The Transfiguration

Tomorrow the Lectionary Gospel reading is Matthew 17.1-9; the transfiguration. The West window at St Michael's is a beautiful depiction of this. Usually when I preach about the transfiguration I encourage the congregation to turn round and look at the window; it makes a wonderful visual aid. Each time I have done this I have been surprised by the number of people who tell me they haven't really noticed it before.

 

No matter what time of day you go into church this window always seems to shine out. Even on a fairly dull day the window seems to pick up the best of the light. In the summer particularly you often get the light playing through the window creating patterns on the floor and pillars and at times we have a stained gass ceiling!

Things we remember

I always look for the daffodils to be in bloom towards the end of February. When Graeme was born we had come home from hospital and the next day there was a ring on the doorbell. Standing on the doorstep was a near neighbour with a bunch of daffodils in his hand. He explained he'd been at the kitchen sink and was looking out the window and saw all the daffodils in his garden and thought "Morag might like some." He'd gone out and picked some and come straight round to ours - the sap was dripping out the bottom...

 

 I had been given and sent loads of flowers to mark Graeme's arrival - from my work, Richard's work, various family and friends and all were much appreciated but the ones I think of every year and still remember clearly 21 years on are the daffodils that were brought round to me freshly picked. It just shows that it really can be true that it is often the thought that is more important than the cost.

 

The daffodils are much later this year, we don't have any fully out yet so instead of a photo of a daffodil I've posted a photo of a daffodil from one of the stained glass windows in the Lady Chapel in church.

Activity day

We held our holiday activity day at church on Monday. It was attended by 38 primary aged children and our theme was journey. All the children had "passports" and they collected country stamps as they travelled round the different activities. They made suitcases out of shoeboxes and were able to use them to carry home some of their work. We heard about different journeys in the bible, had drama workshops, made junk models, cookies, "stained glass" cross bookmarks, prayer feet, planted lettuce seeds and lots more besides. By the time the youngsters were collected from church after our closing worship they were tired, happy and had learnt a lot.

 

We couldn't have run the day without the help and support of so many different people - those who helped withe the planning and co-ordinating; the administration; helpers on the day; pliers of tea & coffee for the adults and squash for the children; collecters of junk; those who came to help clear up when the rest of us were beginning to flag and the many members of the congregation who held the day in prayer - Thank you to you all.

Snow

Snow Glazed – Raymond A Foss

The world, the grass, the roads
the woods, were all
snow glazed
trimming, coated, in white
a bit cleaner, more pure
in the patina of white
covering the world
with a thin film
in the first snow of the year