Transfiguration exercise

 

Luke 9: 28-50

 We come to the end of the season of Epiphany, the time we think about the revelation of Jesus – his baptism in the Jordan by John, the calling of the disciples, healings, preaching good news to the poor and release to the captives.

And next week, we move into the season of Lent, the journey with Jesus to the cross.

 Each year we hear a reading about transfiguration, and I will not attempt to explain what happened, because it is an event that we cannot explain.

 It occurs on top of a mountain, that is like in a movie when the music gets dramatic, and you know something is about to happen.

 There are other stories in the Bible that include mountains – Moses and the ten commandments, Elijah defeating the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel [1 Kings 18:13]; Elijah and the still small voice; Jesus and the woman at the well discuss which mountain to worship God on; the sermon on the mount and many more. Mountains mean something important is happening.

 We still talk about a mountain top experience, meaning something wonderful or amazing has happened; something life changing; something remarkable and out of the ordinary.

 That the transfiguration happened on a mountain is not surprising.

 While Jesus, Peter, James and John were on the mountain, the voice from heaven said, “This is my chosen Son. Listen to what he says!” Earlier, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordon, we also are told of a voice speaking from heaven, this time speaking to Jesus, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

It is like the first time, at Baptism, was for Jesus, this time for everyone else.

 

 

What do we do with this story, recorded in three of the gospels.

How might it relate to our lives.

Well, it is a mystery, and life is often a mystery. There are times it is better if we go with the flow, and not try to understand everything. A coffee cup I was given had written on it: Life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved.  Maybe not the best quote for a research engineer😊 but a great quote for a Christian.

 

The Synod theme this year is: Where the wild God is

It reminds me that God is not tamed, or caged, or controlled by us. God is like a wild animal, not a pet or in a zoo or being farmed.

It reminds me of the part of the trinity that we often refer to as the Holy Spirit, the wind that blows where it wants.

 

I have an exercise for us today.

You will have all seen a cartoon strip, with three boxes that tell a story.

 3 squares on screen

Here is an easy example.

Think of a memorable meal.

First box – where are you.

Second box – what made it memorable

Third box – then what happened.

For me, a meal in Tasmania, I think it was in Launceston at the beginning of a coach tour.

What made it memorable, our soup course arrived with a small tower in the centre of our bowl, and no soup.

Then – the soup was poured from a teapot into our bowls – carrot and coriander soup, barely covering what was in the bowl.

The soup was lovely, but it was the theatre of it that makes it memorable.

 You get the idea.

 

Now, can you think of a time when you were aware of the presence of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?

Since we started reading the Gospel of Luke, we have read of an angel appearing to Zachariah and later to Mary.

Over the past few weeks, we have read about people encountering Jesus, in the river,
on the beach,
in a boat with so many fish that the boat almost sinks,
in healing,
in acceptance,
and this morning another healing
and the momentous events on the top of the mountain.

 Our experiences of the divine are not all the same, but they are all transforming.

 Our three boxes again.

Your experience of the divine,

Where were you

What happened

What happened next

 

An example

I was on retreat in a bush setting, and I was struggling, I had a cold and some difficult conversations with God.

I woke up one morning and walked outside, it was overcast. I knew the sun was behind the clouds even though I couldn’t see it. I realised that God was with me even though I couldn’t sense it.

I sang, away from the cabins, because it was silence until after breakfast.

 

 

Have you thought of a time when you were aware of the divine?

silence

reflection Not on a mountain-top from spill the beans, issue 21