Good seeing.

That's what astronomers love more than anything else. "Good seeing" means that the Earth's atmosphere is calm and free of dust, and the sky is a deep blue. Astronomers will climb to the very tops of mountains, well above the clouds, in search of a sky that is clear enough to enable them to capture sharp images of heavenly bodies.

What fascinates many astronomers today is the star that sits at the center of our solar system: The sun. They study the sun because it is the origin of virtually all the energy that supports life on Earth. It is the source of our weather, the controller of our climate, and our closest connection to the processes that power the universe. (Curt Suplee, "The Sun: Living With a Stormy Star," National Geographic, July 2004)

You've heard about the NASA mission to the sun, haven't you? An influential congressman was so proud of the Apollo moon landings that he insisted that NASA send a team to the sun. Scientists objected, however, saying that the astronauts would be burned up before they even got close.

"What are you, stupid?" said the congressman. "You can send them up at night!"

The sun is a fascinating ball of light. I was surprised to learn that it has a halo-like corona around it that may be thousands of times hotter than its surface. One of the mysteries of the sun is an event called "a coronal mass ejection," in which billions of tons of charged particles escape from the sun's corona and dump trillions of watts of power into Earth's upper atmosphere. This can overload power lines, causing massive blackouts, and destroy delicate instruments on satellites in Earth orbit.

Our sun is a Stormy Star.

It seems to me that Peter, James and John are in search of "good seeing" when they follow Jesus up to the top of a high mountain on the day of the transfiguration. They climb up to an altitude where the sky is a luminous blue, and at the peak Jesus is transfigured before them, and his face shines like the sun (Matthew 17:2). Through the power of God, Jesus undergoes a metamorphosis, a change in form, a transformation; he begins to glow with the glory reserved for heavenly beings. His face shines "like the sun," says Matthew; sending off a blast of brightness that is positively out of this world.

No sunspots or solar flares or coronal mass ejections could surprise the disciples any more than this. They know that a glowing human face is a truly rare event, and it makes them think of Moses, whose face became radiant after a close encounter with God (Exodus 34:29-35). But the fiery brilliance of Jesus' face is only the beginning. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear in a heavenly constellation, talking with Jesus. The disciples are star-struck, and they see Jesus in a new light; they realize that he is the continuation and culmination of all the mighty acts of God throughout history. Moses and Elijah are sacred supernovas, bright lights who join Jesus in a kind of divine Dream Team; one that can radiate the awesome power of God to the world. (M. Eugene Boring, "The Gospel of Matthew," The New Interpreter's Bible [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995], 363)

Good seeing. It simply doesn't get any better than this.

I am glad that we are looking at this Scripture text today, the day of our Annual Congregational Meeting, because this is the day that we need to do some "good seeing" as we look at the mission and ministry of our church. Just last week, a church member wrote to me and said, "I have not felt that we, as a church, have come together to a common vision, mission, and purpose."

There's no better opportunity to get some clarity than today -- a day of good seeing.

Our church's mission statement, which appears on every Sunday bulletin, begins with the words, "We are a Community of Faith" sent to "Encounter God." This reminds us that our first purpose is to create opportunities for people to encounter God, encounter the God who awakens us, surprises us, and supports us. In our worship services, our educational events, and our various church programs, we have a mission to lead people to the mountaintop and put them in the presence of our truly awesome and almighty Lord. This is the same God who appears in a bright cloud over the disciples and booms the words, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" (v. 5).

When we encounter God, we experience supernatural surprises. We find ourselves awakened, surprised, inspired … and sometimes even scared. This last emotion is certainly what the disciples were feeling as they fell to the ground, overcome with fear. God appeared in power and glory and spoke directly to them, repeating the words that he spoke at the baptism of Jesus (3:17). Our God is an awesome God, as we so often sing in Jubilee worship. He reigns in power above.

Here at FPC, we encounter God in a number of ways: In challenging preaching, in inspiring music, in Christian Education that stretches our hearts and minds. Encountering our awesome God is always our first purpose as we gather together as a community of faith.

But our mission statement also says that we are a Community of Faith sent to "Experience Christ." This second purpose is supported by what God says to the disciples on the mountaintop. After stating that Jesus is his Son, God goes on to say, "listen to him" -- listen to Jesus! The very first thing we must do as we experience Jesus is listen to him, listen to what he teaches us about the will and the way of God. Today's Scripture makes clear that he is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and so his words carry enormous weight for anyone who is part of the Community of Faith.

Jesus is our Stormy Star; the source of our energy, and the closest connection we have to the power of the universe. As the apostle Paul says to the Colossians, Christ is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation … all things have been created through him and for him" (1:15-16). Like the sun that blazes in the sky, Jesus is the heavenly being who is the source of all life and light on earth.

If you need some proof that this is true, look no farther than our church's Midlife Men on a Mission. They went to Honduras for a week of mission work, and what they ended up experiencing was a week of "good seeing." They saw the face of Christ in our Honduran brothers and sisters, and they saw the face of Christ in each other. Like the disciples on the mountaintop, they ended up seeing Jesus in a whole new light.

The mission of our church is about more than just peak experiences, however. Our third purpose as a congregation is to "Express the Power of the Spirit"; to carry the Spirit of God into a world that is so in need of healing and hope, justice and peace, caring and compassion and companionship. We get a sense of how this might be done in verse 7 of today's Scripture, when Jesus touches the disciples and says, "Get up and do not be afraid."

Suddenly, in this single verse, the greatest power in the solar system is concentrated into a touch. The image of the invisible God is seen in the face of a caring man. The source of all light and life on earth is revealed to be Jesus of Nazareth, the one who walks with us down the mountain, and stays with us through all our hardships, reminding us that God is with us, always with us, and that he will never let us go.

Get up and do not be afraid. That's what the mightiest power in the universe says to us when we feel frustrated by failure, ransacked by bad relationships, battered by betrayal, soiled by sin, and depressed by mental, physical or spiritual deterioration. "Get up," says Jesus. "I am offering you light and new life." The marvelous promise of the resurrection is that there is always new life to be found on the other side of suffering and death. "Do not be afraid," counsels Jesus. "I am going to walk with you, and assure you of the presence of God in your life." The greatest guarantee of Christ's companionship is that nothing in all creation; no pain or crying, suffering or dying; can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).

So keep looking up. Jesus is our light and our life, our "bright morning star," the one that can lead us and guide us, even through the stormiest of days (Revelation 22:16).

This is our mission: To Encounter God, to Experience Christ, to Express the Power of the Spirit. We do this in worship, in education, in community life, and in outreach to the world around us. Each of these activities puts us in touch in with the Lord who is the source of light and life, and each of these activities give us opportunities to share that light and life with others.

Our job is not to hide the light of Christ under a bushel, but to let it shine into a world that is so in need of illumination. One thing I love about this church is that it is a mission-minded congregation, and you members are always expanding the ways that you share the light of Christ with the world.

You know that the only way to grow inwardly is to look outwardly; a phrase that I've used repeatedly in my sermons, and that has become a core conviction for me. You grow inwardly as you look outwardly to the example of Jesus Christ. You grown inwardly as you look outwardly to meet the needs of a hurting world.

I hope this will be a day of good seeing for us all, as we seek to get a clearer view of who Jesus is, and what he wants us to do.

May we look into the shining face of Jesus, and then reflect his light to the world. Amen.