“28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus[a] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.” (Luke 9-28-32).

As I’ve been making progress in my recovery from surgery, I also have been spending far more time doing physical things – you know – swimming, going up and down stairs, using the exercise bike at the gym, that sort of stuff.  I’ve never been someone you could call ‘athletic’.  Truthfully, I’m pretty much a couch potato.  I would rather spend my time reading a book or writing my blog than ever playing like a ‘pick-up’ game of basketball or even the latest ‘senior trend’ of pickle ball.  The closest I come to any physical workout is swimming, and I’m never going to win speed or endurance awards for my work in the pool.  But, like I have said to people, I’m trying really really hard to be compliant with the instructions given to me by my surgeon and my physio therapist (yes – she even has ‘physio’ in her title so you know she’s concerned with physical well-being) so that I can recover well and get back to doing the things I want to.  Like being with all of you. 

Here’s what I can say about increasing your physical exercises:  they are hard.  They’re often repetitive and boring AND they wear me out a whole ton.  Maybe one day I’ll grow to like them.  Kind of like broccoli. 

So, every afternoon recently I’ve headed for a mid afternoon snooze to manage all of my new-found physical activity.  Now I’ve discovered that there’s a ‘sweet spot’ for mid afternoon naps.  I pretty much have to snooze more than 15 minutes but less than a half and hour.  Any less than 15 minutes and I’m still cranky because I’m tired.  Any more than ½ an hour and you might as well write me off for the whole night- I wake up groggy and disoriented, I can’t seem to organize myself to get anything done, and I’m a little dazed and confused in my interactions with my family. 

And its because of this that I particularly loved the line in this week’s gospel reading: “Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke, they saw his glory”. (Luke 9:32a). 

Weighed down with sleep.  What a great image.  I know exactly what that feels like. 

But the other thing that just cracks me up about this whole reading of the Transfiguration story, is that Jesus had taken the three good ol’ boys, Peter, John and James, up the mountain to pray.  To exercise their spiritual selves.  And the boys couldn’t hang in there and pray with Jesus, and instead had to take a nap.  This spiritual fitness stuff is exhausting, eh! 

And then, when they finally got their act together and got out of bed, they awoke to “see his glory and the two men who stood with him”. (Luke 9: 32b)

Ooohhhh.  I wonder what they thought of the whole thing.  Could they actually comprehend what was happening or were they completely confused from their nap?  I mean, really, their buddy Jesus was as “bright as a flash of lightening” and was hanging out with Moses and Elijah.  I’m pretty sure I would’ve chalked the whole thing up to a little post-nap bedazzling. 

(and you know what?, I always picture Peter a little like Moose from the Archie comics.  Burly.  Good-looking, but kinda out of it, and a little on the side of the elevator not quite going to the top).  (But despite this, Peter because the Rock on which the Church was built, right.  There’s hope for everyone!). 

And I wonder what it would take for us now, right – to wake up from a well-deserved mid afternoon nap?  I wonder if we are all ‘weighed down with sleep’ and if we’d just be confused if we saw Jesus transfigured in front of us?  I wonder what it would mean for us as church to see Jesus in his glory, standing with two of our Elijah’s and Moses’ talking about our Exodus?  The transfiguration accounts in the other gospels are fleshed out a little more and have tents being pitched, and Peter desperate to stay in the moment; but all of them end in the same way; with the need to come ‘down’ off of the mountain, to come back to the place of ordinary service and activity.  Not bedazzled excitement, just regular attendance to the things of our physical, social and spiritual lives.  Because its good for us.  Like broccoli. 

Because, at the end of the day, Jesus’ glory happens whether or not we are awake to see it. 

And that, actually gives me comfort.  It gives me comfort that God does what God does whether or not I’m weighed down with sleep from exercising unused spiritual muscles.  It gives me comfort that I can be tired and take a nap, but Jesus will still be dazzling and hanging out with Moses and Elijah.  It gives me comfort that God can build a whole church on Peter/Moose even though he’s as confused as I often am.  We just have to be willing to go up the mountain for some spiritual exercise, and come down for the ordinary service afterwards.  Broccoli service. 

So, go take a nap if you need it my friends.  But come with me up the mountain to pray.  We can do this together.

Blessings today, and remember you are Loved.

~Rev. Lynne