Are We Running With You Jesus?
Rev. Bob Wickizer
Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; Luke 9:28-36
25 February 2001
Back in the civil rights movement of the 1960's a west coast Episcopal priest named Malcolm Boyd wrote a book titled "Are you Running with me Jesus?" In preparing for this sermon I began to realize that Boyd's inwardly-focused question is exactly the opposite of what we should be asking in this 21st century as we try to discern every day just what it is God wants us to do. So as a title for this sermon and a challenge question for all of us I ask you: Are we running with you Jesus? First let's return to the Gospel.
"And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his exodus which he as about to accomplish at Jerusalem."
Now if only the advertising folks on Madison Avenue could get hold of this story. Just think of all the laundry detergent that they could sell! Thankfully, the advertisers missed this one. But we often miss the story too because such an epiphany, such a literal "out shining" of God is beyond our human experience and therefore beyond comprehension. We think about it too much wondering about the details concerning how this event must have happened. We get too caught up in our imagination thinking about the dazzling white clothes as if we were watching a scene from the TV show, "Touched by an Angel." When the miracle stories and the epiphany stories seem just too much to believe, do we allow ourselves to become analytical so that the story loses its power to change our heart?
But this story is all about changing hearts and minds because whatever doubts that Peter, James and John took with them up the mountain that day, whatever questions they may have had about just who this Jesus person was and who sent him were completely erased in that dazzling white moment on the mountain. ...
Rev. Bob Wickizer
Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; Luke 9:28-36
25 February 2001
Back in the civil rights movement of the 1960's a west coast Episcopal priest named Malcolm Boyd wrote a book titled "Are you Running with me Jesus?" In preparing for this sermon I began to realize that Boyd's inwardly-focused question is exactly the opposite of what we should be asking in this 21st century as we try to discern every day just what it is God wants us to do. So as a title for this sermon and a challenge question for all of us I ask you: Are we running with you Jesus? First let's return to the Gospel.
"And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his exodus which he as about to accomplish at Jerusalem."
Now if only the advertising folks on Madison Avenue could get hold of this story. Just think of all the laundry detergent that they could sell! Thankfully, the advertisers missed this one. But we often miss the story too because such an epiphany, such a literal "out shining" of God is beyond our human experience and therefore beyond comprehension. We think about it too much wondering about the details concerning how this event must have happened. We get too caught up in our imagination thinking about the dazzling white clothes as if we were watching a scene from the TV show, "Touched by an Angel." When the miracle stories and the epiphany stories seem just too much to believe, do we allow ourselves to become analytical so that the story loses its power to change our heart?
But this story is all about changing hearts and minds because whatever doubts that Peter, James and John took with them up the mountain that day, whatever questions they may have had about just who this Jesus person was and who sent him were completely erased in that dazzling white moment on the mountain. ...
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