The Power of Transformation

"The Power of Transformation"

Luke 9: 28-36

First Presbyterian Church

Andrea Hickey, Minister of Youth, God and World

February 18, 2007

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? This is a line from one of the songs in the movie of the musical Rent. This movie is one of my favorites because there are so many different themes about life running through it. I’ve seen this movie at least five different times and when watching it during confirmation this past Thursday evening I picked up things that I had not seen before. The main characters are trying to transform the society around them to be loving and compassionate to those who are homeless, gay, lesbian, drag queen, infected with AIDS or just plain different. Society around them disapproved greatly of these people. Each one of the main characters had been transformed by what life had brought them, be it AIDS, struggling through getting off drugs, or not being able to reach a dream. Each has also been transformed by the others in their community of friends, the family that they have become.

Life transforms us as we grow, learn, and change. As I kid, I remember thinking that adults had everything figured out and that when I grew up I would have everything figured out too. I was definitely wrong. In my own life, I can look back and see how I have grown and changed. As I have learned I have been transformed. The core of who I am has not changed, but as I have been transformed I have learned more about the core of who I am. There are many things in life that cover up knowing ourselves. There are many things that try to stop our transformation. Not everyone is open to the growth of transformation.

Transformation can be frightening. Letting others see you up close and personal. Seeing yourself in a new light and learning more about who you are. Our world can provide many distractions from learning and growth. It is easy for us to use these distractions in order to avoid transformation. Transformation, learning, and growth can also be messy. It can be painful and it can cause tears. You might have to fight for transformation. You might have to struggle through the pains of growth and learning. And this transformation is happening in life now. Yes we can look back on our lives and notice how we have grown. We can dream into the future but not know what it holds. But the present is what we are living now. Another quote from the movie, Rent, “The heart may freeze or it can burn. The pain will ease if I can learn... there is no future. There is no past. I live this moment as my last! There's only us... there's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road... no other way. No day but today...” The past and future connect us with today, they help us to understand where we are in our lives at the present moment, but the present moment is what we are living now.

In the scripture reading of the Transfiguration, Peter was going through a transformation. As he and James and John were permitted to see what went on at the top of that mountain, they struggled with sleep. Then Peter wanted to keep Moses, Elijah, and Jesus on top of that mountain in their glory, not really knowing what he was talking about. Peter was being given a gift in seeing the Transfiguration. This was a moment in learning and growth for Peter, but he clung to it with all his might. He did not want to let it go, for in letting go he did not know that he could better understand the moment. Peter’s fear took hold of him to cling in keeping the Transfiguration right there, forever keeping that moment locked in time.

The Transfiguration was an important moment for Peter, John, and James. There was a physical change that came over Jesus, they could see with their eyes what was happening. It was a connection with God that I’m not sure they understood in the moment. After the voice from the clouds had spoken, we are told that Peter, John, and James did not talk about what had happened on top of the mountain at that time. Maybe they had to continue to learn from the experience and continue to be transformed by it. Transformation happens continuously, but not all at once. Understanding takes time and patience. Time and patience that Peter did not have at first, wanting to make dwelling places for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah to keep them there, keeping the moment locked in time.

Roger, a character in Rent, is a musician who began his musical career well. He was on his way to success when he met a young woman who he fell in love with. This young woman taught him how to use drugs and they both ended up with AIDS because of sharing needles. The young woman whom Roger loved died by committing suicide as she was fearful of living her life with the AIDS she had contracted from her drug use. As Roger grieved and continued on in life, his dream was to write one song that mattered. Roger was able to give up the drugs. Now when Mimi came into his life he was afraid to let his still broken heart love again, especially because she too used drugs. But Mimi was Roger’s transformation for his song. It took over a year of struggle, moving across the country for a few months, and learning about himself for Roger to realize this. Yes, Roger was right to question Mimi’s use of drugs, but the point to these characters was to show how Mimi’s love helped Roger transform and know himself in order to write the song he had longed for.

Transformation makes us vulnerable to struggle and change. But it also opens us up to growth and joy. Without Peter’s longing to hold on, he would not know how to let go in order to understand the moment of the Transfiguration. Without Roger’s struggle of a broken heart, he would not know how to let someone in to help heal his broken heart. Our connection with God is brought out through transformation. Our understanding of who God is builds as we are transformed and changed. As we continue to learn about God, we learn also of love, because love is a connection with God. In living each moment of life, we can be transformed. The song from Rent that talks about measuring each moment in a year, ends like this, “In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes - how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love... seasons of love.”

Return to the Sermon and Articles Page

Return to the Sermon Archives Page