{"id":2194,"date":"2010-05-06T12:44:43","date_gmt":"2010-05-06T16:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/?p=2194"},"modified":"2015-01-10T12:48:39","modified_gmt":"2015-01-10T16:48:39","slug":"changed-into-god-reflections-on-theosis-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/2010\/05\/changed-into-god-reflections-on-theosis-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Changed into God… Reflections on Theosis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"It's<\/a>\"\"A few weeks ago I was driving to Michigan from my home in Chicago. I was excited to see my family there, and also my wife who had gone before me a few days. I love seeing my family. There is no other group of people that reflect who I am. I am a little like my Mother, a little like my brothers, a little like my sister, more like my Father then I care to admit, and I am quite a bit like my wife, Joan. This is true of all of us. We have lived with our families for large portions of our lives. Over time things just seem to rub off.<\/p>\n

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\"\"On my way home I started\u00a0listening\u00a0the\u00a0latest\u00a0MeWithoutYou<\/a>\"\"\u00a0CD<\/div>\n

It\u2019s All Crazy! It\u2019s All False! It\u2019s All a Dream! It\u2019s Alright<\/a>\"\". I had never listened to it the whole way through. Near the end of the CD I heard this amazing song I had never heard before it was called\u00a0The King Beetle On A Coconut Estate<\/a>\"\".\u00a0<\/span><\/span> It\u2019s a story about some beetles that are trying to figure out what fire is. The song is really a parable about trying to know God. There is a surprise ending, so I don\u2019t want to ruin it for you, but I have to say I started weeping when I heard it, and I\u2019m not sure why.<\/span><\/span> Give it a listen.<\/a>\"\".. Tell me what you think The ending chant is \u201cwhy not be utterly changed into fire.\u201d This reminded me of a theological idea that is found in the Eastern Orthodox Church. It\u2019s called theosis. It comes from the greek word, \u0398\u03ad\u03c9\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2 that means \u201cMaking Divine.\u201d It states that humans can become like God. The theory behind it is kind of similar to why I am like me family. 1. I participate in life with my family. 2. I pick up on the way they live. 3. I begin to live in that way. The way I understand Theosis is like this: 1. In prayer we find union with God, and an understanding we are created in his image. 2. in the life and teaching of Jesus see what it means to live as a Divine Human. 3. We spend eternity with God so we begin to participate with his life more and more. In a way it\u2019s similar to sanctification. In a way it\u2019s different. Sanctification seems to be about sinning no more. Theosis seems more concerned with complete union with God. Sanctification focuses on good fruit, Theosis focuses on a good tree. Both are good perspectives, but Theosis stirs my heart more. I like spending time with my wife a great deal more then trying to figure out exactly how she has impacted me.<\/p>\n