A Portrait of Jesus

Prayer: becoming present to the sacred

Luke 3:21, SV

And it so happened when all the people were baptized, and after Jesus had been baptized and while he was praying, the sky opened up

Luke 3:21, NRSV

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened

Luke 5:16, SV

But he would withdraw to isolated places and pray.

Luke 5:16, NRSV

But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.

Luke 6:12, SV

During that time, it so happened that we went out to the mountain to pray, and spent the night in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12, NRSV

Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God.

Luke 9:18, SV

And on one occasion when Jesus was praying alone the disciples were with him; and he questioned them asking: "What are the crowds saying about me?"

Luke 9:18, NRSV

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

Luke 9:28-29, SV

About eight days after these sayings, Jesus happened to take Peter and John and James along with him and climbed up the mountain to pray.

And it so happened as he was praying that his face took on a strange appearance, and his clothing turned dazzling white.

Luke 9:28-29, NRSV

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

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Resources for Further Study

Books and Articles by Marcus Borg

FaithFutures Foundation: integrating faith and scholarship

Living the Questions, a progressive 12-week DVD and web curriculum to help participants discover the relevance of Christianity in the 21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today's world. Features Marcus Borg and 14 other scholars and pastors.

New Testament Gateway, created by Dr. Mark Goodacre, University of Birmingham, UK

The Jesus Seminar, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Jesus Seminar Fellow and faculty at Rutgers University

Virtual Religion Index, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Rutgers University

Westar Institute, official Jesus Seminar site; includes churches open to the scholarship of the Jesus Seminar

Biblical references are from The Scholars Version translation (SV), published in The Five Gospels, © 1993 by Polebridge Press and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The images include portrayals of Jesus from a wide variety of traditions and experiences.

© 1997-2005 "A Portrait of Jesus" web site created by Cam Howard based on the work of Dr. Marcus Borg.

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