The Tired Kingdom

Luke 9:28-36
28Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Ok. We’re going to try something this morning. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to do it. I’ve always wanted to try this and I think I’ve finally worked up enough courage to attempt it. Now, its Valentines day so I wanted to share something with you that I love. I love Blues Music. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I find it to be very soulful music. It’s existential for me. It speaks to the very existence of life. Sometimes in very profound ways and sometimes in silly ways.

The thing, though, that amazes me since I’ve been listening to more and more blues is how foundational it is in all types of music and that it continues to be such a strong influence in contemporary american music. There is this foundational tradition that has been laid down, most notably perhaps by Muddy Waters in the late 40s and early 50s. He took the music he learned as a share-cropper in rural Mississippi and literally electrified it and recorded it. So, he was pulling from this rich tradition which essentially can be traced back to slavery. Blues holds this great tension between tradition and innovation. It is always rooted in its own tradition but as each artist and each generation comes along they add something to it so that it is constantly changing and evolving. It’s never a static thing but continues to grow so that it is relatable to the listener and they can continue to find meaning in the expression.

What’s amazing about it to me is that it is a classic example of a foundational philosophical thought actually. George Hegel was a German philosopher in the 19th century whose most famous idea was the Hegelian dialectic. What Hegel felt was that life was synthesis. It was a meeting between the tension of a Thesis and an Anti-thesis. Like Hope and Suffering. Life is somewhere in the middle of both or of things like Good and Evil. Hegel felt that life is lived in the middle. Both forces are in tension. It’s confusing and hard to explain. But now, and this is where I’m excited, I’m going to let you listen to a Hegelian Dialectic. I’m going to show you what I mean about the tension between two forces being held. In this case its Tradition and Innovation. So essentially I’m using 21st century technology with 20th century music to prove a 19th century philosophical thought. I know. I’m a dork. My wife tells me that enough. But sit back and relax. I’m going to play you a Blues standard called Mannish Boy. The first recording is in the mid-50s by Muddy Waters. Then it moves to the Late 50s early 60s by Bo Diddley, then into the late 60s by Jimi Hendrix and then there are two contemporary forms of the song showing how the innovation has evolved the tradition 2 different ways. So, Here we go:

PLAY SONG

Now, I’m aware that playing a hip-hop song as part of a sermon could be your last sermon in many places, but trust me that this is going somewhere. Do you hear what is happening there? By the time we get to Nas who is the hip-hop artist, the song has completely transformed but there is still this strong tonal root that it is building on. Another connection here is theme. What we find when looking at Blues and its derivatives is a thematic link. This song, Mannish Boy, is a bold declaration of manhood- the singer is asserting that he is in fact, despite all circumstances, a person. In some versions this declaration of personhood takes on a very angsty- forceful feeling and in others, like in Jimi Hendrix’s version it is an outright celebratory feel. Blues music lays down a powerful tradition of speaking directly to the human condition that is continued even today in the music it influences. It is always striving to understand the tradition from which it comes and interpret it a in a new way that is meaningful to its contemporary listeners. Good musics holds this tension- this balance between Tradition and Innovation. Hegel would be proud.

But what is even more amazing is that this is what Jesus is saying to his disciples here. Here Jesus is up on the mountain with Moses and Elijah and they are discussing what Jesus is going to do next. You see? Here Jesus is firmly linking himself in the tradition. Its unmistakable. Moses and Elijah are two of the biggest prophets in Jewish history. And here Jesus is talking with them. He is firmly established in his tradition. Its like Moses is Muddy Waters and Jesus is Nas. Jesus is taking the tradition that has been given to him, working with it and is steeply rooted in the tradition. But at the same time he is completely re-interpreting it. He’s doing something new. He’s innovating it.

He’s being informed by the tradition. You see that? He’s discussing with Moses and Elijah what he’s about to do- that he’s going to turn the whole thing on its head- and Jesus is allowing himself to be informed and guided by the tradition. But he also is about to do something new. He’s about to change the world again. But it isn’t like his radical new methods and new interpretations are out of nowhere. They are firmly rooted in the tradition in which he stands. And aren’t we asked to do the same thing? I think we are. I think that as contemporary Christians we’re asked to walk in that tension that Hegel discusses- that balance between tradition and innovation.

We’re living in a time where people are saying that the church is ceasing to be relevant in the life of society and culture. People aren’t going to church anymore because it has ceased to be relevant and meaningful in their lives. So, they think it no longer matters. And I think what that points to is that the church, not just this particular church, but the big picture church for the most part, has forgotten that what we need is a balance. We need to find ways to become relevant in the lives of people again- both in our worship and in our living. It’s uncomfortable sure. Its change. Change is always uncomfortable. But we can’t go on doing “church” as always because “church as always” isn’t always working.

Now, that doesn’t mean that we throw tradition out the window. I’m not advocating that we slap up some large-screen tvs in here. And tear out the pulpit or take down the cross lest it offends someone or seems too “religious” for them. I’ve heard of some churches getting rid of the time for confession because they don’t want to upset anyone. But I for one find deep meaning in that action. I don’t think we should take our focus away from God or from the word of God at the risk of a new format. Some places do. Opposite of relying on tradition too heavily- they go the exact opposite way of relying on innovation too heavily- pushing church to be more entertaining than sustaining. And that doesn’t work either. Maybe for a bit... but after awhile the novelty will wear off.

No, I think what is asked of us is to remain rooted in our tradition but attempt to find ways of interpreting it that has meaning to people today. It doesn’t mean throwing tradition out the window. In fact, its the exact opposite. It means understanding and respecting our tradition in a deeper way than perhaps we ever had. It also means understanding and respecting our current situation as humanity in a deeper sense too. It’s a fine line to walk. It’s a hard balance. But if the church is going to continue we should find ways of expressing our faith and love of God in ways meaningful to both where we are and where we come from.

We as Christians have to find ways to speak meaningfully about our relationship with God and act on it- not only in worship but in our lives. It may mean giving up some of the language that we traditionally associate with our faith. And that’s okay. It’s okay because in searching for ways to better relate our faith to others we seek to find language that captures what we are trying to express through words and deeds and worship. When we do that we begin to better understand what it is we actually believe. It doesn’t mean giving up tradition. As we witness here in the transfiguration- Jesus is firmly rooted in tradition, but we should also be willing to grow, push, and innovate what our understanding of that tradition is and how it relates to us here and now.

Amen.