Teaching the Transfiguration

Awe-inspiring.

Strange.

Magnificent.

Mysterious.

These are apt descriptions of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, recorded in Matthew 17 and Mark 9. Matthew simply tells us that Jesus is transfigured (from the Greek word metamorphao) in the presence of Peter, James, and John. His face becomes as bright as the sun. His clothes become white as light (17:2). And then, as quickly as the phenomenon begins, it is over. The three disciples lift up their awe-struck eyes from the earth and see the Jesus they recognize once again (17:6).

What some teenagers may be surprised to know is that the Transfiguration is not JUST an awe-inspiring, strange, magnificent, and mysterious story from the pages of the Gospels. It is also a story that has meaning for their lives in the here and now! Here's how I broke it down with my students on a recent Wednesday night...

Prayer + Breakfast (2)

At our most recent prayer breakfast, we began our prayer time with this prayer based on Psalm 8:

O LORD, our Lord;
     How majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

You have set Your Glory above the heavens.
When we see the work of Your hands,
     The moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
We remember our smallness.

And yet, You are mindful of us.
And yet, You care for us.
You have crowned us with glory and honor,
     Through the gift of Jesus Christ.
You have given us responsibility over the works of Your hands.
You have put all things under our feet--
     Animals that walk the earth,
     Birds that fly,
     Fish that swim.
We are humbled.
     Amazed.
     Awed.

O LORD, our Lord;
     How majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

Heart-Heavy: Settling for Lesser Gods (2)

When I read Galatians 4:8-20, it is easy for me to replace a pleading Paul with a youth worker and the struggling Galatians with students in a youth ministry. That comparison is what this series is all about.

Here's the section we'll tackle with this post:

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (4:8-9)”

The plea Paul makes to the Galatian Christians becomes our plea to our students: “Remain with the One, True God! Resist the enticement of lesser gods!”