Author: Cynthia Johnson-Oliver

Transfiguration and Transformation

Creative Living Spiritual Growth

Transfiguration and Transformation

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Butterfly

 

And Jesus was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.     – Mark 9:2c-3

 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

 

The season of Lent is always preceded by Transfiguration Sunday in the liturgical calendar. On this Sunday, we read the Gospel passages that recount the transfiguration of Jesus, when Jesus appeared on the mountain in dazzling white clothing, alongside Moses and Elijah.  It is a miraculous, life-changing moment, particularly for the disciples who witness the event and become certain that Jesus is the Messiah. Nevertheless, those disciples must depart from the mountain and resume the daily work of spiritual growth and ministry even as Jesus speaks of dark days ahead.

This reminds me of the transition from Transfiguration Sunday to the Season of Lent. The dazzling white of transfiguration is followed by the black soot of Ash Wednesday. The faithful begin a more earnest focus on the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, study of scripture, and service. Churches, including my own, offer Lenten studies, prayer groups, weekly services, quiet days, and fasts. Through these practices, many hope to develop a spirituality that transfigures and transforms us into our highest selves.

As we enter this season of Lent, I have a few reflections on developing a transformative spirituality.

  1. Spiritual transformation is not achieved by trying but by training.

This concept comes from our church’s Lenten study from 2015, John RunnersOrtberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. Ortberg presents spiritual disciplines as the path to transformation. He uses the illustration of an athlete who wants to run a marathon. The athlete could simply wait until the day of the race and try to run the marathon or she could train regularly in the months and weeks leading up to the race. Obviously that latter approach would yield the better result. The same is true in numerous pursuits, whether athletic, academic, or artistic. Excellence is achieved, not by trying, but by training and consistent practice. The same is also true of spiritual growth. As Paul instructs Timothy, “Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way” (2 Tim 4:7-8). Spiritual disciplines, practiced regularly, train us to listen for God’s voice in every aspect of our lives, transforming us into the people God created us to be.

 

  1. Spiritual disciplines are means of grace through which we become open to God’s transforming

PrayerI like this sentence not only because it is true, but also because it makes me a good Methodist! John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, included attending the means of grace, as the third of his three general rules. He emphasized the spiritual disciplines of public worship and sacrament, private and family prayer, bible study, and fasting. Other spiritual disciplines include meditation, solitude, guidance, and service. According to Bishop Reuben Job, in Three Simple Rules, “Spiritual disciplines keep us in that healing, redeeming presence and power of God that forms and transforms each of us more and more into the image of the One we seek to follow.” For some, the word “discipline” may inspire guilt or judgment, as though we are being graded on our spiritual lives. Try to see them, instead, as spiritual practices that open the door to experiencing God’s love (not judgment) and grace (not guilt).

 

  1. Transfiguration happens on the mountain, but transformation happens in the valley.

Many people have had mountaintop experiences or special Butterfly and Crysalisencounters with the Divine. These experiences can be life-changing, even miraculous, as God is revealed in new ways. But the true work of transformation begins after the mountaintop, in the valley of life’s complexities and difficulties. There, we must daily choose to develop spiritual habits that will develop our character over quick fixes and instantly gratifying solutions. These may feel like thankless tasks. Transformation takes place inside the chrysalis, when no one is watching, where the hard work of growth and development occurs. Compare the runner who does not receive a medal for waking up before dawn to run five miles every morning.  Consider the musician who receives no award for practicing scales. Both, however, are better prepared for performance day because of their steady, persistent preparation.  Likewise, spiritual disciplines are the hidden works that, over time, lead us to a closer walk with God and prepare us to answer our calling and fulfill our life purpose.

During this season of Lent, choose one or two spiritual disciplines to develop. Commit to consistent practice over the next 40 days. Let us together experience a spirituality that transfigures and transforms.

 

Try Again

Creative Living Spiritual Growth

Try Again

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By Barry haynes (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Barry haynes (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
There are moments that stick with you, moments that change your life. These moments are not necessarily major life events, though they can be. Sometimes extraordinary things happen in ordinary life circumstances.

When I was in college and seminary, it was quite customary for a fellow student to give me the audio tape of a great sermon (before CD’s were popular, if I must date myself). We aspired to become great preachers ourselves, and we delighted in, and often emulated the excellent preaching of our role models.

This happened once during the summer after my first year of seminary. On the outside things looked great: I was a Harvard graduate, in graduate school, with a great summer job, and driving my first car. The internal life was a different story. I had just experienced a difficult year of growing pains, a tough year in my first ministry position, and the early signs of health challenges to come. I was depleted, confused, and wondering if I was on the right path. I even considered not returning to seminary.

Then, the ordinary happened. A dear friend of mine loaned me her audio tapes from a recent women’s conference. On a Saturday morning, with a bowl of cereal in my hand, I pressed the play button.

The tapes contained many great sermons, one of which was delivered by Rev. Dr. Carolyn Ann Knight. It was titled “Try Again.” Her message was based on the familiar account, from the Gospel of Luke, of Jesus in the fishing boat with Simon Peter. Jesus, after being followed by crowds who want to hear the word of God, gets into the boat belonging to Simon Peter and teaches the crowds from the boat. Then, after Simon Peter’s ordinary night of fishing:

 

When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:4-11)

It has been some time since I heard the sermon, but I remember that Dr. Knight eloquently preached about how life is filled with nights in which we have given all that we can and feel as though we have caught nothing. In the electric style that typifies African American preaching, she exhorted the congregation to “Try again!” She reminded that you can’t catch big fish in shallow water; you have to launch out into the deep. And when you come up short, try again!

I’m pretty sure that a little milk splattered as I tossed aside my cereal bowl and had a Holy Spirit moment in my subleased apartment. Dr. Knight’s words, though homiletically excellent, were much more than that. Spiritually, they were exactly what I needed to hear at that time in my life. I knew from then on what I would do that next year. I would try again.

But her sermon rang true not just that year. Seventeen years later, I still remember her words. I remembered them when a project did not work out. Try again. I recalled them as I adjusted to life with a chronic illness. Try again. I repeat those words in physical therapy. Try again. I remind myself of those words as I submit my poetry for publication. Try again.

Currently, I am launching out into the deep. I am researching and writing a book about my grandfather, Bishop Joseph A. Johnson, Jr., the first African American to graduate from Vanderbilt University. At times I am overwhelmed by the project. But most of the time I am excited. I believe in going after the big fish. I believe in both the challenges and the blessings of launching into deep water. Moreover, I believe that God is with me in the boat. And when I encounter obstacles along the way, I am prepared to try again.

Prophetic Ministry

FaithJustice Blog

Prophetic Ministry

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“But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

– Amos 5:24

 

LorraineMotelThe very moment is preserved in history. The pillows are on the bed, covered with slightly disheveled white sheets and a tan bedspread. Dishes are on a side table, cleaned but returned to their location at the very time. Outside in the adjacent parking spots sits a 1960’s Chevrolet next to a Buick of the same era. A large wreath is above them, hanging on the outside of the balcony. Today, the sign out front reads National Civil Rights Museum. But the original sign is also out front; it reads, “Lorraine Motel.” It is located in Memphis, TN. It is the place where Dr. Martin Luther king lost his life to an assassin.

Recently, my family and I were visiting the city of Memphis during our summer vacation. We were leaving one relative’s home to visit another one, and we decided to stop by the National Civil Rights Museum on the way. We wanted our daughter and our au pair to see this historic site. They have both studied Dr. King to varying degrees, but this visit would provide a visual context to their education.

Our visit led to a discussion about civil rights, including those of the sanitation workers which led Dr. King to Memphis. We discussed his prescient “mountaintop” sermon and the prophetic way that he envisioned a more just world than the one that he and his contemporaries inhabited. A reverent silence filled the car as we acknowledged how different our country is because of his bold efforts and the efforts of countless women and men who have engaged in struggles for freedom and justice.

When I returned to Annandale, I was drawn by the lectionary readings from the prophet Amos. Prophesying during a time of relative prosperity, Amos upbraided the people for their lack of attention to justice for the poor and the oppressed. In the above passage, frequently quoted by Dr. King, Amos declares that God despises festivals and takes no delight in solemn assembles, songs, and melodies if the people neglect justice and continue oppression.

As I considered the words of these two prophets who lived during very different times and places in history, I martin-luther-king21began to ponder the role of prophetic ministry in the church today. I began to ask, is God satisfied with our solemn assemblies, songs, and melodies? Do we neglect justice? Are we willing to boldly stand and speak out, in counter-cultural ways, against the injustices we observe in our society? As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, I wondered, do we need prophets today?

This led to a sermon on prophetic ministry which I delivered at Annandale UMC. Prophetic ministry, both in the Hebrew Bible and throughout history, is ministry that proclaims “thus says the Lord” to contemporary societies, and does so even when it is unpopular. Prophetic ministry “speaks truth to power” and boldly challenges the norm in the faces of kings and commoners, presidents and peoples. Prophetic ministry proclaims good news to the poor, release to the captives, justice for the oppressed, welcome to the stranger, and God’s favor to all humanity.

In my sermon, I made four observations on prophetic ministry:

  1. Prophets typically arise in times of conflict or injustice.
  2. Prophets represent the voice of God
  3. Prophetic speech names injustice and challenges those in power to correct injustice
  4. Prophecy is one of the spiritual gifts, the only one in all of Paul’s lists of gifts

Today, there is still a need for prophetic ministry. Injustice persists in our society, whether poverty, homelessness, mass incarceration, human trafficking, racism, sexism, heterosexism, and many other challenges. God still needs prophets to boldly declare what is right and just and good. As people of faith, we must engage in prophetic ministry until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Reflections on Faith and Justice

FaithJustice Blog

Reflections on Faith and Justice

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“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8

CJO transparentWelcome! Thank you for visiting my new blog.

I am excited to share with you my thoughts on matters related to faith and social justice. There are many important issues confronting our society today. Among them are poverty, violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, and many others. These issues are currently being addressed in policies related to voting rights, immigration reform, affordable health care, marriage equality, gun control, gender equity, and other topics being debated in the public sphere.

I believe that it is important; indeed, it is imperative for people of faith to participate in these discussions.  We have a moral imperative to call people of faith to action based on a prophetic tradition that challenges us to care for the poor, seek justice for the oppressed, aid the widow and the orphan, and build communities in which all are welcome at the table.

Thus, we seek to move the discourse beyond the political to the moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of our society. It maintains that religious discourse does not belong to one political group or party, but there is a diversity of beliefs and practices. We are called to grapple with the ethical mandates of our religious traditions and determine how best to apply them so that we can do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

I hope that you will join our discussion. I look forward to honest, respectful dialogue that begins at our spiritual center and works outward toward a kingdom of love and justice, toward the Kingdom of God.

 

Blessings,

Cynthia

Thy Kingdom Come

FaithJustice Blog

Thy Kingdom Come

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillianaphotography/1236022574/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jillianaphotography/1236022574/

“Thy kingdom come; thy will be

done on earth as it is in heaven”

– Matthew 6:10

Recently, I delivered a sermon titled “Thy Kingdom Come.” It was part of our Name that Sermon series in which worshippers submitted sermon ideas. The request was for a sermon on the kingdom of God. [Click here for sermon audio.]

The synonymous phrases “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” appear about 100 times in the New Testament, including 68 times in the Gospel of Matthew. The concept of the kingdom of God is a central aspect of Jesus’ ministry and teachings. Jesus exhorts, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In his most famous of sermons, the Sermon on the Mount, he promises “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus even teaches his disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

The kingdom of God refers to God’s reign in the world as the power behind all that was, is, and is to be.

In the New Testament, however, it becomes clear that Jesus is a different kind of king and God’s kingdom is a different kind of kingdom. This king does not lead with military might, but in meekness, gentleness, and humility. This is a king who comes in, not on a war horse, but on a donkey. Moreover, in the kingdom of God, the smallest seed grows to be the greatest of shrubs. In this kingdom, the stone that the builders rejected becomes the cornerstone. In this kingdom, those who want to be great must be willing to serve.

The kingdom of God is both present and future; it is at hand and it is to come. There is the impression that in the kingdom, God takes what is wrong with the world and makes it right.  In the kingdom, the last will become first and the first will become last. In the kingdom, “let the weak say ‘I am strong;’ let the poor say ‘I am rich.’” The Kingdom of God points to a future in which God’s justice and peace will ultimately prevail. But what do we do until then?

Until then, as followers of Christ, we must live as dual citizens in this world and in the Kingdom of God. We live in various nations subject to their regulatory requirements and societal norms. But we have another king and we are subject to the ethical mandates of another kingdom. Paul says that we are ambassadors for Christ. Our task is to speak, act, and live in ways that cause God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. When we give food to the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, promote equality for the marginalized, and pursue justice for the oppressed, we live in ways that allow God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then “thy kingdom come” becomes more than a prayer; indeed, it becomes a calling and a way of life.