Speechless

Luke 9:28-36 (The Message)

About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along.

While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white.

At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep.

When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him.

When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them.

As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God.

Then there was a voice out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him."

When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone.

They were speechless.

And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

How often have you been left truly speechless?

There's one thing, for sure, that can do it. "As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God."

And in a moment like that, there's really nothing to be said. Speechless.

What a wonderful place to be in our spiritual journey.

A trusted pastoral counselor once told me of a near-death experience. What results was an inability to speak words of prayer to God.

"I was speechless," he said, "because I had been sure that I was about to see God face to face. Adam, when it says that He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, it's not kidding."

In this passage, Peter gives us hope. We're just like him, believing that we should say words that tell God what to do.

We should be speechless more often.

Prayer is not nearly so much about talking...as it is about a "deep awareness of God."

May those experiences leave us growing deeper in our God relationship...and speechless, most of all.

Prayer: Teach us to listen...to use few words...to grow in deep awareness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.