When the Glory of God Shows Up

Scripture:  1 Kings 8:10-11 (Proper 16B)

I like to say that God is present everywhere, and that the difference between one time and another is much more with our awareness of God’s presence than it is with any action on God’s part.  But if we believe scripture, there are times when God’s presence is especially visible, and this passage narrates one of them.  You can get a better picture by reading all of chapter 8, rather than just the snippets that are included in the lectionary passage.

The question I want to present is this:  Can we experience God’s presence in a special way today, and if so, how?  Further, how similar would that experience be to what is described in this text?

Make sure that you don’t discount the text before you start.  It appears to me, at least, that we’re talking about an impact that is visible to all.

Here are some links to blog posts or essays in which I discuss God’s glory:

Ezekiel 1 – a Glimpse of the Glory of Yahweh (Energion: Religion, Philosophy, and Politics)

This is my starting point.  It’s a college paper I wrote my senior year in college. I’d largely stand by what I said now.  The glory of God and its movement is a substantial theme in Ezekiel, and the positioning of the various elements is no accident.

Eternity in Liturgy (Participatory Bible Study Blog)

How does glory fit into liturgy?  This is one of the key questions that tie into those I asked above.

Lectionary Texts for the Transfiguration – Cycle A (Participatory Bible Study Blog)

The transfiguration gives insights into the nature of God’s glory and the purpose of its appearance.