Readings (for the Transfiguration):
Daniel 7 : 9-10, 13 -14
Psalm 97
2 Peter 1: 16 – 19
Luke 9: 28 – 36

Collect:
Father in heaven,
whose Son Jesus Christ was wonderfully transfigured
before chosen witnesses upon the holy mountain,
and spoke of the exodus he would accomplish at Jerusalem:
give us strength so to hear his voice and to bear our cross
that in the world to come we may see him as he is;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

Reflection

I always find the story of the Transfiguration a very challenging one. Did it really happen? Was it a semi-dream that Peter had? In the epistle Peter himself affirms that he truly saw it, it wasn’t just a lovely myth that he was making use of. What a very strange, other worldly experience! 

We can see in this story the power of the symbolic, of course. Moses and Elijah were, arguably, the two most important figures in the history and development of the Jewish nation. They had their own mountain-top encounters with the Holy One, and out of those encounters came the Law and great prophecy. The Law and the Prophets – two pillars upon which obedience to God was founded. And now Jesus is placed with them – the new law, the law of love. The new prophecy – of God’s redeeming work. 

But when I read the biblical account this time, I was drawn to the details of the story. This event began as Jesus was praying. Something about him changed at that point – it’s as if the veil between this world and another was drawn back, as if time itself was seen for what it really is – an illusion. As he prayed, Jesus was one with the faithful from the past, and part of the ongoing unfolding of the revelation of God to the world. It took him to another level of his being, so much that it seemed to change his appearance. 

And then there’s the cloud – the confusing, disorienting fog that surrounds them all. This cloud overshadows the men on the mountain, it terrifies them. That’s no ordinary cloud! It sounds wild and unpredictable, as mountain top storms often can be. They are swift and all-encompassing, showing us the power of the elements, and our innate vulnerability. And from the swirling, scary white-out comes a voice – a point of focus, of direction, a sound to hold onto in the confusion. That voice tells the men to listen to Jesus, the Chosen One. 

Mystics down the centuries have spoken about how the world can sometimes seem as if it is glowing when they pray. I myself had a very odd experience a couple of years ago, at Flitwick station of all places! It was a grey and ordinary morning, and I was waiting for a train to London. Suddenly it was if everything around me was aglow. This wasn’t sunshine – there was none. I was instantly aware that I was seeing something holy – the dull, prosaic surroundings infused with the light of eternity. And then it was gone. Whilst these experiences are probably rather rare, I do believe that we can all have a real sense of encountering the eternal, the ‘other’, when we enter whole-heartedly into prayer. Not prayer as a shopping list, but prayer as simply seeking God, as waiting and being still, and being prepared to see something more in the world around us, however un-pretty it may be. This can bring about a significant change in us, too.

But we’re not promised just the lovely glow in life. We all know that our journey can take us into the middle of some very scary and confusing clouds indeed. We can feel lost, disoriented, at the mercy of the wild and unpredictable. It’s at these times that we need to listen even more, despite the howling wind and the biting cold and the painful sting of rain and hail. We need to listen even more, for the voice that comes out of the fog – the voice that points to Jesus, that gives us a focus and direction, something to hold onto. 

Our faith is one that invites us to find the eternal in our everyday experience, that promises to change us if we are willing to climb the mountain, and guides our way even in the hardest momen ts. Look and listen, and you will find the kin-dom of God.

Sharon Grenham-Thompson