THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF GOD AND ITS IMPACT UPON OUR MISSION 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 There are times in our lives when we desire to be transformed. Some may want to be rich, successful, popular and attractive and through these things be influential. Many Christians have reasonable aspirations and want to express their life in such a way that makes a real difference in the world. Our transformational desires may be personal and relate to wanting to be free from stress and being able to make a difference to the way we engage with the various settings in which we move and operate. Of all the things that are said in interviews or written in application letters by people seeking employment or engagement with Wesley Mission, the most familiar sentence for me relates to wanting to make a difference. I count this as a healthy norm, but one that many people, in our field of work aspire to. The desire for transformation is never to be despised, but we as Christian people in particular understand it in relation to our faith and discipleship. The yearning for transformational change lies at the heart of what it means to be truly human. If it is responded to positively, then it can fuel life in such a way that opens us up to the likeness of Christ. If our yearning for change is only for ourselves, then we may fail to grasp all that God offers to us. It is true that human dissatisfaction can lead to acts of philanthropy, as well as heights of great personal achievement. It may come about because we are unhappy with the way people are treated, or the direction in which our society is moving. When we do come across transformed lives in our Christian context, a daily pilgrimage can almost always be observed. It may be found amongst older people who have lived through many changes. Grey nomads experience but seniors have so much to teach us! Most of us are inspired by the lives of others and such inspiration leads us to places of transformation for ourselves. At the heart of everything is the person of Jesus Christ and he enables us to be changed. We may, on the other hand, find ourselves considering celebrities, spiritual writers, preachers and Christian heroes but for me the example of the early disciples has much to say to us. The life of Peter catches our eye as a life full of future potential and I draw attention to his life and use it as an example of transformation. After all, Jesus called him in this way, You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas. (which, when translated, is Peter). (John 1:42) I refer to three phases in Peter s life that bring about his transformation from fisherman and impetuous, bumbling disciple to one who would become a great leader and led so many others in the Christian way. Peter s journey is directly impacted by the content of our Lent/Easter journey. There is no doubt that something significant changes in Peter s life between what we know as the Garden of Gethsemane, the awful experience of denial and the lakeside restoration in Galilee, which in turn makes way for Pentecost and his leadership of the disciples. There are many ways in which people consider Peter s life. I refer to three qualities that become the very basis of our own personal transformation and
- 2 - our missional purpose in our compassionate care for the world in which we operate day by day. This is more than merely a church or personal reality; our discernment around this point is applicable to a meaningful Christian take on leadership. Transformational power is to be discerned in three distinct ways in Peter and in ourselves: THE POWER OF WATCHING There is no doubt that Peter was part of an inner-circle of three to whom Jesus gave unique insight into just who he was. They shared the same experience as the rest of the disciples, but are given some unique opportunities (Mark 5 Jairus daughter, Mark 9 The Transfiguration, and Mark 14 at Gethsemane). Peter, James and John were found asleep while Jesus has been at prayer. They had left an important dinner, sang songs, but now the mood changes. They must have felt a sense of pride when Jesus Christ asked the three of them to come away from the crowd. Jesus went deeper into the woods, but they were tired and so they fell asleep. The first moment of transformation comes in this difficult place. Peter s life begins to change when he realises that staying awake is so important, for Jesus finds them asleep and I can only begin to imagine what it must have been like to hear Jesus say, Why are you sleeping? This word can build upon the thoughts that Jesus had earlier expressed to the disciples, If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! We learn by watching. Having grandchildren, even more than having children, has taught me how much little ones learn by watching and copying. I recall reading a tool for working with apprentices, summed up in the words, You watch me, you help me; I help you, I watch you. We could add to it that this is so important in swimming, cycling and skiing. We learn and are changed by watching. Nothing is more able to broaden our perspective than the ability to watch. I recall some words, To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. Watching involves contemplation Reading, art, devotion these are all areas which can inform our understanding of contemplation. This puts a degree of distance between what we observe and think. For those whose spirituality has been and is about activity and doing, there is much to learn in this area. Some places are easier than others to put this into practice. Having been brought up in the industrial north-west of England, time and studies at Cliff College, Bristol and all the places where I have ministered have all added to my understanding of contemplation. Living by the sea has enriched me and to end up 13 years ago in Australia just added so much. All of us need to discover the truth of the definition Contemplation is knowledge that comes by looking and loving. Watching involves confession
- 3 - By this, I mean something far more than a sacrament of the church. All of us can be helped by seeing confession as:- o Coming to an agreement about God s way in our life o Taking upon ourselves responsibility o Opening up the way to forgiveness Frederick Buechner To confess your sins to God is not to tell God anything that God does not already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge. Watching involves seeing life from God s perspective I believe that watching and being conscious of being watched is a powerful incentive in our discipleship. o Seeing situations from God s perspective o Seeing ourselves from his perspective This might be the vital clue to help us address particular challenges in our own lives and in the work which we undertake. At the end of each week, I have my assistant print off my program for the following week. This is not just for the purpose of ensuring I get to the right place at the right time; I have an electronic calendar like everyone else but it becomes a tool of prayerful reflection. THE POWER OF WAITING If we move on through the events of Easter and Pentecost, we find Peter indoors with the other disciples. They were still shocked at the news that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead and had been seen not just by the women, but also by Cleopas. Peter understood why Cleopas and his friend, as it is recorded by Luke, had been heading away from Jerusalem for it had become dangerous. But in the knowledge of the Risen Lord, they turned around and returned to the city. Peter s second moment of transformation comes as he is told to wait: Don t rush. Stay in the city and wait. Wait until I send you what my Father promised. You cannot do this in your own strength. Wait for heavenly power to come upon you. (Luke 24:49) Naturally Peter was eager to go and tell others, but he is instructed to wait. Just as the first word Watch had begun to change Peter s life, the second word Wait literally stops him in his tracks. He is stopped from acting out of his own ambition and to move in concord with God s purposes. Peter would have to choose either the impetuous way which his life had often displayed, or the path of obedience to God. His waiting would come to a climax in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a vision to take good news to the world (Acts 1:8). We must wait quietly
- 4 - This comes more easily to some than others. I have fond memories of The Sponsored Silence. This is a special kind of silence that enables helpful waiting. Quiet waiting, however, must not be understood as merely inactivity but describes the atmosphere in which we wait to understand what it is that God wants to teach us. John Bunyan referred to quietness in a deeper way when he wrote, If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot. We wait faithfully Waiting in hope is what we need to be about. On our Lenten journey, we experience faithful waiting if we are truly journeying with Jesus Christ. The object of our pilgrimage may firstly be far off and seen only dimly, but through God s blessing and revealing, faith opens up fresh opportunities. We may wait expectantly Jesus took the disciples up to Jerusalem for his final conflict. Every life lived in the truth of God has its Jerusalem, which I think of as its going up. A life cannot really be considered to have begun until the far-off goal is established and we have the eagerness to reach out. THE POWER OF WALKING Peter is remarkably reborn. He has been through his denial and Jesus death on the cross, has known the triumph of resurrection and has experienced the gift of Pentecost, which both energises him and gives him the graceful gift of God s Spirit. Waiting eventually gives way to something new and fresh. Peter s wait would soon end with a promise being fulfilled. The leadership qualities began to emerge and now people could see it for themselves. The new aspect of transformation is that other people s lives are changed because of Peter s. This is critical, and his words would begin to influence the lives of many. The incident at Gate Beautiful, which involves both Peter and John, enables a man with a congenital human condition to walk. This is without question an irrevocable change. I am captivated by those words, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. Walking with God is the clue to so much This of course is the relationship aspect of our lives. The concept of a walk with God introduces the understanding of a journey, which in turn can be thought of as moving forward and of engagement. Barclay, reflecting upon a passage in Luke s Gospel, concluded, It is possible to be a follower of Jesus without being a disciple; to be a camp follower without being a soldier of the king; to be a hanger-on in some great work without pulling one s weight. Once someone was talking to a great scholar about a younger man. He said, So and so tells me that he was one of your students. The teacher answered devastatingly, He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students. There is a world of difference between attending lectures and being a student.
- 5 - To walk with God is to do more than merely say we belong; it involves deep learning alongside Christ and each other. It is a lifetime experience which we discover to be the sustainable centre of our Christian living. Walking involves keeping in step From time to time, I find myself on a walk with someone and if you are going to walk and talk, keeping in step with each other is very important and can be difficult. o We must not walk too slowly. In the gospels, we can observe Jesus as the pace certainly quickens. Alexander MacLaren, the great preacher and writer, gave a famous address entitled Christ hastening to his cross. o We must not walk too fast and run ahead of God. I remember going for a walk with a young grandson and realising that keeping in step is equally difficult in that context. My experience at Plymouth taught me so much a great lesson in leadership. Walking draws other people into the journey People are attracted when they see someone with a genuine Christian walk. This is part of our Christian witness as leaders. o We must not be too big the example of Leslie Weatherhead. o We must not be too small false humility. o We must walk with a God-centred personality changed into his image. I think this is what the Apostle Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Corinthians: To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. (1 Cor. 9:22) Transformed lives and organisations draw others to becoming more like Christ. Peter s life gives us an insight into the importance of watching, waiting and walking. As I think of the spirituality that has aspects of pain about it, I consider very carefully the journey of Jesus to his cross. When Jesus set out for Jerusalem, he was facing directly into the place of pain:- A place where pride, prejudice and power were all too prevalent A context of smugness, bigotry and materialistic cynicism The city represented the epitome of all the sophistication and self-satisfaction of the day. He deliberately placed himself at the mercy of polite respectability as he advanced step-by-step towards the city where eventually he would be crucified. The Cross, Resurrection and Pentecost are all of a piece. Our preachers used to talk about the finished work of Christ and that is what together we acknowledge to be the case. I conclude with Martin Luther s powerful and challenging words from his famous Table Talk from the sixteenth century:-
- 6 - When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death, thinking what they are in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed Saviour Christ Jesus. What does the transforming power of Jesus Christ mean for us as we face the future?