Transforming Moments

I was leading worship at Denton this morning. Denton is a tiny village, about five miles from Bungay, in Suffolk. The United Reformed Church and the Church of England worship together, using the two buildings alternately. There were about 25 people there, including 3 small children - and we had a good service. The final hymn was Graham Kenrick's "Shine, Jesus, shine" - and we enhanced the music by giving the children some percussion to play. Two of them came out towards the front to play the triangle and a kind of tambourine. The little girl (about 2 or 3 years old) playing the tambournine came up the step on to the platform beside me and held the instrument out towards me. I took and gave it a few shakes before returning it to her. She played it a bit and then offered it back to me. It was clearly my turn again. Bearing in mind she had never seen me before, that was - for us all - a transforming moment which contributed significantly to "making" the service - and all very appropriate as the lectionary theme for the day was the transfiguration. Let us all be alert for those things in church life that provide us with little transforming moments, glimpses of the light and love of God.