Transformers

One of the goals of the United Church of Christ is to change lives. That's a tall order! If you're not sure how that works, you might want to read this sermon.

Were you intrigued by today’s sermon title? What image came to mind when you saw that title? I imagine that the answer to that question depends on your age. If you’re my age (you know, old), you probably thought of electrical transformers: those big, silver cylinders that are mounted on power poles along the road. Their job is to change high-voltage electricity into a form that can be used to power items in our own homes. But if you’re a little bit younger, you probably thought of big trucks that turn into robots. Those kinds of Transformers are on the shelves of Toys ‘R’ Us, and on an animated TV show. Their names are Grimlock and Sideswipe and Optimus Prime; and in their fantasy world, their job is to fight evil. But there is another kind of transformer. Like the cartoon Transformers, they also fight evil; and like the electrical transformers on the power poles, they also channel power to people who need it. Who am I talking about? Why, it’s you: the members of the United Church of Christ. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be! The most fundamental goal of our denomination is to transform people into the image of Jesus Christ – to change their lives – with the help of the Holy Spirit.

That’s a pretty tall order, but it’s what God calls us to do. And before we can help God transform somebody else, we have to clean up our own act. Paul says as much in his letter to the Romans (12:1-8): “Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought; but rather, think of yourself with sober judgement.” In other words, “Take a good, long look at yourself.” Are you the person that you want to be; or are you a little bit disappointed when you look in the mirror in the morning? Now, I’m not talking about physical imperfections. Sure, some of us might want a facelift or a tummy tuck. But the spiritual “you” that lies behind and beneath your physical appearance is a lot more important, even though it’s harder to see. So, what do you see when you look in a spiritual mirror? Do you see someone who is loving, forgiving, and generous? I hope that everyone here sees that. But way down deep, under the surface, are some old wounds lurking? Maybe you have some buried anger or resentment or prejudices. Don’t kid yourself: they’re ready to pop out when you least expect them to. It’s certainly that way in my own life; and maybe it’s the same in yours, too. Very few of us are what we want to be through and through. So let’s be honest with ourselves: we all need some transforming. Not one of us looks like Jesus Christ yet. When Paul says, “Don’t be conformed to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” that’s exactly what he’s talking about.

Well, Paul, that sounds wonderful. But how exactly do we do that? Are we supposed to go into our local Barnes and Noble bookstore and pick up a copy of “Christian Transformation for Dummies”? No, the transformation into the image of Christ actually begins somewhere else – and it’s a somewhere that’s so familiar that we can easily forget how powerful it is. The transformation that we all crave begins in worship. That’s because in worship, we encounter God. We don’t worship to connect with our friends, or to get away from the demands of the week, or even to enjoy the music. Those are all good things, and I hope that they all happen on Sunday morning! But if we don’t meet God somewhere in that process, we’ve missed the whole point. We can only be transformed into the image of Christ if we encounter God and let the Spirit work in our lives! That’s why I put such a huge amount of work into planning worship each week. Writing the sermon takes time, of course; but so does finding appropriate prayers, preparing the responses that we say, and choosing meaningful hymns. Praying, responding, singing: all those experiences are a part of the way that we can feel the presence of God.

Designing meaningful worship is a difficult task; because no two people encounter God in exactly the same way. I ask myself all kinds of questions as I plan for Sunday worship. How should I structure my prayers? What should I say during my sermon – and how should I say it? But the hardest question that I have to answer is what hymns to choose. Music has the power to bring us incredibly close to God; but there are all kinds of ways to do that. And the music that one person really loves will leave another one flat. Lots of people for example, are nurtured by hymns from their childhood. They learned “Amazing Grace” in Sunday school; they remember singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” to begin Sunday worship; and when they sing “In the Garden,” they feel Jesus standing right next to them! But other people, especially many younger ones, are different. They love the songs of Chris Tomlin and Jars of Clay and Rend Collective that they hear playing on Christian radio. They meet God through a whole different type of music – but it’s the same God working in their lives. And then there are the folks who love the old hymn tunes, but the words seem outdated to them. They are challenged by new hymn texts that are set to the music that they know so well. We all want to meet God in worship; but we always need to remember that others encounter God differently than we do.

But we can’t stop with our own transformation. If we only focus on our own spiritual journey, we’ve missed the other half of what God calls us to do – and that’s helping to change the lives of others, too! That’s why, on the heels of his advice for us to be transformed, Paul’s letter focuses on the gifts that God has given us. We don’t have those gifts for our own good; we have them so that we can give them away! Paul offers quite a list of gifts: prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leading, and showing mercy. And I don’t think that Paul meant for his list to be exclusive. I could add a whole lot more gifts to that list: praying, organizing, preparing food, writing, and making music, for example. Even listening can be a spiritual gift! When we use these gifts on behalf of others, their lives can be transformed. Here’s how that works. When we show love, we offer an alternative to the hate that seems to be everywhere in our world. And our love may be the only love that some people get. When we share our resources – food, clothing, or shelter – we show people that someone cares about them. Many people don’t believe that anyone cares. And when we give others respect, they might even start to believe that they are worthy of respect! How that self-esteem can change a life! There is no person who is beyond transformation, no soul that is beyond redemption, no life that is beyond change. That’s because God has promised us the Spirit; and that Spirit can do miracles!

God has built transformation into the very fabric of creation. Caterpillars are transformed into butterflies. Seeds are transformed into flowers. And we can be transformed into the people God intended us to be, and help others to do the same. That’s what we’re all about in the United Church of Christ. We welcome everyone; we believe that God is still speaking; and we join with other Christians to spread God’s love and compassion to all people. I don’t know about the rest of you, but there is nothing else that I would rather do!