What has always bugged me about this account is that most of the people in Jesus' inner circle, that is, the twelve, were not witnesses to Jesus' transfiguration. Nine people missed it and who knows if this would have been pivotal for Judas. Only three, Peter, James, and John are privy to this awesome event. And it seems Peter wants to keep it that way. "It is good for us to be here. Let us make three dwellings, one for each of you." In other words, let's just stay right here. But in all fairness to Peter, I would imagine it happened so quickly, he just wanted it to last. And I can relate to that somewhat.

Several months ago I was called for jury duty. Now I had been told by my colleagues in our Bible study cluster that pastors are seldom chosen to serve on criminal cases. The prosecution usually assumes pastors would be too merciful and the defense usually assumes that pastors would be too judgmental. And so that there would be no question on either side as to what my occupation was, I decided to wear my clerical shirt and black suit that day. After sitting in the selection room from early morning till noon and never having had my name called, the 50 of us remaining were allowed to go to lunch, but we were reminded that we must return within 45 minutes. It was a cold, windy, winter day. The sky was gray and the threat of some kind of precipitation hovered in the air. I walked from the courthouse over to Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. I ordered a corn beef on rye with mustard and cream soda and I tried to convince myself that this was a day that the Lord had made and it was not a wasted day. And then I headed back to the courthouse.

It always happens whenever I wear my clerics, and I tend to forget that I have them on, but I always notice people trying to stare without trying to stare, but there was one man in particular wearing sunglasses who made no bones about staring. I could see his stare through his Raybans. As he got closer, I remember wondering what was the deal with those sunglasses on an overcast day. And then I recognized him. I and no one else in downtown Philadelphia. I gasped out loud and he smiled. It was our little secret. No one else recognized Bruce Willis in that schlubby jacket, slacks in need of a pressing, baseball cap and sunglasses. I wanted to just slow down time for a little while, bask in the moment, say something, but to do so would render his anonymity busted. And so, I walked on back to my chair in the selection room, pulled out the latest copy of "Bon Appetit" from my satchel and organized the dinner party of the century in my head until the bailiff dismissed me at 4:40.

Now, granted, Bruce Willis is a long way from Elijah or Moses and, definitely, a far cry from Jesus. But after that incident, I don't resent Peter for wanting to hold on to the moment. That is why he wanted to build those dwellings. It was a great feeling. It is good to be here and not down there where it isn't good to be. It is good to be here and not there where you don't feel good about who you are. It is good to be here and not down there where you are treated like a nobody of a nothing race. Moses, Elijah, Jesus--hey, I'm staying right here.

Imagine the things he saw, the range of emotions that an experience like that would put you through. You'd laugh and cry all at the same moment.

Whether he wanted to stay up on the mountain forever, as some have said, or just have the three big guys handy whenever he wanted, you can't really blame Simon Bar-Jonah for wanting to stay up on the mountain.

But the reality is, they cannot--just the four of them--or the seven of them--stay up on the mountain where great and awesome things take place. They must come down and Jesus orders them not to tell anyone about what they had seen until after he had risen from the dead. And they had absolutely no idea what this rising from the dead stuff was about and they can't even tell the other nine what they saw. At least, I could tell my husband about my celebrity encounter.

So what are we to do with this? What does this mean for us in our complex lives in today's society?

For people who bask in the radiance and glory of the presence of Christ, sometimes the dismissal comes too soon. My son Kenneth once invited his friend Melvin to worship with us. After early worship and Sunday School, my son kissed me goodbye and headed off for home, and his friend Melvin was astonished that they could now leave.

"Are we coming back tonight?" he asked.

"No. Why?"

"Well, in my mother's church, we can't leave until around 4 o'clock," he said.

"Every Sunday?" I asked.

"Every Sunday."

"Well," I said, "my people would like to be home at least by half-time. The folks who worshiped at early service are home for kick-off."

He enjoyed the joke, but he also understood. It is nice on the mountain, but we do have to come down.

Personally I find worship at national church gatherings among the most inspiring and regenerative. Hundreds of Christian people of different ages, colors, classes, voices swelling, inspiring proclamation, flawless execution of instrumental music, choir voices blending in a way that gives the impression that they have been singing together for years. National church gatherings, whether denominational or ecumenical, this is where I want to build my booths. Right in some hotel ballroom where I can go to my room and sleep and someone else can make my beds and cook my meals, where I don't have to deal with the harsh realities of parish life, the in-fighting, finances, urban ministry issues. It is good to be gathered in a place where we are all one in Christ, where there is no east or west. It is good to be gathered in a place where it is not the most segregated hour of the week.

But we are called to praise and worship and glorify God in our daily lives, and it may not be always as easy to do as it is to say. It is good to be on the mountain, but we like Simon Bar-Jonah have to come on down and play the game down here on the plain. Staying on the high mountain is a fantasy. Real ministry takes place down on the ground where God's people are. I know a pastor in Philadelphia who jokes, "Ministry would really be great if we could just forget about the people." But the saints are the ones who have come through the great ordeal, who have gotten clean by getting down in the real stuff of life and have persevered. Jesus did from time to time withdraw but he was with the folks even until he died.

And so having been blessed by the vision of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the command to speak that transforming Good News and set off a pivotal experience in the life of someone down there where it is not good. Our mission is to carry that vision of the mountaintop experience down with us because, unlike Peter, we get to tell everyone what we have seen, we get to tell what we have heard, we get to say to others, "Come and see...come and taste." We are the blessed ones who get to share the Good News of God's love in Christ Jesus. But the only way to reach others is to come on down from the mountain and be with those who need to hear about what we have experienced on the mountain. Amen.

Let's pray.

Almighty God, Ruler of the universe, it is good to be your child, to know your love and feel comfort and strength in time of trouble. It is good to sing praises to your name and to be in your presence in the assembly of all your children. We pray that the joy and strength which we find in communion with you will be shared with those who are in need of that same joy and strength and that what we experience in you will give us the courage to go out and conquer obstacles to the ability to reach out to others. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.