Story Of The Transfiguration: Alice In Wonderland

11th February 2018
6.30pm
Victoria Hall BMM
Transfiguration

I’ve never found the story of the Transfiguration an easy one to understand. It calls to mind the words in Alice in Wonderland: “curiouser and curiouser”, or the claims of a certain soap powder to wash whiter than white. Yet the strangeness of the incident should not blind us to its underlying message. This was no sensational sideshow designed to dispel doubts among the inner circle of disciples. On the contrary, it was a glimpse of the extraordinary in what had seemed an ordinary moment, a blossoming of faith leading to a deeper vision. As we heard in our reading tonight the three disciples are walking with Jesus, listening to his words, reflecting on his ministry so far, and suddenly

I read a story recently of a little boy who decided to go and find God. He realised that it would probably be a long journey, so he decided to pack a lunch of Twinkies (a snack sponge cake a bit like a Mini Roll) and some juice. There is a video of this story online. He set off to find God and ended up in a park. He sat down on a bench in the park to eat his lunch and noticed there was a homeless woman sat there watching the birds. He offered her a Twinkie and she gratefully accepted it smiling at him. Something about her smile fascinated him, he thought she had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen and wanted to see it again. So he got out his bottles of juice, opened one and offered her the other one. Once again she smiled that beautiful smile he wanted to see. For a long time they both sat on the park bench eating the Twinkies and drinking juice until it was time for the boy to return home. He got up hugged the woman and returned home. His mother asked him “Did you find him then?” He answered “God is a woman mum and she has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.” Meanwhile the homeless woman returned to her friend who was sitting with a sign asking for help. The woman sat down beside her friend with a big smile on her face. Her friend asked her “Why are you in such a good mood?” She replied “I just ate Twinkies in the Park with God. He’s much younger than I expected.”

To meet the people where they were. On the mountain they were able to look on the transformed face of Jesus and see God’s glory but they were unable to remain there for there was too much to do down below. Jesus came to earth for you and me, he came to earth for people. He came as one to serve. And that is what he calls you and me to do too. He gives us those experiences to remind us of who he is, to help us when we need it but he doesn’t allow us to remain in those experiences. Instead he sends us out to help those who need it. He sends us to share the gospel message with all we meet. He sends us out into the world to carry out his work, that more and more people will come to know of him and his love. To share with people our experiences of him. And as we go out in his name we go out knowing that he is with us, that he will support us and give us everything we need for the challenges and tasks that lie ahead. That when we falter and stumble, when things are hard and we don’t know where to turn or the task seems impossible, he is there leading us on, giving us the strength, the courage, the faith to see those challenges through. For with him nothing is