Reflections on "Moving Together" 2 Kings 2: 4-14; Mark 9: 2-9

I had a little different take on the traditional Transfiguration texts in this sermon.  I did not start the week looking for a different take, but as I read the texts I kept coming back to the groups of people in the two stories.  First, the transfer of leadership from Elijah to Elisha.  Then, the two groups on the mountaintop.  I'm not sure if focusing on working together was the best way to go, but it seemed to hold together in the sermon.  Although it is not in the text below, I did mention the joke I had seen with Peter, John, and James asking, "What kind of laundry detergent does Jesus use.  I've never seen clothes so white."

 “Moving Together” February 11, 2024; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; Transfiguration Sunday; Mark 9: 2-9; 2 Kings

2 Kings 2.4-14  4 Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. ⁵The company of prophets^* who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’

6 Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. ⁷Fifty men of the company of prophets^* also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ¹⁰He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.’ ¹¹As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹²Elisha kept watching and crying out, ‘Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Introduction:  Transfiguration Sunday!  

Last Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the Lenten preaching series. 

No puzzle pieces this morning, but we roll out the white paraments and read some familiar, exciting stories.

Elijah being taken up in whirlwind. 

Peter, James, and John on the mountaintop

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus transfigured in brilliant white. 

As I reflected on these stories this year, I kept coming back to the groupings in each story:  Elijah and Elisha;

Moses, Elijah, and Jesus;

Peter, James, and John.

so I want to explore for a few minutes how these groupings exemplify how moving together in ministry.

Move 1:  We begin with Elijah and Elisha

a. Elijah, a well-known prophet, and Elisha, the prophet probably best known for having a name that sounds a lot like Elijah.

1.  Elijah was a strong, prophetic leader with several stories we probably know:

his encounter with the widow of Zarephath as Israel suffers through a drought;

the contest on Mt. Carmel when Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal

Elijah battling with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel;

2. As Elijah’s end approaches, the question hangs in the air - who will replace Elijah.

3. not just a question about succession in terms of which person will follow the prophet Elijah, but it is also a question about God’s continuing presence in the world and as the God of Israel.

b.  At its core - this story declares that God’s work continue and the leadership of God’s people will be passed down to the next generation.

1. Not just a simple, who is the next-in-line, like the vice president taking over when the president of a company retires, but a dramatic story with lots of implications.

2. As it begins, it seems as if Elijah wants to just disappear on his own.

3. but, Elisha will not let him

c.. Elijah asks Elisha what he might want and Elisha makes a bold request:  a double portion, the rightful inheritance of the eldest son as laid out in the patriarchal rules of inheritance at work in the time of Israel.

1.  in other words, Elisha asks for what a legitimate heir might ask, which signifies that leadership will be handed down to the next generation.

2.  Elijah agrees, but tells Elisha what he must do to receive the double portion.

3.  Notice the mutual responsibility involved in the passing down the mantle of leadership:

Elijah has to be willing to share with the next generation’s leader.

Elisha has to do the work.  it is not just handed to him.

d.  After Elijah ascended in a  whirlwind, Elisha picks up the mantle, literally, and parts the water.

1.  A repeat of what Elijah had just done before ascending.

2.  Elisha will move forward serving God in the way Elijah did.

3.  “to be Elijah’s heir, as it turns out, means far more than simply to do similar miracles, it is to go wherever the prophet goes, to near the same burdens, to rush the same hardship, to venture into time of both solitariness and solidarity in order to receive and ultimately bear a word of the Lord.” (Feasting on the Word, David Lose, 437)

4. A reminder that we are part of a continuing tradition of serving God in the world.

5.  in each generation we face the challenges of following Christ in the world;

we share together the work and pass it on to the next generation - God’s people continually moving forward into the unknown future serving God of Elijah and then Elisha and then….

Move 2:  Moses, Elijah, and Jesus - all three there when Jesus was transfigured on the mountaintop.

a.  they share several things in common.

  1.  We might also note that in Jewish tradition the mysterious circumstances of Moses’ death on Mount Nebo (Deut 34.5–6) and Elijah’s being taken up to God on a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2.11) earned them the title of ‘the deathless ones’. (https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/what-is-transfigured-in-mark-9/; February 10, 2021 by Ian Paul), which connects with Jesus’ death and resurrection 

2.  .  These three symbolically cover it all for God’s people.

Moses, the law.

Elijah, the prophets,

Jesus, the one who fulfills the law and the prophecy of Israel.

b.  I find it fascinating that apparently Moses, Elijah, and Jesus share in some conversation on the mountaintop.

1. wouldn’t you like to have overheard that conversation!

2.  maybe they were talking about their deaths:

“Elijah - what was it like to ride a chariot into the heavens?”

Or “Moses, What exactly happened on Mt. Nebo?”

or  “Jesus, what was really going on in the tomb that day after you were crucified and before you were resurrected?”

3.  Maybe they were talking about dealing with the people:

Elijah, noting how hard it was to deal with kings and queens.

Moses, discussing how hard it was to deal with the people God sent him to lead.

Jesus, well I think Jesus’ story probably one-ups both Elijah and Moses.

c.  But as they stand transfigured on the mountaintop, they remind us of the ongoing work of God in the world.

1.  In Christ, we meet the Son of God, but also the one who connects us to the God who has been actively at work since creation.

2.  We are tied to those who have come before us, even as we hand off to those who come after us.

3.  Our call to follow Christ is not new to this generation, but traces back to when God called the world into being and decided to engage all of humanity. 

Move 3: finally, let’s look at Peter, James and John

a. climb up the mountain together with Jesus.

1. An act of discipleship they do together.

2.  Assuming Peter, James, and John remember their history - mountains can be scary, exciting places:

A place to meet God

to receive God’s commandments

to do battle with other prophets

3. Seeing Elijah, Moses, with the transfigured Jesus will add to the stories of mountaintop experiences.

4.  Together to climb the mountain;

together, they share the experience.

b. together, they come back down the mountain together with Jesus.

1. Together in what is before them off the mountaintop.

2. they are told not to tell anyone what they have seen.

3.  how hard it must have been to keep it a secret - but at least they have each other to talk with about what they saw, 

and what it might mean for their future as followers of Christ.

to imagine what awaits them

together.

c.  In their story, we see our story of discipleship.

1.  Mountaintop experiences.

2.  Coming off the mountain and doing ministry in the reality of our daily lives.

3.  either more than perhaps any of us can handle by ourselves.

But together.  Together, we can move into discipleship.

Conclusion:    Moving together with each other,

called by God,

following Christ

led by the Holy Spirit.

Together.

                       

Reflections on “Baptism: From Womb to Tomb?” Isaiah 43: 1-7; Acts 8: 9-13

this was the next-to-last sermon of the baptism series, but my last sermon in the series.  I have greatly enjoyed each of the sermons, and this one was no exception.  In a way, it felt like the final sermon of the series because I was using several stories that I had planned to use in one of the sermons.  I hope I was able to tie the stories together in a fitting way for the sermon. 

“Baptism: From Womb to Tomb?” January 28, 2024; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; Baptism series; Isaiah 43: 1-7

We continue our baptism preaching series for two more weeks, then Transfiguration Sunday, then Lent arrives early this year.  Feb. 14 is Ash Wednesday.

Isaiah 43: 1-7  But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ³For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. ⁴Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. ⁵Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; ⁶I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— ⁷everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Move 1:   David Beckham story 

Ron Byars, in his commentary on baptism, tells the story of David Beckham and his wife Victoria, one of the Spice Girls, arguably one of the most famous celebrity couples in the 21st century, choosing to christen their sons Romeo and Brooklyn. As you may know, christening in the Anglican church includes baptism, so this is how they planned the baptism.

David Beckham was quoted as saying, “I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don’t know into what religion yet.”

As the BBC described the event planned by Victoria, it was noted that the chapel had been built for this occasion on the family Hertfordshire mansion. 

The chapel had a white angel about the arched doorway.  To get to the doorway, guests walked past fake ruins modeled after the crumbling Irish church where the couple wed.

Two Buddhist shrines were on either side of the chapel entrance.  at the entrance. of the chapel.  

As an added note, Brooklyn’s godfather Elton John was on tour and unable to attend the ceremony. Ronald Byars, The Sacraments in Biblical Perspective, from the Interpretation series, 25-26; also https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1479657/Beckhams-sons-christened-in-back-garden-chapel.html)

An over-the-top example of recognizing that baptism holds a special place in the person’s life, but not quite understanding how God is at work in the waters of baptism.

Baptism is more than a family tradition that grandparents pressure their children into doing for their children.

Baptism is more than a special ceremony associated with the birth of a child.

Baptism is more than some kind of Christian bar mitzvah that arrives at the culmination of confirmation.

Baptism is more than some type of New Year’s resolution to mark a new direction in someone’s life.

Baptism is more than a time for friends and family to pledge their support of the person being baptized.

Baptism is not a magic act.  We are reminded of that in the story we read from Acts.  

The magician Simon, is so amazing people call him Great and think he is a man sent from God.

But, then Simon met Philip

Simon heard the good news about the kingdom of God and Jesus.

Simon was baptized and recognized that his magic could not compare to what God was doing in the waters of baptism.

Move 2:  some refer to baptism as working from womb to tomb

a.  Let me explain.  

In the early church, baptism was tied to the womb. because of the emphasis on baptism on new birth.  

The womb image connected with birth, of course, and perhaps also connected to the story from the Gospel of John when Nicodemus asks Jesus, How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ ⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. John 2: 4-5)

And, of course, the early church practiced infant baptism.

Just out of the womb, the child is baptized.

Baptism; 

new birth;

womb.

b. later, the tomb image for baptism grows in its usage.  

Biblically, it is tied to the words of Paul, who tells the Romans:  Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism unites us with Christ, the one who is resurrected and leaves the tomb.

likewise, as the Reformed tradition has focused on its liturgy for funerals, the tomb image of baptism has become important. 

When Tom Long, the well-known preacher and homiletics professor did work on the funeral service, he noted that he began with the belief that the primary purpose of the funeral was to provide comfort for the family. 

he grew to believe that the funeral service should, of course, comfort the grieving family, but the service also plays an important role in retelling the gospel story, worshipping God, and reaffirming the baptismal identity of the one who has died. (Byars, 177).

Baptism - from womb to tomb, from new birth to united with Christ in his death.

c.  it seems to me when describing baptism as being from womb to tomb, we are also describing the depth and breadth of God’s claim on us in the waters of baptism.

God has called us into relationships at our birth, a relationship that will continue through our deaths and beyond.

Baptism does not just mark us as one of God’s own but marks the ongoing, covenant relationship God has with us.

Baptism - from womb to tomb and beyond.

Move 3:  Each summer, a member of First Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, TX, worships with us when she is in the metroplex for a work seminar.   She usually sits on the pulpit side near the aisle about ten rows back.

 she was here this summer when I told the story of my having to go to the Disciples of Christ church in KY back when I did my first baptism by immersion.

After the service, she told me that the First Presbyterian, Amarillo has a portable baptistry.  They roll it into the front of the sanctuary when a youth or adult is to be baptized by immersion.

It can be plugged in to heat up the water (apparently not abiding by the early church practice of using cold water), and, if I understood it correctly, the minister does not have to get into the baptistry, but stands behind it as he or she immerses the person being baptized. 

After she described the baptistry, I asked her, “Are y’all doing that many adult baptisms by immersion?  Presbyterians historically have practiced infant baptism.”

She told me that the young adults who end up joining their church are influenced by the S. Baptist and other evangelical traditions, so they not only want to be baptized, but they want to be immersed.”

I’m not sure our chancel area could handle a portable baptistery.  We might have to put some of our handbell choir in swimsuits if we had a baptism on a Sunday when the handbells played.

But imagine the power of the image of a baptistry being rolled into to the front of the sanctuary on a regular basis.   

We have the baptismal font center stage each week, but imagine a big ole portable baptistry regularly intruding on our worship space, coming in and out of our worship life, reminding us of the God who pushes into our lives to claim us in the waters of baptism

the God who pushes into our lives to be in a relationship with us from womb to tomb.

Move 3:  at font 

I baptized him, along with his mother and his younger brother and younger sister,  when he was a young elementary school kid.  His family was joining the church - the father had been baptized, but not the mother or the three kids they had at the time (I would baptize their fourth child a few years later when she as an infant).

The family was active in the church, and he showed up with them until about Jr. High.

he never made it to confirmation.

In high school, he drifted away from the church, although I still saw him on a somewhat regular basis because our families were friends, and he was in the same high school class as my oldest daughter.

In a tragic accident on the Ohio River, he drowned river when he was about 20.  

church members and friends looked up and down the river for more than a week before his body surfaced.  

his memorial service took place in a packed sanctuary late one May afternoon with torrential rains.   

The visitation took place in the sanctuary before the worship service and people lined up and down the aisles because it was raining to much to have a line on the sidewalk outside the church.

The Streets were so flooded that some people who came to the service were stranded at church for several hours until the water across some major streets in town receded.

No one missed the connection between the ring waters in which he drowned and the raging waters that poured down as we gathered at his service.

I stood at the baptismal font at the beginning of the service and announced that in his baptism, he was united with Christ in his death and resurrection.

Images of water permeated his life and death, but the final image was at the baptismal font at the end of the service as I lifted the water and declared:  “his baptism is complete.”

Conclusion:  But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ³For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior