The Transfiguration Of Our Lord / Last Sunday After The Epiphany
Preaching
Hear My Voice
Preaching The Lectionary Psalms for Cycles A, B, C
(See The Transfiguration Of Our Lord/Last Sunday After The Epiphany, Cycle A, for an alternative approach.)
One of the greatest of all Christian hymns is Reginald Heber's powerful and beautiful "Holy, Holy, Holy." The hymn is based on Revelation 4:8-11, which depicts heavenly creatures singing praises day and night, celebrating God's holiness and glory.
Psalm 99 also offers a triple "holy, holy, holy." "Holy is he" (vv. 3-5) and "Holy is the Lord our God" (v. 9). The key to this psalm, obviously, is understanding the meaning of the word, "holy."
The basic idea behind the word translated "holy" (Hebrew qadosh) is "apart" or "separate." A location may be holy because it is "set apart" by God's presence or appearance there. Moses' encounter with God and the injunction to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground is a typical example (Exodus 3:5). This understanding may be extended to clothing, objects, animals, and of course, people.
To say that God is holy is to acknowledge that God is set apart. God is different from us. God is separated in both a qualitative and quantitative sense. God is different from us in terms of righteousness, goodness, judgment, mercy, and so on. God is also apart from us in occupying a place "in the heavens."
This sense of separation does not negate the biblical idea of God's presence, nor the ability of God to engage in meaningful relationships with us. It does, however, strongly suggest that since God is so different from us and so far removed from us, the only way we can have a relationship with God is for God to take the initiative and bridge the distance.
The Bible records many instances of God taking the initiative. These acts of God make up some of our favorite biblical stories. Interestingly, the Bible offers no instances of humans storming the gates of heaven or in some other way establishing a connection with God, without God making the first move.
Unfortunately, ideas of holiness, of separation and distance, often deteriorate into discussions of clean and unclean, pure and impure. While it is true that God is morally superior to us, and that our sin is "an abomination," God is not put off by these things. Though holy beyond imagination, God is nevertheless interested in our redemption. The New Testament declares that while we were yet sinners, God took steps to redeem us.
God's holiness, therefore, is not an obstacle to God's embrace of us. That is certainly one reason Jesus worked so hard to break down the clean/unclean class system that existed in first-century Palestine. God wants us to be holy, and certainly calls us to a life of holy living. Holiness is not about moral superiority; it is about living distinctively in the world. It is not about separatism or exclusive spirituality; it is about exemplary living in the midst of our neighbors.
-- J. E.
One of the greatest of all Christian hymns is Reginald Heber's powerful and beautiful "Holy, Holy, Holy." The hymn is based on Revelation 4:8-11, which depicts heavenly creatures singing praises day and night, celebrating God's holiness and glory.
Psalm 99 also offers a triple "holy, holy, holy." "Holy is he" (vv. 3-5) and "Holy is the Lord our God" (v. 9). The key to this psalm, obviously, is understanding the meaning of the word, "holy."
The basic idea behind the word translated "holy" (Hebrew qadosh) is "apart" or "separate." A location may be holy because it is "set apart" by God's presence or appearance there. Moses' encounter with God and the injunction to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground is a typical example (Exodus 3:5). This understanding may be extended to clothing, objects, animals, and of course, people.
To say that God is holy is to acknowledge that God is set apart. God is different from us. God is separated in both a qualitative and quantitative sense. God is different from us in terms of righteousness, goodness, judgment, mercy, and so on. God is also apart from us in occupying a place "in the heavens."
This sense of separation does not negate the biblical idea of God's presence, nor the ability of God to engage in meaningful relationships with us. It does, however, strongly suggest that since God is so different from us and so far removed from us, the only way we can have a relationship with God is for God to take the initiative and bridge the distance.
The Bible records many instances of God taking the initiative. These acts of God make up some of our favorite biblical stories. Interestingly, the Bible offers no instances of humans storming the gates of heaven or in some other way establishing a connection with God, without God making the first move.
Unfortunately, ideas of holiness, of separation and distance, often deteriorate into discussions of clean and unclean, pure and impure. While it is true that God is morally superior to us, and that our sin is "an abomination," God is not put off by these things. Though holy beyond imagination, God is nevertheless interested in our redemption. The New Testament declares that while we were yet sinners, God took steps to redeem us.
God's holiness, therefore, is not an obstacle to God's embrace of us. That is certainly one reason Jesus worked so hard to break down the clean/unclean class system that existed in first-century Palestine. God wants us to be holy, and certainly calls us to a life of holy living. Holiness is not about moral superiority; it is about living distinctively in the world. It is not about separatism or exclusive spirituality; it is about exemplary living in the midst of our neighbors.
-- J. E.
