this sunday
February 20, 2009
our pastor does things differently. everything he does seams to come out of an on-going conversation. a couple times a week he sends out an email that describes his thoughts that either continue his previous sermon or prefaces his upcoming sermon. i always find his insight interesting and thought provocing, so i’m going to include them here occasionally. this is what he sent out today as a preface for this sunday:
GP Family,
Per the Christian Church’s calendar, this Sunday is the last Sunday of the Epiphany Season. Remember, the Season of Epiphany is the period of time between Christmas and the Lenten Season (Lent being the 40 non-Sunday days leading up to Easter).
While epiphany generically means manifestation, for many centuries Christians have set aside the first few weeks of the year to commemorate the special manifestation of God through Christ, calling this time the Season of Epiphany. During these days, special emphasis is given to the stories of the Wise Men from the East (the Magi), Christ’s first miracle at Cana (water into wine), and His Baptism by John the Baptist.
A large part of the Church marks the last Sunday of the Epiphany season by focusing on the story of Christ’s transfiguration; an event that occurred towards the end of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and just before ”He set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Christ’s journey to Jerusalem, the place He would meet His fate, has also served for centuries as the inspiration and model for our Lenten journeys.
This Sunday we will be preparing our hearts for the Season of Lent by joining churches around the world focusing on the gospel story of Christ’s transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13). While Christ’s baptism is traditionally called the ”Great Epiphany,” the Transfiguration is referred to as the ”Small Epiphany.” They are thus recognized because of the express manifestation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at both occasions.
I don’t think it is coincidental that Christ’s Lenten journey was preceded by such a profound, epiphanous experience as the Transfiguration. I personally believe when life is healthy it has a rhythm to it, an ebb and a flow if you will, or, as I said a few weeks ago, a breathing in and a breathing out. Life naturally and properly cycles through highs and lows, contemplation and action, fullness and emptiness, joy and sorrow, companionship and aloneness, etc., etc.
As we move toward Resurrection Sunday via the Lenten path, let’s not do so haphazardly or thoughtlessly. Let’s join together Sunday with intentionality, preparing our hearts for a journey with Christ toward finding our purpose, our meaning in this world, just as He ultimately found His in Jerusalem. Be thinking about how you might alter your normal routine for Lent, not as a matter of mindless, meaningless tradition but as a focusing mechanism.
Let’s gather this Sunday to celebrate our epiphanies and transfigurations as we also commit ourselves to our Jerusalem/Lenten journeys.
See you Sunday,
Stan
