Thanks to the internet, we are able to stay more easily in touch with people who have made an impact in our lives. Six degrees of separation quickly is whittled down to two or three degrees. Last week a couple of degrees made their way to me. I was visiting with Gloria Schaffer in her home shortly before she moved to the hospice house. She handed me a printed sermon that my predecessor and long-time friend, Pastor Dave Van Kley, had preached on Transfiguration Sunday at the church he now serves in Michigan. A friend of Gloria’s had read the sermon on the internet, passed it on the her, and then Gloria gave it to me. I called Pastor Dave this morning to make sure he had heard of Gloria’s death and to ask if I could quote him. The following is what Pastor Dave said to help his listeners understand the glory of the Transfiguration event. (You can read about the Transfiguration as described in the Gospel of Luke by clicking here.)
“In the last congregation I served, I knew a well spoken, gracious woman who was a high level school administrator. Physically imposing—taller than me—she stood out, literally and figuratively, above the crowd. She also spoke in tongues, believed in miracles, and sometimes raised her hands above her head during the prayers and songs. I always worried that she’d bolt our church for one of the Pentecostal congregations. Ironically, her name was Gloria!
Then she developed stage four breast cancer. Some of her friends told her that if she had enough faith, it would go away. She prayed for all she was worth. And so did we! Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy helped! But the cancer came back. Gloria endured more treatments. The cancer would go away for awhile only to return and eventually, work its way into her bones. Gloria was forced to take disability and retire. She lost inches of height. She has suffered much and become physically weak.
She has lived with cancer for nine years now, much longer than her doctors expected. Through it all, she has grown tremendously. In her weakness, dependence on God has become her bread. She has become more and more thankful for each day. More and more compassionate toward others. More and more transparent about her doubts and fears. I think she shines more now than she did when she was healthy: she is positively, absolutely radiant. Visiting her is like standing at one of the earth’s thin places. The best part is, that she doesn’t even know it.
It seems that the thin places of this world are not only on mountaintops. That Christ comes with us into the valley of our suffering. He went from the Mount of Transfiguration to the Mount of Calvary. The God who remains hidden from our view most of the time reveals himself under the sign of the cross. In our suffering, in our weakness, even in his rebukes, Christ is there, emptying himself in love to heal our souls, our selves.”
I’m certain that anyone who visited with Gloria understands when Pastor Dave speaks of being in a “thin place,” a place where we can see through the veil and glimpse the work of God more clearly. When we are gifted with standing in such a place all that we can say is, “Thank you.”
You can read the entire text of Pastor Dave Van Kley’s sermon by clicking here and scrolling to the entry for February 14, 2010.
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“Fair Trade and working with sustainability as part of the Kingdom of God”. This will not be a “mission” trip; it will be a relationship trip where we will be meeting with and learning from our brothers and sisters in Guatemala. The cost of the trip is $1100 plus airfare. The $1100 is all inclusive in Guatemala. You can read about previous trips in our journals at 