Seeker

Have you ever had an 'awesome' experience? Many of you will say 'yes'. Some may say 'lots of times'. As an adjective, the word 'awesome' has become debased. It is now often used for anything someone likes, enjoys or admires. I dislike this modern usage. I think that truly 'awesome' experiences are rare. I understand a truly 'awesome' experience to be one which leaves people awestruck, brought to their knees in silent wonder or paralysing fear, or prostrate on the ground, completely overwhelmed. 'Awesome' occasions may be deeply emotional. Think of an athlete completing a spectacular victory, or collapsing on the ground at the finish of a long gruelling race and hearing the roar of the crowd. 'Awesome' events may be moments of spiritual illumination. This can happen as we gaze at a beautiful landscape or painting, watch an amazing sunrise, or listen to great music that stirs the soul. 'Awe...

Today is the Christian Festival of 'The Transfiguration of our Lord'. As every Harry Potter fan knows, 'transfiguration' simply means a change of appearance or form. The transfiguration of Jesus we read about in the gospels is not magic, it is miracle - by which I mean something only God can do. This particular miracle is also revelation, an epiphany. Although we cannot see God, God is revealed in many ways - for Christians God's revelation is supremely in Jesus Christ. The story of the transfiguration of Jesus is recorded in  Matthew 17: 1 - 9 ,  Mark 9: 2 - 10  and  Luke 9: 28 - 36 . It is also recollected in 2 Peter 1: 16 - 18. The event of the Transfiguration is a glimpse of glory, a window into something so wonderful it can only leave us silent. After the event Peter, John and James "kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen". Luke 9: 36 NRSV They must have felt completely out of their depth when the appeara...

In Anglican churches tomorrow, the Sunday before Lent, the gospel reading is about the Transfiguration of Jesus. You can read Luke's version in Luke 9: 28-36 . The story describes a 'mountain-top experience', a high point of wonder and awe as God gives Jesus' closest friends a glimpse of who Jesus really is.  Then they have to go down the mountain and through the hard places, to the point where eventually all sense of glory completely disappears and they are plunged into the desolation of the cross. There is a reason why this story is read just before Lent. It is rich food for the journey - it takes a lot of chewing over in an attempt to digest what it means. I'd like to share with you a poem that has helped me in thinking about how the Transfiguration fits into the whole story of Jesus. 5 years ago, on her blog 'what the tide brings in' , Ann Fontaine published a poem on the Transfiguration. I love it so I quote it in full below or you can read it here...

How do you feel about the word 'awesome'? I'm thinking of its frequent use as an adjective, attached to almost anything someone likes, enjoys or admires. I dislike the way that 'awesome' has become downgraded, because I think that, for most people, truly 'awesome' experiences are rare. I mean those experiences which  leave us awestruck, brought to our knees in silent wonder or paralysing fear, or prostrate on the ground, completely overwhelmed. Such moments may be absolutely dreadful, such as for the citizens of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. They may be deeply emotional such as when a marathon winner collapses on the ground at the finish and hears the roar of the crowd. They may be of huge excitement and relief such as for the NASA scientist when the robot Curiosity landed on Mars earlier today. They may be moments of spiritual illumination, such as can happen as we gaze at a beautiful landscape or painting or are moved by great music. All that is awe...