.jpg)
Pastoral Points
On March 2, some Christians will celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord, when Jesus went to a mountaintop to pray, along with three of his disciples. And “while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white,” and the disciples “saw his glory.” His appearance was changed, or transfigured.
One of the lovely and remarkable things about the Transfiguration of Jesus is that his glory became apparent through the beauty of his transformed appearance. The disciples recognized him as God because his face changed and his clothes were dazzling. In other words, he suddenly looked a lot more impressive than a simple carpenter- turned-rabbi.
Of course, the very fact that Jesus was an ordinary man is beautiful in itself. Christ came to dwell among the ordinary — especially the broken, the outcast, the lowly. And the Incarnation (God becoming human) also reflects the holiness and beauty of the world that God created. In fact, the presence of Christ among us makes the world holy.
Much of our faith is wrapped up in words — the words of scripture, preaching, liturgy and prayer. This is good and healthy, as all these things communicate God’s promises for us. But language and conscious thinking are not the only ways to encounter God. The beauty of visual arts, music, dance, design, and more can get us out of our usual thought process and help us use our minds and senses differently. Experiencing God in a variety of ways gives us a fuller picture of who God is and what his promises mean for us.
Beauty can be found in a child’s drawing or a homemade gift. It can also be found in ornate cathedrals, intricate handcrafts and original artwork. Sometimes beauty seems like an excessive luxury, and we might prefer to prioritize practicality and direct extra funds to other areas of ministry. Other times, beauty actually serves ministry by giving us a glimpse of the divine. It can sweep us up out of our ordinary experiences, direct our attention away from ourselves, and help us to encounter God. Such encounters nourish our faith and strengthen us to share God’s love with others.
I encourage you to seek out a variety of ways to connect with God using all of your senses, and I hope it gives you a fuller expe rience of God’s grace and glory.
