Lent Beginning
March 7, 2006 – 9:05 am | by Duncan Macleod
The Baptism of Jesus
About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”Jesus and Satan
Right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.Jesus Begins His Work
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!”Mark 1:9-15 (Contemporary English Version)
Following the Revised Common Lectionary can do strange things to the way we read the gospels. We’d not long been following the ministry of Jesus when suddenly Lent arrives and we’re right back to the beginning again! At church we’re encouraged to enter a phase of preparation for Easter. We’re asked what we’re going to give up for Lent.
I must admit I’m in two minds on this.
I’ve always been wary of an artificial division of life into holy days and ‘not so holy’ days. Much of the literature around the seasons of the Church revolves around the natural seasons of the Northern Hemisphere. Above the equator there’s the anticipation of Spring. Down under we’re heading into autumn, though on the Gold Coast I’m not sure we see any discernible difference. Seasons of the church don’t seem to have much correlation with what’s going on in the everyday rhythms of anyone’s life beyond the life of the church.
However there is something helpful about shared focus on preparation for changed minds and changed lives. As a family we’ve started a short Lent reflection before dinner each night, courtesy of Phil Hoffman in Adelaide.
I note this morning that Jesus goes into the wilderness for forty days. Forty days of preparation for a new phase of his life. Preparation for a new era for us all. Preparation for living.
I find a parallel for myself here as I start a new phase of my work for the Uniting Church, serving as Vision for Mission Advocate, resourcing fresh missional initiatives in Queensland. The temptation for me is to launch head on into the challenges we face. The reality is that there’s a lot of inner work to be done. I’m challenged to reframe my approach to life and align myself again with the values of God. That has implications for the way in which I approach relationships, power, authority and finances.
