed at what God can do in our lives

Easter Sunday 2015 Mark 16:1-8

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Pa

Easter Sunday 2015

The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa

Mark 16:1-8 “Somewhere between amazed and terrified”

 

Where is the Easter Bunny having Brunch this morning?    IHOP

 

What Kind of music do bunnies listen to?         Hip Hop

 

What do you get when you pour hot water down a the Easter bunnies Hole?

 

Hot Cross Bunny!

 

Why did the Easter Bunny cross the road?

 

It was the chicken’s day off.

 

Why was the Farmer covered with Chicks on Easter Morning?

 

Chick Magnet

 

A Sunday School teacher working one morning with her class asked the children, “Why do we remain quiet when we enter church”?

One child replied, “because everybody is sleeping”

 

On Palm Sunday,  a little boy stayed home from Church because he had a little fever. His older siblings came home from church having scored a large fan of Palm from the Altar Guild directress. The little boy asked what that was for and his older sibling explained, “everyone waved these as Jesus walked by”

 

The little boy stomped off in a huff saying: “It just figures! The one day I take off Jesus actually shows!”

 On a busy Easter weekend,  a Dad hurried his little boy along on errands which included shopping for all the goodies for the Family Easter Brunch and annual Easter egg hung.  After a full day of shopping, the Dad ran himself and the boy to the Barber for a quick Easter cut. The Barber said the little boy, Tony, I bet you are all excited for Easter are you?  Whose coming to your house on Easter with candy , floppy ears, and that twitchy nose?  The little boy looked up and said, “Uncle Brian”.

 

Finally,  Easter weekend, a mom and Dad were trying hard to keep their little girl from getting into the Easter candy early!  First the Dad thought about putting the fear of God in her, “If you eat that candy before Easter day…..well …..you don’t even want to see what will happen”.   Being experts at the “Good cop, Bad cop” approach, the mom said “well, if you manage to stay out of that candy until Easter, I’ll take you to the most amazing movie you have ever seen!”

 

So there it was……temptation of candy abounded, as did the fear of wondering what Dad was speaking about…….and yet there was that promise of amazement from mom.

 

Well, Easter weekend came and little Rebekkah, had done pretty well, so after a full day of chores, mom put her in the car and planned to reward  her by ending up at the movie theatre. Little Rebekkah fell asleep in the backseat of the car and mom realized she needed to stop by the church on the way to the movies to pick up some linens she promised to wash for Easter morning.

They arrived at church and given it was Easter Saturday, many were about in the Church, preparing the flowers, practicing music, and making Easter confessions  at the confessionals Little Rebekkah woke up and still a little groggy  she entered into the church and her little eyes grew wider and wider with excitement and Amazement!

“MOM she shouted!!  This MUSt be the most amazing movie ever! Look at all those people lined up at the ticket booth!.

 You know we tell jokes on Easter day, borrowing a bit of the Easter Orthodox tradition of telling jokes on Easter, because on this celebration of our Lord’s rising from the absurdities and indignities of Good Friday, God has the last laugh this Easter day! For Christ is risen! OUR LORD is risen indeed! God’s dream for God’s creation lives new and eternally! 

Yet, even as we find laughter together this Easter morn, as we turn to Mark’s version of our Easter story, we may find ourselves perhaps with a feeling of discomfort and uncertainty. For Mark’s Gospel lacks such affirming and directive “appearances” of the risen Jesus found in the other Gospel accounts of Easter.  Biblical scholar Mark Long writes, “Easter is supposed to have postresurrection appearances: Joyful seaside meals, scenes of reconciliation, garden embraces of the risen Lord and the disciples excited shout “He is risen!”” Instead Mark  leaves us with the first responders at an empty tomb struck silent.  Confronted with the alarming engagement  with a young man dressed in white robe, proclaiming to them,  “He is risen” Go tell the disciples and Peter to meet him in Galilee.  Their response: Silence, Mark tells us, “for terror and Amazement” has seized them and they were afraid. As Mark Long says, “That’s no way to run a resurrection”!  Like the little girl in our Easter Joke- we find ourselves immersed in the tension that is found between Terror and Amazement.

 

 

But perhaps that is the power of Mark’s Gospel for us. That is that in the tension between “terror and amazement” that often exists in our encounter with God; there seems to exist a  “space” or  “even womb”   that I submit to you is where creativity and courage are born. That place where even in the midst of fear; we are vulnerable enough to take a risk, and open enough to whatever God may have us to risk.  The young man in the white robe tells the woman who are first responders at the tomb that day, that “he is risen” and that they should tell the disciples to meet him in Gaililee---the place where it all began, the place where Jesus called his disciples, announced the Kingdom of God, and dared them to “follow him” as fellow proclaimers.  Mark it seems intentionally leaves us “dangling”.  Leaves us with the question……..Will they tell? Will all who embrace this miraculous and provocative experience of a risen Jesus discover the creativity and courage found in the tension that exists between terror and amazement? Will the disciples meet Jesus in Galilee? Or maybe more importantly- Will we?

 

The message from Jesus: Meet me in Gaililee where it all began. Meet me again and again in this Kingdom work.  Meet me with the best of who you are discovered when you dare to listen to your heart’s quickening in the space between terror and Amazement.  Meet me the risen Jesus begs.

 

 Meet me in poetry that expresses beauty and delight. Meet me in the artist’s stroke that paints pictures of comfort and love, majesty and mystery. Meet me in notes of music that lifts lover’s hearts and joins the human spirit in unity. Meet me in acts of compassion and mercy; in parish halls with the hungry and homeless. Meet me in courage on a bridge in Selma or vulnerable on a hotel balcony in Memphis. Meet me in dignity and respect for everyone and ALL.  Meet me in kindness and love for ourselves and for our neighbors. Jesus says……Meet where it all began. Where it all begins again and again.

 

The legendary comedian George Burns on the subject of sermons said “The key to a good sermon is to have a strong beginning and a strong end. And to have the two as close together as possible.

 

So with respect to our Lord and even this day to Mr. Burns.

 

Knock Knock: Whose there? H? H Who?-  God Bless you! May God Bless you this Easter Day and everyday. Shall we meet our Risen Lord in Gaililee?

 

Alleluia Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed Alleluia

 

 

 

  

Palm Sunday 2015

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity

Sunday March 29, 2015- Palm Sunday

The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa

 

Perhaps some of you are of a generation where you remember the experience of hearing about or seeing newsreels of Hitler’s army marching in lockstep in victory formation into conquered and now occupied cities throughout Europe. The victory formations and entries in lockstep an almost liturgical act to display dominance and ring in a new era, a new regime. Hitler is King.

 

You might understand then the experience of the Jewish people in first century Palestine who had grown accustomed to Caesar’s army in victory processions throughout their territories and in Jerusalem, in lock step, a display of dominance and declaration of powerful ruling authority. Caesar is King

 

You can appreciate then the powerful and courageous action of an itinerant preacher latching on to the most radically opposite symbol of Caesar’s power, a humble ass, and riding in victory formation into Jerusalem to the desperate, hope-filled, acclamations of a people hoping for a different power in their lives.  A new era, a new regime- --Jesus is King. The Kingdom of God—A Kingdom and King dramatically different than the one occupying Jerusalem, that of Caesar’s.

 

This week then,  Holy Week. This life then, our Christian lives as followers of Jesus, is about that Kingdom! The Kingdom of God! The one we wave palm branches in hope for. The one that finds its way in the world not through domination, or war, or violence, but through sacrifice, and mercy, through generosity and forgiveness, through Agape.

 

To this Kingdom then, can we expect to rejoice, give our loyalty, our behavior following our “belief” in it.

 

 Nancy Rockwell in her weekly blog entitled “The bite in the apple” reminds us that Jesus triumphant ride into Jerusalem is God’s challenge to the kingdoms of this world asking “have you considered the What if’s?”

 

She writes…….

 

“Don’t like the powers that be? What if God were the ruler here?”

 

“Tired of hearing bad news about murder, hopelessness, angry young men choosing to be terrorists?  What if this is God’s Kingdom?” What does it look like then?

 

“Angry about taxes?” What if God, not Caesar were asking you to “cough” it up?  What would the cost be then?”

 

“What if a person was lying on the side of the road all beat up? Or what if some poor soul had lost their way to addiction, or poverty, or homelessness, like a lost sheep or coin? What if some shady businessman or woman known for taking advantage of others suddenly found their way into this Cathedral looking for some connection to another way?” (end)

 

What if- What if- What if we believed, in the spirit that belief is putting our trust and faith, our heart and our treasure, our words and our deeds that it is God’s Kingdom that at the end of the day is the one that has power and is worthy of our allegiance?  Power in our world, power in this worshiping community, power in our lives?

 

What if?

 

 

Sunday March 16th, 2015

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Pa

Sunday March 16, 2015

Sermon: The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa

John 3:14-21

 

Perhaps you remember the man with the wild frizzy rainbow  wig spotted at football games throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s brandishing his sign?

 

Perhaps you have followed more than one car with a bumper sticker brandishing these number?

 

Perhaps you remember in the liturgy of the Eucharist Rite I, the celebrant quoting in short summary arguably the most widely known verse in scripture?

 

Perhaps you even know this short bit of somewhat obtuse trivia, that what I am referring to right now is a piece of scripture that is the one single segment of scripture that is translated into the most languages in the world.

 

John 3:16 that is. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to the end that all that believe him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

There have been times that I myself that when preaching on this segment of scripture in totality, that is the story of Nicodemus, the highly trained theologian of Israel, coming to “see” and make sense of this Jesus in the cover of darkness, have chosen to focus on Nicodemus, instead of on this actual piece of best known and probably most used segment of scripture- John 3:16. Maybe this is true because it has been a “soundbyte” if you will for an individualistic conservative evangelical interpretation of conversion theology that leaves some “in” and many “out”.  I am not sure.

 

However, minds and hearts “believe”. Like Nicodemus let us perhaps emerge from darkness and look to a light of understanding as to why Martin Luther would describe these all too familiar verses of John 3:16 and following as “the Gospel in a nutshell”.

 

Some years ago, I remember reading in some Christian journal publication that I honestly can’t remember, the true story of a parents biggest struggle. Two young boys in their single digits, sharing a life and a room under the love and protection of loving parents. One young boy had a rare blood disease and through a series of failed treatments the eventual course of treatment was that if he was to have a chance his younger brother would need to be a blood and platelet donor. This procedure would take awhile, would be painful and scary for the young boys.

 

The boys parents approached the younger brother with some fear and worry and of course anxiety. They explained to the young boy what the doctors had said and that their brothers life and health depended on the boys giving his blood and platelets. The boy took it in and the parents gave him some time to think. The boy agreed to the inevitable procedure.

 

The day of the procedure arrived and the two boys with their parents went to the hospital and lay side by side. The necessary insertions were made and a transfer of blood and platelets began through the machinery. It was then, about 5 minutes into the procedure that these loving parents world was rocked into an explosion of blinding love light. The young boy laying next to his older brother receiving life-giving blood looked up and said to his mother, “Is it working”?  Mom said, yes, all is working fine. The boy said to his mom,  “Mom, good. When will I start to die?”

 

God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life! 

 

Can you imagine someone loving you so much, believing in that love so much, putting their heart so much in that relationship (which is John’s point) that they would be willing to die in order to save your life?

 

The Gospel in a nutshell for John.(As Martin Luther described this passage from John’s Gospel).  God is gonna love this God-forsaking World (not God-forsaken), the “World” for John is the world that by default seeks to “reject” God’s love and mercy” (Condemns) . God is gonna love this God-forsaking World so much that he is willing to die for it.

 

The scripture tells us, that for all who “believe” in this love, will inherit eternal life- that is God’s life-giving presence for ever and ever, come what may. In John’s Gospel “believe” is always a verb, not a noun. It is an action of heart like “Giving your life and love to a relationship you believe in, you have faith in. Like loving something or someone so much that you would make every possible sacrifice –even potentially your life for them or it. You know those relationships or “causes” YOU believe in- Give your heart, soul, mind, strength to?

 

Can you imagine being loved SO much that someone would be willing to die so that you might Live?

 

This fourth Sunday of Lent our journey’s momentum pushes us toward the rituals of our holiest of weeks. This very day the proper preface, that is, the prayer we seasonably change in the Eucharistic prayer, shifts from standing with Jesus in the wilderness to cleansing and preparing our hearts for the joys that come in meeting our loving and living God.

 

Your Lenten task as we sneak out of the shadows of lent toward the light of Easter is this. Imagine it. Go ahead and Imagine a creator so determined to be in your God forsaking world that this God is willing to do whatever it takes for you to live.

 

Imagine it. Ponder it. “Believe in it”.

 

Amen.

March 1, 2015 The Cathedral Church of the Nativity

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity

Sunday March 1, 2015 Lent 2

The Very Rev. Anthony Pompa

 

Everything gets a name when it is new! We had our children’s name picked out of course before they were born. Faithful and beauty in the end where the names we hedged our bets on (Dillon a celtic- gaelic name for Faithful, Isabella, an Italian name for beauty).

Even the internet got a name when it was set up in our home. Flash it is called. Quick was our hope. (and it is named after our dog so we wouldn’t forget). Everything gets a name when it is new. Typically naming brings with it descriptions of truth and hope.

Our story in Genesis today speaks a truth and hope about God and God’s people. Abram and Sarai, those nomads of ancient times, come to a place of relationship and covenant with God that promises them the two things they hope most for and the two things they can’t imagine they will ever see. The first, a place to be, that is land. Land of their own. Land to stay still on. Land to till and to farm. Land to live on and live off of. A very different existence from that of the nomad. The second promise is that they will have descendants as many as the eye can see. A far reaching and curious, if not, foolish promise, given Sarai is of an age advanced. The thought of her aged womb bearing a child, unimaginable.

Yet- that is the deal that is struck. The covenant that is made and their end of the bargain is simply faithfulness and trust in this foolish promiser. To seal the deal and to name their partnership- they themselves get new names- Abraham meaning Father of multitude, Sarah, the princess. How unimaginable-the old man Abraham a Father of a multitude, Sarah-A Nomad now princess of a kingdom yet to be formed.

At least Sarah response to this new naming, this new promise, this new covenant seems appropriate. She laughed and laughed and laughed. This laugh perhaps in response to the crazy promises God has made, her laugh perhaps a giddy laugh in response to something long hoped for and long given up on- children. She laughs.

Everything gets a name, when it is  new. And even as things get named for truth and for what is hoped for, everything and everybody continually lives into the promises for who and what they are made. Even as we live into what we hope for we sometimes need refreshment and reminder. Even Flash the internet at my home needs to be re-set sometimes so that it may be placed back on the path of this speedy destined purposefully named truth- Flash.

So it is with us on this Lenten Journey. You and I are wonderfully made and perfectly named for truth and for hope. For the truth of loving our God, ourselves, and our neighbors as faithfully as we can. For the hope of giving our faith and trust to a God who makes outrageous promises-----sometimes promises that make us laugh at both how ridiculous they are   Or at how scintillating they are.

Everything that new gets a name. What is your name this Lent? What is your truth this then? What is your hope this Lent?

Feast of the Transfiguration - February 15, 2015

The Rev. Canon Kimberly Reinholz

Cathedral Church of the Nativity

Feast of the Transfiguration

February 15, 2015

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            There are three Sunday’s that traditionally preachers dread: The Sunday after Easter or Whitsunday, Trinity Sunday, and the feast of the Transfiguration.  Whitsunday is dreaded because how do you follow up the resurrection? Trinity Sunday is dreaded because how can you explain the Trinity without committing heresy. Transfiguration Sunday, today, is dreaded because honestly we don't know what the heck is happening in this story.  I thought I has escaped this horror because Tony was supposed to preach this weekend, but he’s stuck in Texas (poor guy) stranded by weather. 

           

So I am going to try to not get caught in the trap of the transfiguration.  I will fully and honestly admit that I am not sure what happened there that day, I am not sure what the difference between transformation and transfiguration are, I am not sure what it means to say that Jesus shone dazzling white, or what significance it may have.  I have no idea what Elijah or Moses said to Jesus on that mountaintop.

 

Instead of going down those rabbit holes, and focusing on what we don’t know about the events of that day, I will instead focus on what we do know.  What we know is that Jesus and his trusted companions Peter, James and John went up the mountain to have some time apart, to have some time alone together.  As a good friend of mines friend used to tell us, all relationships need time to “re-inflate” if you think of our relationships like hot air balloons every now and again we need some fuel for the fire, and we need to be lifted up again.  This time on top of the mountain for the disciples and Jesus was that a time to rejuvenate.   

I can only imagine how exhausted Jesus and his disciples must have been.  In the 8^th chapter of Mark’s gospel, we learn that they have fed 4,000 and taught them about the nature of God’s generous heart.  Jesus has healed a blind man at Bethsaida and Peter seems to finally understand that Jesus is the Messiah.  They take a break from their ministry they go up the mountain to pray and reconnect with one another and with God. 

Mountains are holy places, and scripture is full of references to them.  In Genesis you have Mount Ararat where Noah’s ark landed, Exodus gives us Mount Sinai where Moses received the commandments, Mount Zion is where David lays the foundation for the Temple, and Mount Carmel where Elijah encounters God.  However, this mountain is nameless they were in the hills outside of Galilee heading towards Jerusalem and they went away to get away.    They just needed a break.  So Jesus leads them up the mountainside to have some time apart.

We know that they went together.  Unlike other times when Jesus went away alone to pray he brought Peter, James and John along this time.  Why exactly we don’t know.  Mark doesn’t elaborate.  Its one of the wonderfully frustrating things about Mark’s gospel that there isn’t much in the way of explanation. 

In the other synoptic accounts of the Transfiguration in Matthew and Luke’s gospel the story is more fleshed out.  The Matthean account has James, John and Peter cowering in fear and being assured by Jesus that they shouldn’t be afraid.  In Luke’s Gospel we learn that Elijah and Moses were the ones who predicted the things to come for Jesus as Christ.   However in Mark’s gospel we get none of this.  We are only told that they were there – together the 4 of them- Jesus, James, John and Peter. 

Now if you remember that these are 3 of the core 4, James and John and Andrew and Peter were the first disciples whom Jesus called.   (I do wonder where Andrew was an why he didn’t come up on the mountain with the rest but I digress) These form the crux of the community of believers and followers. These would become the first Christians after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.  These first called are the ones who have been away from home the longest.  They have been hearing these sermons and parables day in and day out.  They have be watching and waiting and wondering when Jesus would do what they expected him to do, to free the Jewish people from oppression to storm the ramparts of Jerusalem. They were probably getting frustrated with all this teaching and wandering already and wondering when the show would get on the road. 

Imagine being in their shoes for a minute, you’ve left your families, friends and businesses to follow this guy and so far he’s not doing what you expect him to do.  What he is doing is talking in riddles, and basically calling you an idiotanytim e you ask questions. You’d probably be feeling a little run down, unappreciated and exhausted right? 

So Jesus takes the leaders of the community for a time apart, for a time to reconnect with one another and with God.   It’s a retreat, time apart, time with one another, time with God.  We all need this now and again.  We all need this whether we are leaders in a community if we are vestry members, heads of ministries or missions, if we are the ones who do all the dirty work, or if the most we can do right now is get our selves to worship on occasion, we all need to be reminded that we are beloved, we are special and we have gifts which are essential to the community  .

I only wish all of our retreats were as fruitful and transformational as this one.  This time something miraculous and earth shattering happened and I cannot begin to break that apart for you, like I said, I don’t know what it means that Jesus was transfigured.  I do know that it was amazing.

The other thing I know is that Moses and Elijah showed up.   I don't know how, and I don’t know what they said (like I said in the Lukan account they have something audible to say but in Mark, not so much as a word is audible).  But they were there.  And I believe that the reason they are there is to remind the disciples that they were not the first followers of God.  They were not the first to be disillusioned, they were not the first to believe they knew God’s plan and then have it turned around in an instant. 

If we remember a little bit about Moses, he was called to lead the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.  He was to lead them to the Promised Land but he wouldn’t get to enter it himself.  Talk about disappointment.  However he was faithful and followed God and led the Israelites through the desert.  Even when he knew he wouldn’t see the fruits of his labors himself. 

Elijah likewise, was called by God to lead his people, and instead of being welcomed with open arms his life was threatened and he was forced into hiding and lived in the desert as well.  Eventually he was able to lead the people of Israel back to a relationship with God, and return them to a righteous state as a nation, but not before his whole world was turned upside down

Moses and Elijah are reminders of where the people of Israel have been and where they were going, they are there to remind James, and John and Peter that what they expect might not be what they experience.  However nostalgic eyes prevail when the James, John and Peter, see Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus.  Peter especially, wants to honor them by making them shelters on the mountain.   He misinterprets the presence of these past figures remembering their glorious histories, not necessarily their whole stories. 

How often do we also remember with rose colored glasses where we come from, where we have been, and the lives of those who come before us? We as Episcopalians believe that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses – those who have come before us, those who have sat in these pews, those who have stood at this altar rail, those who have walked these aisle continue to have a role in our life as a church they help us to know where we come from, but they do not dictate where we will go.

            We are walking and listening and waiting and watching for the Lord to appear to us.  We are a people who are living in the light but we are waiting to be enlightened and we have heard these stories over and over and over again.  We are a people who are in need of time apart a time to reconnect with God, to reconnect with one another so that when the light appears we can respond to it not with our own expectations but with refreshed and renewed lives that will change the world around us. 

  

            When we go to the mountaintop may we see Peter, James and John.  May we see Moses and Elijah.  May we see the cloud of witnesses who trod the path, which is set before us.  May we see God and know God and follow God, especially when we are tired, disillusioned and disappointed that things aren’t going the way we expected.  Amen