The Transfiguration

Mark Ch. 9 v1-13 - The Transfiguration.
Why did Jesus tell Peter, James and John not to tell anyone about the transfiguration they had just witnessed? This was a very personal revelation about Jesus - a private glimpse of the glory of the Word made flesh to very close friends. Like Lent itself, the transfiguration is only truly understood in the light of Easter. God's glory shone through the flesh and blood of Jesus on the mountain as a foretaste of what we can expect when we, transformed into the image of Christ, shine with that same glorious light. 
We too shall see Jesus as he truly is, and ourselves as we truly are.


Don't Tell.


Don't tell. 
I know you've just seen the most amazing things, 
But don't tell.


Yes, Peter, James and John,
You saw me on the mountain
Revealed among the brightest light
Of creation exploding into being;
Of being spoken into being
By the Word of God
Which, you are gradually coming to realise,
Is who I am.
But don't tell.


It's not that I don't realise
What a mind-blowing experience
The three of you have just had,
But, hard as it is
To pass up the chance to say you were there
And saw all that:
Don't tell.


Elijah and Moses, 
Both revealed as part of the story
Of God's revelation as I spoke to them there,
But both illuminated by my greater glory,
That must have appeared odd.
Very odd. 
And I can tell from Peter's embarrassed blurtings
About setting up three tents
That you don't really get it yet.
So don't tell.


It's not your fault:
There's an important bit of the story
Which hasn't happened yet.
So please, while you don't yet see the whole story
(Because it is still being told)
While you only get glimpses of who I am,
While you grapple in the dark, 
Awaiting revelation,
Don't tell.


Don't tell...
Until the Son of Man is risen from the dead
And the story is fully told,
Then you can tell


In fact,
Then you can tell,
Then you must tell.


Tell everyone.

The Table

The Table

'Twas the night before Christmas
And all through a stable
A man was attempting
To construct a table.
In spite of his skill
At the carpentry trade
His tools on a workbench
In Nazareth were laid.

The manger in which
All the fodder was scattered
Seemed solid enough
And that was what mattered.
For that was the main thing:
A solid, safe cradle
Was needed in case
Of a birth in that stable.

But Joseph got busy
And lashed up some poles
And some planks with some rope
That he'd found by the foals
And managed to make
A table, quite steady
And sturdy enough
In case baby was ready.

The night passed and
Jesus was born in that place.
The table lay, unused,
But stood, just in case.
Visitors came
And were slightly perplexed:
When attempting to use it,
Young Joseph got vexed.

The point of the table
Was not clear to them;
Was not clear to Joseph
Nor all Bethlehem.
But Joseph was certain,
Could feel in his gut,
That a table was key
To events in this hut.

The women said, "Typical!
Building and fussing, and
Making that thing
While Mary was pushing!"
Joseph, however, stayed
Faithful and still,
Content in his knowledge
That this was God's will.

Joseph had heard
The right message, it's true
And acted upon it
But hadn't a clue
That his timing was out:
No table required
For the birth of God's son
Whom the shepherds admired.

But the Body and Blood
Came to earth on that day
In that stable
In the form of a babe in the hay.
And the table came later.
It bore bread and wine.
When Christ died for all
It remained as a sign.