Transfiguration Sunday (Year C) RCL 2022

Transfiguration Sunday (Year C) RCL 2022

St. Matthews’s Lutheran Cornwall

2 Corinthians 3:4-4:2

Church Membership Transfigured:

Command, or Promise?

I want you to open up to our Epistle reading from 2 Corinthians Chapter 3. Paul is writing this in the context of the Jew’s accusation against him and his fellow apostles that the gospel they proclaimed was some made up invention that differed with the teachings of the Divine Word of God. This is mentioned here in Chapter 4:1-2, where Paul speaks of a certain ministry that he and the other apostles were given by the mercy of God. He says Since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. That is, in SPITE OF the accusations against us! 2 Rather, he says, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. But on the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. That is to say; there has been laid up upon them many an accusation, that they are only out to make a name for themselves, to gain money, fame, power, reputation – to twist the word of God to make it say what they want it to say, and yet these accusations don’t make them lose heart in their ministry. Their consciences are clean and clear – because they know that the gospel they preach and the ministry they’ve been given didn’t come from them, but from God Himself, and that they don’t twist the Scriptures, but plainly put forward the truths that they teach.

That ministry that he’s referring to is the ministry spoken of all the way back in chapter 3:6 where he speaks of his office as a minster of the new covenant, and even further back in chapter 2:12 where he speaks of the preaching of the good news of Christ

And what is this good news that Paul was preaching?

It is comfort in our afflictions 1:4

It is the suffering of Christ on our behalf 1:5

It is the resurrection of the dead 1:9

It is the hope of deliverance 1:10

It is the faithfulness of God 1:18

It is the divine Sonship of Christ 1:19

It is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises in Christ 1:20

It is the assurance that you are God’s own children IN CHRIST by the sealing of the Holy Spirit1:22

And It is the forgiveness of sins on behalf of, on account of, and for the sake of Christ 2:10

This is the ministry of the new Testament. To preach the faith of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. It is to overturn and make obsolete the Old Covenant with Moses, it’s Laws, it’s demands for perfection AND it’s sacrificial system along with its priesthoods and temples and new moons and feats, and all such things (Heb 8:13) – which, as Paul says in Colossians 2:16-17 were merely the shadow of the things to come, but the substance of these things, he says, belong to Christ.

The Law was temporary, the Law was transient, it was there, it is there to drive us to Christ, to point us to Christ, to deliver us to Christ. Just so with the “letter” of Church membership. Do you think that it’s merely a task given to you for the sake of you doing it? God forbid! But the substance is Christ! But can we see that with veiled hearts? Can we see that if we’re still seeking righteousness by the Law?

Without the transfiguring grace of God that removes the veil from our hearts by the Gospel,all of these words andall of these promises will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes. And the good news of Christ and His gospel – indeed the good news of one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, the passing down of the one faith, the life lived together in church community, the partaking of the true body and blood of Christ our Lord given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins in communion, - all of that (no matter how good, gracious, and blessed it is, (to the veiled and hardened heart) comes off as a to-do-list of worksto be done for God’s appeasement or our salvation.

And so, in Paul’s day when he and his fellow apostles preached the gospel of freedom in the time of Israel’s slavery under the Law of Moses the people simply couldn’t believe it. How can you say that we no longer have to follow the temple sacrifices, or the feastings and fastings, the new moons and the sabbaths, the circumcisions and the cleanliness laws? You’re justtrying to deceive us by twisting the texts of Scripture to fit your claims they said. Yet Paul stoodfirm, hedidn’t lose heart or doubt the gospel that he preached, but asserted in confidence that he was doing nothing other than setting forth the truth plainly – and those who did not see it, did not see it because their hearts were hardened. They could only hear the Law. They sought the transitory glory of their works. They heard only commands. Only instructions.

But (V. 4) we have a confidence, we have a hope through Christ before Godthat can’t come from the Law.The Law demands that we do something, that we besomething that we aren’t; namely perfect, namely sinless, namely righteous. And that is exactly why the Law can never bring us any confidence or any hope, or assurance or certainty of our place before God. Because if you examine yourself and your actions and your righteousness before the Law (unless you’re completely deluded)you will find nothing but a needto be saved. Indeed, the fact of the matter is this; that you contribute nothing to your salvation except the need for it. But where the Law demands and examines, the Gospel gives and grants. The Law seeks for that which is pleasing to it, but the Gospel creates that which is pleasing to it. And so Paul goes on saying that this confidence doesn’t come from anywhere within us, not from our works or will or decisions or a proposed change within us; but being incompetent and insufficient within ourselves, with nothing coming from us He has given to us all that we have ever and will ever need in Christ.

No matter how hard we try or how close we come, the glory that we may gain from the Law will only ever be As Paul says a “transient” one. It was “passing away.” Yet, transient as it was, it was glorious. And so we see Moses glowing face, we see the glory of the Law, transitory though it be and we failed to look beyond it the to the greater surpassing glory of the gospel. And we try to earn that glory for ourselves. We try to glow like Moses. We try to become conformed to the image of the Law set before us, to become what we ought to be according to the Law. For the transitory glory of the Lawhas no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory of the eternal gospel. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Just as Paul taught that nobody could see the truths of the Old testament as putting forward the gospel of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins without their hearts being unveiled by the grace of God – so too can nobody see the good news of church membership if they still believe that we are to be glorified by the doing of the Law. This whole season of Epiphany has been about the unveiling of Christ and His gifts to the world; so on this Transfiguration Sunday, on this Confirmation Sunday, I would like to unveil this gift of Christ too. The Letter of this will kill – to merely look at these as instructions and commands that are to be done– but if you look at what these things contain; if you look at what the church is, what life together looks like, what one faith, one walk, and one life together in community with one another in genuine love and faithfulness really is – then you will see that these thins are good news.

This matter isn’t important just so that you do what’s expected or demanded of you. But this is about what God has prepared for you. What God has instituted for your sake.

So do not hear what I have to say about Confirmation and Church membership as commands and instructions. Do not hear these things asthe letter which kill – for these things are full of the Spirit which gives life.

the church – (AC Art 7;)is the assembly of all believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are rightly administered.

There are 3 things that I want you to firstly notice here about what the church is

1. believers (ONLY)

2. Assembled (not scattered; not individualized, but in living community with one another in person)

3. around Word and Sacrament as instituted by Christ (without which the church would not exist)

I’ll repeat that once more – the church is believers assembled around Word and Sacrament.

The church is not some unfindable, ungraspable thing hidden within people’s hearts – but living, breathing human beings GATHERING in the flesh here, and in other places all over the world to hear the Word read and preached; and to receive the sacraments as Christ has instituted them for our salvation.

What this is to say; is that the church is not the building, we all know that, the church is also not the organizational institution of St. Matthew’s or the church of Rome, or whateverelse. Yet neither is the church “us” – but us GATHERED – and not merely GATHERED – but gathered AROUND Word and Sacrament. IN community, according to the institution of Christ. We cannot call ourselves the church while purposely forsaking the gathering. We cannot call ourselves the church while purposely refusing to sit under the ministry of Word and Sacrament. We cannot call ourselves the church while refusing to be in submission to pastoral care and authority. Because the church is not “ME.” But the church is us. And not us in separation from one another, but the church is us gathered together. And not merely us gathered together, but us gathered together AROUND Word and Sacrament.

What then, might we ask; is church membership? What does that mean? And how is it done?

When we speak of Church membership – we speak about the individual believer’s place in a specific congregation, their commitment to that congregation, and their oneness with them in faith and in life. Whether a congregation uses a membership constitution or not, has a membership roll or not, has membership papers or not – one thing is always true; that the Word of God prescribes a committed relationship between individual believers in community with one another where they gather together around Word and Sacrament, preached in purity, and administered rightly under the pastoral care of a called and ordained minister in a corporate relationship of mutual accountability in both Faith and life.

And that – as you might have guessed; is the purpose of the ancient rite of confirmation. It is the church’s (you guessed it) “confirmation” of the individuals faith being one and the same with theirs – and their being welcomed into that living community of believers in covenental relationship with one another.

And because of that veil of sin that covers our hearts – we are tempted to ask; “why is it necessary to do any of this; to be baptized, to be catechized, to be confirmed, to become a member and to show up to church in person and take communion?”

Let me answer the question with a question; Is it necessary to be raised and loved by your parents? I’m sure you would be alive just as well if you were raised by strangers, maybe a different stranger every week. So long as you’re fed, have a place to sleep and clothes on your back you’re fine, right? Why is it necessary to have friends? Why not just spend time with a new stranger every weekend? Why not justhave hundreds upon hundreds of acquaintances instead of any close long-term friendships? That wouldn’t kill you, would it? No, it wouldn’t kill you. But if it did, there would be little life lost in your death. Because the life that God has created and designed us for, the life that God called GOOD, in the garden of Eden, was life TOGETHER.

And that doesn’t stop at secular life, but this applies directly to church membership. As human beings, as relational creatures, and those made in the image of God, in love, by love, for love, to love, - we are made for deep committed relationships, and simply put; nothing else will do. No; those who refuse to live life as members of a congregation are not going to be damned to hell because of it. And neither will the child who’s raised by a different stranger every week die because of it, or the adult with no friends, and so on. But that is simply the wrong question. You are no longer under the Law. But under grace. No longer ask what must I do – but now, open your ears; and hear what God has done, will do, and is doing for you. God did not create you to live a life of solitude and isolation; but one of deep, committed, long lasting, and vibrant relationships together – so let’s live that life together as it was meant to be lived.

Perhaps though, someone will say, well why can I not justattend the same congregation week after week, sitting under the preaching and teaching, mingling with the people, growing withand being a part of the congregation but never committing to membership. Why can’t I do that? Let me once again answer the question with another question; why can’t I just live with a woman who I haven’t married; sleep with her, have kids with her, own a home with her, pay taxes with her, and yet refuse to make any commitments, vows, or have accountability towards her? What would I be doing if that’s what I did? Would I beplaying a trick on God? On the church? On the woman? Would I havehackedthe system and revealed the meaninglessness of commitments, contracts, covenants, vows, marriages, and memberships? Or, would I simply have deprived myself of the gifts that God had given to me in covenanted life together?

Is what I’m saying Law – or is it Gospel? Am I just laying downcommands, instructions, and expectations upon you? Or promises, gifts, and graces?

With our eyes opened by the power of the Holy Spirit that Baptism, Catechesis, Confirmation, Church Membership, the life of the church here on this earth together are not Laws and to-dos, but gifts and promises. These things are not a to-do-list that I handed to you from God in order to be saved, but a full box of gifts with your name on it to open, unwrap, and enjoy. This church building is not a grace and forgiveness drive-thru open at certain hours for you to leisurely stop by for some one-on-one “you-and-Jesus” time, but a community of saints living together in the new life of the Holy Spirit – BORN from above into one family by Baptism, - brought into the constant echoing of the church’s ancient confession of Faith, and affirmed by the body here together to be of one faith together with us. Confessing in unity, welcomed in and affirmed, as part of this community – walking in one faith, walking in one life, holding one another accountable to faith in the pure Word of God, and to godliness in practice. And then, partaking of that body and blood of Christ together not just as “Christians” who stopped by one Sunday morning, or who’ve lingered around here for months or even years – but as souls committed, yoked, covenanted, and vowed to one another in life together bound together in Baptism and Blood – ONE BODY. This, this is the good news of church membership.

This is the good news of life together.

So let us believe one faith, walk one walk – and live one life, one life TOGETHER

Amen.