Sacred Moment

To another person the moment may seem common place and everyday, but to you it holds great significance.

Mark 9:1-13

Reference: Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Mark 9:5 TNIV)

Explore: There are some moments in our lives which are so special I would term them as sacred. To another person the moment may seem common place and everyday, but to you it holds great significance.

One of these moments was when I was travelling with my father as a teenager and I read him a brilliant short story that appealed to us both. This may seem almost childish to some, but to both me and my father, this was special.

I didn’t spend a lot of time alone with my dad and the only book we read aloud to each other was the Bible. But this was a happy moment that we both enjoyed and treasured as special father/daughter time for many years after.

You might think that this could not be sacred as there was nothing directly related to God, however, it was a moment that bonded my relationship with my father even further and enhanced our love for each other. Surely the development of love is a Godly, sacred moment.

Application: To be honest, at the time, I knew there was something special about this time together but it wasn’t until my father and I retold the story over and over again that I established the significance of this time together.

I love how, in Mark 9, Peter noticed that this moment – of Jesus on the mountain with Elijah and Moses – was sacred. There was no way that he would have fully known its significance, but he recognised there was something greater going on.

Erecting a “shelter” was his way of bringing a spiritual moment into a tangible construction.

While we may not build a ‘shelter’ we might have a photo, a souvenir or a book to remind us of these special moments.

Sometimes we are not able to tie a physical object to our sacred moment, but the retelling of the story is a way of continuing its significance in our lives.

When we do experience a sacred moment it is good to savour it as a way of reminding ourselves that God is alive and active in our lives.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that You desire to be involved in our lives. Give us the insight to recognise the sacred moments You offer to us, as we draw closer to You through them. Amen.

What is a sacred moment that you have experienced?

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