Talks, Sermons and Reflections

Mark 9.2-9 As we prepare ourselves to celebrate the season of Lent, today we look at a pretty dramatic encounter with God. Peter, James and John – three of the first followers of Jesus – go on a mountain with Jesus, and they got far more than they have bargained for. And while I would be surprised if any of us have a similar encounter, at least this side of death, I am going to draw out three things from this incident. 1. There is great value in separating ourselves from our everyday world in order to spend time with Jesus “Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves.” Mark 9:2 Peter, James and John have been led by Jesus up a mountain. In some icons of the transfiguration you can see them going up the mountain, and coming down the mountain.  There is nobody else with them. It is just them and Jesus. It is good to have time when it is just you and Jesus or just us and Jesus. I know that we can pray at any time, but

John 1.9 We are told that at the beginning of time as we know it, the whole universe was  very small: about a million trillion times smaller than an atom and very hot: a septillion (that is 1 with 24 zeroes) times hotter than the centre of the sun, give or take one or two centigrade.  Very small and very hot – the exact opposite of Russia! And it was bright. At light frequencies that no human can see or bear. This is the light from which all material life began. And this light hurtling away from the centre out into nothingness, out of which came the stars and the planets, out of which ultimately comes life. But John speaks of a different light, a greater light than this ‘The true light which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.’ And when John speaks of something that is ‘true’ (he speaks of true bread, true water), he means authentic, solid, eternally lasting, ultimately real. So when he speaks of true light, he is speaking of the authentic light that is behind light.  This