Transfiguration. Idea came from Worship With Children.
Hi everyone! I’m so glad you are here today.
So today is a special day in the church calendar that also has a special name. It’s called the Transfiguration. Can you say that word with me? Trans.Fig.Ur.A.Tion. Right! Good job. It’s a big word with lots of syllables and we usually don’t use that word on any other day of the year except for today. So I want to talk about that word with you a bit.
Bring out 3 sheets with – Trans. Figur. Ation. On it.
Here’s the word! And there are two parts of the word that are importants. The first part, “Trans,” means change. The second part, “figur,” means figure – which is a shape or form. When we put these two parts together – trans and figure – “change” and “shape/form” – that means today is about someone or something changing their shape and form.
So let’s stand up. And let’s think about the ways we can change our shape and form.
Now, that’s a bit hard. We’re people. We all look like people. Some of us might be taller or shorter or have more hair or less – but we’re all people. But there are ways we can have fun to change our form.
For example – we could become a letter. Stick your hands up and out to make a Y. Let’s do this! What letter do we look like? Y. Right! And what letter is this? Make an M. and what letter is this? C. And what letter is this? A. Y M C A. Great job. Now I know who to recruit for my next Village People cover band.
So we can use our arms to change our body. We can also form fun shape. Let’s bend and be like a ball. Squat and be a ball. We can stand on one foot, put our arms out like a bird, and we can look like a flamingo. Do that. We can, by using our body and our imagination, transfigure ourselves into new shapes.
And using our imagination is important. When we listen to these stories from the bible and Jesus, God wants us to use our imagination to visualize the story. So I want you, today, to use your imagination too. When you hear me share the story about Jesus, I want you to try and draw what you think the story looks like. And I’m going to give your crayons, a clipboard, and paper, to draw it. You might need to ask your parents to remember it – and you might need awhile to draw it – but I want you to take your time, imagine the story, and then share with me at the end of the service your picture if you are done.
Because today’s story about Jesus is a story that we don’t really have to explain. Instead, it’s a story that is meant to be experienced. And that’s why God gives each of us an imagination to imagine and dream what Jesus means to us.
Thank you for being here and I hope you have a blessed week.
Each week, I share a reflection for all children of God. The written manuscript serves as a springboard for what I do. This is from Christ Lutheran Church’s Worship on Transfiguration Sunday, 2/11/2018.