What is Lent?

Lent has traditionally been seen as a time of personal meditation, a cleansing of the soul and also a time of preparation for those receiving baptism on Easter Sunday. It begins with a time of penitence, of saying sorry, on Ash Wednesday.

In the Roman Catholic Church fasting is still practised on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. In the Eastern Orthodox Church not eating eggs, meat and fish is still common throughout Lent, which is why painted eggs are given out on Easter Sunday.

The colour representing Lent is purple and unbleached fabric and in some churches there are no flowers during Lent and all the crosses are all covered.

The Israelites in the Exodus moved from a situation of slavery but where they had food and shelter into a situation of great risk, not knowing where they were going, how they were going to be fed, where they were going...into a desert!

God is there through the trauma, through the storm, yet how do we access that spiritual resource? Circumstances can through the unemployment, through the tough time and cause us to sink into despair, to wish we were back in the old days.

There are spiritual disciplines that can help us. Silence, prayer, reading the scriptures, fasting... and if we are to move on in our lives these moments of risk-taking attendant with danger are inevitable and the only way forward.

The Christian journey requires that we take risks otherwise we stop growing as people of faith. we may move away from being respectable and risks are taken with no quarantee of success otherwise they would not require faith, they woulnt be risks. It is easy to trust God when things are going well but when the going gets tough then many of us look down and start to sink.

Muslim celebrated Ramadan with a month of disciplined fasting from dawn to dusk. What about us? How are we going to give this Lent to God, to allow the Spirit of Christ to work something new in us, to learn more about our faith, to seek God in prayer about our life? The number 40 represents a change; we have 40 days to reflect and maybe to enact change, with God's help.

There are books that can help us on that journey. There are organised times of prayer and reflection.
We may choose to go into a desert or we may be driven there like the Israelites. We may already be in that desert, or on the edge of it. It may help us to be with others or to be alone. Whatever you do this Lent, do it consciously and wisely.

Epiphany 6 Luke 9 2010-Transfiguration

Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration

The story of the transformation is a difficult one for us to identify with. It is other worldly. In my experience it is rare to do more than catch a glimpse of God.

Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi, along with Jesus' first prediction of his death and resurrection and teaching on cross-bearing discipleship is followed some eight days later by Jesus' transfiguration. Two Old Testament motifs are used to draw out the significance of the transfiguration:

i) The Son of man in Daniel (shining face, sleep, Elijah. Dan.10:8f);
ii)The Exodus, the theophany on Mount Sinai (shining face, booths, cloud, and the presence of Moses. Ex.13:20f).

It was difficult even then to pray in the middle of the city so they went to a quieter place. As Jesus was praying (prayer linked to transformation) there was a bright light like a flash of lightening, a dazzling white. (Moses encountered God after 40 days of fasting and praying and his face shone). The white robes remind us of the white robes of the martyrs in the Book of Revelation and of course of angels. There were also two men as at Jesus' resurrection (Transfiguration-resurrection). The arrival of Moses and Elijah, sanctions Christ as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets but if you or I had been present we may have found it all terrifying or aweful.

The disciples were very sleepy- this was a long meeting! When they woke up they share in the experience. We find the connection with this half-waking sleeping state and visions. As the shiny men were leaving- Peter to want to preserve the moment with the building of three shelters or booths (like the feast of Tabernacles). It is good for us that we are here he says. The shelters, tents, tabernacles add to the Exodus theme. But he did not know what he was saying-Peter's fear led to his desire to preserve the glory of the moment rather than allow the journey to continue toward suffering and death. His words hastened the end of the theophany and a cloud enveloped them like the cloud covering the tabernacle in Exodus and they were afraid as they entered it. The words are heard “This is my son- whom I have chosen listen to him”, also the words at Jesus' baptism. Suddenly Jesus was alone. They are pointed to the experience of the cross, and suffering which is the traditional lot of prophets. The journey to Jerusalem continues, amid its dust and chaos and the disciples kept this to themselves- were silent.

There are those who tell me that they can see auras around people which tell you about them, their spiritual disposition their state of health. Some painters would depict people especially holy people with such auras.(El Greco for example).It is not impossible to believe that Christ received such an input of divine energy that he shone.

It may be that some of us are lucky enough to have such a mountain experience and it will show in our faces. What is certain is that it will pass and we will once more be faced with the demands of the city.This small group had gone away to pray. The practice of prayer does not guarantee such an experience although strange things may happen to us on the way to prayer. We may be transformed! And this may encourage us on our journey.