I have a memory like a steel trap. Unfortunately, I forgot it out in the woods some 20 years ago, and it rusted tight shut. Having said that, there are still a few events in my life I remember vividly.
I remember the day my dad died suddenly of a heart-attack when he was 49. (I was 17, a junior at Manitowoc Lutheran High School.)
I remember my first date with my wife. We went to a movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and then to a pizza place. I walked her back to her door at home. No kiss. No hand-holding yet.
I remember our wedding day. (It rained just a few drops between the worship service and our reception. That made all my great aunts happy. They said it was good luck.)
I remember 5:02 AM, the Friday morning after Thanksgiving Day, 1991, when my daughter was born at the Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I held her for the first time. I looked down at her and said, “Kid, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re a Hoosier.”
I remember the day my wife passed away. May 14, 2018, a Monday, 3:48 AM. Terry was in hospice care in our parsonage. Cancer. Her last days were rough. All day long on Sunday, Mother’s Day, she had been praying, “I want to go home. I want to go home.” Jesus answered that prayer, at a moment in the morning when the birds were waking up and singing.
Three weeks later my daughter got married, and we all went through a storm surge of emotions! I walked her down the aisle. Then changed hats and officiated. I even remember my sermon theme, “Now What?” (I’d like to tell you why, but it’s a long story.)
I remember the day I was ordained into the holy ministry to serve Holy Scripture, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The service was held at Beautiful Savior, Fort Wayne, because I was assigned to a mission, and we didn’t have our own church building yet. 15 years later, I remember the day I was installed as Pastor at Peace in Houghton and as Campus Pastor at Michigan Technological University. Then some 26 years after that, I remember the day I was installed as visitation pastor here at Trinity. These are moments I pray I will never forget.
By faith, you and I now stand at a crossroads that I pray we never forget! Next week, March 5, is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of another season of Lent. Epiphany is almost over. But before we walk with Jesus to the center cross on Golgotha’s hill, we pause for a moment to join Jesus and his disciples on a Mountain. Why? Because there’s something for us to see there, to hear there, to drink in and believe to the bottom of our soul there, something so important we’ll never want to forget it!
What’s so important? Jesus’ Transfiguration. The Gospel writer Matthew explains. “Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2)
But there’s more! “3Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:3-4)
But there’s even more! “5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)
How can we forget? Jesus’ face bright at the sun! How can we forget? Jesus’ clothing as white as light! How can we forget? Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus about his “departure” in Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:31) How can we forget? The Father speaking from the clouds! How can we forget?
The Apostle Peter certainly couldn’t! Decades after Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mountain, the Apostle Peter could write, “To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when the voice came to him from within the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18We heard this voice, which came out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18 EHV)
And a few more decades after that, in his old age, the Apostle John reminisced, “14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 EHV)
They did not, they could not forget what they had heard and seen.
I pray we won’t either. Because then, as we walk with Jesus to that center cross on Golgatha’s hill, we will be all the more astounded to know, “10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
Privileged to serve,
I remember the day my dad died suddenly of a heart-attack when he was 49. (I was 17, a junior at Manitowoc Lutheran High School.)
I remember my first date with my wife. We went to a movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and then to a pizza place. I walked her back to her door at home. No kiss. No hand-holding yet.
I remember our wedding day. (It rained just a few drops between the worship service and our reception. That made all my great aunts happy. They said it was good luck.)
I remember 5:02 AM, the Friday morning after Thanksgiving Day, 1991, when my daughter was born at the Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and I held her for the first time. I looked down at her and said, “Kid, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re a Hoosier.”
I remember the day my wife passed away. May 14, 2018, a Monday, 3:48 AM. Terry was in hospice care in our parsonage. Cancer. Her last days were rough. All day long on Sunday, Mother’s Day, she had been praying, “I want to go home. I want to go home.” Jesus answered that prayer, at a moment in the morning when the birds were waking up and singing.
Three weeks later my daughter got married, and we all went through a storm surge of emotions! I walked her down the aisle. Then changed hats and officiated. I even remember my sermon theme, “Now What?” (I’d like to tell you why, but it’s a long story.)
I remember the day I was ordained into the holy ministry to serve Holy Scripture, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The service was held at Beautiful Savior, Fort Wayne, because I was assigned to a mission, and we didn’t have our own church building yet. 15 years later, I remember the day I was installed as Pastor at Peace in Houghton and as Campus Pastor at Michigan Technological University. Then some 26 years after that, I remember the day I was installed as visitation pastor here at Trinity. These are moments I pray I will never forget.
By faith, you and I now stand at a crossroads that I pray we never forget! Next week, March 5, is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of another season of Lent. Epiphany is almost over. But before we walk with Jesus to the center cross on Golgotha’s hill, we pause for a moment to join Jesus and his disciples on a Mountain. Why? Because there’s something for us to see there, to hear there, to drink in and believe to the bottom of our soul there, something so important we’ll never want to forget it!
What’s so important? Jesus’ Transfiguration. The Gospel writer Matthew explains. “Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James; and he led them up onto a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured in front of them. His face was shining like the sun. His clothing became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-2)
But there’s more! “3Just then, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:3-4)
But there’s even more! “5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Just then, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)
How can we forget? Jesus’ face bright at the sun! How can we forget? Jesus’ clothing as white as light! How can we forget? Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus about his “departure” in Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:31) How can we forget? The Father speaking from the clouds! How can we forget?
The Apostle Peter certainly couldn’t! Decades after Jesus’ transfiguration on the Mountain, the Apostle Peter could write, “To be sure, we were not following cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the powerful appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when the voice came to him from within the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18We heard this voice, which came out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18 EHV)
And a few more decades after that, in his old age, the Apostle John reminisced, “14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 EHV)
They did not, they could not forget what they had heard and seen.
I pray we won’t either. Because then, as we walk with Jesus to that center cross on Golgatha’s hill, we will be all the more astounded to know, “10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
Privileged to serve,
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