Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life
by: Ed Cyzewski
Don't be scared by the fact this is a book on Theology. Ed puts everything in terms for anyone to understand. He uses great examples from life that you can follow along with easily. I was scared that this would be a postmodern rant about the church but it embraces thoughts from everyone and just challenges you to see things in a different light. I found it to be a refreshing look at the way God is apart of our lives and in everything that we do. It also makes a good argument why theology is not a negative part of our faiths and isn’t just for scholars. Theology can be for everyone. Start you study in theology with Coffeehouse Theology by Ed Cyzewski.
The Shack
by: William P. Young
The reason I read this book was because I heard so much hype about it. I was very skeptical at first because it is a fiction book and I typically try to stay out of the christian bubble as much as I can. Though in all reality I am in the bubble deeper than I want to admit. I decided to add this to my Christmas list and if I got it cool and if not, no big deal. Well wouldn't you know that my Aunt got me the book for Christmas.
The Shack takes you through part of Mack Phillips life. He is a family man who has become disconnected from God. While on a camping trip with his children Mack experiences tragedy in a way he has never experienced it before. A few years later Mack is still scared by what he has dubbed as the Great Sadness and it has hurt his relationships with his wife, children, and God. Mack receives a mysterious message telling him to go where the Great Sadness all began, the shack. Mack ventures off to a rendezvous with none other than God. From there Mack is taken through a process of learning, healing, and being loved by God. When he returns he comes home a completely different man.
The Shack is one of the best explanations of where God is when bad things happen to us. It gives a great illustration of how God views us and tries to show us how much he loves us. Now this is a fictional book but is inspired by theology. It will leave you wanting a deeper relationship with Jesus. I don't know a lot of how the Holy Spirit, God, and Jesus all work together and are one, but after reading this I can begin to process just how it might all work.
If anything you should read this book because it is wonderfully written and is a great story. William P. Young does an excellent job describing scenes that I would have not known how to even begin to describe. Regardless of being a Christian, a seeker, or a non-believer you can't read this book and not finish without feeling hope and desiring something more.
Check it out at http://theshackbook.com
The Word of Promise: The Gift of Psalms
About a year or two ago I was excited to learn about the production of The Word of Promise. It was to be the most thought out and produced audio reading of the bible ever. They got many great actors such as Richard Dreyfuss, Sean Astin, Jason Alexander, and Gary Sinise to be readers for the audio set. The Gift of Psalms is from that same collection. It is a devotional of what is said to be the fifty most inspirational Psalms. Just like The Word of Promise they spared no expense on this devotional.
Lets first take notice of how neatly this book comes packaged. It has a nice hard bound cover that seems to be coushined and super glossy pages with different script syle fonts. Its really designed to be that devotional you leave on the coffee table so it looks nice but you never actually read. Once you start reading it, you want to just leave it on the coffee table because its not that inspirational.
The devotionals seem to distract you from the heart of the Psalms. They try to relate and make you look deeper into the Psalms, but in doing so they miss the mark on the meanings of Psalms. Each devotional ends with a short prayer. I found the prayers to be great ways to end each devotional. Sometimes its hard to know how to pray over what I read and these helped me with that.
The book comes with three audio cds that are readings of the Psalms. The readings weren't great but they were not bad. I feel they were over produced. To much trying to set the mood or to be mystical. Sometimes I just want a nice voice reading to me, something natural. The scripture used is all from the King James Version of the bible. I really don't like this version because I find it hard to relate too, but I decided to give it a try. After going through this book I still don't like the King James Version.
Overall I would say don't run out to buy this book right away unless your really wanting some kind of devotional to get you through the Psalms. If you can find it on sale go ahead and pick up a copy. Like the title says The Gift of Psalms, this book would be really nice for a gift for someone.
I heard this said that having more is never enough. This hit me hard. I say to myself all the time that if I could just have more of ______ then it would be all I need, it would be enough. I have slowly realized that more never becomes enough, it never becomes satisfaction, it never becomes contentment. Have you ever thought about what makes you content? Have you ever said if I achieved this I would be content? Why do we have the idea that being content is something we have to obtain or earn. Can't we just be content.
In Phillippians Paul writes about his contentment;
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
There is something different about how Paul addresses contentment than how we typically hear contentment talked about. Paul writes that he has learned contentment. He has learned the secret of being content. Paul recognizes that being content is not something he earned or obtained, but rather something he learned. It is almost like a skill that can be mastered. We may never experience what it is like to be content if we do not know how to be content.This leaves me to believe that Paul learned to be content through everything by learning to rely on Christ through everything, by realizing that Christ is more than enough for any need we may ever encounter. Paul says he can do everything through Christ. If we can do that, then we may learn what it is to be content.
More is never enough, but Christ is more than enough.
Is everything I do meaningless? Is the life we live like chasing after the wind, a task so pointless its hard to imagine? There are many moments that I find myself giving into this idea that I live a truly meaningless life. The author of Ecclesiastes addressed this feeling to in chapter 2:10-11.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;Thinking this way begins to truly scare me. We must see that God gives meaning to our lives, that he provides the delightment of our hearts, not the labor we toil over. Our meaning can be found in God, we are told so in Ephesians 2:10
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Our meaning is found in doing the good works Christ has prepared for us. I would say that if we continue to find no meaning in what we are doing, then we may not be doing what Christ has prepared for us in advance. The meaning could also be lost be cost we do not know our own identity and purpose. I do not know where to find those except for in Christ. Who we are in Christ is a life lived to the full, a life of meaning and purpose.
By: A. W. Tozer
I received this book as a gift for graduating from college last year. When I got it I will admit that no excitement crossed my face. It has been on my bookshelf since then and almost daily it would catch my eye. So I decided to give it a try.
The pace was a change for me because many of the last few books I have read have been by modern day pastors and theologians. Once I slowed down and started to take it seriously I began to connect with Tozer's thoughts and passion right away. I did not want to put it down.
In The Pursuit of God, Tozer address' the never ending cycle of men searching for God. He describes our search as a type of bankruptcy or void that we so long to fill. He goes on in an eloquent manner through scripture describing how our search does not have to be so hard if we realized that God is here.
"The Universal Presence is a fact. God is here. The whole universe is alive with His life. And he is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of men. And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will but respond to His overtures. (And this we call pursuing God!) We will know Him in increasing degree as our receptivity becomes more perfect by faith and love and practice." Tozer, The Pursuit of God, pg 67I love this! It was so refreshing to hear. God is pursuing us! He is calling to us more than we have ever called to him. If only we could take the time from the stress and speed of our lives that we whine about so much every day our search could be over. Why, because we will not have to search anywhere but right here and God will find us. Oh! How simple this seems yet I can't even imagine how I will do this. I've heard it said so many times that God is near and that He calls to us, but never as Tozer puts it.
I highly reccomend this book. It may have an older tone to it, but the passion and ideas of it are so true for the world we live in.
Here is one last quote;
"God Wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety. No part of the man will do." Tozer, The Pursuit of God, pg 101Go and search for God by letting Him find you!
I Am Not, but I Know I Am: Welcome to the Story of God
By: Louie Giglio
Louie Giglio is the guy who helped bring me my most favorite band ever, David Crowder Band, and many other great artist like Chris Tomlin. He has spent a lot of time investing in young adults in the world of college. I have heard that Louie is a great speaker and usually has some interesting things to say. This book, I Am Not, but I Know I Am: Welcome to the Story of God, I found to be very disapointing.
Lets start with the fact that it was just boring. Nothing really grabbed my attention or seemed profound to me. Maybe it was his delivery but it just didn't keep my attention very well. The premis of the book is to help you realize your place with God and that God is the Great I Am, everything is him and he is everything. I was amazed that he could draw this topic out for so long.
The book never really picked up and seemed disorganized. I found it hard to keep relating his thoughts to what his point was. His examples and illustrations were lacking. Now don't let this stop you from reading the book I could be very wrong and this is all a personal opinion.
There were some good things in the book. It does a great job addressing how God is the Great I Am. Beyond that it doesn't say much else.
So give this book a read and let me know what you think. Am I wrong? Should I read it again?
By: John Miller
The ministry of Young Life has been effectively reaching teenagers for Christ for many decades now. John Miller was there almost right from the begining of Young Life's journey into figuring out just how to become so entrenched among the lives of so many teenagers. Back to the Basics is John's account of this faith testing start and how the minsitry shaped his family and so many others.
John recalls his first interactions with Jim Rayburn the founder of Young Life and how he heard his call into the uncharted waters of the Young Life ministry. He explains the sacrafice and faith that went into following the call of God into this new profession. Along the way John discusses the underlying theology and ideaology of why Young Life is the way it is.
If you are in Young Life now you need to read this book. It will give a glimpse of the big picture that you are apart of and just how important your role is to the ministry. For those of you who have never done anything with Young Life, I highly suggest giving this book a read over. I believe once you are done with it there will be no way you won't want to get involved with Young Life and it's simply radical ideaology for reaching youth for Christ.
Romans 8:26-28 (The Message)
26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.Zondervan is putting together a new version of the NIV bible. It will be a hand written version, and some of the writing can be done by you. They have put together a cross country trip in an RV stopping through many cities and letting people contribute by writing a verse in the new bible.
On Friday October, 3rd they will be in Cincinnati, OH at the Berean Christian Store 1183 Smiley Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45240, from 10am to 6pm.
I plan on going to put my mark in this new bible. I hope you have the opportunity too.
Well for awhile now I have been wanting to get a site together that would be for all the people I know involved in youth ministry. It would contain encouragement, ideas, help, and so on. Its been slow coming but i'm starting to get the blog portion up and going now. You can find it here http://theclubroom.wordpress.com/. Hopefully soon it will be at theclubroom.net but like I said its slow coming. I have some post up there already with game ideas and other stuff so stop on by and check it out.
My last post is about success. Read it here.
So here are some questions that I have been chewing on. I found them on a blog post by Craig Groeschel, the pastor of Lifechurch.tv.
- What are YOU passionate about?
- What has God put in YOU?
- What needs can God use YOU to meet?
- What breaks YOUR heart?
- What are YOU uniquely equipped and called to do?
So one thing that was asked of me during summer staff was if I had a verse that was the my life theme. What piece of scripture do you look at as the the guiding principle of my life? Well I had no answer. I don't know if that is good or bad. I mean I have lots of verses that mean a lot to me and that I try to apply daily. I also feel that the bible as a whole is a theme for me. I mean its all God's word and God's direction in my life. So is it right/good to have just one theme verse in your life or does that limit the power the scripture as a whole has to work in your life?
Is there a balance I need to find to where one bit of scripture I focus on daily while I chew on other scripture in my life? Can I find different scripture during different phases in my life to act as the theme of my life? All I know is that when it was asked of me and I had no answer I was given the "are you serious what kind of a christian are you look." But in all honesty I don't know if its a bad thing to not have a theme verse for my life.
I would like to know your thoughts on this. Please let me know if you have a theme verse or what you think about this idea.
To hope is to love, to love is to seek God, to seek God is Righteousness
just a thought i had....
So this is interesting and to me is proof of how God works in my life. The post I made yesterday about finding God's truth in our lives and emotions and then claiming them, had a quote from Rob Bells book Velvet Elvis.
"If it is true, if it is beautiful, it is is honorable, if it is right, then claim it. Because its is from God. And you belong to God."
I talked about how much I loved this idea and quote and thought it rang true to my life. Then today the verse of the day was Philippians 4:8. You just got to read this.
Philippians 4: 4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
I was like WOW! That is so much like what Rob Bell was trying to say in his book. Think about all these things that are of God and you will know its God and God is going to be with you. I feel that through the random verse of the day God decided to affirm my thinking and help me to realize that I am with him.
SO again, I say go out and Claim it!
This semester I took a class on the New Testament. It has been a very interesting class exposing a different light on the New Testament. This week is exam week and we were originally just going to have a multiple choice test in this class. However my professor decided he didn't want to write a test so he had us do this.
Take home final (150 points)
The letter to the Church at Corinth is considered an “occasional letter.” It is a letter that deals with specific issues facing this particular congregation. Paul established the Christian community in Corinth, on his second missionary journey from Antioch. While Paul was on his third journey, he learned that the community had developed some significant issues that he must address.
Your job will be to recreate how Paul receives this information about the Church at Corinth.
You will be graded on the following:
-Your knowledge of the issues facing the Corinthian Church
-Quality of your presentation
-Creativity (please be creative and imaginative)
Final must be turned in on Tuesday December 11, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Please use 12 font and double space
So if you wish to read my response here it is. Sorry if it is too long but the Corinthian Church had a lot of issues.
Journal: Paul the Apostle
Year: 56
Today I had to write another letter to my fellow believers at the church in Corinth. I do not understand why they are struggling so badly there. The other churches we have founded have had their issues, but none like the church we started in Corinth five years ago. I remember that day it was during my second missionary journey around these lands and we were very hesitant at first about how the Corinthians would react to the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but they responded and accepted the holy spirits into their lives.
The issues that I have discovered them to be dealing with are hard for me to swallow. I never expected these issues to stem out of this church. They are struggling with a divided church, understanding spiritual gifts, the ideals of love, sexual immorality, and disputes among each other, sacrificing food to idols, drunkenness, overindulgence, death, and the resurrection. The list is so long and so much they do not understand. Lord why do they not follow the wisdom of the spirit?
The church in Corinth needs guidance and I am unable to be there. So today I had a conversation with my dear friend Timothy. I pleaded my case to him about the sufferings of the Corinthian church and he agreed to go and be a leader for them. He agreed to help train them in following the spirit and imitating Christ. Timothy is a true believer and ever strong in the presence of the Lord.
I first learned of the issues in Corinth from a report from a friend who is there. My brothers from Chloe’s household informed me of the divisions forming in the church. Some of them were claiming to follow Apollos, some to follow me, some to follow Cephas, and some were still claiming to follow Christ. I don’t understand how this happened. When I was there all I claimed to know was Christ and sacrifice he made for us. Never did I claim to be crucified for their sake, nor did Apollos or Cephas. Where did this division come from?
I was intrigued so I began to dig deeper to see why some believers would want to claim others than Christ. This is when I learned that many of them were struggling with sexual immorality by committing adultery and having lustful thoughts that were distracting them from Christ. In my letter I pleaded to them that this is unmoral and not good for their spiritual welfare. They must flee from this debauchery if they wish to truly follow the risen Lord.
I also learned that during investigation, from my brothers at the household of Chloe, that many were having problems with the idols. Some were still worshiping their idols as our ancestors did whom God punished. They were still sacrificing meat to their idol gods believing this would appease them and help their lives. Why don’t they understand that God loves them and all they have to do is present their petitions to him and he will give them what they ask for? I pray that Timothy will be able to disprove they remaining idols and guide them into the Lord.
I do not understand how they could still have faith in these idols when the Holy Spirit does amazing things in their lives. When did their idols ever give them gifts they could use for the good of others? They receive these gifts from they Holy Spirit and do not understand them. The gifts are different for each of them, but they are from the same God, not their idols. The gifts are for their purpose in the body of Christ each having a responsibility to other to make it complete.
They also do not understand love and how love is needed to use their gifts properly. Their gifts are nothing with out love, because God is love. So God is patient, kind, does not boast, nor envy, and is not proud. God is not rude, not self seeking, or easily angered. God does not delight in evil, but he rejoices with the truth. God always, protects, trusts, hopes, and always persevere. So with out knowing love they do not know God or the purpose of their gifts. This is why they struggle with marriage also. They have entered into a chain reaction keeping them from Christ.
They have do not understand the purpose of marriage and how to treat husbands and wives. My letter hopefully will clear this up as I explain how they should treat their spouses, but I also explain that they should strive to be married to God and do not need a wife. If they can’t control themselves and are going to be distracted by immorality it is better for them to marry as long as their spouse belongs to the Lord.
They have even taken the lords supper and used as a time to celebrate drunkenness, by overindulging in themselves. They do this because they do not understand the resurrection of their Lord, Jesus Christ. I have explained to them that this resurrection is key to who Jesus is and how they are able to receive grace from God. They are also having issues with their body’s questioning if they can be raised from the dead and I explained to them that God has mad each body individually and each has its own life and once dead and buried it may like a seed still spur on new life.
The church in Corinth is suffering from so many issues. I hope that my letter to them will help clarify things and spur them on towards love and good deeds. I hope that my brothers in household of Chloe will keep reporting to me on the issues there so I will know if they ever improve. I will have a strong friend there now as Timothy has set off to be with the Corinthians to keep them on track with following Christ. He too will continue to report to me so I will know that the Corinthian’s have made progress in their journey with Christ. I hope my next journal entry about the Corinthians is one filled with praise and less headaches. God please help them, Timothy, and the brothers of the Chloe’s household.
Into the Transfiguration of the Christian Faith
Jesus Christ and his Apostles shared many miraculous events together. Some of these events were shared with all the Apostles and some were shared with only a few of them. Jesus used these times to connect with his apostles on another level. He used these events to reveal himself to his Apostles. Sometimes he used these events to teach his Apostles a lesson about life and God.
The New Testament is littered with accounts of these miraculous events from the viewpoints of those Apostles that were witness to the events and close with Jesus. The Gospel books in the New Testament contain records of these event provide an accurate account of Jesus’ life while here on earth.
One miraculous event that is not widely discussed is one that Jesus only showed to a few of his cherished Apostles. This event is noted as the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. This event appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This will look into the different account of the transfiguration, what is the transfiguration, what is significant about the transfiguration, what the transfiguration revealed, and how the transfiguration applies to life today.
To begin first we will read an account of the transfiguration as written in the Gospel of Mark. “2After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5Peter 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." 6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
8Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
11And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
12Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him."
In this account we see that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up the mountain and at this mountaintop they were witness to what is called the transfiguration. Transfiguration is defined as the sudden emanation of radiance from the person of Jesus according to Princeton University’s Wordnet. This scared the Apostles as Jesus was revealing his messiah ship to them. During this account Jesus was affirmed by changing of his presence, the approval of the prophet Elijah, the approval of the Law of Moses, and by the audible voice of God. After this event the disciples knew who Jesus was and their faith was greatly deepened. Jesus commands them after to not reveal this witness under after the son of man had risen from the dead. Confusing the disciples even more.
What is the significance of this miraculous event in the lives of Jesus and the Apostles? This event was very significant in many ways to each Jesus and the Apostles. For Jesus this event for filled Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 19:15) that two to three witness had to give testimony to establish the incident. Allaboutjesuschrist.org goes on to explain that Elijah, Moses, and the Voice of God serve as a heavenly realm of witness to Jesus as the Son of God. The Apostles, Peter, James, and John, serve as the worldly witness’ that Jesus is truly the Son of God. The transfiguration helps to testify that Jesus is really who he proclaims to be and helps to grow the faith of his followers.
Looking into the significance of Jesus shining whiter than any thing in the world we go back to the definition of transfiguration. Jesus having the emanation of radiance in his being or Jesus having the flowing source of God coming through him. In terms of Jesus being the Son of God at this moment the transfiguration brings what is the reality of the internal character of Jesus outward into a physical reality as the Son of God. At this moment Jesus as a whole internally and externally was being the Son of God before the Apostles. This event testifies to the complete character of Jesus Christ. Allaboutjesuschrist.org explains that Jesus in human form veiled his divine nature and that this was a glimpse of his glory.
The transfiguration account also brings about another interesting significance. Jesus explained to the Apostles on their way back down the mountain that were not to tell of this wonderful event of his glory until after the Son of God had risen from the grave. The Apostles were confused by this and just kept to them selves wondering what it meant to be raised from the grave. The transfiguration comes six days after Jesus explained to them that the Son of God would have to die and that the Apostles would have to pick up there cross and follow Jesus. The transfiguration completes Jesus revealing Gods plan to his Apostles as he announces to them that he will return from the grave.
The transfiguration reveals five main points to us and to the Apostles. Crossroads helps to identify these points as:
1. It revealed the divine nature of Jesus as the Son of God. (Hebrews 1:3)
2. The Transfiguration revealed the plan of God for redemption and the importance and necessity of Jesus’ crucifixion. Showing that the Law of Moses and the prophecies of Elijah were not enough to save mankind.
3. The Transfiguration revealed Jesus as God’s Son and having a higher importance over Elijah and Moses.
4. It revealed a promise of the future that Jesus would suffer and go to the Cross because of his obedience and glory.
5. It revealed a glimpse of what is to come for Jesus’ followers once they get to heaven. For Jesus Christ "will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" (Philippians 3:21).
This event to the Apostles revealed so much that they were never able to forget it. They lived the rest of their lives having experience the glory of Jesus as the Son of God. Peter even wrote about it later in Peter’s second epistle.
2 Peter 1:16-18
16We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."[a] 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
For the Apostles we see that the transfiguration event had much meaning in revealing the inward and outward glory of Jesus, revealing the plan of God for Jesus’ life, and revealing the complete divine nature of Jesus. How does this event of the transfiguration have meaning to our lives today?
Since there were detailed accounts left for us in the synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke we are able to look into the understanding of the transfiguration as the Apostles themselves were witness it. We are able to relate to the Apostles lack of understanding of Jesus glory and can see why they would be scared of Jesus being transfigured, awed by the appearance of Elijah and Moses, and completely confused as they hear the voice of God and see only Jesus. We like them need to witness the glory of Jesus to understand fully how his death on the cross as the Son of God can justify our salvation and entrance to heaven with an eternal relationship with God. Being able to account the witness of Jesus’ transfiguration gives us the ability to discern that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
Weldon D. Nisly a pastor in Seattle gave a sermon trying to help the people of his church understand how the transfiguration is still relevant to our lives today. We are able to literally see Jesus in a new light during the account of the transfiguration, in the light of the source of God flowing through him. The transfiguration is giving us a glimpse into what happens to Jesus during the time of his resurrection when there was no one there to witness it happening. It represents our entrance into the heavenly realm.
The sermon also goes one to explain that the transfiguration of Jesus is a metaphor for what happens to us when we gather for worship. We are transfigured as well whenever we gather together in worship. Nisly defines worship as “a transfiguring event for the body of Christ encountering God.” When we gather together to be with God we too have emanation of radiance or the source of God flowing through us. Jesus was giving the Apostles an example of what it is truly like to be in the presence of God. It was an example of what it is like to be completely obedient to God. It was also an example of how God shows his love to you and blesses your obedience.
Today the transfiguration can be just as much of a personal event of the witness to the glory of God for us as it was for the Apostles Peter, James, and John who were able to witness it happen to Jesus before their very eyes. Since Jesus was obedient and completed God’s plan, which was partly revealed in the talk of resurrection coming down from the mountain after the transfiguration, we are able to except Jesus sacrifice and receive salvation. This allows us to receive the Holy Spirit, which then allows us to experience our own personal transfiguration. Then we are able to be transfigured when ever we come together to be with God. The account of the Transfiguration is a small miracle of benevolence that on the surface seems intimating and hard to understand, but underneath is proven to be a pinnacle point in the life of Jesus, the Apostles, and are very lives today.
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