Second Sunday of Lent

Lectionary: 27


When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, which passed between those pieces. It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”


Shortly after the Vatican Council the Catholic Church in the United States received the new Lectionary of Sunday and weekday readings, which used the New American Bible (NAB) translation. Everyone of a certain age remembers this reading from the Book of Genesis, because the "smoking fire pot" was translated as a "smoking brazier." Invariably, the lay readers mispronounced the noun. Those halcyon days ended when the NABRE arrived with its less interesting fire pot.
The Book of Genesis says nothing about Abraham's first encounter with God, "The LORD said to Abram: Go forth from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you...." (Genesis 12: 1) How God spoke to Abraham is not described. Was it a dream, a vision, an audition, or what? We only know that Abraham obeyed. Several adventures follow that simple beginning, including Abraham's rout of the kings and Melchizedek's blessing. 
Today's story begins with more detail, "the LORD came to Abram in a vision...." A conversation follows as the childless Abraham questions God, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a servant of my household will be my heir.” This conversation within a vision develops into a mysterious, terrifying epiphany:

As the sun was about to set, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great, dark dread descended upon him.

A smoking fire pot and a blazing torch pass between Abraham's slain animals and the liturgy of Israel begins. An altar will appear later, when Abraham's attempts to sacrifice his son Isaac. 
I think we should read this passage as the foundation of our tradition of worship. It is, at this point, very primitive. Much will be revealed to later generations in the coming centuries: altars, vestments, singers, and so forth. But already, in this story, we have animal sacrifice, trumpeted voices, fire (candles), and smoke (incense) and a procession. 
Abraham's response is also important: stunned, attentive silence. He listens to God's voice and receives the promise that is freely given. He can hardly do otherwise, so amazed is he. 
The epiphany on Mount Tabor to Peter, James and John is similar; and their response is the same. Again God appears in a cloud, and thunders a proclamation. Again the disciples are stunned into trembling silence -- despite Peter's attempt at conversation.
Each time we enter a church building and prepare to celebrate the Mass, a sacrament or the Hours we should remember the "great, dark dread" that fell upon Abraham and the silent fear of the disciples before Jesus' transfiguration. This is not a friendly conversation between friends. You need not expect God to throw an arm around your shoulder and say, "How's it going, buddy?" Those kinds of prayers have their place; we call them devotion. But this is liturgy, which is altogether different. 
Liturgy is a life-changing experience. We emerge from the sacred trance with its fiery cloud and thundering voice as different people. Now we understand that...

...our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior,  the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things  into subjection to himself.