A Retreat, A Pilgrimage, and The Reality of Glory

     There is an overwhelming peacefulness to Cape Cod that pervades your soul. The atmosphere is quiet and calm, and the area is rich in character and history, not to mention national beauty. It is a great place to go and relax, spend time with family, and refocus. Often times I overcrowd my schedule and I don't allow myself a second to breathe. I end up "squeezing in" God, so to speak. Which of course is a very dangerous thing. When we "Squeeze God in" to our busy schedule we develop an attitude that is counter-productive to spiritual growth. That is: God is no longer a priority. Instead of being an ever-present and developing relationship, God becomes someone to whom we pay attention to if we have the time.
     Back in March of 2011 I visted the Cape for a week. It was a retreat for me of sorts. I got an opportunity to spend time with some family, read, think, reflect, and study God's word. At the end ofa great week of rest and refocusing, we took a trip up to Orleans, Mass, where we visited the Church of The Transfiguration, which is maintained and used by an ecumenical order of Benidictine Monks know as the Community of Jesus.
     The first thing we noticed upon entering the campus was the genuine kindness of the Monks. Simply put: they radiated Joy, the kind of joy that can only come from a life lived for the glory of God. In fact there whole community is built upon the foundation of bringing about the glory of God among all peoples. That's one of the reasons they are an ecumenical community. As Paul begs the early church to do in Philippians, they are of "one mind, intent on one purpose." Catholics and Protestants, Methodists and Calvinists all come together, reconciling liturgy and worship from all traditions together and putting minor differences aside to come together and enjoy, worship, delight in, and glorify the one eternal God.
     The church itself is a work of art. It tells the story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, and displays how Christ relates as the central figure in all of scripture. The most commanding fresco is in the front of the church, in the great dome above the altar. It displays Christ as the King of Kings, as he will appear on the final day. From him flows a depiction of the river of life, and sitting beneath him, in the river, are four books representative of the gospels, the first line of each gospel is written on them in Greek. The river collides with the floor and flows out into a beautiful image of Gods creation, spreading out down the center aisle and ending in the baptismal chamber which is an intricate artistic rendering of the Trinity.
     As I stood beneath the image of Christ spreading his arms out over his creation and I stood in awe of the beauty and intensity of the moment, I noticed a few things. One being that the image was both comforting and discomforting. Its commanding presence brought into mind God's sovereignty, and the reality that he needs to be present and dominant in our lives. That presence also reminded me that that reality is not always comfortable. Christ was and is a radical, he disturbs us from our complacency and inspires us to action, one cannot encounter Christ and remain unchanged: Either we are radically transformed, or we harden our hearts and turn away, unwilling to make the changes or accept the gospel as the power and glory of God to transform our lives (Romans 1:16-17).
     The second thing that crossed my mind was that even this image, this church, this beautiful, powerful, artistic, inspiring, worshipful rendition of Christ and his story, can not come close to the glory, beauty, and majesty that will be revealed to his called and beloved on the day of his return...

I can't wait.