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The Deconstructed Church - Mountaintop Moments

Alexia Lang

Created on March 2, 2024

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What we believe about Jesus and ourselves matters. In Matthew 16, Peter has a mountaintop experience triggered by Jesus' question: "Who do you say I am?" Who do you say Jesus is and what do you hear him saying about you?

The Deconstructed Church

Mountaintop Moments - Pastor Lexi

Worship "Return to You

Wandering Heart reading plan

Read or listenMatthew 16

Visio Divina "Who do you say that I am?"

Study Questions

About the book of Matthew

Communion

Text Series

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Prayer Walk Schools

The Making of... "Who do you say that I am?

Bible Study Questions

1. What stood out to you this week? 2. Was there anything confusing or troubling? 3. Did anything make you feel differently about God? 4. How might this change the way you live?
Uncommon Love

Jesus was considered rebellious for the way he loved those who were deemed unlovable. The Uncommon Love prayer guide is designed to encourage and challenge us to embrace and love everyone, just as Jesus demonstrated. Text "uncommon" to 833-912-0460 & get the 4-day series delivered right to your phone. P.s. you can text your prayer requests to the same #. We’re happy to partner with you in prayer.

VISIO DIVINA

Visio Divina is translated from Latin as “divine seeing.” It is related to the prayer form Lectio Divina (divine reading). But instead of Scripture, this form of prayer uses visual elements to help set your mind on prayer. It allows God to speak into your heart through the image. You are invited to experience this image through Visio Divina. Visio Divina Questions: What thoughts or feelings does this image evoke? Is there something God wants you to see? To hear? What kind of prayer rises within you as you ponder this work? Go ahead and express that to God now. READ Matthew 16:13-20

He doesn’t see him as the reincarnation of a former prophet, or another contemporary baptizer pointing the way. He names Jesus as the “anointed one,” the one his people have so desperately longed for. Peter proclaims Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God. In this image, I wanted to create a kaleidoscope of perception, imaging the ways Jesus is perceived in the context of this passage, like light broken down into a myriad of shapes and colors. In the gold rays of light Jesus’ form is obscured by the metallic shine of God’s glory. In the gray and earth-tone rays he is seen in monochrome. Each of the earth-tone rays holds a pattern on Jesus’ clothing which represents a misunderstanding of who Jesus is. Starting on the left, honey, locusts, and baptismal waters misidentify him as John the Baptist. Within the next ray to the right, ravens, an empty chair, rain, and fires from the heavens misidentify him as Elijah. On the right, scales of justice and plants being uprooted and planted misidentify him as Jeremiah. Through the middle of the image, there is a ray of light where the image comes into full color that holds this moment of clarity where Jesus and Peter truly see one another. In this ray, Peter’s clothing holds symbols of his new identity: a rock upon which the church will be built and keys to the kingdom. Jesus’ clothing holds imagery —an oil jar and the light of the sun — representing the way Peter sees him as the Messiah and Son of the living God. — Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman

I don’t know if this was a moment of clarity for Peter, if he was regurgitating the answer he thought Jesus wanted to hear, or if he was trying to convince himself that dropping everything and following this man was worth it, but I imagine this was a breakthrough for Peter. I wanted to capture this as a moment of seeing and being seen. Jesus sees him as more than Simon, a fisherman and son of Jonah, and renames him Peter, the blessed foundation through which his ministry would take root and continue to grow. Jesus sees Peter through the eyes of God. Peter sees Jesus as more than a teacher and companion. He sees through the veil of confusion concerning Jesus’ identity.