Sailing in the perfect storm

Mark 9:2-10
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the perfect storm. Not the George Clooney movie but the “Perfect Storm” that seems to be rising in our society. The elements of the storm are the changes in our economy, the overwhelming tide of technology and the seeming break up of our culture with rising divorce rates, the break-up of the family, the failure of our justice system and man’s increasing inhumanity to his fellow man.

From Man was made to Mourn: A Dirge, 1785:
'Many and sharp the num'rous ills
Inwoven with our frame!
More pointed still we make ourselves
Regret, remorse, and shame!
And Man, whose heav'n-erected face
The smiles of love adorn, -
Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn! Robert Burns

Why did Jesus take Peter and John up on the mountain with him? Wouldn’t it have been better for Jesus to just be alone with Elijah and Moses? Wouldn’t some quality time with the Law-Giver and the Prophet prepared Jesus for the days ahead, when the perfect storm of the corrupt Jewish system, the corrupt Roman legal system and the sins of the whole world would be laid on his back would overwhelm him to the point of death?
Jesus knew what was ahead for him and he also knew what was ahead for Peter, James and John. Not just in terms of his crucifixion and resurrection but in the fact that they would lead the early church. They would live here after Jesus had ascended, they and the believers they would disciple would live through the life-changing day of Pentecost, the perilous times of the break-up of the Roman Empire. Some of the disciples would be killed for their beliefs but all of them would have to show a dying world the truth about God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit through their lives and through their actions.
So the events of the Transfiguration were as much for Peter, James and John as they were for Jesus. They were the ones who would be able to look at each other and say “Remember when we were up on the mountain with Moses and Elijah and we heard God speak?” They would need that memory, that assurance, in the times to come. That was true in the past for the disciples and the early church but it is also true for us. But, I can hear you asking; God doesn’t move or speak like that in our time.
Oh yes he does. He does through healing our bodies and our minds and our souls. We used to talk about it a lot more. When I was a child it was called having a ‘word of testimony.’ We would have services where folks would stand up and give that word, to tell how God had changed their lives. Today it seems we are too embarrassed to stand up and tell or we are so sophisticated we write off the actions of God as coincidence, they way things are or ‘luck.’
Part of being disciple, being a disciple of Jesus Christ is knowing your story and seeing God in it. Part of walking together as Christians is hearing from each other where God is working in places that we might not otherwise recognize. We, in the best of times, point out each other’s gifts and weaknesses in love and that responsibility, accountability and agape love is one of the ways we can navigate and lessens the impact of the ‘perfect storm.’
It has been pointed out to me recently that as a preacher I have what’s called a narrative style. That means I am more of a story teller, I talk about the big picture of Scripture and how the stories of our lives with fit into that big picture now and into eternity. It also means that I don’t often give you three points and an illustration. There is something different for different people in the message. But today I want to make it very clear the importance of what we can do in the face of the ‘perfect storm.’
1. Any small change in any one area lessens the overall impact of the whole storm, makes it less than total, less than ‘perfect.’ So, what you say, what you think, what you do, MATTERS. It may be true that our culture is falling apart at the seams. But that is counter-acted with personal responsibility and accountability. We are each responsible for our own actions. Down to simple things like complaining. If you are unhappy with the way something is in your life, don’t just spread your unhappiness around. Take responsibility for your own feelings, go to the person and talk to them about the problem. That’s the only way that problems get solved. Complaining to other people just puts a stumbling block in their way and makes their journey so much harder. And if you are listening to someone complain, then it is your responsibility to either call their attention to it or simply walk away. Remember the example of the tube of toothpaste, once you squeeze the toothpaste out, one those negative words leave your mouth, it’s impossible to put them back in again. So it starts with personal accountability and responsibility, no matter if you are two years old or 102.
2. Though change may start with us as individuals, it must also be part of the nature of the church. Things like radical hospitality, taking prayer-covered risks with resources and time, intentional spiritual formation, living sacrificially in all areas of our lives. How do we impact the perfect storm? By being willing to follow God’s leading to change, to be transformed. Last week, when the African-American lady walked into the service, there were a variety of reactions. Some of you were open enough to share your reactions with me and I was very surprised and interested in those reactions. What I want you to think about is how you felt at that moment, when you saw someone very different walk in the door. It was a bit unsettling. Many of us, including me, thought OK, what does this mean, what should I do? And that sense of being off-balance, feeling unsure, it the place where God works. When we are sure of ourselves, sure of our control over the situation, we don’t need God. In the storm we are out of control and we must rely on Him. The situations where we feel off-balance and unsure are the norm not just an occasional experience. But living life with God through prayer and fasting, solitude and submission, celebration and Sabbath, we grow to feel confident in His power and his shelter in the storm.
3. The worst place to stay in the perfect storm is in the harbor. That was brought home to me early on in our time here when we saw Paul Minor anchoring boats out in the river in the face of a tropical storm. We can’t huddle down in these four walls and hope America and the world will right themselves without our help. That is the motivation behind Peter’s comment about building three dwellings on the mountain for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They couldn’t stay on the mountain and we can’t stay here within the physical walls of this church or within the social boundaries of our church friends and family. As Christians, we hold the keys, the answers to the two things that all humans fear the worst, death and meaningless-ness. In Christ death has been conquered and we each have a purpose, a life to live that is meaningful and world-changing. We cannot stay in the harbor; we must sail out into the teeth of the wind, the violence of the storm, keeping our eyes on Jesus, our hearts sheltered by God, our actions empowered by the Holy Spirit.

I will praise you in this storm, the song says. The heavens declare his righteousness, says the Psalmist. God will take care of you, o’er all the way, through every day, God will take care of you, even in the midst of the perfect storm. So set your course straight into the wind, knowing your anchor holds and that we are nto helpless and alone, but empowered and free.