Have you ever seen a geode? It is a rock formation that looks pretty crude on the outside. Rough and not particularly attractive. You would likely go by it without taking much notice. And yet when it is cracked open, one can see the jewels inside. Lovely amethyst and perhaps other types of beautiful jewels. When the sunlight hit’s the jewel inside, it sparkles and radiates light and beauty. If it were to hit your eye just right, you would have to close your eyes because the brilliance is just too much to take in all at once. Isn’t it amazing that God thought up geodes?

In many ways when we think about geodes, we have a metaphor for the transfiguration that our scripture illuminates today. We have heard two accounts of folks going up the mountain and finding God. In the fist story from Exodus, we hear of Moses’ encounter with God. Just imagine. Moses actually saw God and lived to tell of it. We can imagine that he was transformed in the interchange. We know that when he came down from the mountain, his face radiated God so greatly that folks could not look at him. His face was completely transformed after spending time with God. It must have been something to behold.

Well, God must have decided that seeing God face to face, was more than most of us could handle because that has not happened since. The next time, that folks got to see God, God had to place a protective covering over Godself. God knew that the brilliance of Godself was too much for us so God sent Jesus. Jesus was in some ways like our geode. The outside covering looked normal enough. It was not until you saw his true self that the brilliance overwhelmed. That is the story that we have been read today. Jesus was uncovered for a short time to Peter, James and John. They were able to see Jesus as he really was; God incarnate. The sight overwhelmed them and they feel to the ground. Can you imagine the sight. They had been around this man for quite awhile. Eating, sleeping, sharing stories, sharing friends and family times. They loved Jesus and knew he was special. They knew that he had come from God but in that moment on the mountain, they suddenly understood that Jesus was God.

Can you imagine it? Have you ever thought that it would be great to see God face to face? I know that I have. I want to have all my questions answered. I want to hear all the universal secrets and know why God works the way God works. I want to be able to worship God, knowing that I really know who I am worshipping. Have you ever thought those thoughts? Well, God must know that one sight of God would bowl us over. God’s magnificence is so bright that we would faint dead away. God is just more than we can ever imagine. We can not envision what face to face contact with God would do to us. So God in God’s wisdom sent Jesus.

Jesus looks a lot like we do. Jesus has the same needs and the same physical make up. He had to eat and sleep just like we do. He had to deal with folks who treated him unfairly and he was able to experience real love from his family and his friends. Jesus had bad moments and he showed us how he overcame his trials. Jesus is very accessible. Jesus who loved and forgave and taught and lived and died; all for us. We can get a hold of Jesus. And the added bonus is that the closer we get to Jesus; the closer we get to his true nature; the brilliance of God who loves us so well.

I so wish that the words in this Bible or the words of my meditation could bring to life, the truth of Jesus; the truth of who God is and just how overwhelmed we should be when we come into contact with God. I wish that in some small way, each of us would be stopped in our tracks as we contemplate God and God’s magnificence. I wish that this supernatural truth would be infused inside of each of us so that we too would leave this time of gathering with God transformed. I wish that we would leave this building and folks would have one look at us and say, “ They have been in God’s presence”.

As I write this sermon, an African choir appears on the TV. I look at the beautiful smiles our their faces. They radiated joy. I remember stories of how they come to worship singing to God. I am reminded of stories of African offerings which are sparse in terms of monetary gain but the folks dance and sing their way to the alter as they deposit their gifts. These are folks who have seen suffering and hardship. They know more about pain than I am ever likely to know and yet they have the secret which so often alludes me. They worship God with joy because of who God is. They worship with joy because that is their act of sharing in God’s love. For these folks, worship is pure. They worship a God who they see it the sunrise, the animal and plant life, and in the faces of their family and friends. When I see their faces so filled with God’s joy, I am reminded of how I should be when I worship. I am reminded of loving God with child like faith. I am reminded that we too can see glimpses of God right here on this side of Heaven and that those glimpses can transform us as well.

I know that in the act of communion that we will share in a few moments, we have that opportunity to commune; intimately with God. In this act of taking bread an juice, we share the body and blood of Jesus. We share in his life and in his death. We share in the joy of being so intimately connected to God and to each other. This morning as we drink this juice and eat this bread, I will pray that we will all be transformed. I will pray that each of us will radiate God’s presence as we leave this sanctuary. I invite you to pray for God’s transformational presence to invade your being as well. Amen.