Transfiguration

Well first of all may I say how good it is to be back! Also I want to thank you for all your kindness and prayers over these past five months or so. Happy and I have been greatly encouraged by all your support. The get-well cards were much appreciated. However I only got one Valentine!

And I would like to thank Paul in particular for just being there. Mind you it can be a scary experience waking up from an anaesthetic to see the Vicar gazing at you. I thought I was still hallucinating and believe me the hallucinations I had were really scary!

A couple of weeks ago I got the all clear to start driving again. That was Independence Day! It was the first sign of getting back to normal. The young surgeon I spoke to on that day was pleased with my progress. I said something to the effect that the stitching was very neat. ‘Well’, he said. ‘I did that. Would you mind if I took a photograph?’ He wanted to show his handiwork to students.

So I can say that I’m now appearing topless in the medical lecture theatres at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Now today is Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday Next before Lent or the Last Sunday after Epiphany. Transfiguration is about changing and the Gospel reading tells the story of how three disciples were overwhelmed by the wonder and reality of Jesus, “God with us”.

The experience came “out of the blue”, this historic event on the Mountain. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him”. Its been said, “They were transformed sufficiently to perceive what really is.” They were dumbstruck. It was a moment of Divine revelation.

I’m a great fan of Judge Judy. She is a judge in the small claims court and digital channel ITV2 have filmed her cases. The cases, as the introduction to the series puts it, ‘are real’ and watching and listening to her get to the truth is fascinating.

When she has to deal with what she calls “baloney” her response is to look the defendant in the eye and sometimes yell at him or her: “Listen to me. You’re not receiving. Answer my question.”

When the disciples reached the mountain-top they were “weighted down with sleep”. I can just imagine Judge Judy giving them a wake-up call. “Listen to him. You are not receiving”.

Peter makes some ignorant, dozy remarks about building shelters. But the imperative is ‘to listen’, to be quiet, to learn and receive the love of God.

In these past five months I have received the best of care. I have received much kindness. I have received the encouragement of prayer. As St Patrick said: “ I have seen Christ in friend and stranger”.

And I am left in no doubt that the reality of divine love in our lives is given to us through the care and healing work of people, all kinds of people. Whether they accept that or not God is working his purpose out.

Of course humanity slumbers. Listening to the promptings of the Spirit is not a strong point in our make-up. We would much rather keep our distance and clutter our lives with distractions like building shelters, bigger houses or chasing after fashion icons. The image culture makes us dozy. We need to ask the questions: What really matters? Do we have a grip on reality?

Someone said “It’s dangerous to come to church”. The suggestion is that if we really listen to God in prayer, in worship, in reading the Bible, in Holy Communion then we might be compelled to change.

That might not suit our plans. So we keep our distance.

A young man got a job with the Roads Service. He was to paint the white centre line along a remote mountain road. The distance was about twenty miles and his manager reckoned he could do it in a week. The manager brought him to the starting point and showed him where to put the tin of white paint and how to apply the paint to the road. Then he left him to get on with it.

The next day the manager rang him on his mobile phone and was delighted to here that the young painter had covered five miles. The second day was not so good – the white line had been extended by only one mile. Day three ended with merely a quarter mile painted. Day four was even worse with only 100 feet added to the white line.

The manager was puzzled at this failure – things had looked so promising on day one. So he decided to drive into the mountains and met a rather dishevelled and exhausted young man. He said that day he had barely completed ten yards of white line.

“What happened to you”, asked the manager. “You started out so well,”

“Well” replied the young man, “I placed my paint buckets where you told me and began painting. The first day did go smoothly but then each day I kept getting farther and farther away from the paint buckets.”

In our Christian journey we can get so dozy that we put distance between ourselves and our crucial resource. We may limit our awareness of Christ to spiritual mountaintop experiences. We clutter our minds with “feelings” that deny any need for discipline and self-sacrifice.

The great symbol in the Transfiguration story is the Divine Light that directs the disciples back down the mountain. Jesus brings them down to earth – to the mean streets, to the sick, to the hungry, to the destitute and to the broken hearted.

He brings them to the dozy with a wake-up call. He encourages them to see the reality of God’s love and purpose and to accept the challenge of the Cross. He asks the question: “Who do you think I am?” – are you receiving, are you listening? Do you prefer to keep your distance?

Epiphany its said is a season of bright lights. A time when Christ makes himself known. Since early January we have followed the Star, shared in the wonder of the Wise Men, witnessed the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, marvelled at the first miracle at the wedding in Cana and joined the three disciples to witness the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop.

Bright lights indeed and now it’s down from the mountaintop and into the season of Lent, a time when Christ prepares his disciples for what lies ahead. It is a good time to listen. The message is real. “Are you receiving?

Margaret Cropper presents a vision of Christ and what it means to receive His loveesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all,

Healing pain and sickness, blessing children small;

Washing weary feet, and saving those who fall;

Jesus hands were kind hands, doing good to all.

Take my hands, Lord Jesus, let them work for you,

Make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;

Let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too,

Till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you.

Amen