Finding God in Everyday Life and Spiritual Growth

in this section of Luke Jesus is working hard with the disciples they have a lot to learn and not much time left to learn it but they're not getting it factor is quite amazing Luke's tone betrays him shaking his head and chuckling as he writes thinking about how foolish the disciples can be at times and of course he's probably thinking of himself too just as he hopes his readers will when they read about the things that the disciples say and do one moment seeing and hearing glorious things the next moment missing the point entirely [00:22:12]

now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him just as they were leaving him Peter said to Jesus Master it is good for us to be here let us set up three tents one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah not really realizing what he was saying while he was saying this a cloud came and overshadowed them and they were terrified as they entered the cloud then from the cloud came a voice that said this is my son My Chosen listen to him [00:23:31]

Peter's exclamation to Jesus to say Let Me Wait let me build three places for you to be one for Moses one for Elijah and one for you Jesus because this moment is so fantastic this moment is so great on this Mountaintop I just don't want it to end he didn't say all that but that was the intention I don't know about you but there's been times in my my life I've longed for a Mountaintop experience literally longed for that that idea that I would have this Mountaintop experience of God and that all would be right with the world [00:28:07]

I believe what we're seeking has something more to the sound of Hope, peace, love and joy Peter was so taken with that moment so taken with that Mountaintop experience that he wants it to last forever he wants to stay right there let's just stay right here in this moment let's let's build these Tabernacles let's build these tents what whatever you want to call them and whatever translation you use he wanted to capture the moment and it said right in the Gospel of Luke that Peter didn't know what he was saying [00:31:40]

do you ever notice everything about Jesus and all that we understand about him in the gospels is that he's always on the move right it doesn't matter what happens what wonderful thing happens he's always on the move until of course he was on a cross Jesus instructs the disciples to to go down to the Mount go down from the mountain to go down into the valley because really that's where life is life isn't in those Mountaintop experiences if we're lucky to have one life is in the valley the daytoday life the daytoday grind of life where Faith matters [00:32:39]

when we talk about spiritual truth when we talk about faith it's different it's not about a list of facts that we would all believe although some religious entities might have you believe that it's not about right belief it's about a transformed life it's about living a transformed life it's different so I wonder when we think of what happened on that mountain and we look at the Transfiguration of Christ is it truly proof that we need are you seeking proof that God is God and Jesus is Jesus [00:30:17]

we have opportunities to encounter God in different ways in our lives whether it be through scripture like David read for us today and David always do such a nice job reading scripture for us doesn't he just reads it with such presence and and and it matters right these stories matter they're not meant to be literal experiences of God God that means if you look at it the story of the Resurrection is told four different ways in the four different gospels truth when you start to apply a scientific method to that you lose it [00:33:36]

spiritual truth all four of those stories are incredibly transformational if you live them if you breathe them if you listen to them over over and over you hear nuggets that you haven't heard the first time that you never heard the first time I can tell you myself does it happened to you too I can read the SC same scripture passage year after year day after day and each time there's something I didn't see before God is speaking to me in a different way God is still speaking through scripture [00:34:50]

God is speaking when we all gather together as community learning scripture together sharing life together loving one another through our trials and our tribulations and trying to be the best present the best examples of ourselves that we can to one another that's how we're Experiencing God and that's what Living Like Jesus looks like it looks just like what we've been doing we don't always get it right sometimes there is harm and hurt but we keep trying with that North Star in front of us we keep striving [00:35:52]

and I'll tell you that for me I've had them with some of you there's been that sense of a presence of the presence of the Divine with some of you the way I've seen you love one another the way I've seen you share your most vulnerable sore and tender spots with me and with others the way you've held each other's hands the way you've held each other [00:36:52]

Jesus answered you faithless and perverse Generations how much longer must I be with you and put up with you bring your son here while he was being brought forward the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions but Jesus rebuked the unclean Spirit healed the boy and gave him back to his father and all were astounded at the greatness of God [00:24:54]

the Transfiguration story is all about looking for that moment that moment that almost provides us with a sense of proof a connection to God that is so tangible it can cannot be denied every year in the lurgical calendar Transfiguration Sunday comes and it's always right before we begin lent it's as if the producers of the lurgical calendar believe that if you all see that the disciples saw this and they believed it and they saw it then you're going to have all the proof that you need to know that God is real [00:29:12]