Christian Spirituality

Christian Spirituality

All people express some form of spirituality, but not all spirituality is transforming. In fact, most of us don’t feel all that changed! Archbishop Desmond Tutu comments: “Spirituality of transformation is the basis of any true and lasting transfiguration in our world” (God has a dream, p. 108).

The gospel proclaims that God doesn’t merely seek to forgive us and then leave us in our same sinful and suffering lives. God’s will is for our transformation. In Luke 9 we find the account of Jesus’ “Transfiguration” or transformation. Through these three devotions, we’ll focus on insights found in this chapter.


Read Luke 9:28-36


Transfiguration!

For a moment, the veil was removed and Jesus’ divine nature was clearly evident. Jesus’ face shone with glory. His human flesh radiated divine presence. In Jesus, God’s holiness and our human-ness, the sacred and the ordinary are united in glory.

Moses represented the Law, Elijah the Prophets and now here was Jesus, the Messiah. Peter wanted to build three houses for them, but the Father speaks from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him” (9:36).

Matthew’s account adds the further words, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 17:5) We’re not transformed merely by the Law and Prophets. Spoken and written words aren’t enough. The Father called to Peter – focus on my Son! Our lives are changed by the incarnate, Living Word of God.

When the disciples looked up again, all they saw was Jesus.

In Christ, God loves us so much that God accepts us as we are. But God loves us too much to leave us that way.

The gospel is not just the good news of forgiveness, but also of transformation!

In Jesus we are adopted as sons and daughters of God our Father. In Jesus we hear the Father saying to us, “behold, my beloved sons and daughters”.

What a transformation this brings in the sense of identity and worth for all of us, and especially for the marginalised! We are not merely God’s servants. We are friends of God, sons and daughters.

Jesus bore our humanity that we might participate in his divinity. He took upon himself our brokenness that we might share in his holiness. He experienced our death that we might enjoy his eternal life.

We’ve been created to share in God’s glory.

Read aloud the following verses:

· “What we do know is this: when Christ is revealed, we will be like him, we will see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, such as he is pure.” I John 3:3

· “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness…so that you…may become participants in the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4

· “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

Our efforts to transform poverty and injustice won’t be sustained or successful by our own efforts (obedience to laws), or our own strong words (prophetic proclamations). It will only be sustained as we participate in the life of the God in whom we are living.

As Jayakumar Christian, the national director of World Vision India says,

“I don’t carry the burden of taking God to the poor. I only carry the burden of following God there. We don’t merely implement projects. That’s the devil’s bluff. We are on sacred ground for we walk with the God who has gotten up from his throne to respond to the cries of the poor. We are communicating who God is. We are making a theological statement by our involvement with the poor. This is the nature of the God I worship. People should look at the way we work and discern that this God is a different God. World Vision’s credibility is a small thing. God’s character being expressed is our longing.”

Discussion and reflection questions

1. What is your response to this idea that God wills our transformation, and that to be a Christian is to express more and more God’s glory?

2. Reflect for a moment privately on ways God has changed your life through Christ. If Christ could transform another aspect of your life in the coming months, what would you ask him to do?

3. Jayakumar says, “People should look at the way we work and discern that this God is a different God. World Vision’s credibility is a small thing. God’s character being expressed is our longing.” How can we as World Vision more effectively express “God’s character”?

Prayer

Pray together, either silently or aloud, for the very character of Christ to be expressed both in our individual lives, as well as in our life as an organization.

Conclude by praying in unison:

“Holy God, transform us more and more into the image of your beloved Son. We long for your character to be expressed through us. May the world encounter your transforming beauty, goodness and holiness through our life and work.

Give us today everything we need to walk according to your will through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to the glory of God the Father. Amen.”