How do you bring your spiritual mountaintop moments into the everyday struggles of life? Join Pastor Rob McPherson as we pray with Raphael’s The Transfiguration, exploring the tension between divine glory and human suffering. Discover hope and God’s call to live fully as children of God amid it all.

Romans 8:18-19

In this episode, Pastor Rob McPherson guides us into prayerful reflection with Raphael’s powerful painting The Transfiguration, which depicts two connected biblical scenes from Luke 9:28-43. The upper half shows Jesus’ radiant transformation on the mountain alongside Moses and Elijah, while the lower half captures the struggle of the disciples attempting to heal a possessed boy without Jesus’ direct help. Rob highlights how the painting captures the tension many of us feel between spiritual mountaintop experiences and the harsh realities of everyday suffering.

To frame our meditation, Rob invites us to hear Romans 8:18-19, which reminds us that the present sufferings pale in comparison to the glory to be revealed in us, and that all creation eagerly awaits this revelation. Looking at the upper part of the painting, we are invited to imagine the disciples’ awe and wonder in witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration, reflecting on what such revelations mean in our own spiritual lives.

Turning to the lower half, Rob asks us to consider the places in our lives where our efforts seem insufficient, where suffering and chaos feel disconnected from Christ’s power. The presence of Peter consulting scripture, yet failing to heal the boy, invites us to acknowledge our own moments of spiritual struggle and helplessness.

As we revisit Romans, Rob encourages us to reflect on what revelations we are awaiting personally and globally, and how these might begin to take shape in our lives. Drawing on Goethe’s insight that the two scenes are intertwined—suffering below and divine power above—Rob leads us to explore how our spiritual experiences and earthly challenges inform and shape one another.

The prayer closes with an invitation to listen for God’s call to action and hope, encouraging us to live as children of God amid life’s trials. Rob acknowledges that the work of integrating faith and life is ongoing and prays for God’s Spirit and Christ’s presence to sustain us throughout the week. This episode offers a rich, contemplative space for grappling with the dynamic interplay of glory and suffering in the Christian journey.