The Cold Springer - Week of March 3rd, 2019
Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 - Holy Baptism
Stay Put, or Not
Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said.
Throughout the Gospels - and the book of Acts - we come to see Peter as an ardent leader; a man of deep faith and devotion. When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” it was Peter who proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” But in these same pages we discover a person, a real person whose character might challenge our assumptions about saintliness. Peter was aggressive, enthusiastic, self-confident, impetuous, strong-willed, loud-mouthed and impulsive.
From the suddenness of his response to follow Jesus, dropping his fishing nets on the shore of Galilee and walking away, to the certainty with which he denied Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest Caiaphas (and all the ups and downs in between), Peter’s dynamism is revealed and his story becomes for us a point of access into the Kingdom of God. His story reminds us that all of our personality quirks can be redeemed in Christ. Peter’s story becomes our story.
In this weeks Gospel, we hear the story of the Transfiguration from Luke. It is rich, more layers than a freezer cake, but Peter’s so-called faux pa, “not knowing what he said,” gives us an opportunity to ask, “How are we like Peter?”
Jesus brought Peter, James and John to mountain with him to pray and there Jesus was Transfigured. His face bright, his clothes white, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah. What a scene to behold. Can you recall, in your own life (maybe in the midst of prayer), a moment when everything seemed interconnected, time and space collapsed and what you believed through hope and faith appeared tangible and true?
Who would want to leave that place, that feeling, that sense of contentment and understanding? Certainly not Peter. He was ready to build a compound to keep everyone right where they were; easy to find again… maybe he’d never leave. But that was his misunderstanding: that anything about God can be tied down, wrapped in neat package - made to stay in one place.
Over the course of our own journey with Christ we have encounters that lead to a deeper faith, but also to periods of curiosity and even doubt. We look to make sense of our experiences by piecing together our own theologies, or ways of thinking about God. St. Anselm (b. 1033) famously said: “Fides quaerens intellectum.” Theology is: “Faith seeking understanding.” We are, and always will be, hoping to find a way put our faith into words.
For millennia we have composed creeds and statements of faith: theologies. What happens when we die? Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the incarnation and why does it matter to me? What does it mean that Christ died for us? We seek answers to these sorts of questions in order to rest comfortably; our answers help us shoulder the burden of mystery.
Of course, God is beyond words and intellect, beyond static sound bites. But these are the tools we’ve been given and while they can provide for us a temporary dwelling we must be prepared to pull up the tent stakes and step out into the desert, trusting that we will be guided by the Spirit to another comfortable, albeit interim, place of understanding.
Peter had to go down the mountain, he had to continue his life’s work. He had to accept that there was more to know and more to do. Peter and his companions were willing to continue their walk with Jesus, even towards Jerusalem for what would be the last time, leaving behind the awe and solace of that divine mountain top fog. But they would not leave behind the truth that was revealed to them, that Jesus was the Son of God.
It is true that as we mature into Christ, “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another,” our faith moves us from one place of understanding to another - from one theology to another - with the moments between often marked with curiosity, confusion and even doubt. But like Peter we take with us the truths that are revealed throughout, seeking new ways to talk about them.
As you prepare to begin the season of Lent, give thanks for words; for images, metaphors and allegories. Give thanks that the Spirit gives life to the intellect, moving it towards a more fuller understanding of God through Jesus Christ. But may we never forget that it is by grace alone that we experience God’s presence in our lives. May the upcoming season be one of discovery!
Peace and All Good!
The Rev. Jesse Lebus
Children's Chapel
This Sunday the students in the Sherwood Room will explore the Mystery of Easter. This lesson gives us a wonderful way to help the children remember that Easter "turns everything inside out and upside down" and that as we enter Lent and study each Sunday who Jesus grew to be, we should be on the lookout for God to show us unexpected things. The Mystery of Easter reminds us that Easter, as our faith's biggest celebration, is full of God's mystery and joyful surprise.
Though it doesn't focus on a particular Bible story, it's worth giving this lesson a whole Sunday morning because it both signals to the children that Lent is beginning and reminds them what Lent is all about. When we announce Lent and usher it in, we allow the children to realize what an important time it is--and hopefully they'll wonder what they can do to make it special to them.
Elements of Faith
Our Elements of Faith class will finish up this season by exporing this Sunday's gospel lesson, the Transfiguration of Jesus, from Luke's gospel. Using the Sunday Paper to revisit the passage and questions from the Lesson Plans that Work, students will explore the "Voice of God" and consider what they are called to do as people who have heard these stories.
Mardi Gras
Pancake Party & Burning of the Palms
Tuesday, March 5
Bleecker Hall
6pm - 8pm
Lent is coming so we've got to prepare...let's party! St. John's annual Fat Tuesday party is a festive parish wide event. All are invited. Pancakes, bacon, New Orleans beverages and a King Cake! Brought to you by the Vestry and this year's Confirmation Class. Evening ends with a brief liturgy as we burn the old palms for Ashes on Ash Wednesday.
Youth in Community
Wednesdays in Lent
March 13, 20,27
April 3, 10, and 17
6:30 - 8 pm.
A Lenten retreat for young people (8-11). All of us will eat together, but when the "Life in Community" program begins in Bleecker Hall the young people will go to the church to play games and create crafts, focusing on bible passages that touch on life in Christian community. A great opportunity for kids and parents.