There was once a preacher who told his congregation: “In every blade a grass there is a sermon.”  A few days later a parishioner traveling in his car saw the preacher mowing his lawn. So he yelled out of his window: “That’s right preacher keep them sermons short.”

I like this joke because there are many sermons that do in fact need a trim, perhaps some need more like a major mow and others need to be completely uprooted and re-sown. Yet at the same time the preacher is right in that a sermon lies implicit within every facet of life. In other words, the presence of God is everywhere. However, it seems that God is able to be especially present, tangibly close, at some specific moments, places and events. These are God moments, when it is as if the very air itself is full of God’s love and power or judgment, when there is a special out pouring of God’s Spirit upon Creation.

Perhaps one of the most well remembered God moments of the Gospel tradition is where Peter, James and John trek up a mountain with Jesus (Mark 9:2-29). And what do they experience? The disciples get to the top of the mountain and suddenly they witness some miraculous phenomenon occur to Jesus. His clothes apparently became a dazzling white. And if that’s not enough to get their attention, Moses and Elijah appeared out of nowhere and began to have a chat with Jesus. Mark writes up this account in a matter-of-fact way, but I try to picture what the disciples would have been thinking and feeling at this moment of Jesus’ transfiguration. For one, Moses and Elijah have been dead for a long time. And for another thing, these guys are the real ‘heavy weights’ in Israelite tradition. Here is Moses, the Law Giver. Here is Elijah, one of the greatest Prophets. Moses was the great hero leader of Israelite history who led his people out of Egypt and he also became the great statesperson who received the statutes of Yahweh in a ‘transfiguring’ moment on the top of a mountain. Then there is the enigmatic Elijah – that rough, frightening, lonesome prophet who haunted the wilderness places and who would miraculously appear where God’s battles were to be fought.

Peter, James and John are allowed to eaves drop upon a holy moment in Jesus’ life. Mountains in the biblical world view are God places, sacred spaces where God makes special revelations. Deserts too are special places in ancient religious discourse and narrative. Deserts also reveal, but they are primarily places of testing, calling and refining; whereas, mountains are spaces for inspiration, vision, and encouragement. But both mountains and deserts form the spiritual landscape for the formation of identity. Peter is given the gracious opportunity to witness the revelation of Jesus’ identity on the mountain top. Jesus’ identity is graphically embodied in the two figures with who he is in communion, Moses and Elijah. Like Moses, Jesus will be the ordinary man who somewhat reluctantly becomes the liberator, the leader and the statesperson. Like Elijah, Jesus will be the disturbing prophet who challenges the status quo and who is perpetually ready to do battle with the forces of darkness. Here on the mountain top, it is this Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, now transfigured, anointed by God as it were, as Moses and Elijah par excellence. Here is Jesus, identifier and challenger.

Mountain top experiences are hard to miss. They are panoramic and are usually breathtaking and unforgettable. Surely such was Peter’s experience of Jesus transfiguration. And so the episode is handed on in the earliest Christian story-telling about Jesus until it becomes written down as part of the early Gospel tradition. However, my experience is that the most important God moments are often missed. Mountains and deserts have their place in the spiritual journey. But the Gospel tradition suggests that Jesus’ true identity will in fact be worked out else where. Where might that be? The answer to this question will depend upon whether we have the eyes to see, the ears to hear and a heart open enough to receive.

It is in fact after they have left the mountain and following Jesus’ healing of a boy with a spirit that Jesus tells his disciples of his true identity (Mk 3:30f). Jesus teaches his disciples: ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But the disciples do not understand. Certainly the traditions of mountains and deserts, of Moses and Elijah, tell us much about the nature of Jesus. But the healing of a sick, demon possessed boy and ultimately the prediction of his crucifixion tell us much more. God moments can easily be missed or not understood. Jesus will completely turn upside down the conventional notions of great leader, statesperson, and prophet. The nature of Jesus’ messiah-ship, his identity, will be as the suffering servant of all, who brings healing and liberation by identifying with the sick, the poor and the outcasts. This identification comes through his challenging of the religious and political systems that cause sickness, poverty and oppression and through opposition to those who profit at the expense of others. To this end Jesus gives his life, literally. Here is God. God’s identity being revealed amongst what the world regards as refuse, as human waste.

I am very privileged to have two friends called Anjie and Ashley Barker. They are the founders of the Urban Neigbourhoods of Hope, a missional order of Churches of Christ. The Barkers live with their two children in Klong Toey a slum in Bangkok. Their missionary work and life in the slum reminds me of Jesus and his work with, and priority for, the poorest of the poor – like the young possessed boy at the bottom of the mountain. The mountain top experiences are important. We need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit regularly. We need the panoramic views, the big picture. And we need the sabbatical journeys into the desert. We need to find the deep wells of truth in the desert. But what defines us as followers of Jesus, is when we follow him back into the thick of humanity, in order to identify with the lost and the poor and to challenge and oppose those systems and persons that are oppressive and corrupt.

I would like to use two excerpts from Ashley’s latest book: ‘Finding Life: Reflections from a Bangkok Slum, Go Alliance, 2003. The first excerpt fleshes out the outcome of someone who takes seriously Christ’s identification with the lost and the poor. The second excerpt points up the outcome of someone who takes seriously Christ’s challenge to those who are corrupt.

IDENTIFICATION. The context is that the Barkers live in the Slum of Klong Toey. They minister as Jesus’ ministered; not from above, but from within; not from outside, but from alongside. This is incarnational ministry and mission. Ashley writes up a comical yet profoundly moving account of a piece of human shit (i.e. ‘turds’ for the socially sheltered) that floated into their hut after a flood had hit their slum. It was not one of their own they realised and so they concluded that it had floated in from one of their many neighbours, through the shared open sewer. Ashley gives a profound theological thesis concerning shared shit. There is the recognition of a common humanity and superb insights into the deepest issues of human existence: sin and redemption. To quote Ashley:

“But, here, especially after six weeks of illness, I know my human refuse stinks and may wash up in other’s bathrooms – not the least our Lord’s. Indeed, it is in giving voice and acknowledging these struggles that God gives grace. I remember a few years ago a preacher saying, ‘You can’t hide from God. He even knows when you’re on the toilet.’ At the time, the only effect it had on me was stage fright. Yet, there is truth here. Even at our most personal, at our most gross, our Lord is there. He allows our excrement to rise to the surface to enable it to be treated. We need the fragrance of Jesus to fill every part of our lives. How do we smell to our Lord?” (p.63.).

Whilst the Barkers live amongst the poorest of the poor, they have not forgotten the great prophetic tradition of challenging the powerful with the question of why the poor are poor. Ashley goes to the heart of the problem.

CHALLENGE. Ashley takes on some of the political personalities and systems. But he also takes on the pastor of the largest church in Australia, Brian Houston of the Hillsong Church. Houston has published a book called: ‘You Need More Money!’ Ashley challenges Houston and the Hillsong phenomenon for giving theological and religious credence and justification to the very principalities and powers, lifestyles and systems that perpetuate the greed, decadence and apathy of the West, which in turn perpetuates world poverty both spiritually and materially. Houston even quotes the Bible to support the blatant heresies of his prosperity theories. Ashley Barker relates the following shocking use of the Bible from Houston’s book:

“Many people dream of possessing millions of dollars and would love to be rich, but think about it realistically: Would you be prepared to carry the burden that comes with it? It could mean persecution, as you will probably face jealousy and persecution. Handling wealth also carries big responsibilities and consequences. Decisions have to be made under immense pressure at times. Are you prepared for that? When Jesus spoke to his disciples about the rich young ruler, he told them frankly that wealth carries a great cost. Persecution also comes along with blessing.” (p.70.).

Then comes Ashley’s prophetic call in the tradition of Jesus of Nazareth. To quote Ashley again: “What can we do? Do we really want to pick a fight with this elephant of the Christian church when there is so much else to do? I believe in free speech so I don’t want the book banned. I would like, however, to see Houston publicly retract his book on the basis that it overtly misrepresents Jesus. If he will not, I think Christians need to find ways to disassociate with this book. If you agree, let Hillsong know of your concerns with this book ([email protected]), or stop singing their songs in church or buy a Bible at a local bookshop leaving a note at the counter saying you are boycotting Hillsong products . The problem isn’t that Houston wrote a silly book, the problem is the power of his voice means that there is no opposition to it, unless Christians organise. I don’t want to demonise Houston. I am praying for him. I do, however, want to find a way not to be neutral when one of the most powerful Christian leaders in the country states Christians need more money, when most of the world is starving. Christian leaders shouldn’t be able to publicly justify their selfishness in Jesus’ name without some backlash. We need to reconnect with the words of Jesus in these times and prayerfully find our responses.” (p.72.).

Jesus’ identity, his true nature and purpose, is to identify and challenge (Moses and Elijah) in order to liberate and save. So too must our Christian identity be wrought. I wonder if Ashley will be asked to be the Key Note speaker at an up coming Hillsong Conference? Personally I believe that amongst Ashley’s many gifts perhaps one of his greatest is ‘spiritual turd detection.’

Blessing is Jesus’ name,

Kim Thoday

Hewett Community Church of Christ http://www.hewett.org.au