Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.                                           Exodus 3: 1-6

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.                                                                               Mark 9: 2-8

Just to set the record straight, the term “thin places” does not refer to the interim pastor’s hairstyle.

The term, “thin places” comes from Celtic Christianity. There are two layers or dimensions of reality to our existence: the visible world of our ordinary experience and the unseen world of the Spirit. Sometimes the curtain is drawn back and we “see” or experience that unseen world.

When the disciples were with Jesus on the high mountain they experienced a thin place. When our hearts are opened to the presence of God in a special way we are experiencing a thin place.1

The Celts (pronounced “kelts”) were people whose faith permeated every aspect of their lives. They were originally from Central Europe, and inhabited Ireland—as well as England and Scotland and Brittany in northern France—around 500-150 B.C. after being driven to the west and north, mostly by the Romans.

St. Patrick introduced Christianity to the Celts around 431 A.D. In his attempts to convert the Celts, Patrick highlighted the many similarities between their beliefs and those of the Christian faith, such as the existence of an afterlife. Seeing the parallels, the Celts were very open to the Gospel. Their conversion brought to Christianity a spiritual perspective which emphasized four major themes:  pilgrimage, the immanent presence of God in all of creation, monasticism and community, and art and symbolism.

For Celtic Christians, God was a key part of all things natural and beautiful. Whereas the ancient Celts worshiped pagan gods for nearly every natural setting, Celtic Christians praised God’s design and creation of all things natural. The hills, the sky, the sea, the forests were not God, but their spiritual qualities revealed God and were connected to God.

By the way, If you have never tried it, let me encourage you to hug a tree, preferably a very large tree, but it’s also good to hug little trees! The first time I hugged a tree, (yes, I am a tree-hugger!) I experienced God’s presence in a new way. As I held the tree I thought about all the storms the tree had experienced. I sensed the tree’s roots going down in the earth, the branches receiving the sunlight. I experienced God in and through creation. (It was wonderful!)

Places where people feel most strongly connected with God’s presence are referred to as thin places. It is in these places where the seen and unseen worlds are most closely connected and inhabitants of both worlds can momentarily touch the other.

A thin place is a place where it is possible to touch and be touched by God. We see this reflected in Moses encounter with God and Peter, James and John on the mountain with Jesus and the appearance of Elijah and Moses.2

Contemporary poet Sharlande Sledge writes:

“Thin places,” the Celts call this space,

Both seen and unseen,

Where the door between the world

And the next is cracked open for a moment

And the light is not all on the other side.

God shaped space. Holy.

Sylvia Maddox, a retreat leader and writer for explorefaith.org speaks about her visit to the island of Iona, off the coast of Scotland…

“As I set out on a solitary journey for Columba’s Beach, I could feel the presence of all those who had gone before me in their quest for a greater vision of God. Wandering over the mountains and the valleys, I suddenly realized I was lost and a long way from my destination. The mystery of the thin place was already revealing itself to me. The outward journey was mirroring my inner journey. I was lost but not afraid. There was a peaceful presence in the eternal rocks that seemed to offer me shelter and guidance. As I stood on the pebbled beach, the waves of the ocean seemed to whisper Jesus’ words, “I am with you.”  These words could be said in a book, in a classroom, in a sermon, but in a thin place there is an immediacy of experience where words of faith become words of life. In this hallowed space and time heaven and earth for a moment are one.”

Peter, James and John have this amazing experience with Jesus. “Heaven and earth for a moment are one…” Moses and Elijah appear—the voice of God speaks, heaven and earth intersect. They experience a thin place. Scripture includes many accounts of thin places.

The definition of a thin place can be expanded to include people, a piece of music, a worship service, a work of art, a book, a movie...

Marcus Borg notes that the notion of a “thin place” can refer to much more than just a geographical location….a thin place is a sacrament of the sacred, a mediator of the sacred, a means whereby God become present to us. A thin place is a means of grace…..

What has been a thin place for you? I encourage you to let me know.

Several years ago in a videotaped interview, I heard Robert Fulgham, author of All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, say that when he was feeling down he listens to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and by the time it is done he has been lifted out of his gloom.

Different hymns have special meaning for us. When Nancy and I were married in 1971 at Second Presbyterian Church the congregation sang, “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past.” It was a powerful experience of being supported by family members and friends. God was there. It was a thin place.

You can probably identify a hymn or a piece of music that has been particularly meaningful in your life….where you experienced God’s presence in an unusual way.

Rolling Hills is blessed to have wonderful music in its worship services. When we gather in corporate we experience God in a special way. May that experience increase each Sunday and become deeper and deeper.

The late Trappist monk, Thomas Merton said, “We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent, and God is shining through all the time. This is not just a fable or a nice story. It is true. If we abandon ourselves to God and forget ourselves, we see it sometimes, and we see it maybe frequently. God shows Himself everywhere, in everything – in people and in things and in nature and in events. It becomes very obvious that God is everywhere and in everything and we cannot be without him. It’s impossible. The only thing is that we don’t see it.”

Peter, James and John saw….and experienced this divine intersection of this world and the other world. ‘Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.” Jesus is with us. God is with us. The Spirit is with us. May we experience and encounter God in many thin places.

1 See The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg,  pp.155-163)

2 Information adapted from An Irish Journey Into Celtic Spirituality by Susan Hines-Brigger.