The gift of Glory: upcoming Front Porch Talks from us!

Today had a great front porch conversation with my wife about beauty, glory and how it relates to being a whole person, or true identity, and integrates into our spirituality. It’s a common life topic for us both as artist, thinkers and dreamers-how beauty and identity work together. We launch a bit from CS Lewis article on “The Weight of Glory”, but then take it in many directions, as Glory has many radiant rays streaming out from it, once we enter the conversation with God. This is a little God talk from our front porch. I think you’ll really enjoy overhearing this one!

In the art world and church world it has become obvious to me that we don’t fully know what to do with glory-our own or God’s- and the role of beauty in our spiritualities. My wife has wisdom in this area, so really wanted to record some of her insights on the topic!

How not to worship one another’s gifts but to honor and serve one another with our gifts. Even our gifts of glory!

This is a life topic for me, and we have a great upcoming podcast on this subject—if the true “use” of glory and beauty, and how it relates to identity! We explore a bit about what Glory actually is, and how we are meant to integrate it into our lives without worshiping glory itself! How to be more conformed to His Image, as the book puts it!

We aren’t meant to worship His Glory, but Him Himself in other words-not the outside of the cup but the inside (as Jesus warns in Matthew 23), yet the outside glows for a reason; for one, to attract people to God. His glory will blow your mind! And one day will, if it hasn’t already! When we see His Glory we will be forced to fall down and worship. It’s easy when we see it!

Just as it did when the disciples who went up on that mount of transfiguration! Or Moses on Sinai—just a glimpse of His Glory is so much we can barely handle it! Yet, when He came to earth He dimmed it down, He made Himself approachable in every way! That was how He chose to reveal Himself, as a baby and a man of no reputation etc. Yet, He also later revealed His Glory to His Friends and they were shocked!

This topic of the relationship between glory, identity and integration is a great one! The role of the gift of glory in spiritual formation it might be called. When we look at the beauty of one another, we are forced to consider it’s role in the whole personality. As Lewis put it: “If we really saw one another in our true glory, we would be tempted to worship one another.” Great quote highlighting what glory is, and is meant to do. Some people highlight beauty, and force us to consider its role in making us more whole.

ST Paul said, we shine like stars in the universe. And it’s true! Each with their own radiance, he goes on. Things being comfortable in their unique glory is where we are heading in the big picture—looking towards that radiant city descending from heaven, with all it’s bejeweled gates, as the book puts it! Enjoy our thoughts on this neglected topic of the gift of glory!

The role of beauty in making us more whole is also one of my wife’s gifts and life missions. So fun to spin around this topic together! I think you’ll like this upcoming Front Porch Talk, and I look forward to sharing it with you soon. Seeing ourselves, the way God sees us, involves being nearly embarrassed by our own beauty in Him!
When we see ourselves well we are made more integrated or whole. For, like David said, we are wonderfully made, and Paul added, His masterpieces! When we are truly hidden in Him, we are radiant like stars!

Of course, my wife works with women and clothing, which intrinsically deals with how we see our bodies and identities, and wearing His Glory to radiate our own beauty and glory. But in our talk we also touch on how we view God’s glory, and how it is meant to relate to our own. Enjoy this upcoming talk. Will try to publish it soon! And have a glorious day friends!