Award: Jiri Moskala

Jiří Moskala, dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, received an Honorable Mention award from the Associated Church Press at the “Best of the Church Press Awards” on April 8, 2021, for his research published in Ministry magazine. Moskala says, “I am honored to receive this prestigious award for my research, which was recognized for a creative contribution in exploring how a deep relationship with God springs from His refreshing Presence and is rooted in His powerful Word. The Lord’s Presence is a journey into the mind and heart of God.”

Moskala’s article, “Your Face, Lord, I Will Seek: Toward the Theology of the Face of God,” was published in the November 2020 issue of Ministry. The article was an in-depth study based on original research that examined the meaning of the Hebrew term panim which signifies “face” or “presence” in English.

“Seeing God’s face means to enjoy and cultivate His Presence in everyday life so that it becomes an integral part of a lifestyle,” says Moskala. “God’s Presence means everything to believers because without God’s Presence we are not able to do anything meaningful and lasting. The face of God provides emotional stability and balance in a world of loneliness, anxiety and fear; the face of God brings intellectual strength and guidance and transforms our lives.”

A recording of the Associated Church Press Best of the Church Press Awards is available here.

The full article can be found in the Seminary magazine Current: Faith Meets Life and Culture (volume 8, fall 2020, pages 36–43).