We often think of ourselves as just common folk.  We tell ourselves and others there’s nothing special about us.  But is that really true?  Not disregarding the freedom we receive from the Spirit of the Lord, there is something greater that we dismiss — something that tempts us without us being aware of it.  Our temptation is to disregard the glory we have from the Lord.  Our temptation is to disregard the fact that we all, with unveiled face, having seen the glory of Christ, are being transformed into the same image of Christ glory from one degree of to another.  In other words, we have the glory of Christ shining within us.  That is God’s confirmation within us that we aren’t just common, every day, people.  We are children of God, created in God’s image and charged with the responsibility to let God’s glory shine in and through us.  That, in itself, makes us extraordinary people in ordinary flesh. Perhaps it’s invisible to others, but it is visible to our God and Christ.  Can you imagine how extraordinary we are that God can recognize God’s spirit within us, and claim us as His own?  That makes us very extraordinary.

• What does it mean for you to claim that you are extraordinary — at least in the eyes of God?
• How does this acknowledgment change how you see yourself and how you live out your faith?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and eternal God, forgive me when I am tempted to disregard Your glory as a part of who I am. Empower me to live so that others may see Your glory and give praise to you.

         There are some things that are not to be publicly broadcast.  For Jesus, it was who he was and what his mission on earth was, how it was going to be lived and how it would end.  How could one broadcast a ministry so extraordinary and be believed?  The disciples didn’t believe it, even when they lived into and through the middle of it for three years.  And what of us?  We probably can’t remember how long we didn’t believe before we finally did.  And when we first came to believe, I imagine we thought it was an extraordinary event that one could die and be raised to life so that we could live.  Even when we read the stories of resurrection — the centurion’s daughter, Lazarus, the widow’s son when Jesus touched his bier — all of those who witnessed those resurrections saw something extraordinary and were amazed at the events.  They were all a part of Jesus’ ministry but were not publicly broadcast.

         I wonder if keeping something secret or discrete is a part of what makes something extraordinary.  If everything is broadcast, then what makes it special soon loses its appeal.  People come to expect it and then those extraordinary events and extraordinary people are soon very easily dismissed.  I am guessing no one ever expected us to become a Christian.  That’s what makes us extraordinary.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, I thank you for hiding the mystery of Your calling upon my life a secret from others. Your call upon my life is what makes my life extraordinary.

         The thing we live with most is our fears.  For the most part, they remain hidden behind our façade of courage.  We pretend we are courageous until we encounter something in our lives that is extraordinary.  It’s then that our fear escalates and what frightens us most is things that don’t fit in our box labeled “Normal”.  The disciples see Jesus transfigured before them — not an everyday, normal occurrence and their fears are raised.  The disciples see Jesus walking on water.  It’s not a normal everyday occurrence and their fears are raised.  Witnessing the extraordinary is perhaps a terrifying thing — too terrifying to wrap our brains around.

         But what if it were you or me.  We forget — or miss the moment of Peter’s extraordinary faith in today’s text — forgetting that Jesus invites us to become extraordinary.  And the fact that Peter could actually walk on the water at Jesus’ command scared him nearly to death and he began to sink.  Is that what’s holding up the church of Jesus Christ?  Is it our fear of becoming extraordinary — or more to the point — accepting the fact that Christ has already made us extraordinary and we live in fear of what it means?

         Jesus’ command to us in the midst of opportunities to do extraordinary things is, “Do not be afraid.”  It’s because Jesus believes we have the ability to be extraordinary.  And if the scripture has any truth to it, what’s standing between us and being extraordinary or doing extraordinary things is our fear standing in the way of our faith.

• Why do you believe our fear is such a blockade to keep us from doing extraordinary things at Jesus’ command?
• Can you name a time in the Bible where faith overcame fear to do something extraordinary? (Spoiler Alert — the resurrection)

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and loving God, empower me to overcome my fears so that at Your command, I can be the extraordinary person You created me to be.