Transfigured
Stories
Vision Stories
True Accounts Of Visions, Angels, And Healing Miracles
And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. (vv. 2b-3)
We were standing in a circle in an open, mowed field on a mini-farm outside Nashville one summer day, worshiping God and saying good-bye to our retreat leader, who had just been elected to be a Bishop. As we held hands while someone prayed for him, I found I could not keep my eyes closed. I wanted to gaze at this gentle, deeply spiritual man, for whom I had great admiration and respect. He was standing across the circle from me in his blue jeans and red checked shirt. My heart was sending him a great deal of love and God's energy as I listened to the words of the prayer.
All of a sudden, a strong golden-white light appeared at his feet, on his right side, traveled up his body to his head, where it swirled around and around, then traveled down his left side. He was aglow with light, which was reflected off the persons on either side of him. I kept blinking my eyes, trying to clear them, to see if this light was being caused by something in my eyes, but it was not.
I felt as if time was standing still as I listened to the drone of a voice continuing to pray, heard a horse neighing down in the barn, and saw a dog walking around in the middle of the circle. I continued to watch the illumination of a man as about fifty of us sent out our love and support, asking for God's blessings and power to be poured out upon him.
After the prayer had been lifted up, a deep, deep silence fell over us. It was a silence that was almost audible. I wonder if it was like what the scriptures said Elijah experienced outside the cave as he was listening for God. One version of that scripture said that Elijah heard God "in the sound of sheer silence."
That describes the deep silence at that moment in our circle of love. Eventually that silence was broken as our song leader lifted her voice, inviting us to join her in a closing hymn. I heard others say later that they wished the silence had not been broken so soon, but no one spoke of what I saw.
I kept that experience within me until the next time I saw the Bishop, which was months later. I dared share with him what I had seen that day in that mowed field outside Nashville as we said good-bye to him. His response was acceptance, wondering if that accounted for his high level of energy as he began his new task, which he had not sought, but had answered as a call from God.
We were standing in a circle in an open, mowed field on a mini-farm outside Nashville one summer day, worshiping God and saying good-bye to our retreat leader, who had just been elected to be a Bishop. As we held hands while someone prayed for him, I found I could not keep my eyes closed. I wanted to gaze at this gentle, deeply spiritual man, for whom I had great admiration and respect. He was standing across the circle from me in his blue jeans and red checked shirt. My heart was sending him a great deal of love and God's energy as I listened to the words of the prayer.
All of a sudden, a strong golden-white light appeared at his feet, on his right side, traveled up his body to his head, where it swirled around and around, then traveled down his left side. He was aglow with light, which was reflected off the persons on either side of him. I kept blinking my eyes, trying to clear them, to see if this light was being caused by something in my eyes, but it was not.
I felt as if time was standing still as I listened to the drone of a voice continuing to pray, heard a horse neighing down in the barn, and saw a dog walking around in the middle of the circle. I continued to watch the illumination of a man as about fifty of us sent out our love and support, asking for God's blessings and power to be poured out upon him.
After the prayer had been lifted up, a deep, deep silence fell over us. It was a silence that was almost audible. I wonder if it was like what the scriptures said Elijah experienced outside the cave as he was listening for God. One version of that scripture said that Elijah heard God "in the sound of sheer silence."
That describes the deep silence at that moment in our circle of love. Eventually that silence was broken as our song leader lifted her voice, inviting us to join her in a closing hymn. I heard others say later that they wished the silence had not been broken so soon, but no one spoke of what I saw.
I kept that experience within me until the next time I saw the Bishop, which was months later. I dared share with him what I had seen that day in that mowed field outside Nashville as we said good-bye to him. His response was acceptance, wondering if that accounted for his high level of energy as he began his new task, which he had not sought, but had answered as a call from God.
