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Standing In the Son

Standing In the Son

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I can only imagine
What my eyes would see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine

(from the song “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me)


Exodus 34 verse 29 tells us that “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.”

Moses went up the mountain, and when he came down, his face was radiant.

Dazzling, you might say.

Moses had spoken to God.

 

Many years later Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. This story is told in Matthew 17:

“There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Jesus’ face “shone like the sun.”

His clothes became “as white as the light.”

“A bright cloud covered them” and then God spoke.

Once again dazzling.

 

Me?

I can’t even imagine, witnessing all this.

And Peter didn’t show fear until he heard God speak.

I think I would have been halfway down the mountain seeing Moses and Elijah appear.

But Peter was ready to set up tents!

 

Hearing God speak.

Seeing Jesus transfigured before them.

Seeing Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus.

We can only imagine.

 

Our image of God is through Jesus.

Our images of Jesus are shaped and formed by the imaginations of others long before us.

However the way we picture or imagine Jesus to look, we can speak to him daily through prayer.

So talk to God.

Pray.

And when you speak to God in this way, let your face shine like the sun.

Be radiant, lit up, dazzling.

As you give up to God those burdens that may be dimming the brightness in your life.

And give thanks for the blessings.

 

 

And imagine yourself “Standing in the Son.”

So get up.

And don’t be afraid.

 

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

(From “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me)

 

Postscript:

On this Tuesday and the next five Tuesdays during the period of Lent, I am participating in a daily writing that we are doing at my church, Sterling United Methodist Church.  My assigned day is Tuesday.  The daily themes are based on one word each day and some associated scripture.  Today’s word is dazzle.  If you would like to keep up with the posts from others click on this link in the postscript.

 

 

Cloudy

Cloudy

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What are those things?

I am not sure…they look like funny looking glasses…let me google them…it says they are called sunglasses.

Oh…what are they used for?

It says they are supposed to keep the sun out of our eyes.

Oh…why would we need those?

 

From Cloudy, a song written by Simon and Garfunkel:

 

Hey sunshine.

I haven’t seen you for a long time.

Why don’t you show your face and bend my mind?

 

Yes please, bend my mind.  I am ready.

I miss the sun.

I am sick of clouds. I am sick of rain.

And while I complain, clouds of disaster are working their evil in the Carolinas.  A report I heard this morning talked about a river that was considered at flood level when just 3 to 5 feet over normal.  They were expecting the level to reach 62 feet.

 

In spite of our seemingly never-ending clouds and showers, we had an awesome weekend.

We rode our bikes, we hiked at Great Falls.

Great Falls National Park has a startling reminder of disasters from the past that puts flooding in perspective.  A tall post with signs from years past marking the water levels of previous floods that have lifted the Potomac River to unimaginable heights in that area.  Hard to imagine as you look down at the rapids below from the overlooks, that the water level could be six or so more feet above where you are standing.

 

Our sermon this morning at church was a continuation of a series called The Wilderness, Growing in Faith When Life is Hard.

The Wilderness, a metaphor for difficult times, and how hard it is sometimes to find your way out.  And this morning’s message specifically… isn’t it amazing how God brings people into our lives at such times to help us through.

Isn’t that the truth, I could write a book about that, or maybe more accurately my wife and I live that every day.  I might already be writing that book.

And the scripture this morning was from Numbers with Moses and his party three days into the wilderness and “the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.”

The “cloud of the Lord.”

I have never thought of God in the clouds.

Maybe I am being too hard on the clouds.

Maybe God is in my clouds too.

 

I have written before of my friend Joe who passed away earlier this year and that he had a box full of vegetable seeds which were divided up amongst friends to keep the Veggie Joe legacy alive.

My first attempt earlier in the season didn’t go well but the later seeds did take and finally, I have some tomatoes.

But they are green tomatoes.

And without the sun I am afraid they may never see red.

 

The forecast is for a couple more days of rain from the remnants of what was Hurricane Florence finally reaching our area.

 

So God,  forgive me for always assuming evil in the clouds.

And I pray you put people in the lives of those affected by hurricanes, rain, flooding, and other wilderness situations just as you did in the lives of Kim and me.

I pray that you show your face and bend my mind.

And please if you would, turn Joe’s tomatoes red.

Amen