Musical Prelude and Service.

Mark 9:2-9
Back in the fall, I shared some pictures from Ellie’s and my trip to England and Scotland. These were from a few cathedrals and other spiritually significant landmarks we visited on our journey.
I wanted to share a few more pictures this morning. This time from the Sagrada Familia; a remarkable church in Barcelona that is still under construction more than 100 years after its chief architect, Antoni Gaudi first started working on it.
Gaudi is, or was, the foremost figure in what Barcelona refers to as the Modernist or Modernism movement. It is a form of architecture that builds off the cities’ Catalan traditions and is inspired by nature and the use of asymmetry and vibrant colours. The Sagrada Familia is a remarkable example of this in terms of architecture, and also sculpture and other images.
Visiting the Sagrada Familia or Church of the Holy Family is a remarkable experience.
Slide 1 and 2:
These are from the outside and the eastern entrance. These show the birth of Jesus and the visits of the shepherds and the wise men and the angels.
The inside of the church is designed to mimic a forest with its many columns and the light refracted through carefully placed stained glass widows.
The image of Jesus on the cross is of course striking and includes elements to represent the Holy Spirit as well as the days of Pentecost as well as wheat and grapes.
Finally, the exit or entrance from the opposite side displays images of Christ’s passion including the betrayal by Judas and the scourging of Jesus.
This image for whatever reason really struck me. It is set right in front of you on ground level. You don’t look up on the wall to see it. It is at eye level.
Religious imagery of this sort is designed to offer a lesson. It tells the stories you can read; but perhaps don’t have the time or wherewithal. The images tell the story but often with an impact that words on a page don’t offer.
The Sagrada Familia is coated in these images.
It doesn’t include images from the Transfiguration, but they are images that can be transformative for the beholder if they are so moved. And as I reflected on the transformation of Jesus in today’s story, and the transformation of his followers in that powerful mystical moment, I found myself considering the experience of trying to take in so much from this remarkable piece of architecture; designed and built with so much reverence.
The story of the Transfiguration is a puzzle that arises every year. It is a story of Jesus revealing his identity for a few of his disciples. But what do we take from this story in our lives? Is it something that needs to be explained; to make sense of?
The story in Mark has Peter, James and John witnessing Jesus bathed in light and speaking with Moses and Elijah. Is it a story when we learn something new about Jesus? I have my doubts; at least for a contemporary audience reading this story in the 21st Century. Perhaps for first Century communities who had chosen to learn more about Jesus, this story of Jesus in connection with two of the giants of Jewish scripture would put his importance in context.
In Jewish tradition, Moses and Elijah were the two figures who were raised bodily into heaven. Jesus is connected to these two important figures and tells his followers to stay quiet until he is
resurrected. It is significant that in Mark’s gospel, Jesus is never seen resurrected. The followers who are told of his resurrection flee and the writing ends.
In its place, I would argue we have this story and Jesus telling people of his coming resurrection.
It is a story of God speaking of God’s love for his beloved son.
It is a story of the transforming of Jesus’ appearance to reveal the divinity found in Jesus. A divinity that was always there.
And it is a story of the transformation of the followers of Jesus. This part requires a bit of speculation perhaps. The text doesn’t come right out and say Peter, James and John were changed upon witnessing this moment on a mountain top. We are told they were terrified and not really sure how to respond; thus, Peter suggesting the building of shrines.
And it adds that they kept the experience to themselves and questioned what Jesus meant by being raised from the dead.
But they were changed by this experience. Following Jesus changed them and changed all of the disciples. These were fishermen. People with few prospects. They put down their nets; or the tools of the other trades the other followers of Jesus had before being called, and all of them found new purpose. In most cases, it led to violent ends. It meant travel to strange lands. To performing miracles of their own and speaking to more people then they ever could have imagined.
In the past, I have spoken about the response to a mountain top experience; what it means to have a mystical moment that is difficult or even impossible to explain. That often we want to hold on to that moment and to stay with it and not return to the world we know.
But I think sometimes we also need to be prepared to keep the information or the experience to ourselves; at least for a while as we process the experience. To reflect on what it means. To give yourself time to reflect on it. To ask questions. Of course, sometimes you need someone trusted to help with that processing. You need someone to help you fully understand or appreciate what actually happened.
It’s a difficult balancing act, but I think you do need to give yourself time to truly appreciate how you are transformed by the experience and understanding of God’s presence in your life.
These moments can be big or small. Obvious and perhaps subtle. Sometimes you may not even realize your understanding of your relationship with God; the way you see God at work in the world has transformed until long after the event in question.
But when it does, you realize you have also changed. You are no longer the same and how you see the world and how you relate to the world – to the people you meet – is also no longer the same.
And you can only say, thanks be to God.

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789