Getting Lost in the Majesty, and Finding God in the Process.

We are near the end of the season of Epiphany. We talk about the season, but not much about the word itself. What is an "epiphany?" Well, the word itself means manifestation, striking appearance or an experience of sudden and striking realization. Had any of those lately? And the final Sunday in Epiphany, the Transfiguration, provides us with an account of a theophany. What is that? A theophany is a visible manifestation of a deity. In our case this week, it is an appearance of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. Now there is a not-everyday-event! But I wonder if epiphanies and theophanies are more prevalent than we have been led to believe? Jesus was seen in the company of two men considered patriarchs of Judaism, men associated with the very roots of Jewish faith and practice. I cannot help but be reminded of the tendency in American Christianity, is some quarters, at least, to do away with creeds and symbols, and sometimes liturgy itself, in the belief that the Spirit of God needs no trappings to make itself known. Hard to argue with that. But I think that it is not the Spirit of God that needs help in this regard anyway. It is us! Who among us would not give our eye-teeth to have a real encounter with the biblical figure, such as Jesus experienced? For a long time I have been saddened at the way that worship has changed, even in my own denomination. Organs and choirs have been replaced with praise bands and gospel choirs, both very good, indeed. I loved our Christian fellowship gatherings in college with guitars, and one really, really badly played banjo.But I also loved the majesty of the 4100 pipe organ in our chapel, and of the way I felt in that place. I have thought alot about that since I arrived at Bucknell, where we have a gorgeous chapel, magnificent choirs and organ, and people who can direct and play them. We have a healthy attendance, but still many students will not attend because they think it irrelevant or too structured, and have been taught to be wary of "liturgy." Then I read something in the February, 2013 issue of Sojourners Magazine that gave me hope. Two self-identified "twenty-somethings" talk about their feeling that something was missing in their evangelical worship life, so they attended a local Episcopal Church. Their two observations? 1) I want to be part of something larger than myself, and 2) I want to find my own meaning in Christian faith and practice. They tell of the meaning that the communion ritual holds for them, and how they found God anew in the liturgy, which was foreign to them, initially. Sometimes, God can be experienced best in a place where we can realize that it's not about us, and where we can lose ourselves in something that transcends us. So, if you have longed for an epiphany or theophany for a while, find a place of worship whose magnificence might just transport you to a mountain top of your own, if only for a brief moment. It might indeed be Episcopal, or Baptist, United Methodist or Presbyterian,or any other church that has been declared dead or dying. Some of them have held on to beautiful liturgy and worship, because we can find God in a place that does not hide its history or toss out the creeds and liturgies that have sustained the Christian community for hundreds upon hundreds of years. We will have trouble finding the way forward if we don't know where we have been.