SERMON:

                                       Mountaintops and Flatlands

                                                 Luke 9:28-36

  

Pastor Robyn Hogue                            February 10, 2013                   Skyline Presbyterian Church

 

 

The 2010 drama film The Social Network portrayed many interesting features of Mark Zuckerberg’s development of his online creation. But they missed a big one: the name he chose for his baby, Facebook. Let’s face it: humans are obsessed with the unique, defining nature of our faces. The arrangement of our eyes, nose, mouth, chin, cheeks, forehead, never ceases to amaze and fascinate us. More than 5,000 distinguishable facial expressions have been identified, and that is probably just a start on our study of the human face. Some have called the human face “the most entertaining surface on earth.” How could we possibly resist pursuing and endlessly perusing an online site called Facebook?

 

We recognize friends — and enemies — by their face. Bank robbers wear masks to hide their faces, knowing full well that, no matter how clear the surveillance pictures of their bodies might be, without a full view of their face, they cannot be accurately identified.

 

When the Protestant Reformers came across images of the saints and the Virgin Mary, they defaced them on paintings and had their faces gouged out of carvings and sculptures. Babies look at faces — learning how to put the pieces together and how to recognize and trust the familiar, and reject and be fearful of the unfamiliar. It is in our human nature to look into the face of others for critical, life-preserving, information. We find ourselves in the faces of others. We become human through our relationships with others. In short, long before virtual life, human beings were walking, talking Facebooks.

 

Our language reflects this fixation. We speak of taking things at “face value,” or of doing an “about face,” or of “facing off” against opponents. We “face the music” and when dishonored we “lose face.” “Face cards” carry the most value and to stand “face-to-face” with another signifies being in the most valued of positions. One of the most advanced new computer identification techniques is the science of “facial recognition,” namely, computer programs that can scan and identify individual faces without any other physical information.

 

In the transfiguration scene described in this week’s gospel reading, Jesus’ face shines. He is transfigured and transformed by a glorious presence. God’s glory is seen physically upon Jesus’ face, which is the focal point of His humanity. Jesus’ face shone so gloriously and was so illuminated that even His famously clueless disciples could see and report about its radiant nature.

 

And if we are students of the Old Testament, we will be reminded of another transfiguration scene with a glory-gleamed face—the face of Moses after he had finished conversing with God on the mountain and after he had received the commandments of the Lord. When he came down from the mountain, the Bible says, “Moses’ face shone” with the wondrous wattage of God’s glory.

 

It was so obvious that it was off-putting. The people were afraid to approach Moses because of his transfigured face. So Moses veiled himself, veiled the glory, played down his face-to-face encounter with the Lord. Instead the people focused on the Laws, on the tablets, on the guidelines God had given. In other words, the glory of God’s presence and ultimate purpose was subtly screened — “veiled” from public view.

 

Yet elsewhere, throughout the Old Testament the faithful are urged to seek out the face of God.

 

Seek the lord and His strength, seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11)

 

If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face . . . then they will hear from heaven. (2 Chronicles 7:14)     

 

When Thou said, “Seek My face,” my heart said, “Thy face, Lord I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8)

 

Seek the Lord, and His strength: seek His face evermore. (Psalm 105:4)

 

These texts urge those faithful to the Lord to seek His face — to be on a continual quest for that moment of face-to-face recognition. Seeking God’s face, getting a glimpse, a shadow, a suggestion, that is the spiritual quest God calls His faithful to follow.

 

And we now have the most powerful of guides on this quest. No less than the human face of God, the Spirit of Christ, will guide us on our journey to the face of the Father. This Spirit is present in us and presented to us as we participate in the Body of Christ, the incarnated presence of our Lord. Through the incarnation of Christ’s spirit we all are invited to a “sneak preview” of God’s image as we live our lives.

 

Whether we are on a spiritual mountaintop or living in the ordinary days of the flatlands, we “reflect,” we “mirror image,” Christ’s presence, the very face of God, to each other and to the world. But, like mirrors, the Christ-body community is not a perfect representation. There are always ripples and wrinkles, distortions and disjunctions. Yet, the reflection is still there and shows the world what might be.

 

As disciples, each of us has been “transfigured” by our holy encounter with the Holy Spirit and by the person of Jesus Christ. We are different. We have been called to reflect the face of God to this world. Our humanity has been “transfigured” into a life that reflects the radiance of God’s presence, as the “face” that God puts forward to the world.

 

Yet, a central mystery, if not a major irony of Christianity is that we who have been sent by Jesus into the world as transfigured people don’t cease being ordinary people, vessels of clay, even though we are entrusted with a gospel of gold. We comport a glory that is not ours, with the greatness found in the gift and Giver, not the bearer of the gift.

 

What is this “face” we are called to present to the world? Throughout the scriptures there is one overwhelming “facial” quality that is extolled: love. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love others and love the other.

 

Love is patient, kind, never boastful, envious or proud. It is not rude nor self-seeking. Love is not easily angered; keeps no records of wrongs. Love rejoices in the truth. Love always protects; always trusts; always hopes; always perseveres. Love never ends. (I Corinthians 13: 4-13)

 

The bit hit movie of this winter is “Les Miserables.” It is a musical based upon a two hundred plus year old novel about France. Doesn’t sound like it would translate to 21st century American culture very well, does it? But it does. I’ve seen it. It does.

 

For me, the musical highlight of the show reveals that the story has never been about history, or politics, or economics alone. In the finale musical number, the “heroes,” Fantine, Eponine and Valjean, sing together about that which has transformed, transfigured, their lives from drives of desperation to hopes of higher aspirations. Listen with me to a piece of the lyric:

 

Take my hand,

            And lead me to salvation

Take my love

For love is everlasting

And remember

The truth that once was spoken

To love another person is to see the face of God.

 

Did you get that? “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

Love will require courage and strength. Love will mean we speak up and work toward justice. Love will mean we give our best for another person’s best interests. And in doing so we will reflect the face of God.